My morning run started under a pitch black sky. The clocks fall back this weekend, but for now, the morning is dark.

My headlamp cast a dim beam ahead, giving me about 5 feet of visibility. I figured a coyote, mountain lion or ill-intentioned long jumper can leap at least 8 feet, so this did not make me feel good.

Less than a quarter mile from my front door, I had my first scare. Something rustled loudly in the bushes next to me. “It’s just a bird,” I told myself. Just a bird. Justabirdjustabirdjustabird…. As I turned the corner I heard an animal shuffling along the lawn beside me. I whipped my headlamp in its direction and saw the large fluffy tail and ominous white stripe of a hearty skunk. I kept moving.

I learned that street lights don’t run the length of Hollister Avenue. I was grateful for every car that drove by, because the headlights temporarily widened my view of the area. And as my mind wandered to images of coyotes I’d spotted on Farren Road, which really wasn’t that far away, I made myself more and more nervous.

The wind picked up as I jogged along Cathedral Oaks. Unable to see much, I was haunted by the noises. The insects sounded aggressive. The eucalyptus trees creaked and groaned. Dry leaves scratched across the cement as they tumbled after me. A beer can clanked down the gutter. It was comically creepy.

I said hello as I passed three walkers. They didn’t reply. Zombies?

I saw a hint of pink on the horizon as I approached Glen Annie. A moment later a rooster began crowing and screeching, warding off the night.

As the sky grew lighter and lighter, so did my mood and my steps. The comfort of daylight relaxed me, and made the final miles of a long run pretty pleasant.

What’s the point? There are three:

1) Fear could be the next hot trend in training. It definitely gets your heart rate up!

2) All things are relative. Just as running uphill makes me more grateful for the downhills, running in the dark makes me more grateful for the light. I’ve learned this is also true with pain. Sure, my achilles was nagging a bit, but compared to a month ago, it felt great!

3) Happy Halloween. Stay safe, but give yourself a little scare. It’s fun.

I went to Graeagle, California.  I don’t know if the town has a slogan, but I’d like to propose mine. Graeagle: One of the most beautiful places you’ve never heard of.

There’s a small town feel that’s reserved for places like Graeagle, where every other restaurant name includes an animal: Grizzly Grill, The Coyote Bar & Grill and The Alley Cat Cafe.

I went for a couple of walks around the Mill Pond.  I didn’t walk down any boulevards or avenues; there were only roads and trails. I hope I find a reason to return there.

***

Last weekend I went to Yosemite with a group of friends. I knew I wouldn’t be hiking much because my ankle was bothering me, so I accepted that I would see the parts of the national park that most Americans do — the parts within 1 mile of wherever there was parking.

My friends got married Saturday on a sunny afternoon at Glacier Point. That evening, the full moon lit up the valley and the face of El Capitan. On Sunday morning, we woke up to see that the world surrounding our cabin was covered in snow.

I’d like to thank my parents for raising me in California. And I thank my friends for exploring it with me.

Sunny on Saturday

Snowy on Sunday

I know it’s not a race, but it’s embarrassing when you’re on a training run and get passed by a woman running to catch the bus who also happens to be carrying a couple of large bags.

There’s really no excuse for this. I was wearing my new shoes(1) from Santa Barbara Running(2) in Goleta. (Thanks for the help, Brooke!) I was warmed up. I was hydrated. The bus-bound lady just blew past me.

Actually, there is an excuse: I was taking it easy. I’ve had nagging pain in my left achilles and ankle for two weeks now.(3) I took a week off running completely, and it was a confusing time. I was opening the freezer, but instead of grabbing ice cream, I grabbed an ice pack.(4) I could sleep in. I had less laundry to do. It was weird.

NOTES

1) Thanks for asking. I bought the Brooks Adrenaline. I’ve been comfortable in this model for a few pairs now. I don’t understand why Brooks felt the need to raise the price $10 for this year’s model, but it’s still a good shoe.

2) I am not paid to endorse Santa Barbara Running or any other company at all. This is not because of any particular blogging ethics. It’s just because no one has asked me yet. Did you hear that, Patagonia? Horny Toad? Ben & Jerry’s?

3) This may be related to a paddle boating incident, but I can’t prove it.

4) Yes, sometimes I grabbed the ice pack AND the ice cream. You caught me.

Goleta Pier Sunrise

I’ve enjoyed some early morning runs this week, including today when I ran along the Goleta bike path, pausing to admire the sunrise behind the pier. Getting up early to run has its perks and punishments, but I’ll write about those another day.

Today, I’m asking you for your thoughts on running etiquette. I’m compiling a list of tips for being a polite runner to share with some co-workers who are running the Santa Barbara International Marathon or the relay. A few people are new to running.

Please comment with your best tips, pet peeves or common courtesy suggestions. They can be as simple and comical as “Wear deodorant” or more technical like “Pass on the outside.”

This post could also be titled: Why I didn’t run much last week.

Swim-up Bar at Cabo Azul

The excuses list: the first day’s 90-minute walk on the beach messed up my calf; I didn’t feel safe running on the streets of Mexico by myself; besides, it was too hot and humid anyway; there were little jellyfish on the beach; the resort gym didn’t stay open late enough; when I did go to the gym, I got thirsty and it was out of water cups; sports bra + sunburn = ouch; I couldn’t run just after drinking or eating and there was a lot of drinking and eating; it’s hard to run when you’re snorkeling.

What a great first impression!

This morning was the first time I’ve run the Goleta Education Foundation 4-mile race, and they know how to put on a race.

