The short answer is that the simple act of running

I started running in high school, taking up track the spring of my sophomore year with the idea that it would help my speed and quickness for my true love, basketball. The following fall I joined the cross-country team with the same objective: improve my athleticism — in this case, endurance — to prepare for the long basketball season over the winter.

Well, long story short, one thing led to another, competitiveness took over, that basketball season never happened, I joined the indoor track team, and before I knew it I had traded in my Nike Flights for a pair of adidas Osweego trainers and Nike Zoom Rival track spikes.

The competitive side of the sport is where I got my start in running — and over time, the only reason I kept running — during my final two years of high school, through college and for eight years out of school until this past spring, when I decided, or perhaps more accurately, realized, that I didn’t necessarily need a race on my calendar to have a reason for lacing up my training shoes every day.

After I ran the L.A. Marathon in March I stepped away from targeted training, taking a short amount of time completely off from running before resuming a regular, albeit unfocused schedule where I didn’t have any specific goal other than to get out the door for an hour a day — just 60 simple minutes to myself, or with others, where I ran as I felt with no regard to pace or distance covered. I just had fun with it. Well, that’s been my M.O. for about four-and-a-half months now, not that it wasn’t fun when every workout previously had some additional ulterior motive behind it. Most days I run for an hour, some days a little longer, others shorter, sometimes not at all, but that’s rarely by choice. I’ve run by myself and with hoards of others, gone to the track and done a workout on a whim, run over 90 minutes a few times and even found myself in the middle of a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants fartlek on more than one occasion, but I’m not training for anything. In fact, racing really hasn’t entered my mind, and for the first time in my life I’m A-OK with finding myself in this peculiar predicament. I’ve realized over time that I don’t necessarily need the motivation of competition to get out the door every day.

So why do I, Mr. Competitive Runner from the day I first laced up a pair of running shoes, still try to get out the door as often as I can even if I don’t plan to race?

The short answer is that the simple act of running is just something I really enjoy doing. It doesn’t matter if I’m running at under 5 minutes a mile and holding on for dear life at the end of a tough track workout or trotting along at a pace that more closely resembles walking, charging up one of the challenging hills near my home in San Diego or floating along a flat stretch of road in the middle of some previously undiscovered place, running is a large part of who I am and what I do every day. It’s responsible for many of the opportunities I’ve been presented with in life — including this job — along with the close relationships I’ve made over the years, including meeting my (now) fiance as well as my best friend, who, appropriately enough, I competed against just a few months after I took up the sport in high school.

The reasons why I run have evolved over the years, but today, more than ever, lacing up my running shoes and getting out the door might be the only hour, or 30 minutes, or whatever amount of time I have that day, that I can get away from the busyness of everyday life, the incessant buzzing of my cell phone, dinging of my e-mail alerts — you name it — and have some time to myself or with those who are important to me.

The false status of sneakers

LeBron James had arguably the best NBA season since Michael Jordan was winning championships and starring in movies such as "Space Jam."

James kept his mouth closed for the most part and made many people - outside of Cleveland - forget or forgive him for "The Decision." He won the regular season MVP, NBA Finals MVP, the NBA championship with the Miami Heat and an Olympic gold medal for Team USA in London.

He also got engaged and didn't rule out one day playing for the Cavaliers again sometime in the future. I doubt that will happen, but at least he's trying to make peace with everyone. So how does James cap off one of the greatest NBA seasons of all time?

That's easy. Nike comes out with the most expensive shoe in Nike history bearing James' name.

The LeBron X, which includes its own electronics, is expected to retail for $315 (before taxes). The shoe is supposed to be able to tell wearers how they jump and a bunch of other things that most people don't need unless they are an Olympic or NBA athlete.

Industry experts say there will be a less expensive model of the shoe without all the bells and whistles that will sell for about $190, a price that is still ridiculous.

