My legs feel as heavy as the stack of textbooks my daughter lugged home on her first day of 7th grade last week, and when it comes time to run, I want nothing more than to curl up with my novel and eat an entire bag of peanut-butter-filled pretzels.

September and the start of school should mark an end to the Dog Days of Summer — the months plagued by heat and a lack of productivity, or a period generally marked by stagnation and lethargy — but I have felt mired in the dog days of training. (I always thought they were called “dog days” because dogs lie around with tongues out panting, but in fact the name comes from the position of Sirius in the night sky during summer; Sirius, the brightest star, is known as “the dog star” because of its position in the Canis Major constellation. But I digress …)

I don’t know why I’m feeling sluggish and negative; I can’t blame the weather, which mostly has been mild, or my schedule, which has been manageable. If someone asks me how I’m running, I say “slowly” or “not enough.” I feel thick and heavy and nightly give into cravings for beer and cheese. My head buzzes with negative self-chatter about how I’m slacking off and not putting in the effort to do my best at the upcoming race.

And then, all of a sudden, a couple of things slapped me on the side of the head and knocked me out of the running doldrums. (more…)

Starting later this month, I will be blogging more regularly at our family’s new site, away-together.com. We leave in two weeks for nearly a full year of travel to several destinations, to educate our kids (and ourselves) by seeing other parts of the world and to strengthen our bond as a family. I’m excited, nervous and asking myself, How did August get here? Running in July mirrored the pace of my life. I’m relating a few highlights here to try to make sense of it all:

Smiling at the finish of the Eden Medical Center 5K/10K in Castro Valley.

July 12: I stand at the start of a hilly 10K by Lake Chabot, seeing some road racing regulars for the first time in a long time. Morgan and the kids are with me to do the 5K. Coach Alphonzo is there with hugs and telling me to do the damn thing. I haven’t trained to race this distance on pavement in over a year — which is partly why I’m here: To face the challenge of running fast. To have fun (what a concept!) going all out. So I go for it, I go out fast with the lead women who turn out to be in the 5K. They peel off at the 5K turnaround and I’m the only woman near the front of the 10K pack (oh, sweet Jesus), trying to catch the guys ahead. (more…)

Since I returned from a short trip over my 40th birthday, family and friends have been asking, What did you do? What did you get? Did you have fun?

The answers take explaining — I ran through time. I got my life. I wouldn’t exactly call it fun, but I definitely had a good time — so I stick to pleasantries. It’s easier to chat about Mother’s Day, which came two days later and which Morgan and I celebrated with Pacific Coast Trail Runs’ event in Redwood Park. He did the 20K and I did the 50K, remarkable in part because it was unremarkable. It certainly was challenging, beautiful, invigorating, sociable — all the things that have hooked me on long-distance trail running — but the main surprise is that somehow, sometime not long ago but I can’t pinpoint when, I reached the point where running 31 extremely hilly miles doesn’t feel like a huge stretch.

My birthday run, on the other hand, was special. (more…)

I ran my first mile in 9 weeks. I walked our dog, Teddy, to the Piedmont High School track, tied him up, and tentatively stepped down the stadium stairs while gripping the handrail. (I’m so cautious when walking now, scared I might fall.) Fog hugged the San Francisco skyline but the sun was burning off the marine layer here in the East Bay. Kids from my kids’ grades gathered in the center field, enrolled in a summer lacrosse camp, and I vaguely hoped I wouldn’t see their parents or anyone else I knew because I didn’t want anyone to witness my stiff jog, which I might have to abandon after a mere half-lap if any sharp pains cut through my foot. (more…)

I’m not sure who will read this blog, and I don’t know if I’d feel more relieved or disappointed if the answer is “no one.” Whoever views this, hello and welcome. This marks the first entry in what I hope will chronicle a two-pronged comeback: as a writer and as a runner. Both writing and running have been on hold due to inaction and injury, which has eroded my confidence in my ability to get my mind and body back in shape. I’m feeling stupid and stiff, wondering how I’ll ever regain a sense of flow at the keyboard or striding out on the trail. (more…)