Urban Running

Dear Las Virgenens Open Space,

You like a good warmup.

It's about a mile of urban running to get to the trailhead. I run past a waterway that cuts behind the apartment complex and the small bridge features clusters of oleander trees. The pink flowers are lit up in the morning sun.

This trailhead is new for me, even though I've run the adjacent canyon, Chesebro, dozens of times. Today is different. Everything has been packed up and moved and I'm staying with Janet for two days. Las Virgenens Open Space is not far from her house and I run on the street for about a mile before I find the trailhead.

The trail is mostly level and the hillsides are covered with green weeds destined to become tumbleweeds in the future.