X-MAS EVE RUNNERS TRIANGLE

I had not planned a sunset run on the eve of X-Mas but one occurred nonetheless. That is what makes this sport so appealing, especially to a lone wolf like myself. Anytime is the time, barring other commitments of course. Many celebrating these holidays believe in the Holy Trinity. A fierce Agnostic like myself dismisses religion and believes it, along with over zealous Patriotism and Nationalism is the death of any free thinking society and the major contributor to disharmony in our lives.

The runners triangle is a lot simpler, yet pulls at us sometimes as aggressively as the Evangelicals trying to save our souls while they themselves live their lives of smug superiority over us lost pagans! Balancing running, work and family is the tightrope act we try to create even-handedly. Someone recently said to me, during a disagreement and in an emotional moment, your mantra now is "I gotta get my run in". It was true. I run 5 days a week and sometimes have to rearrange my schedule to do so. I have had a lot of weeks where I ran 6 days. I simply love it. It is categorically a part of me now. I refuse to change that for a host of practical and useful reasons that will appear in a future blog. This triangle, which must be equilateral in order to flourish, must be balanced and that, at times, takes a lot of planning and sacrifice to accomplish.

Plans changed on the morning of X-mas eve and my run for that day would now be at sunset rather than the afternoon one I had previously mapped out. X-Mas, in my humble, Pagan(LOL), opinion is all about the kids. Santa is pure magic and congers up a host of merriment and wondrous recollections that last a lifetime. My most memorable moments as a child stem from all the activities that surround the holidays and are now being passed on to my children. So I donned a red running singlet and a Santa hat and made my way from my house on centerline road to the North Shore for a 7 mile X-mas eve sunset run that included a rainbow as I approached the Trunk Bay overlook. My pace was brisk and I felt very strong and happy knowing my son would be ecstatic on X-mas morning and that this run added some joy to the host of onlookers in their cars and jeeps and trucks on the road that night. A very lean Santa, economic times have been tough, running up the Northshore in the Tropics was enough to evoke a multitude of shouts, waves, thumbs up, peace signs and abundant smiles from the onlookers inside their vehicles. Normally I pay little attention to what is going on inside the cars, rather I am monitoring them for safety reasons and road logistics. But on this night my eyes where fixated on the smiles and good cheer from the passerbys, especially the carloads of children that passed by. A run is usually a very solitary event, steeped in deep thought and solace, but tonight was a shared event and one I will always remember.

Be us Christians, Jews, Muslims or Atheist or any one of the multitude of other organized religions, we all share a common responsibility in leaving a better planet behind for our children and through running and physical fitness I am doing just that. Perhaps if we all kept our religious views to ourselves this might lend for a better world, but what do Godless running junkies know anyway.

WEIGHT

As I ever so slowly propelled myself up the north shore hills this morning I felt a great weight on me. Holiday cookies and my weakness for cheese gets the best of me at times. Runners are extremely more proficient in their racing times when they are carrying low body fat percentages and lots of lean muscle mass. The lower a runners body weight the faster they can usually run and they also minimize injury as the impact of the body, especially the legs, is GREATLY increased with each additional pound of weight our frames carry. The pounding of our body weight on the chosen running surface also has a lot to do with muscle soreness and injury prevention. Concrete being the worse and grass or soft dirt being the best.

The weight I felt this morning however had little to do with cookies and cheese. I do maintain a weight of 145-147 lbs on a 5' 7" frame and my body fat ranges between 9-11%. For my age, being 52, this is acceptable to me and falls into the upper echelon for most men in my age group. No this weight was simply the weight of the world and the ever present holiday doldrums that emerge every year around this time to test our resolve and try to downright beat us into mental submission. Usually a run offers solace to ones soul, but today the weight was so great I actually cut the run short, covering only 4 miles and calling it quits. At the end of mile 2 I simply turned around and ran back to town. I have been running a minimum of 7 miles on my daily runs the last few weeks. I am pushing the distances and also training for a half marathon in early January at Disney World, a trip me and my son take every year at the same time. He is the only reason I have stayed on St. John, as I am ready to move back to the states, and it is that very situation that weighs so heavily on me during these Holidays. As he often tells me "I Love You" and I tell him "I Love You Too" and he says "I Love You More" and it goes on and on, I can look to the hills I ascend and descend daily and know the motion of life will never cease

As an athlete I find mental stress takes way more out of me than the most grueling run. Hours on these hills may wear me out physically, but mental unrest lingers much further than the weariness of tired muscles. That magic pill that a good run sometimes offers was no match for my mental weariness today. My North shore hill runs are a metaphor for life in general or course, all the ups and downs, and never really knowing where the mental aspect of the run will take you. Overall running has given me tremendous clarity and is a coping mechanism as well as the countless physical health aspects it has to offer. In the end though all we really have is what we have put into it.

Everyday offers new challenges and rewards and my next run will surely offer me something and until then I will count my blessings and be still.

Local Running Routes

The North Shore is the most amazing place to run here . Lots of options from road to trail and always a beach along the way to take a swim afterwards or during your run. I will be adding and editing content here ongoing so please check back often for added running ideas and options.

If you want to know how far you are running while on St. John I am providing estimated distances. A few tips on how to estimate your own runs also.

Both Northshore and Centerline roads have mile markers, although not always visible and in your face they are there more so than not. These will always be guides to your distance depending on where you start your run.

For purposes of this posting ALL Northshore runs where loosely measured and most likely within 1/10th of a mile as far as accuracy. All Northshore distances where measured beginning at the starting line of our local race, The 8 Tuff Miles. The starting line is located behind the National Park Service Tourist Office adjacent to the ball field, which is across the street from Mongoose Junction, one of the shopping areas in Cruz Bay on St. John. There is a palm tree and a sign for the Lind Point Trail (more on this run later) on the road behind the NPS office and again, that is where all measurements where started. If you do not run one of the distances I am providing just subtract 2/10ths of a mile from the mile markers along the Northshore Road. As you start your run you will follow the road out to the main road in front of Mongoose Junction and turn left up the hill that is the Beginning of the Northshore. These are tough runs so take it easy as the first 1/2 mile is very steep. Stay to your left while running with the traffic as you have a lot more shoulder to use to stay out of the way of cars. Good Luck and Be Well!

8TM start to the National Park Sign(1st crest of run) .5 miles
8TM start to the first scenic overlook(before Caneel Bay) 1.0 miles
8TM start to Caneel Bay Resort 1.5 miles
8TM start to Hawks Nest Beach (large parking lot) 2.0 miles
8TM start to Easter Rock (Huge rock past white fence) 2.5 miles
8TM start to Peace hill (small parking lot) 2.7 miles
8TM start to overlook (before Trunk Bay) 3.1 miles
10k(6.2 miles) run if you turn around here and go back to start.
8TM start to Trunk Bay 3.3 miles
8TM start to Peter Bay (crest after killer switchbacks) 3.6 miles
8TM start to Cinnamon Bay 4.3 miles
8TM start to Maho Bay overlook 4.9 miles
8TM start to Big Maho Bay beach 5.5 miles

I will stop here for now and add more distances and routes later. Please note the North Shore is a very tough place to run so go slow, rest and enjoy one of the best running routes in the world! Be Well and enjoy. E-mail me any questions you may have at stjohnrunner@gmail.com