The First Rule of Story Telling

The first rule of story telling is to have a story worth telling. I'm currently working my way through Dwight Swain's terrific Techniques of the Selling Writer and enjoying it enormously. Unlike most books on technique, Swain starts with the idea that you must tell a story - something that seems to get lost in some other books that I've read recently which seem to focus on the mechanics as though the engine makes the voyage.

Anyway, I was perusing book blurbs on Amazon. It was a moment of weakness - on a good day, I have an ego the size of Texas. Average days, probably the size of mid-western state like Ohio. Today, I'm cowering under the bed.

What I was looking for where books similar to mine and discovering, no surprise, that there are darned few. Blowing up Manhattan or blowing up strange planets or bodice rippers are recognized genres with their own rules and expectations.

Running books fall into the how-to category or the terminally bad with a few exceptions such as the incomparable John L. Parker's Once a Runner and Again to Carthage - both fine, fine books with great insight into both running and people. Most writers that use running as a part of their novel seem to have avoided the first rule of story telling. Or, maybe I just don't get it.

And that has me wondering...

What the heck is a story worth telling?

Running During the Dog Days with Your Dog?

Running during the dog days with your dog can be done if you apply a smidge of common sense and understand two things.

First, you are biologically engineered to be an efficient running machine in heat. Your a pro at sweating, you provide a small profile to the sun and you're not covered in fur.

Second, none of these apply to your pooch. Given an option, dogs will elect to siesta during the worst of the heat and, if they do venture into the heat, don't have the same mechanisms to reduce their heat load that you do.

For starters, your dog does not sweat. Most animals don't. They eliminate heat by panting which is why even a fit dog will huff and puff in the backyard following you as you garden. Short-nosed breeds (think pug or bulldog) have a harder time reducing heat.

Dogs (and most animals) also present a very large portion of their body to the sun. This leads to a bigger surface to absorb heat  - especially in direct sun. The darker the fur, the more heat they'll pick up.

Speaking of fun, did you consider throwing on that heavy jacket before a run in a triple digit heat wave? Didn't think so (unless you're training for Badwater)! Your dog has no choice...

So, here's a few tips for you and your dog.

1. Run during the early morning and late evening hours. It's cooler and the sun is far less direct which will make both of you more comfortable.

2. Plan on slowing down. The faster you try to run, the more heat you generate and the harder it is to bleed it off. That doesn't just apply to the dog - you're body is sending a lot of extra blood to the skin to try to cool it. Give your body - and your dog - a fighting chance. Walking breaks are fine for both of you.

3. Take lots of water for both of you. Put ice in it before you leave.

4. Run in shade whenever possible. This is a great time to get off of the hot pavement and get onto trails.

5. Remember that the dog doesn't have fancy training shoes - hot pavement can literally burn their paws.

6. Keep it short - longer runs increase the risk to your dog as the heat builds up.

7. Going near some clean water like a lake or a river? Think about letting them splash around. Splash with them - it was fun when you were three and it's still fun now.

Enjoy the summer, you and your dog - just be safe.

Run gently, friends.

Swimming in the Snake River at Asotin

Asotin is separated from the state of Idaho by the Snake River and, with summer weather baking the valley, it has been a popular destination for boaters, jet skiers and rafters. I don't own any of the above so I opted to swim. There are little inlets up and down the riverbank, some set with safety markers to keep the boats out. Paddling about in the safety of the cove isn't my style though. Someday my style  is likely to get me killed.

I made my first attempt to swim down the river, starting two miles upstream from Asotin. I will admit that I am more than a touch rusty on my long distance swimming since it has been nearly a decade since I used to swim in the La Jolla Cove in San Diego, which has a protected marine preserve.

Long distance swimming at the Cove was always play time - a good workout while admiring the fish, kelp, sharks - whatever came along.

The river is a totally different environment from ocean swimming - far more challenging and, I think, much more dangerous.

The water temperature was a comfortable 72 degrees when I slipped into the Snake River at a little sandy beach but was much murkier than I expected - recent rainfall had added a lot of silt.

The plan was simple - take off from the beach, check in with my wife at the first mile if I made it that far and out of the water at Chief Timothy Park in Asotin if I continued. That plan, as they say, was good until contact with the enemy - the Snake River.

First, I chose to enter the water above the lake. What we call a river is actually a dammed lake separating Idaho and Washington, Lewiston and Clarkston/Asotin. As you move further from town, you get closer to the river in a more primitive state.

It's faster and sneakier - rock outcroppings hint at the turbulence below the surface but slamming into a boulder - pushed by the weight of the whole river - is a shocking reminder that you only have partial control.

