It Actually Felt Like Running

My original plan on Wednesday was to tackle three miles in Buck Gully. Well, I got to the trailhead and discovered that it was street sweeping day, which means no parking! Yea! That meant I could go back home and veg out a little more. In all seriousness, the weather was just too nice to head back inside (74 degrees down here by the beach), so I headed down the road a couple miles and hit up a “trail” (in quotes because it’s paved) that I haven’t been on in a while – Crystal Cove State Park.

The bluff above the beach can provide some stunning views. Proof from yesterday (that’s Santa Catalina Island 26 miles away in the distance):

The best part of yesterday’s jaunt is that I actually ran jogged most of it. It was a short three miles, but I’ll take what I can get these days….

From the caloric view:

• Daily budget: 1530
• Calories consumed: 2070
• Exercise adjustment: 3 miles, 562 calories
• Deficit/(surplus): 22

And as much as I want to take advantage of the awesome weather today, it *is* a scheduled rest day, and last week I had this little twinge……

Back to Back

I know I said I would be back on Sunday. Sorry if you visited and found nothing new. I spent Sunday on a 10 plus mile trail run, Monday on a back to back 6 plus mile trail run, and Tuesday sleeping it all off.

Today my fingers no longer hurt (believe me – on Monday evening every part of my body was sore and tired!), so here’s my contribution to my YouTube channel. Come join me as I travel some of the ridges and canyons of Laguna Coast and Crystal Cove:

I think I’m reinvigorated. After well over a year of being in the dumps, I am finding some satisfaction with setting aside three or more hours on my weekends to traipse the hills. Not enough yet to say I want to race a marathon (or even a half), but enough to get out when the weather is good and enjoy the sights and sounds.

The other thing that is painfully obvious is that I need to build my aerobic base. More on that this week.

Lurking

Hello folks. I’m still around. Been in serious lurker mode for the past couple of weeks. Couldn’t do a whole lot else that was very exciting.

Here’s where things stand – I’m back to running. Sort of. First off, if I try to run every day right now, I end up paying for it by the end of the week. So – I’m running every other day. Second, since I have been a little (okay – a whole lot) less than disciplined with my diet, the extra poundage I’m carrying around makes it difficult to go a whole lot further that 4 or 5 miles at a time. But – I’m at least moving.

One other thing I learned is that right now I’m not in shape to do anything serious. As a result, I passed on my opportunity to run the Crystal Cove XTERRA 17K on Sunday. Luckily TeaTime was able to take advantage of my absence in the race. All was not lost though – if you ran the race I was the guy behind the table at the first aid station (just past mile 3) filling the water cups. Hope you had a great time running!* I know I did just helping out:

* Note: We had an unseasonably warm weekend here. At our aid station, the temperature was pushing 75F when folks started showing up around 8:45 AM under sunny and breezeless skies. We heard of two cases of heat exhaustion, and while the ranger was driving us back to the start area, we had to stop and assist a hiker who was in heat distress. Glad I was just volunteering!

I Fooled the Old Brain Yesterday!

It all started back in late March. A sit down at mile 22 of the L.A. Marathon. Fatigue post race. Then days turned into weeks turned into months of burnout. Of making excuses to not run. Of me convincing myself that it would be okay to skip a run here and there.

Well, last night, for the first time in a while, I felt a twinge of guilt as I sat on the couch. I had been home for an hour and a half, when the intent was to just drop by, change clothes and head out the door. Finally, as In Plain Sight came on the USA Network, the guilt overwhelmed me, and I scooted out the door and over to Crystal Cove.

I put in an easy easy four miles (average pace – 10:06, average heart rate – 73% of max). The only reason my heart rate was that high was the hill that I climbed leaving the Shake Shack (this picture from last Christmas).

I grabbed some dinner and then hit my exercise mat for a resistance workout*. In addition to the old stability exercises, on tap were four new exercises:

Box Lunge: This exercise trains the hip abductors to maintain stability when single leg movement. It involves standing on a box and  taking a large step forward, landing on the floor, and then driving the leg back to the start position. Then repeat for the other leg. Complete 8 to 12 repetitions.

(Note: I didn’t have a box that would remain planted on the floor, so I just did a set of lunges)

Stability Ball Leg Curl: This exercise is supposed to train the deep abs to maintain stability while the buttocks and hamstrings generate backwards thrust. All I know is they were T  O  U  G  H  and they H  U  R  T! Lie face up and place your heels on a stability ball. Contract your buttocks and hamstrings and roll the ball toward your butt. Roll the ball back. Repeat eight to twelve times.

