Running - The Best Therapy Money Can't Buy

This morning I picked up the paper. Like most mornings these days, it read like an economic apocalypse. Bank bailouts, an auto-industry slump, mortgage defaults, rising unemployment, recession, and on and on. Whether you're an employee of a large corporation, a small business owner, even the new President of the United States, things aren't looking real good.

Where does one find relief? Its been said that anyone who goes to a psychiatrist ought to have their head examined. What about drugs? Some people are turning to prescription drugs, among the fastest growing area of abuse and addiction. According to the DEA more than 7 million Americans abuse prescription drugs, up 80% in recent years. Alcohol sales are up too. What next?

The answer, my friends, lies in the pituitary gland. Yes, the little nodule sitting inside all our brains that sends chemicals to our bodies that block the pain sensation and, better yet, bring euphoria to our world. Stronger than heroin, morphine and opium, these chemicals are closely linked to addictions. What are they? Endorphins.

Most people are familiar with the runners high. And most runners know of the effect endorphins have on us. But do you have to be a runner to get this stuff? Turns out, no. In fact, laughter, crying, sex, orgasm, acupuncture, eating sweets and spicy foods, all trigger the release of endorphins. Can you imagine this lifestyle everyday? Caution - endorphins, and all the activities that trigger them, are addictive too!

Its still early in the morning. I lace up my shoes and fill my water bottles. As I step out and onto the trail, I take a deep breath. Above me are clouds that shroud a horizon that seems to bend with the curvature of the earth. Slowly I start my way down the trail. My head is down as I step carefully over the altering terrain. My mind is clear. Euphoria creeps in.

Into the Wild -- Do Your Dreams Slip?

Last week I boarded a Jet Blue flight from New York to Long Beach, CA. I carried with me a copy of the book Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer. It's been over a year since I watched the movie for the first time, and until now I have never read the book. If you have never read the book, do so now. I read it cover to cover on my flight.

This is not a story of a crazy, self indulgent greenhorn that wandered naively into the wild. No. On the surface, it is a story of a young man who walked through a world he intellectually despised. Under its thin skin this is really a story of a young man who is torn between his stubborn will to see good and evil through a black and white lens, and his blossoming soul that inspired so many who crossed his path.

Questions will emerge as you read. For example, have you ever felt nervous, yet euphoric, as long awaited plans unfold after months, even years, of preparation? Then, in a moment, you find yourself standing in a place where the dream you've flirted with is becoming a reality?

Chris McCandless, the "pilgrim" in the book, stood at the end of an Alaskan road. His dream was about to become a reality. He thanked the man who drove him to this point and who gave him a pair of boots from his truck. Then, after traveling thousands of miles, seeing with his own eyes much of the "great work God has done here in the American West", touching the souls of the many friends he made along his way, McCandless simply turned and walked into the wild, out of his dream, and into reality.

What kept me reading this book more than anything was the glimpse it afforded me into my own past. The non-conformist, anti-fraternity, anti-social philosophy McCandless held as a young adult was very familiar to me. I only wish I could've met him for a beer as he kayaked along the Colorado River while I traversed the Bright Angel trail under the towering cliffs of the Grand Canyon.

If you read this story it will beg you to answer many questions about your own life. Do you believe in the life you live? Do you live for, or merely with, the material trappings you so enjoy? Do you take your life for granted? Are its routines, its habits keeping you from embracing change? When you reach for something, something big, do you capture it? Or do you let it slip, slowly, from your grasp?

Some would say McCandless let his life slip recklessly from his grasp. But life is not of only flesh and bone. And with that I say he held firmly to his dream as he walked and remained, forever, into the wild.

The College BCS Bowl -- What a Joke!

If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's a duck! And I say the college football "BCS" championship series laid an egg this year.

A college football team has now been crowned the “2008 National Champions” under the BCS Championship Series. Last night Florida beat Oklahoma in the big game and earned the right to call themselves “National Champions”. But are they the real champions? According to Rick Reilly of ESPN magazine, absolutely not. The real champions are the Utah Utes, who went undefeated at 13 – 0 this season and beat 4 ranked teams, and culminated their year by slaughtering Alabama (which was ranked number 1 for 5 weeks this season). And they did it in Alabama’s back yard, the Sugar Bowl.