At the time of impact -I bounced off more than one submerged rock before getting braced against one to puzzle out my next plan - I was already getting tired. Muscles that were neglected for too long were running up the white flag.

Sensible people pay attention to such things. I headed for the channel and the choppy current, mindful of the boaters ripping past, prows in the air as they headed up river at speed.

I almost preferred the boulders. Getting sucked into the flow of the river as it heads for Portland. Escaping it required a lot more work with already tired arms and lungs that were severely over-taxed.

In salt water, especially with a wetsuit (I was wearing it for buoyancy - my mother was right when she said I have lead in my ass), you can rest, slow your stroke count, take a breather.

Try it in the river and you'll drown.

So no breathers - I drew an imaginary diagonal to a beach and started to swim to the upstream side of it, expecting that the river would push me toward it. Darn near pushed me past it but I did manage to get my feet down and, gulping some much needed air, had to decide whether I was going to re-enter the water or finish up on land.

I chickened out and the folks in the fancy houses overlooking the river had the opportunity to laugh at the skinny guy trail-running in a wetsuit through the wildlife refuge south of town.

My feet? No problem. I had picked up a pair of boat shoes to swim in just in case I needed to exit the river on rocky surfaces. They handled the surfaces - broken rock, sand, brush - without a problem.

Challenging myself (and Mother Nature) means planning. I knew that I was getting in over my head - literally - and built my contingency plans for that. Taking risks doesn't mean being stupid - though that is sometimes a point of discussion in my household - it means pre-planning what you can, adapting as best you can and accepting your control is imperfect because life and nature just don't care.

You do get to chose risks. Sitting on the couch eating potato chips carries its own risks - I'll take a trail or river, bear or rapids, any day.

Run gently, friends.

North Asotin Creek Trail and the Bear Family

I posted last week that I was going to go play with the wild things along the North Asotin Creek Trail - I hadn't planned on getting quite so close to the bigger critters out there. The conditions were nearly perfect  - weather about 68 degrees at the trailhead and high clouds. The recent rain had softened the ground without turning it into a mud hole. The only footprints out there were mine and the deer - the trail isn't open to motorized traffic for a bit yet.

I only cover 8 or 9 miles, an out and back along North Asotin Creek, starting at the open fields that abut the creek and following the trail into the canyon and up into the woodlands.

During my various runs here I've seen bighorn sheep, deer, elk and bears - and the occasional rattlesnake.

Cougars have been reported in the area but I've never seen one and not sure that I'd like to - they're awfully bashful creatures that are most comfortable introducing themselves with a firm grip and shake - on your throat.  Admire from a distance, that's my motto...

North Asotin Creek Trail follows alongside the creek for several miles before swinging out into forest land. The first miles before you swing wide is on Washington Fish and Wildlife land and a part of their Wildlife Areas. This is the narrowest part of the trail with the creek defining one side and the basalt cliffs the other.

The trail is very runnable for even an average trailrunner - there are no truly technical sections, no bomber climbs or descents. It's a wonderful place to just enjoy the afternoon, covering some ground and sightseeing. With so little traffic this early in the season, the trail is a bit overgrown - that will change later when the four wheelers hit the trail.

The Wildlife Area transitions in the Umatilla National Forest trail as you start climbing up to the Pinkham Butte Area - I didn't go nearly that far. Once you cross the boundary into the National Forest, four wheelers are prohibited.

That was my turnaround point and the run back was literally all downhill - there is a steady climb from the trailhead as you head into the mountains. It isn't steep but it is noticeable.

Momma bear must have crossed the creek after I ran by the first time because I didn't see her or her very cute little cub on the outbound leg. The crashing in the brush to my right was my first indication that another large animal was out with me and, silly me, my first thought was deer, especially since it was running away.

The scratching sound on bark was when I noticed Cutey, the cub, climbing the tree about 15 feet away. Always part of the quick thinking club, I was in the midst of an "Aw, how cute!" moment when it dawned on me the crashing was Momma bear. Probably.

Might have been Brother bear. It so, where was Momma bear? Paranoia is such a useful survival skill....

I scanned the trail, the open side to the left, the dense brush bordering the creek to my right. No Momma bear. Unsure as to whether that was good or bad.

Looked again and made started to make tracks towards the trailhead, walking first - ho-hum, just me, non-threatening, probably not very tasty human, leaving now - then getting some distance between me and Cutey bear. Cutey watched me go.

Very bummed that I didn't have a camera out to take a picture of Cutey but lingering was not on the agenda. Still, it's hard to have a better run or day plus I get to add it to my collection to trail memories.

Late for Dinner?

Late for dinner - again. I was a chronically late for dinner type of kid - constantly curious and easily distracted.

Theoretically, things  changed with adulthood.

