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View from a Franklin Canyon trail.

I still remember when I’d get bored the moment I would walk into an REI store, mostly because it was not that long ago.  Hiking was “eh” at best, and at worst it was all about imagining myself tumbling to my death down a hot, dry chaparral dirt mountain while my friends watched in horror. All the trees, bushes,  insects, birds looked the same to me. The idea I was “getting away from it all” and communing with nature felt quaint. Plus it was so slow, you know, because we were walking, and the attention deficit.

I’m not sure why I’m writing this since I don’t feel all that qualified to write about trails, hiking, nor trail running for that matter, which is really what I’m getting to, but in the past few months it finally clicked and I’m starting to get why some people like being “away from it all.”

It sort of started when I asked a running store employee about some trails where I could get some miles in for my half marathon training. I figured it would be cut and dry. Start here, go there, end up here. I wasn’t really listening too hard, didn’t ask for too many details. I just wanted him to draw a quick map. Name some streets. Oh wait…

Yeah, I tried running my first trail, the Lower Arroyo Seco, using street names as my markers. I panicked when I ran it the first time. Then I got angry at my running partner. “Where are the street signs!! We’re supposed to turn around at Linda Vista! Help me!”

You know, the minute you realize something like this, you also realize how obvious it all is. So I eventually wised up, or maybe my partner wised up and I’m taking credit for it now. We started looking for different ways to mark our trail. Those were some great bridges we ran under! How many did we pass? I forgot to count.  Okay, keep count from now on!!

And so it went from there. Dealing with unpredictability. Observing our surroundings. Learning new rules… and making our own. I got frustrated a few more times, especially the one time we ran at Griffith Park and couldn’t get all the miles I wanted in for the workout, leaving me feeling gipped. It was the trail’s fault. It was shorter and not quite as hospitable to running as I had thought (right next to a freeway, and over horsey poo), and I’m not even sure we went the right way. Stupid, stupid route. Then there was that one time I almost cried when I tried following a path that turned out to be downright dangerous (exaggeration). It was the scariest thing I had ever experienced (exaggeration). But we made it. I got the giggles.

So, adventure. Excitement. That’s trail running (or hiking), right?

Part of it? I know some people like the wildflowers, the birds, the nature. I am getting to really like it myself now that I’m around it more. I’ve even stated in the past few months I’d rather listen to nature than an iPod while on my runs. What I think I meant was, I wanted to make sure I don’t get surprised by a mountain lion, or a crazy person hiding in the bushes. Well, okay, this nature things is all a little new to me and I do want to be able to take it all in.

I’m doing more exploring now, scoping out running routes first with hikes. I’m noticing that trails with the word “canyon” or “flat” tend to be good for running, unless you don’t mind the hills. I’m buying books on hiking.  Did you know Los Angeles has a ton of nature? Yeah, you did? Okay. I didn’t.

Aside from doing my own exploring, I also like that discovering trails requires a little bit of word of mouth.  Somebody’s usually gotta guide me through it, or describe it to me. When I figure out a trail, I can guide someone else. It requires people to depend on each other a little, which is nice.

So what is everyone’s experience with trails? Running or hiking? When did you first discover it or did you grow up with it? Have any recommendations for trails that are good for running?

I believe I got to see a couple of Los Angeles’ most iconic places through the back-to-back races I ran this weekend.

Saturday I got to run through the Santa Monica and Venice beachfront town and boardwalk.  Though the usual California sunniness was drenched in rainy weather, you still got the sense of  the picturesque, Los Angeles beach-side lifestyle. Sunday was all about the Los Angeles movie industry, as I ran a 10K through movie sets old and new on the Universal Studios backlot. It’s not ALL that Los Angeles has to offer, though I would probably recommend this to people visiting here as a unique way to see those iconic things that Los Angeles is known for.

This is what Christmas is like in Santa Monica!

Santa Monica-Venice Christmas Run: So the skies had opened up prior to the weekend, and by Saturday morning, there was some good steady rain, with several sudden downpours. Not great for the freeways here, as my early-morning commute to the beach was marred by two accident sites. Be careful when driving in the rain!! When I finally got to the race, some announcer was putting the racers through yoga moves. There was a lot of talk about the rain, but people were in good spirits. It was not crowded at all, with the crowd feeling closer to that of a neighborhood run. The races are set up as a couple of waves. the 10K was earlier, at 7:30am. I ran the 5K, which started at 9:15am.  The race course took us through the beach house neighborhoods, made up of houses that probably are time-shared more than they are permanent housing. We also ran through downtown, passing by hip restaurants and hip murals. The Venice Boardwalk, normally a river of hippies, tourists, and merchants, was strange to see relatively quiet and empty. Just a few people hanging out, probably wondering what all these crazy people were doing up so early running in the rain. I have to say the volunteer cheering section for this race was sort of half-hearted, but people were still extremely nice. You did get a lot of free samples of bars and snacks and drinks and things. The shirt was a long sleeved tech tee, designed by a big-time graphic designer. If you like courses fast and mostly downhill, you would like this. Oh, and parking was 7 bucks. They were trying to encourage people ride their bikes or take the bus. This actually was not my favorite race. Well organized and friendly yes, but something felt missing. Of course it’s all subjective! I think I would have preferred getting a course with more beach views, though the choice may have been for practical reasons, or a matter of tradition. When I went back to the car, I got a pretty nice view of the wet beach, the classic thatched fencing and the squat little lifeguard house, and the sea gulls and pelicans swooping around.