Forearms to Palms Bridge: Another exercise to help maintain pelvic stability while performing alternating arm movements. Start in a plank position. Move from plank position to push up position. Reverse the motion. Repeat four to ten times.

Dead bug: Another exercise to train the deep abs to maintain stability during alternating arm/leg movement. Lie flat on the floor, extending one arm above the head. Bring the opposite knee up to your chest. Extend the other arm toward your toe, and the opposite leg down and slightly off the floor. Then, drawing your navel toward your spine (to engage the deep abs), reverse the position of your arms and legs for 20 to 30 seconds.

All this while watching Family Guy and Spaceballs. It was a great Wednesday evening.

* Note: I had to sack the split leg jumps. My quads are *very* tired from miles and from a little hill climb I did on Saturday.

The Dangers of Trail Racing – Part 3

To celebrate what normally would have been an evening on the trails, I present to you the third (I’m sure your hoping the last) in my series on the dangers of trail racing.

I started by checking the mission log of a local Search and Rescue organization, the Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit to see how often they had to respond to assistance calls. Most of them read like these:

6/5/2010: At approximately 10:15am RMRU was called to aid a woman who had been hiking the Skyline Trail and who had run out of water at approximately 5,000 ft. elevation.

In fact, looking back through all of the archives, I couldn’t find one where RMRU was called out for a medical evacuation due to snake bite, animal attack, etc. Here’s another:

12/26/2009: At 16:25 on December 26, 2009 Mount San Jacinto Ranger Station at Long Valley was contacted by Riverside County Sheriff's office reporting that two hikers had telephoned in by cell phone that they were stranded on the Skyline Trail between Palm Springs and Long Valley. They reported being unable to move up or down due to bad snow and ice conditions. The two hikers were reached after two hours at about 1,400 feet of elevation below Long Valley. The temperature was in the mid 20 degrees F. One hiker was wearing shorts and the other was in cotton jeans and tennis shoes.

Are you getting the drift here? No mountain lion attacks. No snakebites. But, a great deal of not being prepared for the trail and weather conditions.

This really points out what I feel is the #1 danger to us on the trail. OURSELVES! Running out of water? Dressed in shorts and tennis shoes in December? iPod blaring and not hearing the mountain biker coming up from behind? I would bet that if you talk to anyone in search and rescue, the theme that you see in the posts above are repeated over and over.

It’s because as runners we tend to be minimalists. We cringe at the thought of carrying a water/fuel belt. We worry about where to stuff a cell phone. We try to get away wearing as little clothing as comfortably possible. All of these (along with the ever present mp3 player) are the type of things that can get us in big time trouble on the trails. Many of you won’t like what I am going to say next – but to be a safe trail runner, we *have to* carry a few essential items:

1. Water. Three to four times what you think you’ll need. We need to stay hydrated. You might be surprised how much water we lose just through perspiration.
2. Compass/GPS and map. Yes. Even if you are just out for a quick stroll. Grab a map from the interpretive kiosk. Or print one before you get there. It won’t be funny if you take a wrong turn. All those ridge tops look the same when you’re at the bottom of some canyon.
3. Food. Carry an energy bar or two. If you need to hunker down for the night, an energy bar can provide a little bit of energy to help keep you warm
4. Emergency blanket. Honestly. Just like the ones they hand out at the end of a marathon. They weigh a few ounces, but provide a huge benefit in the middle of the night at the bottom on a canyon. Until you’ve been there* you don’t realize how cold air actually does flow downhill to low points. Along with any moisture. The emergency blanket can be the difference between an uncomfortable night of terror, and being able to look back at your uncomfortable night of terror.
5. Firestarter/matches. Can be the difference as well on a cold cold night. Always grab the strike anywhere kind of matches.
6. Whistle. Unless you are a hermit with absolutely no redeeming social qualities, someone will be out looking for you. They *will* find your car at the trailhead, and they *will* start looking. Have you ever tried to see much further than three feet off a trail though? Pretty tough. And if you’ve been out a day or two, you may not have a whole lot of energy left to yell. But that whistle? They’ll hear that from a mile away.

I *did* leave one item in particular off this list – cell phone. If you are plodding around town, then there is no harm throwing it in. BUT (and a big but) – you should not rely on having cell phone service if you are not in an urban area. Heck – I can take you places less than 3 miles from the Bommer Ridge trailhead that has no cell service.