Living up to responsibilities and helping raise kids while growing a business.

I'm still constantly curious and easily distracted - but now I schedule time for it.

Or at least, on my nights to cook, throw something in the slow cooker before I bug out.

Off to go play where the wild things are.

Run gently out there....

5 Things You Gotta Avoid in a Running Stroller

5 Things You Gotta Avoid in a Running Stroller

If you are both a runner and a new mom (or dad), one of the first items on the baby list after the 1121 page illustrated "How to Raise Your Child" manual that comes with every kid - they wouldn't give us little humans without manuals now, would they? - is a running stroller.

Since you're not alone - it only feels that way when the baby cries incessantly at 3AM and the hubby manages to sleep through it (we're faking, you know that, right?) - all the stroller companies, sporting goods stores, Macy's, and the QuickMart on the corner have advice on how to pick that stroller.

They're all wrong.

1. Small Tire versus Large Tires

Almost every person offering you advice is going to suggest you need a three wheeled stroller with larger tires. Larger tires reduce the amount of effort to move the stroller. Since you are running for your health and not your sanity, smaller tires that make it much harder to push the stroller are the way to go.

You only have about seven free seconds to get in your run, sandwiched between changing a diaper and dishes and even that can disappear with a single "Honey, could you get me a beer?" You need to maximize your workout. That means small tires.

While we're on the topic of tires, go with the hard inflexible ones for your running stroller. They transmit shock better and will add a full body vibratory massage for the baby.

2. Weather Protection

Don't need it and it costs extra. If you add weather protection to the stroller, it adds to the weight which is good but you end up denying your child the miracles of rain, sleet and clammy freezing fog. You're running in this stuff - they should get to enjoy it too.

3. Steer-ability

If you have friends that run, the first thing they'll rave about their new stroller is how easy it is to steer. They have completely missed the point.

You do not want a stroller that is easy to steer for two reasons. The first harkens back to Point 1 above. This is a workout so maximize it. An easy to steer stroller will not give you a proper workout for the hands and forearms so you want to avoid the kind that have front wheels that pivot.

Without this kind of workout, your arms will grow unbalanced as, if you haven't already discovered, carrying a baby will give you some serious biceps and, depending on the man of the house, the biggest guns in the home.

The second reason is the right of privilege. Your a mom, running. You have right-of-way under almost all conditions (by habit, I yield right-of-way to rattlesnakes ahead of running moms) which means it is perfectly acceptable to run over the laggards in front of you.

4. Storage Capacity

Most running strollers boast about their ability to store the car keys, wallets, binkies, blankies and bottles, sun screen, toys, snacks for you and baby, and a smallish Chihuahua.

This isn't the Lewis and Clark expedition. It's a run - how much of this stuff do you really need?

5. Durability

Face it. That cute little bundle of joy is going to rapidly gain weight. Great for the workout until you feel like you're pushing the Titanic. At some point, they need to stand on their own two feet and run for them selves. Buying a stroller built to last for twenty years (you're not considering having infants for the next twenty years, are you?) might be overkill.

And don't worry about the little one running on their own - they already have the instinct to run. All the ancestors who said "Huh?" when the lookout shouted "Lion!" have been removed from the gene pool.

So there you have it. 5 Things You Gotta Avoid in a Running Stroller - from my perspective.

Of course, if you disagree, feel free to get an easy to steer, light-weight, durable three-wheeled thingie.

Just don't blame me when it takes an hour of pleasant running to get your workout in.

Running Times Magazine for a Buck

I just set up a new subscription for Running Times - probably the best race-oriented running magazine on the planet - and was slightly stunned at the cost. A buck an issue.

I'm no economist and the business I run is smaller and serviced based but I can't figure out how they're going to make any money like that unless the ad revenue is just out of sight.

I knew Sidney Harman purchased Newsweek - the whole operation, not just a copy - for a buck and probably over-paid but Running Times is a quality publication. It's apples and lemons.

The top article that caught my eye? History, in the form of a 17 year old girl, breaking a 31 year old record in the 800 meters.  Mary Cain dueled the National Champion to the finish line.

"That last 100 I saw Alysia there and I said 'That's our national champion. I am getting on her and she's going to pull me (under) that two minutes.' I just tried to fight it out," Cain said. "When I crossed the line and heard I broke two (minutes), I was ecstatic."

Imagine Montano's feeling, as the high school junior pulled even and slightly ahead. Montano dug a little deeper and beat Cain by less than a tenth of a second. Afterward, Montano took the red orchid out of her hair and pinned it over Cain's ear.

For runners at the high school level, there is no better magazine - both for technique and training but also motivation and a chance to cheer. Running Times is it.