What does this rant have to do with running? Nothing. But I needed a place to vent. What are your thoughts? Are you a runner that cares nothing about college football? Maybe so, but you must believe in justice! After reading Rick Reilly’s article I nearly lost it. How can the BCS (“Bowl Championship Series”) be taken seriously, even remotely? If the BCS continues, the least we can do is admit Utah and Boise State to the PAC 10. This would give these teams more than a snowball's chance in hell to play for the Championship and, yes UCLA fans, it would give the PAC 10 legitimacy beyond USC!

There. I’m done. Comments?

2008 - Moments to Remember

With 2008 solidly behind me, I look back on it -- as a runner -- with a certain twisted amusement. As I sit here today, I can say there were several memorable moments.

Western States DNS - One moment that comes to mind was in the afternoon of June 24th, when the Southwest plane began its descent into Sacramento Airport. I just happened to glance out the window to see an incredible pillow of soot sitting on the horizon. At that moment I realized that the week-old fires that were burning throughout Northern California had made their mark, and the six months I had spent training for the 2008 Western States 100 mile run was lining up to be just a dress rehearsal. The weeks, even months, that followed were low points for me as a runner, not because I felt cheated, or let down from the race being cancelled, I just felt lost and without a purpose. I tried to psyche myself up for another 100 mile race right away, but couldn’t find the motivation. Just like Max, the little boy in the story Where the Wild Things Are, I wandered through the night and day, and in and out of weeks…

It was when I set my sights on the Grand Canyon that I felt charged again about running. Thanks to Kevin, who had been dripping on me about this run for over a year, I found something to look forward to. As the run approached, I fell back into what I’ve come to learn is a critical state of being for me as a runner. I call it nervous anticipation mode. Unless I’m anticipating something that has got me a little nervous, there seems to be an emptiness, or a missing ingredient in my life. As memorable moments go, I too remember a plane beginning its descent, this time into Flagstaff, and looking over to see the beautiful red rocks of Sedona. This running of the Grand Canyon would be my first attempt, and I planned on videoing the run. Lots of ideas circled in my head. I remember being on the plane and telling the lady next to me some of the details I was planning for the next day. At that moment I felt like a kid again. She complimented me on my enthusiasm. The run itself? So many great moments, such great friends.


If the Grand Canyon was my wild rumpus, then Saltwater 5000 was where I needed to return, back to my very own room. I was surrounded by six other runners, two of whom I’ve been running with for 20 years. Rob, who strode next to me on virtually every important training run leading up to Western States, and Jeff, who negotiated the depths of the Grand Canyon with me, also believe in tradition. We all dipped our hands in the ocean and climbed this mountain again for the fifth year in a row. The moment that I may remember for years to come could be when my lips touched the cold metal of the surveyor’s marker at the top of the peak, or when Jeff, Rob and I simply walked together under the cold, dark sky on our trek down to old camp. We talked, and we laughed, as we have so many times before.
Another year behind us, guys.

I’m looking forward to the next.

Saltwater 5000 - A Video

Saltwater 5000 - Five Years

On December 13, 2008, seven of us touched the Pacific Ocean then turned around to run to the top of Saddleback Mountain. The fifth annual Saltwater 5000 returned to the original 32 mile course via Modjeska Grade and the favored Joplin trail. The run was held under darkened gray skies that offered not a mere glimpse of the sun.

Saltwater Enters Hollywood

To use a Hollywood analogy, this year's Saltwater could be dubbed a cross between the Andy Griffith Show and the Great Race. I've never been a huge fan of law enforcement, but there's always been a little place in my heart for Barney Fife who couldn't bring himself to stop a crime, let alone arrest someone. This year we were "caught" trespassing in the former mobile-home park, now a construction site, on PCH. A pick up truck rushed up the road to stop us as we were about to enter El Moro park. Yet out of the truck came a Fife-like little man. "You are breaking the law, get over here right now!" he clamored. We explained to him we were just going for a run. After he told us he was a project manager with utterly no law enforcement authority, we simply turned around in front of him, crossed the fence and were on our way.

