M.O.R.E.: December 2010

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Shopping for a New Car?

As Caryn, Patty, and I went for our long run on Saturday along the South Fork Trail, we unexpectedly also went car shopping. The morning started out nice with the sun shining and most of us feeling pretty good, except for me. I could tell that I was fighting some form of a cold or sinus infection and almost called in the night before to say I wouldn't make it. That should have been an omen for me. As we started running, my stomach became more and more upset, but I didn't say anything to my friends. Then when we stopped at the water fountain off of Magic Mtn. Pkwy, Patty suddenly announces that she has the same problem. Well we decide to try our luck and run to the end of the trail at Wiley and back. Thankfully the Honda dealer is open early on Saturdays so we made a brief stop and used their facilities. I think the three of us looked rather pathetic since it was rather hot out and we were dripping with sweat. Both Patty and I are frequent customers there with past purchases and repairs so we didn't feel too badly about coming in without buying anything, but the look on the salesman's face was rather funny. It was somewhere between shock and annoyance. I wonder what he would have done if we decided to sit and sample the coffee and donuts too!

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Central Bark

Lately, we've been running at Central Park quite often. We like the new trails and the hilly terrain because it gives us a little more intense cardio workout. However, every time we run there, someone mentions that they smell poop. So far none of us have stepped in any, but it sure does smell like it from time to time, especially when running next to the dog park. I love dogs. In fact, I have one, but one of my biggest pet peeves (no pun intended) is when people don't pick up after their dogs. And it isn't just at Central Park. I see it all over the paseos of Valencia and along the river trails. Sometimes going for a run is like running through a mine field. Okay, enough with this topic.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Holidays are Here!

I cannot believe it is already December. I really want time to move slowly because I know that once January is here, I will be hitting the books again in full swing and I will have very little time to run with my friends again. I am really enjoying the little break I am having from school now that I am back to my regular running schedule with my friends. It always seems like once Thanksgiving has passed, then Christmas is right around the corner.

After our run today at Central Park (our new favorite trail) Patty mentioned doing a cookie exchange party and instead we decided on a happy hour cocktail party. Yes it's nice to trade many different types of cookies, but that would mean that I would have to actually bake cookies to exchange, which would send me into stress mode and it would also probably mean that I would eat all those different types of cookies to make sure they were all okay. No, I think a cocktail party is much safer for my waistline.

Favorite Trails

South Fork 3.1: Start from dirt parking lot on Magic Mtn Pkway and run to the loop at Wiley Bridge and return the same way.

Tesoro 3.25: Start in Albertson parking lot and take sidewalk/trail until it ends and then enter the water tower road to the top two towers where the ends. Return the same way.

Chesebrough 3.25/4.60: From Chesebrough Park, N. to Copperhill, So. on Bike Trail, turn around at Decoro, back up trail to power lines to bridge at park. Turn around at Heritage will give you 4.6 miles.

Chesebrough 3.5: Chesebrough Park down to McBean, south to Northpark Dr., the paseo trailhead. Take the paseo to Helmers and back. Very hilly.

Bridgeport 4.0: Fairly flat, run toward Lowes and under Bouquet bridge to RiverPark community until you reach the closed gates and return. For a hilly run, go north into Helmers and run up the paseo switchbacks into Northpark where the paseo ends and return the same way.

Chesebrough 4.0: N. to Copperhill to west side of river trail, run S. on Bike Trail past Decoro bridge, across Decoro to the east side of river trail, up back to power lines trail, back to park.

Chesebrough 4.0: From park down power line trail to Heritage Park and back same way.

Bridgeport 4.0: From School, cross McBean via bridge or street and head into industrial center on Ave. Scott Bridge and enter bike trail going south toward the train bridge. Turn around at train bridge and return same way or cross the bridge and head toward Peet's after crossing train bridge and back onto the Lowes Trail.

Heritage 4.0: From park, run up bike trail to Decoro, over McBean Bridge into Helmers, and into Bridgeport through lake trail back to park. Can be done in reverse. Moderately hilly.

Chesebrough 4.25: Chesebrough north to Copperhill, left to Albertson side of bike trail. Run south on trail to Decoro and cross over bridge and head north all the way to Copperhill on east side of river trail and back to the park the same way as started.

Cheese/Decoro/Helmers 4.25: From the park, down dirt trail to bike path, south to Decoro. Leave bike path at Decoro and cross paseo bridge at McBean. Stay on paseo up hill towards Helmers. Run up water tower trail once then continue on to switchbacks and paseos back to park.

Heritage/Bridgeport 3.3: Heritage Park south to McBean Bridge @ Panera. Cross and head toward Lowes bike trail and head east toward Bridgeport Park. Halfway mark is at park bathroom, head back by entering trail along the lake and back onto the bridge.

Lowes 4.25: Lowe's parking lot to McBean, cross the bridge and to South Fork. At Valencia Bridge, enter trail behind Hart Baseball diamonds. Continue on trail to Bouquet and across the bridge on the east side and back under the bridge again towards Lowes.

Peet's & Decoro 5.2: Peet's Coffee to train bridge path; to Decoro and across bridge; back down McBean side of bike trail back to Peete's.

Peet's & Wiley 6.0: Start at Peet's Coffee and head east toward South Fork trail and past the Wiley Bridge. Keep running another 200 yards to where the trail forks left and right. Turn back same way.

Peet's & Copperhill 6.0: From Peet's to bike trail heading north to Copperhill and back.

Albertson 7.0: From the Albertson parking lot on Copperhill, enter the westside bike trail and head south until the train bridge. Return the same way.

Peet's 8.5: Run to Copperhill on east side of river trail and return via train bridge on other side.

Lowes 10: Start in the Lowes parking lot. Enter the bike trail heading west. At McBean, cross the bridge and head east toward SouthFork trail. Continue on trail until you come to the Wiley bridge and head back the same way.

McBean 14: This route can be done from anywhere along the trail route. Starting from McDonald's across the post office, run to the end of the South Fork trail and return the same way, cross the McBean bridge and run on the Lowes trail until you hit Bridgeport Elementary and then cross Newhall Ranch via the bridge or street and run back towards McBean. Continue north on McBean until you hit Copperhill. At Copperhill, cross McBean and enter San Francisquito bike trail and run south on the trail until you are back at McDonalds.