I'm old enough to remember when kids were robbed and even killed for their Air Jordans. When I was 13, I was robbed for my Hush Puppies. The shoe was popular among gang members in the 1980s. I liked them because they were comfortable. Two bigger teens liked them so much that they chased me down, tackled me to the ground and stole them off my feet.

We might expect more of the same when Nike releases the LeBron X in the fall.

I don't know who to blame for this. Do you blame Nike - which, between its Nike, Jordan and Converse Brands, owns roughly 95% of the U.S. basketball shoe market - or do you blame the player, who could speak out and say that the cost of his shoe should not be equivalent to a car note?

There are some sneakerheads who will wait outside a store for a week to buy these shoes. I'm not really concerned about them. I'm mostly concerned about kids in the inner city who will either be directly targeted by the marketing of this shoe, who believe that they need these sneakers to feel like they are somebody.

I know it gets down to role models and self-esteem, but too many kids don't have positive mentors who can show them a different way. These kids turn to basketball players, rappers and sometimes the negative influences in their neighborhoods to find that connection.

The national Urban League is encouraging parents not to spend their money on an "empty status symbol." Marc Morial, the group's president, said he wants Nike to scrap the shoe altogether.

"To release such an outrageously overpriced product while the nation is struggling to overcome an unemployment crisis is insensitive at best," Morial said.

For kids who feel that they have little else in life, expensive shoes may be that one thing to make them feel like they have value. Last week, three teens allegedly broke into a Foot Action USA store in Houston to steal Air Jordans by cutting a hole through the mall's roof. The teens took 16 pairs of the overpriced sneakers that sell for $175 each.

When the new Jordans go on sale every year, thousands of people line up to buy them. Malls have to hire additional security, and sometimes violence breaks out - over shoes.

Imagine if we could get young people to get this excited over voting or going to school.

No athletic shoe should cost $300, and parents should not give in to their kids who want these shoes.

James should speak out and tell young people that hard work and dedication turned him into a superstar, not the shoes. Maybe that's the all-star message kids need to hear.

Warrior Dojo Training Shoes

The Warrior Dojo training shoe is helping pro athletes like lacrosse legend Paul Rabil and NHL pro Adam Henrique set personal and league records.

“I’ve been training in the Warrior Dojos throughout the 2012 season, and I just broke the all-time MLL points record,” Rabil says. “I’ve noticed and enjoyed the light weight of the boot more than anything. The tongue technology has really allowed me to continue multiple workouts at a rapid pace. My recovery rate has been better this season than it’s ever been, and I feel my overall athleticism has benefited.”

The newest shoe in Warrior’s training lineup is designed for “training perfection and street-savvy style.” Among its unique features are a Turf Bone outsole with flex grooves, to grip everything from side-to-side drills to a 10k run; a seamless lightweight upper; and an adaptable compression tongue to accelerate muscle recovery.

New Jersey Devils center Adam Henrique was most impressed by the adaptable tongue. "The compression sock molds and hugs your foot for more support and better fit. They feel like custom-made shoes," he says.

According to Warrior designer Chris Davis, the company wanted the Dojo to be a shoe "for the athlete, by the athlete," so the team got feedback from athletes at all levels, from the pros to high schoolers. He says, “Aside from receiving design cues from the Warrior Players Club, we conducted focus groups with high school and collegiate athletes."

To find out how the Dojo lives up to its training claims, STACK asked Rabil and Henrique how they’ve been using the shoe.

"The Dojos have allowed my body to push the limits without any restraints,” says Rabil. “The light boot helps my feet move quicker, and the traction allows me to cut harder. I do tons of high-intensity training with my strength and conditioning coach, Jay Dyer. We spend a full day on agilities and sprints, another day on resistance running and a day for circuit training that includes the first two plus lifting.  The Dojos worked great for me in high-intensity skill and agility training…directly on lacrosse-type movements, sprints and hills."

