America on a runner's high

Lord? Am I in heaven?

There was a thick layer of fog hovering over the land and a chill in the air – a far cry from where I had been and what I had left. Yes, Eugene, OR is different from anywhere that I have been – that’s what makes this place so special. And special, it is.

Since 1969, when he was a high school senior in Coos Bay, people have been coming to Eugene to get a piece of a legend – Steve Prefontaine. For seven short years, it was to watch and witness greatness perform. Since his passing? Well, each individual has their reason but for most, it is likely that they just want to walk and run in Pre’s footsteps.

Just the thought of running on the same streets or on the same trails as Steve Prefontaine can inspire anyone. The thought can make one stride a little longer, a little faster, a little farther.

Coming here, I tried to imagine the kind of experience that I would have. An image without seeing isn’t an image at all. You truly need to be here to fully gain the spirit of Prefontaine as well as the spirit of Eugene.

The spirit of Eugene comes down to people like Bob Coll and Joe Henderson who are willing to share their town and its running history and do so with enthusiam and passion. It comes down to Vivian and Barbara at the Visitor Center whose mission was to find accomodations and a good pizza place for myself, and did so with big heartfelt smiles. It comes down to the gentleman 20 feet to the right of me who just asked if I wanted to play him in a game of chess (unfortunately, I had to turn him down – for now). It comes down to everyone that I have seen who, when they see a runner waiting to cross a street, will literally stop, smile, and wave for the runner to cross (it even happened to me).

I realize that no place is perfect and I am sure there are some negatives that come with Eugene, but I have yet to see them. It is a runner’s paradise. And just think, all this assessment and I have another day to go! Will my opinion change? We’ll see.

For my workout this morning, I decided to get on the track and do a little speed work. Historic Hayward Field is being renovated for next year’s Olympic Trials so I couldn’t get access (bummer). I was directed to South Eugene High School’s track (which has a bit of history itself). A set of quarters was on tap for today -- they haven’t been done in a while.

I wanted to keep the set fairly short since I have planned to do an afternoon run (in a few hours) and a longer run tomorrow morning. So, I accomplished 12 quarter-mile repeats with a 200 a meter jog rest in between. All were completed in the 70-75 second range and I felt good about it. The track was beautiful and the area had a great feel to it.

I wanted to get a 15 minute cool down in and noticed a trail that ran close by the track. It turns out that there were, actually, two – one paved and one wood chipped. The wood chips looked really inviting and that’s what I took. It was just a relatively small loop (maybe a mile) but felt good. And it had lighting! What a concept that a trail have lighting! Hint, hint, city of Cedar Rapids. I remember seeing a piece on Joaquim Cruz years ago which highlighted a circuit workout that he did – I think it may have been on this trail but not sure.

One thing of note, while driving through Eugene trying to locate certain spots, I noticed something – at least one runner on every street that I turned on. Literally everywhere that I turned, there was a runner. The fifteen minutes of trail time that I logged – I must have passed 25. Oh yes, this is a running town. This is Track Town - Eugene, OR.

More from Eugene next time. Gotta run!

Peace

Notes from the road:

1) It took me 4 hours to get from Carmel to just north of San Jose. California traffic is UNREAL! Traffic jam after traffic jam and it wasn’t even rush hour! Every hour must be rush hour in Cali. There were a number of motorcyclists who took it upon themselves to split traffic and move to the head of the line. The first couple I thought,”What the heck?” The next I edged out to try and block, it didn’t work. The next I stuck my head out the window and shook it with displeasure and received no reaction. I saw two more coming in my side mirrors – they were wearing biker gang jackets so decided not to do anything.

2) While trying to keep my cool and sanity during “the jams”, I looked for vanity plates. Only saw two – MOONDOG and CU2NITE.

Road song of the day: “The Runner” by Manfred Mann

Everyday is a winding road

Highway 1 is well-known for its scenic views of the Pacific’s unique shoreline. It is also well-known for being very winding. It is just that.