Here’s the formula for good race management:

• Friendly, efficient people working the registration table.
• A well-marked course.
• So many cheering volunteers that it’s almost ridiculous. At one point, there were four volunteers at the same spot — and they were just directing me to keep going straight.
• A post-race food spread that rivals the Biltmore’s brunch buffet. OK, not quite, but when was the last time you saw bowls of yogurt with granola and blueberries? Entire bins of strawberries, oranges, bananas, pineapple. PINEAPPLE, people! And string cheese! Any race with cheese is OK by me.
• Excellent timing and quick posting of results.
• Happy kids everywhere — even if they were banging and blowing on really loud instruments.
• Host it in the Goodland, AKA Goleta, so that I don’t have to drive very far.

I had a good run, too. I didn’t realize how good until I checked some past results and saw that I was 4 seconds away from beating my 4-mile PR. I finished in 30:39 — 7:40 pace. Special thanks to stranger Matthew, who charged up the final hill with me.

Combined with a 2-mile warmup and a 2-mile cooldown, it was a good morning workout with friends. I’ll put this one on my race calendar for next year.

Self Portrait
by Mary Oliver

I wish I was twenty and in love with life
   and still full of beans.

Onward, old legs!
There are the long, pale dunes; on the other side
the roses are blooming and finding their labor
no adversity to the spirit.

Upward, old legs! There are the roses, and there is the sea
shining like a song, like a body
I want to touch

though I’m not twenty
and won’t be again but ah! seventy. And still
in love with life. And still
full of beans.

Red Bird. © Beacon Press, 2008.

Thanks to the Writer’s Almanac for this one.

Butter Beans from Fairview Gardens

I appreciate this poem for both its literal and figurative meanings. I am, after last night’s experiment in the kitchen, literally full of beans. Here are some photos from my first time shelling, cooking and eating lima beans, AKA butter beans.

I’ve picked them up from Fairview Gardens more than once. Sadly, I’ve thrown them away more than once. But thanks to Mark Bittman’s “How To Cook Everything,” last night I gave them a try with the simplest recipe possible.

I shelled them; put them in a pot with salt, pepper, a 1/2 cup of water and a little butter; covered the pot and cooked them for 10 minutes; and then uncovered the pot and boiled off the remaining water. Finally, although my mother won’t believe it, I ate them!

Cooking the Beans

Back to the poem. Even though I just left my 20s a couple of months ago, there are days when the drive past UCSB makes me wish I were 20 again.

But I’ve always been told that women hit their running prime in their 30s, so here I go…

Oceano Dunes

Last weekend I explored the Oceano Dunes. They were stunning. I can’t believe I’ve lived on the Central Coast this long without having wandered among the sandy shifting hills of white.

Perhaps it’s because I’d pretty much avoided Oceano, considering it the exclusive territory of off-road vehicles. Oceano is a village of off-road enthusiasts. To get to the dunes, I walked parallel to the beachfront highway of RVs, pickup trucks loaded with quads, ATVs and dirt bikes, and brave sedans hoping to ford the Arroyo Grande Creek without getting stuck.

But if you can get past that, and the horse droppings and the snowy plover preserve, and if you wander two rows of dunes away from the beach, you’ll find an entirely different landscape. Note: Only hike in the area where vehicles are not allowed. Duh.

This brings me to my question: Was this a hike?

Most of my hikes involve hiking shoes, a distinct trail, a destination and a backpack with water and snacks.

For this hike (?), I wore flip flops (until abandoning them in favor of barefoot frolicking), I wandered to nowhere in particular, and I didn’t even carry water.

Footprints at Oceano Dunes

It felt like a hike. It burned my leg muscles like a hike. But as I looked at the sand between my toes, it felt like cheating to call it a hike. So what is the difference between a walk and a hike?

If you find yourself at the dunes with no engine other than your heart and no 4-wheel drive, here are some ways to entertain yourself.

• Jump off the edge of a tall dune and see how far out you can get and how deep into the sand you sink.
• Pick a target and play horseshoes with your sandals.
• Race up the face of a steep dune.
• Find a spot where you’re surrounded by nothing by white sand and see if your camera will focus on anything at all.

Happy exploring.

Special Olympics of Santa Barbara and Nite Moves team up on September 2 to benefit the nonprofit’s fall bowling, floor hockey, soccer and softball programs.

You can register online at Active.com in advance or at Leadbetter Beach on Wednesday starting at 5 p.m. The 5K run/walk begins at 6 p.m. — earlier than the normal Nite Moves kickoff. Of your $20 registration fee, $10 goes to Special Olympics and $10 goes to Nite Moves.

As always, the evening includes a small dinner, live entertainment at the beach, beer and ice cream for the kids. Wrap up summer with one more jog along Shoreline and the Mesa — and make this one good for you and good for the community.

I don’t get worked up about celebrities. When attending Golden Globes after parties, I wasn’t trying to sneak a photo of Ben Affleck or the cast of “The Office.” While other kids run around Disneyland collecting autographs of Mickey, Goofy, Buzz Lightyear and Snow White, the only character I was remotely interested in was Prince Charming. (I hear he’s a good dancer.) That said, I was pretty happy to get my photo taken with Jordan Hasay at the McConnell’s Endurance Events

The word “phenom” has probably been used to describe her so many times that it should be retired. Having her as the honorary race starter and then passing out finisher ribbons at the chute like she was just another friendly volunteer was cool. And it was cool because she WAS just another friendly volunteer (who happens to run really really fast).

Thanks to Jordan for being there, to Kevin Young for the introduction and to Joe Johnston for having his camera at the ready.