REASONS TO RUN:
1. To feel the geography - how the Santa Rosa Mountains in the Sierra Madre Range climb to more than 8,000 feet; how the pebbly soil rolls under your footsteps; how encino deciduous trees cover the leeward sides of the mountains with dense foliage of copper and green; how the cactus plants are topped by yellow blossoms now, to be followed by the tuna fruit that will mature beneath the blooms; how mining sites carve out pale spots on the mountainsides and small dams create pools of water in the valleys; how old pueblitos rest in tiny nooks in the distance.
2. To make friends - such as Abraham, a historian and a muy fuerte runner, who introduced us to this Santa Rosa trail; to have a common connection in the desire to put one foot in front of the other for a couple of hours; to enjoy the honor of listening to someone describe the features of the landscape they live in and love.
3. To practice language phrases - to learn the names of the plants and the pueblos; to be able to communicate with urgency, "Mis piernas queman" (My legs burn!); and to repeat random Spanish phrases, such as "Puedo filar mi lapiz" (can I sharpen my pencil) as mantras when grinding up a hill.
4. To justify mucho guacamole, hamburguesas, and helado de mango from the Michoacana ice cream store later in the hot afternoon.
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