On Tuesday I was desperate to run Wheeler Canyon Rd. It's a long windy road that leads into the middle of nowhere. The only people that go out there are the farmers (who run the farms that line the road) and FedEx trucks.

 I'm not sure how other women runners feel on the subject, but I am absolutely petrified to run alone. I have no problem running where there are lots of people around. But at night, on trails that reach beyond cell phone range....you know, the kinds of places people go and never come out again. There are so many horrific scenarios I would be picturing during my run. Even if everything turned out OK, I'd still be thinking "I'm going to die, I'm going to die" over and over again. I'd think about it my entire run. Every noise. Every sound. I wouldn't be able to enjoy myself. The idea of running for over an hour and a half, by myself, with no music, sounds absolutely awful. Because zoning out, headphones blasting on a tiny windy road in the countryside (where the cars go like, 60 mph) is a recipe for disaster.

So, what's the next best thing? Conning my non-runner friend into taking her bike and riding next to me. It worked out perfectly (minus the flat tire she got at mile 8). AND, the next day, because her tire was flat, I got her to run on the beach with me. I'm slowly reeling her into running.