Henrique reported similar workout results but also offered an additional benefit he gets from training in the Dojos—one that even hours in a gym can't build. He says, "The better the gear, the more confidently I can train. Comfort and confidence are so important because I spend so much time in skates. My feet need the right fit, traction and support. I know I can count on the Dojos to perform, so I can focus on working out and improving my speed, strength, stamina and agility. Really it is about the comfort and confidence I have while working out. Mentally I know they will perform, and they feel great, so I can concentrate more on my workout."

The Warrior Dojo is labeled as a lacrosse trainer, but it’s built for athletes in any sport, since it’s designed to perform just as well during a hardcore run as it does during an agility drill.

"The Dojo was actually not designed as a product specifically targeted for lacrosse, but more of an overall, lightweight, running-inspired training shoe," says Davis, " It’s versatility has really attracted all of Warrior’s endorsed athletes, including numerous NHL players such as Henrik Zetterberg and Zdeno Chara, as well as athletes on Liverpool Football Club in England."

Taste of life in refugee's shoes

Given the ferocity of the 'Pacific Solution' debate in Australia, Hamid Sultani is surprised how little people know about asylum seekers.

The Dandenong refugee from Afghanistan is one face in the second instalment of the SBS social-experiment series Go Back to Where You Came From, which starts screening tomorrow (Tuesday) night.

The show puts six well-known Australians with polarised views into the shoes of asylum seekers. As part of the journey, rock singer Angry Anderson, writer Catherine Deveny and former defence minister Peter Reith stayed with Sultani for two nights at his home.

During that time, Sultani and his three refugee housemates tell their stories.

He was shocked by some of their views. Deveny was sympathetic, Anderson steadfast in his resolve that boats should be turned back, and Reith - regarded as one of the architects of the Howard government's Pacific Solution - proud that "we stopped the boats".

"They didn't have information about asylum seekers and had not communicated with asylum seekers in Australia," Sultani said.

He hoped to have influenced his guests' ideas by sharing his experience, as well as taking them to speak with fellow refugees who run an Afghan bazaar, and a halal butcher in Dandenong. He welcomed the chance to break bread with his guests and tell his own astounding story on how and why he fled to Australia.

Like half of asylum seekers coming to these shores, Sultani is an ethnic Hazara - a minority that is persecuted by the Taliban insurgents in his homeland.

He said it was simply not safe to live there. The Taliban are against education, technology and modern hospitals. Those who wanted to go to school or university were targeted and labelled as 'infidels'. Those who ran businesses were heavily scrutinised.

"When you step out of your house, you are not safe. A lot of people are losing their life to trrorists."

He first fled to Pakistan as a 15 year old in 1999 when the Taliban took over, closed schools and killed people "not for doing something wrong but for doing something right", Sultani said.

Going shopping for one of the girls

The Jewish Family and Children's Services has been flooded with offers of support for the Brown twins, Marian and Vivian. Among the letters received by JFCS marketing man Robert Miller was this from Evelyn Miller Adler, which came along with a contribution:

"This check is for the 'Brown Girls,' as my father called them. Please tell them Abe Miller always thought of them as the ultimate shoppers. For years, he sold them shoes at the downtown Emporium and shared jokes and life tips. The Girls belong to San Francisco; let's see that they stay."

By phone on Tuesday, Adler said that she remembers "the girls," which is what her father called them, "very well." When he worked at the Emporium in the early 1970s, "my father was very fond of them. He was their favorite shoe salesman."

But Adler has another connection with the twins, too. She's a retiree who volunteers as a case aide for the senior department of the Family Services, and one of her regular tasks is shopping for folks who can't do it for themselves. "Vivian must have lost some weight," she said, "so she needed new clothes." Dispatched to purchase clothing for Vivian, she'd just come back from shopping when we talked.

She'd prepared for the trip as she usually does, by using a tape measure to assess Vivian's size, and talking with her about color preferences. "She's able to manage her life pretty well," said Adler, "and knew what colors she liked and what she wanted. ... I bought her slacks and tops, and underwear, a sweater."

At Kohl's, she "did very well," said Adler. "I had one coupon, my daughter had another, and between the two of us we saved them another few dollars." She came back with casual clothes, tops in light colors and bright prints, pants in dark colors.