Before you get all uppity and start complaining about how you’re going to carry all this stuff, let me show you how I do it. Matches, compass, whistle ($2.95):

Emergency blanket (out of the box, $3.95):

All fits into the top pocket of my trail running buddy (70 ounce water bladder, $85):

I either pick up a map or print one out of the area that I’m running. I throw in a couple of Clif bars, and I’m good to go.

But, even though I’m pretty well geared up, I still consider myself guilty of taking undue risk. Why? Because I violate rule #1 – NEVER GO ALONE!!! The best way to stay out of trouble and to insure that help will be nearby should something happen is to have a buddy! Remember back in Part 1 of this series? The mountain lion that attacked two people in a local wilderness park? The reason one person lived and one person didn’t? The person who lived had a buddy. And how do you make sure you’re going to survive that rattlesnake bite that happened when you had your iPod blasting? Why – your buddy is going to head for help while you lay down and relax. And how are you going to avoid being abducted or attacked by others of our species? By having someone with you. Safety in numbers! If you are thinking about trail running as a serious sideline, look up a local trail running club. I belong to the So Cal TrailHeadz. A calendar is maintained for the benefit of its members. Looking for a partner? Post a run. Someone will answer!

The bottom line is every outdoor activity involves some risk. Even road running. Take a few precautions though, and you can enjoy the outdoors in a way that no road runner can!

Oh. ETP Day 4: Ran 7.4 miles at Crystal Cove. Kept it slow and easy at 10:50 per mile, average heart rate of 74% of MHR. BMR of 1979 plus 1133 activity allowance for a total of 3112 calories allowed. 2721 eaten for a deficit of 391.

• Training budget week to date: 0 variance
• Calorie budget week to date: - 1100 calories (one third a pound).

* Note: I was lucky enough to spend a night out lost in the wilderness back when I was a teen. My hiking buddy and I found our way out the next day. It certainly added to a sense of adventure!

Beach Run

Things are returning to "normal" post Long Beach. Yesterday made three running days in a row, and the little tweaks I was feeling last week are slowly working themselves out. My quads and hips still get sore after a run, but at least I feel like I'm moving again and not running in wet cement.

I made it down to Crystal Cove for my planned 4 mile run last night. It's been a windy couple of days here, so I thought that I would take advantage of all of the dust in the air to capture some "Sunset on the Pacific" photos:



Once I took these photos, I dropped down from the bluff onto the beach and jogged on the sand. It was cool and blustery - not another soul on the beach:




One of the cool things about Crystal Cove is that in the 1920's and 30's, there was a bunch of vacation bungalows on the beach. Those were the days when this was *way* out in the country. About 5 or 6 years ago, the State of California evicted the residents and have turned the bungalows into vacation rentals. There is no other place in California quite like it:

Here is the view if you stay in one of those cabins (sorry for the lousy quality - this one was MMS'd to a friend):



And if you get hungry, well, there's always The Beachcomber restaurant:

If I say so myself, what a way to end a day!

Tonight I'm back on the track for some easy mile repeats.

Wildlife Run

That's my new name for yesterday's run. I had an eight mile general aerobic run on the schedule. I added a couple miles to one of my normal routes and ran from the beach at Corona del Mar to Reef Point at Crystal Cove for a 4 mile out and back.

At this point I would normally tell you how bland and boring the run was. But, yesterday was anything but. Immediately after starting, I noticed a flock of Brown Pelicans on my right. Hey guys - I know my shoes stink, but they don't smell like rotten fish (at least I don't think they do). Must have been 12 or so all together. It is so cool how they fly in formation - from afar it looks like the Blue Angels. For the next mile and half, I ran through a quaint residential neighborhood, turned a corner to run along a busy street, and finally found myself back on familiar ground at Crystal Cove. No sooner did I hit the trail, than on my right was the flock of Pelicans again! Cool!

Now, this part of the trail runs through an area where I normally see a lot of lizards and rabbits, but today there was something new on the trail. Quail! Yup. I had no idea that Quail were even around in Orange County! It was quite cool watching them scoot along and run into the brush as I approached. About now I was really wishing I had brought my camera. Sorry for all the stock photos folks.

The next flock of birds were easy to sight. They made a loud thumping sound as the two flew in formation over the coast. A couple Sea Knights buzzed over the coast. Being as close as we are to Camp Pendelton, the main USMC recruiting base on the West Coast, these aren't that uncommon. But, it's still amazing that something this large and non aerodynamic can fly.