Yet this run-in with Fife-law took its toll and, ultimately, claimed an early victim in this year's Saltwater. As we ran up El Moro canyon, everyone was feeling a little jacked-up, and I noticed the pace was quicker than usual. Leading the pack most of the way was the returning, original Saltwater runner Bino. In full winter gear amidst a balmy 55 degree morning, the Bean deftly shed a piece of garb at every turn, ultimately carrying more clothing up the hill than a Yukon bag lady. We continued in good form down through the beautiful Marie Calendar trail, under the toll road and made our way to the first aid station at Bake. Call it nerves, pressure, or the just the sheer weight of a breakfast burrito, it became vividly apparent this would not be Bino's day. To my right I only saw remnants of Beano's formal exit from this years Saltwater. Others weren't so fortunate and watched real time. Now six, we collected ourselves and pressed on.

We were not more than a mere 1/2 mile down the road when we had another a Fife-like experience. "Use the cross walk" came the words over a megaphone. As Damron and I were j-running across Bake we glanced over to see an Irvine Police squad car surveying our every step.

We continued up through Sorrano Creek trail to the skate park, our next major aid station. This was a welcome site, with all the support crew on hand. But the sky was growing restless and the temperature was starting to fall. We decided to keep on the move to stay warm and somehow avoid the looming rain. It was at this point that I realized I was bearing witness to Saltwater's very own Great Race. Just like the Tony Curtis and Jack Lemon dual that pitted the "good" guy against the sly opponent in a race across America, there was a dual to the top of the mountain between our two most senior runners Jerry and Jeff.

The Great Race

Jerry and Jeff usually face off on the favored Joplin Trail, which bring all of us literally to our knees at least every year. In the past few years, Jerry has maintained the upper hand. But this year would see a change of fortune, with an interesting tactic. Breaking a sacred Saltwater tradition of waiting for the other runners at various checkpoints, Padilla made it clear he was not going to wait around for anyone in the cold weather. So as the pack rolled into the aid station at Modjeska, Jeff took off 8 minutes ahead of everyone else.

The rest of us then embarked up this laborious climb, and we started to split up pretty quickly. Thankfully Kevin met us on his bike at the trial head to escort the group up to Old Camp. At this point I kept looking for Padilla, expecting to see him up ahead at every turn, but to no avail. I finally put my head down and took off, determined to catch him before old camp. It wasn't until a mile from Old Camp until I finally caught him. Rob was there with me in tow. When we reached the campground Rob and I decided, by tradition, to wait for the last runner to come in before we embarked up Joplin. Jeff, on the other hand, continued on, not wanting to give up any time (or warmth) in front on this steep and punishing climb. Thirty-five minutes later all the runners had arrived and we began the march up Joplin. Within a few hundred yards I overhead Ramsey ranking Joplin as a negative 8 on the suck list. Shortly after that I tripped as I trod on this trail of stones. Yes, it was good to be back on Joplin.


In all six runners reached the top in the fifth running of Saltwater 5000. Included in the six were four five-time runners (myself, Rob, Jeff and Jerry), one two-time runner (Jeff D) and a first-time runner (Bill R). Supporting us was a host of gracious people, including Al, Rob, Cindy, Trina, Kevin, Marshall and Dawn. Thanks guys and gals for your support, we couldn't do this thing without you!.

Video Blog to follow.

Keep it real!

Running - A Flavor of Life

I am writing this post with no agenda, no script, no rant. Yet I feel obliged today to say a few words about running, and why it is more than mere exercise. I'm prompted here because I've been working on a video blog that I am planning on posting very soon. I'd like to capture something in this video that reveals running for what it really is, a flavor of life that I've yet to find anywhere else.

Stay tuned.