Adler seemed pleased to help Brown. "My role is as a volunteer," she said, "to do whatever it is to do that social workers deem necessary. ... It really was my pleasure, it's something I do. It's like paying forward. I get a lot of gratification out of it, and it fills my time. And I'm delighted that they're getting the kind of recognition and care that they need."

Linda Naughton e-mailed in response to Tuesday's item about the man whose "stuff" was on a security conveyor belt. At SFO recently, Naughton emerged from the metal detector and the TSA agent asked if she had something in a back pocket. She checked her pockets, said no, and thereupon was subjected to "a very invasive pat-down.

"I was then led to another agent who said he had to swipe my hands. I asked why and was told 'you touched a sensitive area.' " Asked to identify the sensitive area, the agent told her it was her own buttocks.

P.S.: In other matters of law and order, on Facebook I was checking out Artem Kevorkov's pictures of last Friday's gathering, at Justin Herman Plaza, in support of the Pussy Riot rock band sentenced to prison in Russia. The crowd looks colorful, but not large. But plainly visible among the signs is that of Frank Chu, the 12 Galaxies man. Good to see he's keeping up with the latest issues.

Jack Murphy was happy that a local icon, the late Merl Saunders, got national recognition on Saturday as the answer to a clue, "keyboardist Saunders," in the New York Times crossword.

Mel Gibson, child and entourage had burgers and ribs at the Hard Rock Cafe at Pier 39 on Tuesday. Director Paul Thomas Anderson, Maya Rudolph and crew members of Anderson's "The Master," in the neighborhood because of a screening at the Castro, had dinner at La Mediterranee on Noe Street.

As to fewer-than-expected teams competing in the America's Cup, optimist Gar Smith prefers to see America's Cup as half full.

Richard Reynolds, who plays French horn in the Lamplighters' orchestra, reports that in "The Mikado," which has been playing around the Bay Area, Lord High Executioner Ko-Ko carries his list of victims on an iPad. The song's been altered to include among those who would not be missed, "that most annoying roadster, the texting motorist ... on jail we should insist!"

Lancer lineman Bakos has big shoes to fill

The 22-year-old defensive tackle has been handed the assignment of sliding over to the outside to replace two-time, all-Canadian tackle Seamus Postuma, who stuck with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats this season.

“Seamus is a close friend and those are big shoes to fill,” Bakos said. “I’m not looking at it that way because I’d be setting myself up for failure.

“We’re different players. Seamus has the ability to overpower people. I rely more on finesse, speed and intellect in my game.”

Bakos displayed just how effective he could be employing those elements last season. Playing as the ‘plug in the middle’ of the defensive line, Bakos more than held his own despite his five-foot-11, 270-pound frame being nearly 40 pounds lighter than Postuma.

“I had to handle a lot of double teams and that helped Seamus on the outside,” Bakos said.

“I’m not afraid of this challenge. I welcome it.”

Bakos smiles when asked if his game is better suited for the outside.

“I think I’m actually better suited for the three (tackle spot),” Bakos said. “I was forced into a more physical role inside last year, just kind of holding my own tying up two guys.

“At the three (tackle), you’re more one on one with the guard. The onus is on you to break the pocket and get at the quarterback.

“You play a more aggressive style at the three (tackle). That suits me just fine.”

While it won’t be easy replacing Postuma, the Lancers do have three of their four starting defensive linemen back. They also return the majority of their backups at those positions.

Returning veterans include Garrit Post, Stephan Miller and John Langley, who is still likely a month away from playing as he recovers from knee surgery in January.

“No one player can replace Seamus and do the things he could do,” Lancers head coach Joe D’Amore said.

“But we have two or three guys who can step in with various abilities that can fill in the holes. We feel we can use the sum of those skills to help fill Seamus’s role.”

D’Amore said he expects four or five of his rookie defensive linemen to see some consistent action whether on special teams or in their regular spots.