I started up “The 1” early Friday morning with nobody on the road but me – and it’s a good thing since I am not a great driver on winding roads. They freak me out!

The scenic views did not disappoint. The shoreline leading up to the Big Sur/Carmel/Monterey area is not all sandy beach, it is mainly rugged rock outcroppings. Where a sandy beach has its own beauty, this shoreline is totally different and is breathtaking.

After a half hour of slow and careful puttsing, local traffic started to catch up with me. I have always thought California drivers to be crazy but this confirmed it – they’re maniacs! My driving became a little more nervous. I was constantly pulling off the side of the road to let others pass. It may have saved a life – mine.

I persevered and made it through without a scratch – barely.

Big Sur was my destination and I was ready for something special. The problem was, I didn’t see anything special! The special was hidden from view. Driving through, all I saw were a couple of Inns and restaurants, a gift shop, a post office, and a gas station or two that was charging $4.69/gal. I did pass the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park but I wasn’t looking to do a forest trail run, I wanted some shoreline views. So, I moved on to the next town – Carmel-by-the-Sea. Could I have made a mistake?

I knew that Carmel had a beach. On Saturday mornings, the local running club (the Wednesday Night Laundry Runners) has a long run that starts at Carmel Beach. The beach was the first thing that I came across. I found my spot.

I started out and had a strange feeling of going nowhere slowly. The beach here is different than what I knew a beach to be. It was more pebbly, so with each step, the beach would kind of role underneath my feet. Regular sand, when it is wet, will support a footplant and toe-off. With this stuff, you just slide.

But I wasn’t going to give up so soon. The beach came to a halt (with a large outcropping of rock)after about a halfmile. Leading off the beach were some steps that lead to a cinder trail. This trail went past some rather nice beach houses but only went for another halfmile. I was getting a little discouraged.

When asked, a local told me that the trail doesn’t start up again anywhere else. So, I just decided to hit the streets. So, I confused my own feet.

Scenic Road is what I took and was pleasantly surprised! It followed the shoreline and linked up with a dirt path that also ran along the shoreline. All along the way, million dollar homes to the right of me and down the road a little ways, million dollar homes to the left. It seems that the choice of car in Carmel is Mercedes – followed close behind by BMW and Jaguar. I counted eight straight driveways that had a Mercedes. Many had a mix of all three. I ended up doing an out and back run in the cool 65 degree temperature – out 30 minutes and back in 20. Along the way I had awesome views of the ocean, saw many unique homes, and passed MANY runners and walkers and yoga, umm, people?

People who run are runners. Those who walk are walkers. So, what are those who do yoga called?

Anyway, Carmel is an extremely clean town and seems to be very fitness-minded, young and old. That could be because of the great running club in the area. If you want to know more about what they are about and the good things they do for young runners, check out their website at www.wnlr.org

Overall, it was a good run! It was relaxing and I didn’t have to worry too much with cars, with the route I took, anyway. I may have missed out on hidden gems within Big Sur but I now know what Carmel is like. For that reason alone, I am okay with my decision.

That does it for Carmel and California! I am headed north to Track Town, U.S.A. – Eugene, OR. It is going to be a two day stop and should be incredible!

Peace

Notes from the road:

1) The heat while driving through western Arizona into California was oppressive! I hung my arm out the window and it felt like I was being blown with a huge hairdryer set on extremely high! Well, I haven’t used a hairdryer in a while but you get my meaning.

2) Around the Arizona/California border, I came to what looked like a toll station. It was, instead, a check point. What were they checking for? Here’s how the conversation went. “Sir, are you transporting any fruits?” “Ummm, no.” “Are you transporting any plants?” “Ummm, no.” “Are you transporting any pets or animals?” “Nope.” “Have a nice day.” I left bewildered.

Road song of the day: “Hello, I’m In Delaware” by City and Colour