My final sighting came as I neared my turnaround point. There it was sunning in the middle of the black asphalt path. Mr. Rattlesnake! It was a small (18 inches or so) snake with a couple of rattles on it's tail. Obviously a juvenile. I literally walked right up to the snake. Eventually he woke up and slithered off into the brush next to the trail. How cool.

I reached my turnaround point and headed back. The quail were still scattering ahead of me. Rabbits were scooting around and lizards shot across the trail. And the parting shot? My flock of Pelicans were flying in formation over my left shoulder. No - I do not have fish in my shoes!

Final stats - 8 miles in 1:20.12 (10:02 pace - includes time stopped watching the wildlife). Average heart rate - 77% of max. Jean (Run Jean Run) - eat your heart out!

What a Day

I left my camera at home. Grrr. Yesterday was an absolutely stunning day. Cool. Crisp. Beautiful. It was one of those Chamber of Commerce days. There was supposed to be a slight chance of rain yesterday, but by midday it was clear that the "storm" had blown through. Literally. The winds switched direction and started blowing pretty stiff from the northwest. What that did was to blow out all of the haze and junk and left some spectacular views. The views of the Pacific from the bluff top that I was running were spectacular. Of course, it made my recovery run a little tough, but I really didn't care. It was just such a beautiful day!

Oh, the run? Just your basic four mile recovery run. 10:31 pace (interesting - 10:15 outbound when the wind was at my back, 10:45 inbound running into the wind), and an average heart rate 73% of max. I also made it to the gym for some stretching, crunches and planks.

On the schedule today is a 45 minute tempo run. The last couple of weeks I've hit 5 miles, but today I may run just a tad less. My legs have been uber tired and my glutes and quads sore after the track workout Tuesday night, so I'm thinking that a little rest for them will help. I'd rather fall a half mile or so short on a hard workout and substitute some easy aerobic miles in their place.

Four More (Plus One)

We've been blessed lately with some great weather, so I decided that yesterday's run should take place where I could enjoy that. Off to where else but Crystal Cove!

The plan was an easy four miles. The run went well. I felt like I was moving along and expending little effort (for a change). The weather was beautiful, so when I hit my planned turnaround point, I continued motoring forward. Luckily for me, there's only another half mile of trail, so I was pretty limited to a five mile run. Otherwise who knows how far I would have gone?

Anyways, at the 2.5 mile point, I turned around and headed back. Only then did I discover why my run was so effortless. I had been running with the wind at my back (no pun intended)! And yes - it was stiff enough to be pushing me along! So I had to put my head down and watch my heart rate ramp up as I headed back to the car. Made it back in just under 49 minutes at an average heart rate of 82% of max. Another decent run. I turned over a new leaf then and hit the gym for some stretching and core work. My toungue is still hanging out of my mouth.

On tap today - intervals at the track! Ugh....

Mr. Rattlesnake!

Well, on a day I needed my camera - of course I didn't have it! After Tuesday night's tough session, yesterday was a nice easy four mile recovery run on the paved trails at Crystal Cove. Now, normally I do my weekday runs in the late afternoon or evening. But, last night was "boys night out" (more on that later), so I took my lunch hour and headed on down to Crystal Cove. The weather was brisk by Southern California standards - cloudy, overcast, and breezy - but it was perfect running weather.

One thing for sure - this route has some pretty spectacular views. I settled in and enjoyed the stormy skies above and the crashing waves below. About a mile and a half into the run, I rounded a corner to see him there. Yessiree! Mr. Western Diamondback Rattlesnake! Poor guy was stretched out on the asphalt path. Being cold blooded, he was obviously trying to gather whatever warmth he could from the meager rays of the sun on the black asphalt. Luckily, I *am* the running fat guy. He obviously felt the ground shuddering from the impact I was making as I plodded along. He was trying to slither away, but just couldn't muster the warmth to make a fast getaway. I got to watch (from close range) as the young snake (it was about 2 feet long and had 3 rattles) made his way slowly into the safety of the brush along the trail. What a cool distraction to an otherwise normal run! (By the way - the photo is not a photo of the snake I saw, but just a stock photo of Western Diamondback).

Today is Thursday - so that means tempo day! Looks like a 45 minute tempo run on the schedule. And tomorrow - more about boys night out (here's a hint - Ducks v. Canucks).

