(Mission Times Courier, San Diego, CA) - Early Sunday mornings at Lake Murray are people-sparse. The running population was really down on Sunday, June 5th because it was the day of the Rock 'n Roll Marathon. Runners had been training for months for the event. The surprise was that there were very good runners at the lake that day that didn't participate in the marathon. They included Ed who was called "Fast Eddie" (I don't think he is aware that I know that), Corrine, a nurse and others. Some of these runners don't do long runs, but they would tear up the marathon course if they trained with more mileage. Unless someone tells us that they are training for a marathon, it's difficult to know. The way that the lake road is positioned, we can't tell if someone is running two miles for fun or twenty miles to train.

I thought about lake runner, David Bagley who ran the marathon and others who must have been battling the heat that day. Everyone I talked with later was disappointed in their times. Once a race is over, one thinks about the course and wonders if they could have cut off some time if only… or maybe not stopped at every stop to get a drink. Maybe they didn't eat the right food the night before, trained too much or not enough. The next day they start thinking of the next marathon and vow to get a better time. That is, forgetting how they felt running the last 26.2 miles. It is always the last .2 mile at the end of the race that's a killer.

We are proud of David and the folks that test mind and body in triathlons or road races. It is always fun when one looks back at the race but few are able to spend a lifetime doing them. I quit doing races many years ago, and now I take it easy. I stop when I want to pet a dog or talk with someone and don't berate myself over it. Running is a joy in life and clears one head. You can eat more food without gaining too much weight. That enhances another joy of our lives… eating. Congratulations to all who ran the race - you did it! Don't be hard on yourselves. There's always next year.

*****

The next lake road closure is due to be finished soon. The recent closure was at the end of San Carlos Bay to repair the road that sustained a sinkhole during the rainy season. The construction and placement of the concrete form to bring runoff to the lake was done in record time. Reservoir Keeper Gayle Havens, her assistant Ruben Nava and the rest of the staff did a terrific job of directing us around the detour that they created. They kept us safe and informed.
We’re now readying ourselves for a much longer closure, but it may be easier to live with. An 18-27" plastic durable sewage pipe will replace a smaller old clay pipe that runs under the diversion ditch. If the old pipe breaks, the effluent would undoubtedly run into the lake - our drinking water source. The construction company is waiting for permits to start work on the City of San Diego Wastewater project. The gate at the end of Del Cerro Bay (the 2 ¾ mark) will be closed to lake visitors.

The whole pipe exchange is three miles long from the bottom of Cowles Mountain (under Navajo Road), through the golf course, parking lot, lake road and south through the canyon behind the dam. The work will be done in increments to accommodate activities in the areas.

Lake users have been promised several things: 1) Some eucalyptus trees in the diversion ditch below Del Cerro hill will have to come out, but native trees will be planted in other areas of the park as mitigation. 2) Heavy vehicles will damage the road, and it will be resurfaced. 3) If construction is stopped and there's no safety issue, the gate at the end of Del Cerro Bay will be opened. 4) Lastly, we'll be kept informed as the project progresses.

One concern that some people have is feeding the ducks on the west side of the lake where the road will be closed. Connie Robinson and Dale Stivers feed grain to the ducks there now. They will have to feed them on Cowles Point. The ducks and other waterfowl will follow the grain. Just like when we have fireworks - the next day there are fewer ducks, but eventually they return. I will leave maps of the reservoir at the lake so you can see where the work is going to be done.
Cass Construction and the San Diego Engineering Department have been obliging us, and we appreciate their efforts to make the project go smoothly. I hope that lake visitors will be cognizant of the fact that this project must be done. We’ll have an uninterrupted round-trip 5 ½ mile run, walk, bike or skate from Kiowa Street to the road closure. We can always double back to get more miles on the lake road. That is not too much of an inconvenience for a few months is it? We can handle it, and we will be kept informed as warranted.

*****

Wow, we really enjoyed Dr. Joe Dolan's talk about black holes. The universe is at once an amazing and a scary place. It's so volatile. Kind of like our own planet, some of it of our own making. Our globe is beautiful, but humans make wars and oil leaks. That's why we take a notch of time to enjoy nature and let the stress of problems fade for a bit.

*****

Calling on teachers, principals, churches and parents: We need children to participate in the Lake Murray I Love a Clean San Diego Cleanup on September 25th. You will be able to sign up online in August or the day of the pickup. It takes more time if you sign up the day of. We give community service slips to those who need them. For more information, you can call the I Love a Clean San Diego, which is part of the International Coastal Cleanup Day at (619) 291-0103, visit www.ILACSD.org, or call Barbara at (619) 463-9706.

*****

We don't have meetings in August because it’s hot and many people go on vacation. We'll resume our third Thursday schedule in September and have Joe Hughes speak about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

On July 15th, Dr. Brad Hollingsworth of the San Diego Natural History Museum will talk to us. He is the herpetologist there and will talk about rattlesnakes.
We can ask him about other reptiles, too. I want to know why lizards do push-ups. Richard, a lake runner and outdoors person, said that he heard they're trying to get their depth perception. We'll find out.
For more information, call Barbara at (619) 463-9706.