Just like a tourist! But not! Notice most people are walking. This is the uphill portion of the race.

Say No To Drugs race at Universal Studios Backlot: Oh I liked this one! I like to think they structured this race like a movie. They start off giving you a bunch of great stuff, teasers: you get to run through a bunch movie sets, whetting your apetite for more. It’s all on a nice easy downhill. Then the sets drop off and you’re in movie producer land, those squat little office buildings and assigned parking, with the names of producers like Noah Oppenheim inscribed in order of importance, probably. This part is a little less interesting, but the surrounding moutains/hills are quite beautiful. No rain, but it’s still kind of misty and cloudy. Peaceful. Then comes the conflict, the battle. It’s you and the monster hill! Just when you thought it was bad, it gets worse! Through this climactic period, you’re back running through the movie and tv show sets, but this time it’s all up hill. Oh, they are really teasing you now. Can you really still enjoy the scenery, while also dying from exhaustion? The smart thing to do here is just to stop, stand like a tourist in front of the sets, one of them the Bates Motel sign, and have your friend take a photo of you looking sweaty like you were just running away from a psychotic killer. And finally, right when you thought you could not take it anymore, the FINISH sign emerges from the curved edge of the hill, and suddenly you hear the cheers. And just like that, it’s over! Unless you signed up for the 10K. Then you get to do it again! So yes, this was one of those courses with variety – not just in the scenery, but also in the challenges to the runners. If that’s what you like, then this has lots to offer. Again, it’s a unique way to experience those quintessential things Los Angeles is known for. Btw, the volunteer cheering section throughout the race were rather over-the-top enthusiastic, in such a great way. Not sure how much race directors have control over these types of things, but we happen to have some great cheerers, many of them screaming and cheering us on the way you would a sports team or a rock star. It was kind of crazy, and they were doing it with just as much enthusiasm when I passed them the second time.

So there it is. A couple of races that are just as much about Los Angeles as they are about the holiday season. I hope both these races will be around next year, especially the Say No To Drugs one, which I think isn’t guaranteed to be at Universal Studios every year.

I’m not usually one for the silly ritualistic impulses that grab many people during the holidays, maybe because I don’t need holidays to have silly ritualistic impulses, but I do have a thing for holiday runs.

I just came off of a two-race Thanksgiving holiday padded with some hiking (to scope out more running trails — that’s really all hiking is to runners, a reconnaissance trip), and now I’m gearing up for a two-race, potentially three-race, Christmas holiday.

I signed up for two that intrigued me more than the plethora of other events available in Los Angeles, and the two happened to be on the same weekend, back to back. Hold on to your reindeers people!

The Saturday race is the “flat and fast” Santa Monica-Venice Christmas Run, which I honestly chose because I couldn’t stop staring at the design on the postcard flyer. This is a pure “schwag potential” run for me, with the Venice Boardwalk locale as icing on the cake. Their t-shirt, according to their site is a “custom made, high quality, long sleeve, environmentally sensitive shirt,” which I’m sure will give me enough karma points to balance out my superficial reasons for running this race. It is also touted as “L.A.’s Largest Running Event,” so it may be crowded. The races come in 10K, 5K, and “Kid” distances and will happen this Saturday, Dec. 12 at the Venice Boardwalk.

The Sunday race, the 9th Annual Say No to Drugs Race Classic, is actually more of a charity-focused run that happens to be held around the holidays, but I chose it because it’s got something that many other holiday races cannot boast — a course on the Universal Studios backlot! So instead of taking the tram around to see Jaws jumping out at you or Norman Bates creeping around the Psycho house, you can be an even slower target by running by it all. This was also a good opportunity for me to check off another theme park I’ve run through this year, the first being Disneyland during their Half Marathon. The 5K/10K Run and the 5K walk begin at 7:30 this Sunday, Dec. 13 at Universal Studios Backlot.

So there you have it. Two races, with plenty of time to spare to run the rest of them this Christmas holiday season, this one in particular. Hope to see you there!