Real runners and walkers are outdoor people. They condescend to use treadmills only when the weather is too cold for Emperor penguins to make their trek across the Antarctic, when rains have made rivers of the streets or when the snow is as high as an elephant’s eye.
Part of the lure of the outdoors is the scenery. Coastlines offer the kind of scenery that elevates the spirit. I am particularly partial to the California coast since I live in California. I set my mystery/suspense novel, Run into Trouble, on the coast of California. It tells about a footrace from the Mexican border to San Francisco in 1969 for a million dollars, which was real money in those days. The ominous shadow of the Cold War helps to create the suspense.
The California coast has varied scenery. The cities of San Diego, Long Beach, Los Angeles and San Francisco offer views of naval vessels, freighters and giant cruise ships ready to whisk the intrepid traveler to even more exotic locales. All right, the Queen Mary, docked in Long Beach, isn’t whisking anybody anywhere anymore, but it is fun to visit as a symbol of a luxurious (and militarily important during World War II) past. The urban areas also offer some of the best beaches in the world.
However, much of the fun of running or walking the California coast is to go through the more remote areas where the seagulls, sandpipers, seals and otters dominate the landscape instead of people. There are places where you can go all day without seeing another human being, following the beach when it’s passable, running and walking along the cliffs or railroad tracks and through the pastures when it’s not.
Sometimes you have to stay on the road. In the Big Sur the road is a test of endurance, with hills and curves that follow breathtaking and unstable cliffs. In the Lost Coast area of northern California, south of Eureka, which is one of the best kept secrets California has, the roads are often unpaved and the traffic is minimal. Watch out for the hex signs of the marijuana growers who want to keep you off their property.
I walked the California coast in the seventies and eighties and wrote about it (and many other walks) in my book, Walking the World: Memories and Adventures. It’s fun to get away from civilization for a while and commune with nature, although I don’t object to encountering the occasional clothing optional beach.
If you’re a runner or walker dulled by the routine of covering the same course every day, consider branching out and adding new vistas to your workouts. You’ll be glad you did.