A Mountain Sunset

Big Bear Lake taken after a run along the Pacific Crest Trail to the top of Bertha Peak at 8'200 ft.

Traumeel - A Natural Anti Inflammatory

Have you ever experienced drowsiness, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, or heartburn? If you are an ultra runner, you’re likely to answer yes, because many of these are common symptoms experienced during ultra events. They’re also the most common side effects of Advil and Motrin, known generically as ibuprofen.

Ironically many endurance athletes turn to ibuprofen during long training runs and races. Which begs the question: why would someone take a medication that is known to have the very same side effects as the symptoms you are trying to avoid?

Worse yet, Ibuprofen is known to play havoc on your kidneys. It does this by messing with the production of a certain hormone called prostaglandin. Of all hormones, prostaglandin should qualify as a runner’s best friend, because it keeps the blood flowing through the kidneys. And when the blood flows through the kidneys, endurance athletes are more likely to avoid hyponatremia.

An all-natural alternative

A few years ago a wise massage therapist told me about a product called Traumeel. She described it as a natural, homeopathic, anti-inflammatory product without the side effects of ibuprofen. At the time all I knew about homeopathy was that it was a form of alternative medicine. Despite conjuring up images of tarot cards and witch doctors, I was intrigued.

I googled "Traumeel" and what I found was encouraging. The first thing I saw was a definition by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), an affiliate of the National Institute of Health (NIH). NCI described Traumeel as.…"diluted extracts isolated from plants and minerals, including belladonna, arnica, St. Johns wort, and Echinacea. …Traumeel S exhibits anti-inflammatory activity; the mechanism of action has not been fully elucidated”. Not fully elucidated? My interpretation of this is that the stuff works, but they don’t really know how it works. I needed to know more.

Then I found something that really got my attention. It was a clinical trial published by the US National Library of Medicine and other science organizations. In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind clinical trial, researchers assessed the effectiveness of Traumeel S in the management of chemotherapy induced stomatitis in children undergoing bone marrow transplantation. Stomatitis causes hideously painful sores that form in the mouth and are a side affect of certain chemotherapy treatments. The study concluded that Traumeel may reduce significantly the severity and duration of this chemotherapy-induced stomatitis. Now that, I thought, was impressive.

In a nutshell, Traumeel is said to slow down the body’s inflammatory process. Data published by the manufacturer reports that “in studies of whole blood cultures, certain plant ingredients of Traumeel S have been found to elevate levels of TGF-ß, an anti-inflammatory cytokine. Unlike ibuprofen, Traumeel has no known side effects. Also unlike ibuprofen, which is taken orally and can cause abdominal pain and nausea, Traumeel tablets are taken sublingually (under the tongue) and enter the blood stream directly by avoiding the GI track altogether. Hmmm…one less thing to upset my stomach during an ultra?

Traumeel comes in various forms including tablets and liquid for internal use. It can also be applied directly on the skin over an injured muscle or joint using the gel and cream applications. I used the gel religiously earlier this year after suffering from a knee injury sustained while snow skiing. It helped speed recovery and reduced the chronic swelling associated with the injury. I’ve also used Traumeel tablets and found them to be an effective anti-inflammatory during bouts of heavy training when I’m really pushing my miles.

So whether you are recovering from overuse injury, combating chronic pain and inflammation due to heavy training, Traumeel can be an effective, all natural remedy. It can be found at local health food stores or at online health stores such as eVitamins.

Post Script: I need your help! As you can see, I don’t write this blog for money…hence no annoying pop up advertising. However I do write to encourage and inspire others. My only way to know I am succeeding is getting feedback from and building a following of readers. If you have found value in this blog post, please leave a comment below and follow my blog by entering your email at top of page or on Twitter by clicking here. 

Running The Grand Canyon -- A Video

Here it is folks! Click on the link above to to view the video of our rim to rim to rim run in the Grand Canyon. This was an incredible day, with amazing scenery, unbelievable terrain, and great camaraderie. The video is 15 minutes long. Enjoy!

