Coyote Creek Trail, gates, shoes, audiobooks and small epiphanies

Kelley Park, closing time drama and a red Miata

Run #14 started at the Kelley Park parking lot in San José, where I learned the hard way that parking is paid: 10 dollars to leave my 2007 red Miata there, likely because of the proximity to Happy Hollow Park & Zoo. I also discovered that the park closes at 5 pm, which feels oddly early for a February weekend, especially with so much daylight still left.​

I got back from the Coyote Creek Trail just after 5 pm to find the pedestrian gate between the lot and the trail already locked, forcing me to sneak back in via the car gates: half closed on the way in, half open on the way out. Inside the emptying parking lot there were only two vehicles left, my Miata and a City of San José Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services truck, whose officer politely checked if I was the owner of the red car and even admitted the park‑hours signage could be better. I jogged the last meters inside the lot, stopped my watch right before 5:02 pm, skipped stretching entirely, dropped the top (the weather absolutely deserved it), and drove away relieved that I hadn’t delayed the closing crew too much.

Solo on the Coyote Creek Trail

This time I ran alone on the Coyote Creek Trail, without my Insta360 camera, which gave the outing a quieter, more introspective vibe. I limited myself to a few quick phone photos along the way, trading the usual filming and framing for simply listening to footsteps, creek, and occasional traffic in the distance. The trail itself, mostly flat and friendly, was perfect for a late‑afternoon long run where the main challenge was not pace but timing it against the park curfew.

Shoe geek corner: zero drop or bust

Run #14 was another test drive for my Altra Rivera 3, a zero‑drop, neutral road shoe with moderate cushioning and a 28 mm stack that is clearly starting to show battle scars on the outsole and midsole. Despite having other pairs in much better cosmetic condition (including almost‑new Topo Athletic Phantom 4, Hokas, and a New Balance Fresh Foam X More Trail v3), the Riveras have been the ones slowly nursing my knee back to health, likely because they encourage more mid‑foot/forefoot contact.

During the run I became unusually aware of my toes splaying inside the shoe, helped by the combination of Altra’s foot‑shaped forefoot and cheap but effective five‑finger socks from Amazon, which made me mentally retire any narrow toe‑box shoes from my future rotation. The New Balance Fresh Foam X More Trail v3 still tempts me with its huge, rock‑eating foam slab and generous width, but its lack of flex makes it feel like running on a protective but unbending plank—great if you expect sharp rocks or glass, terrible if you want a natural roll.

The best news of the day came from my joints: the knee felt almost perfect during the run and, more impressively, let me go down the stairs the next morning without any pain at all, a small miracle after the last few weeks. My left calf did complain progressively, especially after a two‑minute forced stop at a traffic sign, but even that soreness calmed down overnight, reinforcing my decision to focus on zero‑drop, flexible shoes and wide toe boxes from now on.

Weather, timing and fueling

The weather was textbook perfect for a long run: around 15 degrees Celsius from start to finish, with soft sun filtered by clouds and UV hovering near 0–1. I ran without hat, neck cover or arm sleeves and never missed them, appreciating the rare balance of cool air, mild light and almost no wind.

Starting close to 3 pm was a departure from my usual pre‑sunrise habits, and I was worried about having enough energy at that time of day, but the body showed up on time. I took a single Huma gel just after my turnaround at about 10.5 miles and sipped occasionally from my hydration bladder, needing less water than usual thanks to the cool, low‑UV conditions that kept dehydration in check.

Run #14 ended up being less about pace or scenery and more about small, quiet turning points: discovering the quirks of Kelley Park closing time, doubling down on zero‑drop faith, and finally waking up to a knee that allowed me to walk downstairs pain‑free.

Audiobooks and open‑ear earbuds on the run

During this run I finished the audiobook “End Game” by Jeffrey Archer, a thriller set around the London 2012 Olympic Games that blends fictional conspiracy with very real‑feeling Olympic logistics and security concerns. It was not my recent favorite (hard to dethrone the sprawling sci‑fi epic “To Sleep in a Sea of Stars” by Christopher Paolini, beautifully narrated by Jennifer Hale), but it was still engaging enough to keep me company along Coyote Creek. The narration, however, was top‑tier: George Blagden managed to give distinct voices to a large cast while keeping an emotional through‑line and a pacing that is easy to follow even when you are breathing a little harder than usual.

I listened again using my SoundPEATS PearlClip Pro Ear Ultra Open Ear Earbuds, lightweight clip‑on open‑ear headphones that sit off the ear, keep the surrounding sound audible for safety, and are currently priced under roughly 60 dollars, making them a very strong value choice for running and audiobooks. They are so light and comfortable that I often forget I am even wearing them and only realize they are still on well after I have finished my run. The sound quality is not reference‑grade, but for voices and podcasts at that price point they are more than good enough, and I prefer this style over fully sealed earbuds that block outside noise when I’m near roads or other people.

For budget‑friendly open‑ear options, another model that often appears cheaper on Amazon sales is the Soundcore C50i Open Ear Earbuds, which follow the same philosophy—leave the ear canal open, prioritize awareness and comfort over booming bass—although I have not personally tested them yet. On the other end of the spectrum, I once tried the more expensive SHOKZ OpenDots ONE open‑ear headphones and ended up returning them because, for my use case (listening to audiobooks and blogs while running), the incremental sound‑quality improvement did not justify the much higher price tag.