Spent

It is horrifying what happened to Chelsea King. It makes me sad, disgusted, outraged and sick to my stomach that women can't walk or jog in a quiet, peaceful place without the fear of attack. Men like John Albert Gardner III should be castrated. All the world revolves around that thing between men's legs...without it the world would be a safer more peaceful place. I have to stop talking about it because I am enraged at the moment and I don't have the emotional reserves this week to deal with it.

It's hard to think about the fact that I'll be running a full marathon on Sunday. It seems like such a frivolity after everything that has happened with Chelsea King. But nevertheless, the world keeps spinning. People living... dying. Students learning. Teachers teaching. Runners running. On and on and on.

I am relieved that the marathon is nearly here. Since Monday my husband and I have spent every spare moment between the hours of 3pm (when we get off work) and midnight moving out of our tiny cave of an apartment, and into a beautiful, light-filled, ocean-view home. We are extremely excited and extremely exhausted. We are spent in every possible way: emotionally and physically...probably even spiritually. I am sore in my body-- from the move, in my mind-- which hasn't stopped "running" (even in my sleep), and in my heart-- for a fellow runner who will never run again. I will be relieved when my feet are finally on the roads of Napa. Of all the weeks leading up to the race that felt so long and tedious...this has been the longest week of them all.

When I think of the race this weekend, I don't see the pain I might be in, I don't see the mile after mile after mile monotony I will face. Instead, I see burdens left behind and freedom ahead. I see something managable. Something I know how to deal with... after a week like this one, the marathon will be my escape, my vacation, my rest.

Thank you...

To Speed Struggler: you have been such a wonderful blog-companion these last few months. Thank you for your encouragement and input--it's been invaluable to me. I hope you continue to heal and stay on the road...one day we'll run a race together!

To Linsey: You know. (Camel...)

Missing Runner

A couple months ago I had a strange run at Lake Poway. If you didn't read that post, or don't remember, click HERE to read about it. Long story short: it felt like someone or something was watching me the entire time. I felt panicky for no reason that I could see (well... besides the fact that I could see no one). One small comfort was the cell phone I carried in my hand. I don't believe that my feelings during that run are connected to the missing girl I'm going to talk about; however, my instinct told me to get out of that place. I fought against that instinct when I should have ran with it. I'm very thankful that my instinct didn't prove to be correct that day; I made it back to my car. For one unfortunate runner, this is not the case.

Yesterday, Chelsea King, a 17 year old long distance runner, parked her car near Lake Hodges in Rancho Bernardo Community Park, left for a run and didn't return. Her cell phone was found in the car. At first I thought, Foolish girl! Why didn't you carry it with you? But then I thought of all the times I've left for runs and didn't feel like carrying my phone: I run these roads and trails all the time...they're safe. Nothing bad could ever happen to me.

Well, they're really not safe and it can happen to anyone. I may be comfortable with the roads and trails I run, but (sadly) that's a dangerous state of mind--it's more likely to make me careless.

There are really only two things that could have happened to her: she fell and is out on some trail gravely injured or she has been abducted. If only this could be some dramatic teen stunt--a young girl who just desperately needs attention, because the alternatives are tragic and unimaginably sad.

While it's true that danger can lurk around every bend, we can't let it keep us off the roads and trails we love or away from the sport we're addicted too. This is why it's so important to be aware of our surroundings (as my dad told me nearly every day of my life growing up and is probably why I'm paranoid in all parking lots-- in broad daylight), and it's also important to be prepared. Carry a cell phone! Women: if you run in rural or partially secluded areas consider carrying pepper spray. (You can get it at any sporting goods store.) I have the kind that clips onto the waistband of my pants and my shirt hangs low enough to keep it concealed. You'd never know it's there, but if you wanted someone to see it, it sends the message: Don't mess with me, I'm running here and I plan on finishing today.

At the Gorge this afternoon my friend nearly stepped on on a young rattlesnake stretched across the road. If she had stepped on it and been bit, I could have called 911 immediately because I was carrying my cell phone. However, had I left my phone in the car--as I almost decided to do--we were two miles from the nearest phone. Two miles too far from help.

Again: Be aware of your surroundings and listen to your gut! If something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't, so get the hell out.

Keep this young girl and her family in your thoughts and prayers. And if you see anything suspicious in any area, report it immediately. To read more about Chelsea King click HERE.

Voice of SD Blog: Being Earnest About Class Size

What is happening to classrooms in San Diego...I can't decide if this is my statement or my question. I am curious to know what the public's priorities are for education. What do you want education to look like for your kids?

Click HERE or above to read the article.

Weird Week

What a crazy week. Today is Saturday, but it doesn't feel like it. I didn't do a long run....I just wasn't ready for it to be Saturday yet.

We had a number of storms hit San Diego this week. It was great for many reasons-- the first being that the storms caused the power to go out at my school two days in a row. I know, I know...I'm not supposed to be happy about that. I'm the teacher. Only the kids are supposed to be happy. But, sorry kids...teachers are just as pleased as you are about skipping school--if not more so.

The days off allowed me to work on my submission for the NYC Midnight Movie Making Madness Short Story Competition. Wheew. Still a keyboard full. Not very happy with the Drama/Computer Hacker story I came up with...but at least I did it and it's properly edited, unlike last year when I sent in a story with the word "comma" instead of "coma." Kind of a big difference that little "m" makes.

Because of the storms, I wasn't able to run outside as much as I would have liked. On Wednesday morning, when I heard school was canceled, I got in a great 5 mile hill run before the second big storm came. It was pretty awesome running in the sunshine, but also seeing the storm approaching over the ocean--ominous and beautiful.

School was canceled Thursday as well, but the weather was too bad to run. I'd like to clarify one thing. I have no problem running in the rain--and I have done it many times. I actually like running in the rain. A lot. However, the reason this particular storm prevented me from doing so is because the winds were so strong. Trees fell on peoples cars and homes...in fact a friend of ours had a cypress fall on his car and totaled it! And do you have any idea how big palm fronds are? And how easily they are ripped from the tops of the trees? I imagined running along, running along, running along, BAM! Newspaper headlines read: "Runner suffers brutal bitch slap by palm frond in hurricane force winds. May have brain damage." (Also the longest headline ever.)

With all my extra free-time indoors, I discovered a fun site called The Daily Mile where I can meet other San Diego runners and track my mileage and races...all for free. It's fantastic. If you're training for something (or not) check it out.

So. Since it's been a weird week and I have my days all mixed up... I'm going to move my long, slow, distance run to tomorrow. We'll see if I can make it happen. The weather cleared this afternoon. San Diego has returned to normal. Maybe my schedule will too!