R2R2R -- Mission Accomplished

Myself and 4 other runners completed the Grand Canyon rim to rim to rim yesterday. I have so much footage of pictures and videos I need a day or two to put this uber post together. I promise jaw dropping pics and clips of the epic run! More to follow...

Running The Grand Canyon

So its now official. Last Friday I booked my flight to Flagstaff. I'll be joining Kevin, Jeff and other deranged endorphin junkies to run "the big ditch", otherwise known as the Grand Canyon. We plan to start Saturday, November 8 at 4 am to embark on a run from "rim to rim to rim". Our planned route is estimated to be 48 miles and will take us on from the south rim to north rim and back. I'm told the total elevation gain/loss is around 22,600' (down, up, down, up). We'll be taking the Bright Angel Trail which is a little longer than the South Kaibab route. Running this time of year can be cold on the rim (20's in the am) but should warm into the high 60s as we get into the canyon. Clothing will be a focus.

Other than having to run 48 miles up and down 22,000 feet, I'm really looking forward to this event. I've only been to the Grand Canyon once, and it was part of a Las Vegas trip when I won $2,200 cash playing video poker. This was the only thing I've ever won in Vegas. To say the least I enjoyed that trip immensely. The feel of the cash...I mean Canyon...was incredible, as I recall, and I can't wait to see it again, this time while I run.

I promise many photos on this one and possibly a video post. Stay tuned.

Taking the Blue Planet Run 30-Mile Challenge

Yesterday I was going through my blogroll and read Peter Lubber's post on the Blue Planet Run Foundation's 30-Mile Challenge. The Blue Planet Run Foundation is a non profit organization dedicated to raising global awareness about the lack of safe drinking water, and funding working solutions today for the billion, yes BILLION, people living without ready access to the life sustaining resource.

Crystal Cove Beach Today

The Foundation's Blue Planet Run 30-Mile Challenge is inviting runners to run 30 miles in the month of October to raise funds for three schools in Tanzania. Runners can do 30 miles all in one day, or spread over many days. As I read this I realized that I was already planning on doing a long run, so I signed up! It took 5 minutes on their web site to complete the form and I'm very glad I did. Today I did the 30 miles and "Made the Miles Matter".

In the spirit of the Blue Planet Run Challenge, I ran up to the top of El Moro and descended into the canyon to the ocean. At mile 14 I jumped in the ocean, yelled out loud (coooold), then jogged to the shower, and was back on the road. Today was my first 30 mile training run since before the Western States was cancelled. I felt good today. The legs were a little rusty, but overall the old system is still in tact. Good to make the miles matter, too.

Blue Stillness

Back Bay, Newport Beach, CA. Looking South.


I've always enjoyed running along this side of the Back Bay. The canals are so cool, and on a calm day, smooth as glass. One day I want to paddle a kayak slowly through these canals, and pierce their blue stillness. One day.

When to Say Goobye, Shoes

Several years ago I knew of a man who lived in his car. He wasn't a homeless man. In fact he owned a very nice home, in a nice neighborhood. I knew of this man because his house was across the street from my house. In front of his place was his car, where he actually slept at night. Turns out this man was a pack rat, and he packed so much S%&T in his house that he literally didn't have enough room to sleep in it!

I wouldn't consider myself a pack rat, but the other day I had a weird experience. I was trying to get something out of my closet and a mountain of running shoes was blocking my way. Dozens of pairs! As I was stumbling over this mess, a thought crossed my mind - why in god's name do I need dozens of old, worn out running shoes? It was then the visual crossed my mind of waking up one early morning snuggled in the back seat of my car parked in front of my house!

It then occurred to me. I had to say goodbye to this old heap of shoes. Keeping an extra "retired" pair or two of running shoes to walk around Lego Land or a swap meet in is one thing, but having a different pair to wear every day of the month just ain't sane.

Turning the old soles in

I packed a hefty bag full of these sullen soles and carried them off to Goodwill donation center. I recommend Goodwill even for those "green" runners out there. Goodwill has committed to recycle shoes if they can't be sold.

So I ask myself, what's so funny about peace, love and understanding?

Rock it!