A Little West Coast "Groundwork"

Thanks again to the marvels of modern conveyance that I touched on briefly in the last post, I once again found myself in the enviable position of transiting to beautiful SoCal to participate in some activities directly associated with the "rat race" last week.  Fortunately for me, even the modern day rodent 5K is not allowed to consume all of my waking moments, so I was able to put in a very solid five days of additional groundwork on the N2N-TCP preparation that I have begun to really enjoy.  I tested some new footwear (my Saucony Guide 7 shoes are proving quite satisfactory by the way) in the form of the balega blister resist socks shown below.  These have complete addressed my blister issues that plagued my prep efforts earlier.  Good stuff, and another example of the upside of living in a modern environment.

All of that is interesting, but the truly fulfilling part of my trip out to SoCal was the groundwork I was able to participate in.  Day 1 was about a 10 mile Jalk(TM) that took me the length of Harbor Island in San Diego.  Just for clarification a  Jalk(TM) is a combination jog and walk meant to cover relatively long distances in a relatively short period of time.  While the distances are not close to what will be required on average for the N2N-TCP, they are distances that I hope will build an endurance base that will prove adequate.  The  Jalk(TM) is my imperfect method of getting these in without injury over the long haul while still being able to (mostly) accommodate my participation in the "rat race" that funds my current standard of living. Compromises all around, but I'm seeking progress, not perfection, at this stage.

Day 2 took me on a 13.2 mile  Jalk(TM) that circumnavigated Mission Bay in San Diego.  Here's a panoramic snapshot that I took about halfway into that little jaunt.

Many thanks to Google Photos for automatically stitching together a couple of shots to make this panorama possible.  This was an interesting  Jalk(TM) because I found myself constantly mentally drawing myself back from competition with the people around me.  They weren't competing with me, but I was constantly having to remind myself that I was not in competition with them either.  I attribute this interesting outlook to being immersed in the "rat race" and recognizing this unnatural tendency toward competition in myself, contravening my stated objectives was a bit disheartening.  More balanced thinking required...check.

Day 3 was a walk up largely dry river bottom that ran just over 11 miles.  Here are some photos from the beginning and turn-around point during that day.

These yellow flowers were very similar to buttercups, and they reminded me of the nickname that my wife used for my youngest daughter (My Buttercup).  The were with me for the entire walk.  It made me feel close to them both for an extended period of time, but that is a story for a different day.

It was a good walk, and I was able to escape from the bondage of competition because I was basically on my own.  I did run across two bike riders and a man leading a horse, but both of those encounters caught me by surprise and were largely a comforting reminder that I was not completely by myself.

Day 5 was a 7-mile walk through Balboa Park that was just stunning.  I went into this one with a plan to circle the park, and I'm still not sure where I ended up going.  I kept thinking back to a statement that a friend made along the lines of staying someplace that you really found fascinating without the pressure of just passing through on the way to yet another destination.  It turned this period of groundwork into a bit of a ramble.  I was able to make it back to my car in the end, so it all worked out quite well.  I'll let the pictures from this one speak (however inadequately) for themselves.

Truly an amazing place.  I loved every minute of it.

Day 5 wrapped up the week with another Jalk(TM) covering just over 11 miles.  One thing I love about the San Diego area of SoCal is the abundant free parking in wonderful areas to explore.  Here's a shot that tried to capture that, but didn't quite do it.  

This weekly wrap-up took me back to the vistas of the Pacific around Point Loma.  It was a great Jalk(TM) where I was able to cover the distance at a faster pace than I have at any time previously during this short period of work-ups, but I still managed to feel pretty peppy at the end.  

It was a great week for training, a great week for refocusing mentally on a small part of what I hope to accomplish on the N3N-TCP, and yes, even a pretty productive participation in the rat race.  I'm finally getting the sense that I'm settling into something that is real and good, and the adventure has started already.  In spite of moments of questionable and unnecessary competition, I sense progress toward a more balanced, present, and slow way of living.  An escape from the linear.  An embrace of the now.  Be present...it's a good way to live.