Two of the most promising rookie linemen are London’s Tai Pham (six-foot-four, 273 pounds) and Chatham’s Jordan Deneau (six-foot-three, 275 pounds).

D’Amore describes Phan as very athletic, but a little raw technically while Deneau is extremely strong.

The Lancers will also resort to some more aggressive play from their strong linebacking corp to get sacks and open up lanes to the quarterback to help take some of the pressure off the defensive line.

“We’ve got some great people still on the line,” said D’Amore, who has 11 returning defensive starters. “We need to free people up for the rush by blitzing more.”

In Bakos, D’Amore feels he has another defensive tackle with the athletic ability to play the outside position.

“You have to be quick and athletic to play that spot,” D’Amore said. “Andrew is very athletic and he would’ve been there last year, but for Seamus.”

Bakos will also have to replace his friend in more areas than just the sack category. As a fourth-year veteran, the Tecumseh resident is now a key member of the Lancers’ leadership group.

“I’m looking forward to that,” Bakos said. “I’d like to coach latter on, so I enjoy answering questions from the rookies.”

On the field, that leadership role will also force Bakos into some unchartered territory. The St. Anne graduate admits being really vocal isn’t a trait that comes naturally.

“That’ll be a big challenge for me,” Bakos said. “
“In the past, I’ve just gone about doing my job and not been that vocal on the field. I’m one of the veterans now and I’ll have to push myself that way.”

What are they buying?

Back to school doesn't just mean students are hitting the books again — they're also hitting the mall, looking for an updated wardrobe filled with the latest jeans, shoes and shirts.

Super-faded and ripped jeans are largely out, and the midtop (rather than low or high-top) sneaker reigns, according to an interactive style game presented to shoppers ages 14 to 24 for USA TODAY by predictive analytics software company First Insight.

And stash the tee shirts with the "silly girl humor," recommends off-price fashion website Ideeli, echoing First Insight's findings that the "statement tops" aren't a top pick anymore.

Clothing purchases helped boost July's better-than-expected retail sales numbers, out last Tuesday, and teen shoppers — and their parents — are helping lead the charge.

"Teens are spending," says retail analyst Jennifer Black, adding that it's because they like to regularly update their outfits.

"Teens don't make investments in clothing," says Black, of Jennifer Black & Associates in Lake Oswego, Ore. "They're more apt to move on to the next trend."

Often, a new teen trend is the opposite of the one that preceded it.

"Everything is a reaction to the last thing that's cool," says Greg Selkoe, founder of the clothing and accessories website Karmaloop, which caters to fashion-forward young people.

The current coolest purchases:

?Jeans. Medium to dark blue and brightly colored jeans are the most popular, according to First Insight and several retail experts. Skinny jeans remain popular with young women, but boot cuts are hottest for young men, who have all but abandoned skinny jeans, the data show.

But the bold colors won't be in for long. Teens who are "more fashion forward will get tired of colored jeans first" and go back to "distressed, faded washes," says Catherine Moellering, executive vice president of trend consulting firm Tobe. It's like a "return to the '90s."

Animal-print jeans were a low-ranked style on First Insight's survey, but flash-sale site Ideeli says they're still very popular with its shoppers.

"They are on fire," says Marie Ivanoff, Ideeli's merchandise director.

Khaki and camouflage, sometimes in animal prints, are selling even better than jeans at Karmaloop.

?Tees. First Insight says graphic and striped tees will be popular with young men, while young women favor a classic, plain tee. The striped tank was ranked second most popular by young women, according to First Insight.

On the outs are shirts with sayings, First Insight's data show. "The feel-good-slogan-and-statements-on-tees trend is saturated," says Raquel Quinones, J.C. Penney senior manager in divisional trends for juniors, which caters to ages 18 to 23.

But Julia Diamond, a high school sophomore from Crofton, Md., says some kids still wear them even though "they're not as big." The 15-year-old says she has several, including one with a "periodic table of texting" and another that says, "I love British boys."