San Diego Running Adventures!

Hi Friends! I apologize for the lack of posts in the last few months. Life has been busy and full of adventures like always. As a welcome back I wanted to share some of what my life has been lately. Running!  In the last year I have been running a lot more than before, all thanks to my partner who has become a passionate runner. Before I would limit my runs to only 2-3 miles. I grew up running as a cross country runner in middle school and as a soccer player throughout high school and there was a nice trail close to my house that I could go run at after I moved home last summer so running has been a big part of my life, but I never tried to challenge myself to run past 5 miles. The encouragement of my partner and the beautiful weather in San Diego has allowed me to challenge myself and run much longer distances. My longest run so far has been a half-marathon. Hopefully someday I can run a marathon, but we'll see. Below are some places to check out for your running enjoyment.

Torrey Pines Beach and Trails

You can either run on Black's Beach in La Jolla which connects to  Torrey Pines. You can park at Glider's Port and then head down a hike and run on the beach. I will add that the hike can be tiring and scary, and after a 6 mile run can be quite tiring. The beach is also a nudist beach but nothing takes away from running next to the ocean. The beach is mostly empty on late afternoons with only a couple of tourists taking pictures. It would also make a great place to meditate if you find a good spot. There are some spots where there are large rocks which can be challenging and can slow you down. There are no close restrooms once you start running.

If you don't want to run on that beach you can run by the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve and take the trails. I would recommend parking closer to Torrey Pines State Reserves if you want to run there instead. Keep in mind sometimes parking is limited if you want to park by the are close to the beach and trails and you may have to wait for people to leave. There are some steep hills, so keep that in mind. You can run on the trails or on the beach portion as well. This is good for long distance runs and the scenery is breath-taking at times. It is a challenging trail, but well worth it. There are restrooms located before you start the trail and there may be some within the trail.

Lake Mira Mar

Lake Mira Mar has a nice little trail, running once around the lake is a little less than 5 miles. It takes a while to get to the more beautiful parts, and there are parts that are unpaved if you prefer to run on the dirt but for the most part it is a paved road. There is little shade, I recommend going late in the afternoon or early in the morning as it can get quite hot. There are portable restrooms that are wheel accessible throughout the trail. There is plenty of parking within the park and it is closed on most holidays.

Lake Murray

Lake Murray has a nice paved trail. One lap around is over 3 miles. There are lots of bunnies and birds around and some nice scenery. You will see lots of families running at this park but can get quiet and scary towards the night. I recommend bringing a head lamp if you decide to go in the evening. There is plenty of parking. One of the only downsides is that there are lots of restrooms through out but have a strong bathroom cleaner smell, the way it smells at the restrooms at camp sites. You'll smell this as you pass by. There are very few hills in this trail.

Balboa Park

Balboa Park is a large park. You can either run through trails that can be a bit steep or through the areas by the garden and museums. There's a lot to see and you'll see a lot of people running. I recommend going on weekday evenings as there is typically street parking available. The only downside is that at times you'll have to wait for cars to pass by and that their restrooms are pretty dirty. I don't recommend trying to change there.

Mission Bay Park

Mission Bay Park is great place for long distances. Some parts can get scary as you run around the lake and have to run on sand on an area with small rocks. You'll see lots of people running. For long runs I recommend going early in the morning so that you can beat the sun as it can get quite hot. I did my longest run here, it's big enough that you don't have to do multiple laps to do a half marathon.