Recovery Day at Crystal Cove

Yesterday was recovery day. After Tuesday's workout, I decided that taking it easy was in the cards for me. Also, I needed a little change of scenery. Ever since my diagnosis of spondylolisthesis, I've pretty much tried to keep my runs on flat surfaces - which pretty much means the Newport Back Bay. My back has been feeling much better these days (a little stiff after long runs is about all the discomfort I have), so I headed off to Crystal Cove to run on the bluff above the ocean (which involves a few minor hills). It was kind of cool and blustery, but the run was a welcome relief from the stresses of the day. Stresses? Yeah right. After reading some of the blogs I follow, I should be counting my blessings!

The run itself went off without a hitch. A little slower than normal, but a much of that is because I ran into a friend on the trail and helped a couple with directions. Final stats - 4.25 miles at an average pace of 10:58 and average heart rate 72% of max.

Today's workout is supposed to be a meat grinder too - 45 minute tempo run. My legs are fatigued though, so I'm not sure how "tempo" I'll be able to get things. But I'll go through the motions and get my heart rate going.

And I still need to find a replacement race for Spirit Run. I have it narrowed down to the Coaster Run 10K or the La Habra 10K. I'll be on the search to find anyone who has run these before....

Here's Why I Live in Southern California

Well, since there's no pain in my hip, I can get back to training! Yea! And, for a first day back, the weather was absolutely drop dead gorgeous! I had read a blog from Jean in the morning about the weather in Minnesota. I have to count my blessings! I thought I would provide a little tour of one of my running spots here in Southern California for all you snowed in people across the country (by the way, we set a temperature record here in L.A. yesterday - 88*). Note: despite the pictures, the weather was not *perfect* for running - here in Orange County there was a stiff 10 mph headwind (with higher gusts) blowing offshore,meaning there was a lot of running with crosswinds.


Here is the temperature at 4:30 in the afternoon when I arrived at the beach to start my run:


My run was an out and back at Crystal Cove State Park. I ran on the top of the bluff overlooking the ocean:





Milkshake anyone?

I went down a trail to the beach and ran a mile or so on the sand:




Eventually I had to climb back onto the bluff and finish my run:


This is why I live in Southern California! (By the way - all the photos are on my Flickr site here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/glennsphotos2007/sets/72157612471510073/).

On another note, I set my training schedule for the next few weeks. I've lost some of my fitness over the past month that I couldn't run. So, I'm going to pass on San Diego Rock N Roll. I'll plan on picking up the Long Beach Marathon in October. My goal race will be a Half Marathon on May 3rd. I'll start my training plan for that 12 weeks prior, or the week of February 9th. In the interim, I'll put in some 4 mile easy runs Mondays and Wednesdays, 6 miles on Tuesday and Thursdays, and 12 milers on Saturday. I finish the week with a 4 mile recovery run on Sundays for a total of 36 a week as I rebuild my base.

Finally, a little birthday cake for everyone on me! I turned 52 yesterday! Another Yea!

Crystal Cove Tempo Run

It was Sunday - supposed to be race day. But as I said yesterday, I couldn't find a 10K close to home, so I ran a simulated 10K Saturday, and slipped in a 45 minute tempo run yesterday instead of taking rest days Friday and Saturday.

I felt pretty good when I started. By halfway in I could tell that it had been a long week! I still got 4.55 miles in, but the last two miles were tough - especially on uphills - regardless how minuscule they were. I felt myself degrading as I got closer to the end of the run, even breaking out in a walk a couple of times. But - I finished my time on the trails and took a well deserved nap when I got home!

Four Miles with a View

I took it easy yesterday on my four mile run. After pushing it on Monday, my legs were feeling tired. Knowing that Wednesday's run is going to be difficult (2 mile warmup, 8X200 intervals, 1 mile warm down), I wanted to save myself and just get an easy run in. There is no better place to do that than Crystal Cove, just south of Corona del Mar.


Crystal Cove is a California State Park that exists because the State made a deal with the Irvine Company for development rights. Basically, the Irvine Company gave California the land to the south of Pacific Coast Highway and the land in El Moro Canyon in return for the rights to develop the land to the north. The land to the north is now known as Newport Coast, where folks like Kobe Bryant live. What was left for us though, is a gem in the city. There are about 3 miles of beach and tide pools, and the wilderness of El Moro. I've camped up in El Moro, and once the sun goes down, you would never know that you were less than 5 miles from civilization. You can read more about El Moro here: http://therunningfatguy.blogspot.com/2008/07/el-moro-hike.html.

