PREFACE
PREFACEI got into running and racing in 1980. My entry was abrupt. I had been skipping rope for physical fitness and a couple friends lured me into trying a three-mile afternoon fun run held weekly at Mission Bay Park. I was hooked with the first race. Running with a bunch of people in an environment of friendly competition was great fun.
1980 seemed to be just at about the peak of the "running boom." Runners were everywhere. Every street, every park and every trail seemed to have runners on it. There seemed to be a running shoe store in every other shopping mall. Every weekend brought at least three of four races and some weekends had more. Hundreds to thousands of runners participated in each race. Both the level of competition and camaraderie was high. At one point the local newspaper estimated thatÝ approximately 50,000 people in the San Diego area regularly participated in organized races. It was truly a "running community" within the greater San Diego community.
If the San Diego running community had a central core, it was the San Diego Track Club. About 1500 runners belonged to the organization and provided a variety of highly competitive events for the more dedicated racers. In addition, the club published the San Diego Track Club News, a free monthly newspaper (circulation of about 15,000) distributed at races, shoe stores and other outlets. The paper was packed with news of interest to the running community,Ý columns, race results, photos and a race schedule. The staff was largely voluntary and the operation was funded by advertising revenue.
As the running boom tapered off, everything related to the boom tapered off with it. Shoe stores went out of business. The number of races declined. Race participation dwindled. Track Club membership declined.Ý Nothing was abrupt; it was more a case of very gradual erosion. By 1986, I was deeply committed to running and racing and I began submitting articles to the Track Club News. It was a fun thing to do. People would comment and it gave me the feeling of serving the running community. Alas, after about six months the press of other duties brought my articles to a halt. In 1991, I was elected to the SDTC Board of Directors and the News editor asked if I could again submit some articles. So, the series started again and ran from April 1991 to January 1993. Shortly thereafter, the SDTC News folded for lack of adequate funding.
Writing the articles was fun, but writing does not come easy for me and they took a lot of time and thought. I enjoyed the feedback and I met a lot of interesting people. After the demise of the SDTC News my articles were relegated to the bottom of a drawer and I felt a void. About three years ago, I got a computer and I'm gradually getting more proficient with it. Last year I discovered the magic of posting materials on the web, and my old articles residing in my desk drawer came back to mind. Well, what good were they doing in my drawer? If I put them on the web someone, somewhere might find them interesting, useful or enjoyable. Most of the work was already completed.
So, here they are. I tried to keep them very close to the original. Some small changes were made to relieve printing mistakes, slight errors and so forth. The articles are set in no particular order. Many thanks are due to the San Diego Track Club for publishing them in the first place, and to Editor Terrie Lafferty and her crew for their assistance. Enjoy the essays or ignore them, as you like. But, have a great time running.
Got any comments? Send me a note.
For the best present source of information regarding running in San Diego, check out the San Diego Track Club home page. It's full of news, running tips, race results, photos, the racing schedule and loads of links.
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