The catch for us runners is that it costs $10 to park. During off season, the parking kiosks close at 4PM, and entry after that doesn't require payment. But, now during the season, the kiosks are manned until late, so it would cost $10 for a 30 minute run. But - there is a little trick. Just before getting to Crystal Cove, there is a community known as Cameo Shores. Tun right into this community, and you can park on the street right along Pacific Coast Highway for free. It adds 1/2 mile each way to a run, but so what? I can see where it is a deterrent to weekend beach goers with a lot of stuff to take down to the beach, but for runners it's a good deal. The other good deal is to purchase an annual parking pass for $120. It's good at all State Parks - so if you go to other places (San Onofre, San Clemente, etc.), this is a really good deal. At $10 a day for parking at those places, it doesn't take long to break even! Last year I even used it at all the State Parks and Beaches along the Central Coast (Big Sur, Pfeiffer Beach, etc.)!

First run back

I'm trying to get back into the swing of things after vacation. Yesterday, after much hemming, hawing, and procrastination, I drove on down to Crystal Cove and put in an easy 5 miles. Nothing earth shattering , just an easy run at a 10 minute pace. One thing for sure - it's much more humid here than it was on the East Coast the last week. I didn't expect that for sure!

I was looking forward to my day off Friday today, but I guess I was too smart for myself before leaving on vacation. I moved my rest day to Wednesday (flight day) and the hill workout to today. So, this afternoon I'll lace up the shoes and do my workout. Talk to you later today!

Something seems to be working...

Today was a short run day. I went down to Crystal Cove and ran along the coast for the allotted 45 minutes. Something seems to be working right, because I didn't run real hard, but still covered almost 5 miles!

I get a little time off now. Gotta travel tomorrow and Wednesday. Will be back to run on Thursday. See you then!

Short Run Day

Very interesting these days. Short run equates to 40 minutes. That's a little over 4 miles for me at a pretty easy pace. Looks like training is working after all.

Today I ran long the coast at Crystal Cove State Park. Beautiful sunny day. A little headwind head up the coast, but that of course means tailwind on the way back. Our Saturdays are starting to get long (12 miles this week), so I really took it easy on the pace. All in all an enjoyable 40 minutes.

Tomorrow should be interesting. 12 miles - which means around the back bay. The thing that will make it interesting is the weather. It's supposed to be 89 here close to the ocean. That means the Santa Ana's are setting up, which means hot and dry. I'm hoping that it doesn't start before 9AM so that I can be done with most of my run before it gets too hot.

I'm Baack...

I missed my Friday entry in the blog. Also missed Saturday. Sorry if you are following along. It isn't much of a diary without daily entries, but sometimes it's just easier to watch TV than it is to pound out a few keystrokes. But, I think I'm back at this point - no guarantees - but we'll see where things lead from here.

I got back to running yesterday. My plan called for a 40 minute tempo run, so I took off to Crystal Cove State Park and did a run along the coast. The 40 minutes gave me just enough time to put in a 4 mile run. Still not fast, but doing better than when I first started.

I enjoy this particular run. It is along a paved trail, parallel to Pacific Coast Highway. The only people that share the trail are walkers and other runners. Vehicles and bicycles stay on PCH, so there's no fighting wheels. Also, the views are spectacular - the ocean is about 100 feet below. The coast along this stretch of the OC is a mixture of rocky coast and sandy beach.

The first time that I was introduced to this section of coast was back in college, when my Ecology Course at UC Irvine (Bio 101E) used the tide pools for laboratory excercises. I have vivid memories of a lab where we had to chart the territorial habits of the barnacles attached to the rocks in the tide pools. That was back in the days when this section of coast was still private property - owned by the Irvine Compnay. No buildings, no public usage from Cameo Shores on the north to Irvine Cove on the south. The only things that were there were the cottages - all privately owned on private land, the Shake Shack on PCH, and the Mobile Home park in Scotsman's Cove. These days, there's a golf course, a resort timeshare hotel, a shopping center and homes on the inland side of PCH. In return for the right to build, the Irvine Company donated the current land that comprises Crystal Cove State Park to the State of California for safekeeping. The State has added some improvements - restrooms, parking, converting the cottages to rental properties, removing the mobile homes, and paved trails. So for now (at least until the next budget crisis), this little piece of coast has been saved (yeah - I know - improved but saved). There is talk of another resort hotel going in on the inland side of Pacific Coast Highway, but I haven't seen any new construction going on - other than the homes from Shady Canyon encroaching the hills facing the ocean.

Today's run is a 90 minute run. My son needs to row this morning, so I think I'll drop him off and then do a back bay run. I'll check in with you all later today.