The weekend trip was only partly a vacation, but any trip to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in November can't be all bad, especially for runners.

I packed my running shoes in the chill of a Western Pennsylvania drizzle, then unpacked them in the blinding sunshine of Florida's Atlantic coast.

By the number of runners along the bike lane and on the sidewalk adjacent to Fort Lauderdale's public beach, it appeared that everyone in the city ran. I soon discovered that when you're in a major metropolitan area, nothing is a solitary venture.

On my first day I took an easy run on the paved sidewalk, careful to face the stiff breeze on my way out. Although the running surface was even and pancake-flat, it wasn't exactly an easy run.

On the sidewalk I dodged walkers, parents with strollers, and numerous sun worshippers on their way from their cars to the beach just beyond a low wall.

When I hopped down to try the bike lane, I found uncertain footing because of the sand that had washed onto the streets during Hurricane Wilma weeks ago.

At the end of the hour, I treated myself to a barefoot five minutes of running in the sand. It would be my last barefoot run in Fort Lauderdale, as the beach was uncomfortable, if not dangerous, to run on.

The hurricane had swept the soft sand from the beach, and, according to one resident, deposited it in impassable mountains on the city streets.

What remained of the sand on the beach included humps of sea grass entwined with worn lengths of nautical rope, broken shells and chunks of white brain coral tossed up from the sea, as well as bits of building material, glass and trash.

An overnight shower left the city steamy and smelling of the tropics. I ran away from the ocean and up one of the few "hills" in Fort Lauderdale — a highway overpass with a drawbridge in the middle. I quickened my pace over the bridge grating, not wanting to get caught in the middle.

It was easier to see the destruction left behind by Wilma at a running pace than zipping by in a car. Several businesses, including the cinema at the Galleria Mall were still closed, and even the modern high rises sported squares of plywood. I dodged piles of palm fronds, twisted aluminum and trash gathered in the bike lane along Route 1.

Residential neighborhoods were in no better condition. While some yards appeared neat and tidy, others were a jumble of branches, lawn furniture and roof tiles. I learned from the newspaper that a few of the remote Broward County neighborhoods had been without electric service until this past Friday, a full three weeks after Wilma.

Even in the face of devastation, Fort Lauderdale residents appeared to be trying to return to normal. In the park, a few old men laughed on a park bench in the shade of a broken sea grape tree.

I hopped over small branches and around the larger ones lying across the paved park trail while squirrels gathered a windfall of nuts. One had gnawed a hole through a coconut and it loudly guarded the treasure.

Farther on, I dodged a stray tennis ball that zinged through a bent section of chain link fence. The game went on despite occasional swirls of dry grass and Styrofoam chunks from the torn roof of the tennis complex that blew across the court and settled against the net.

A dad and three boys played a raucous game of roller hockey on the inline court, though many of the boards were missing or flapped loosely in the breeze. Two teens had set up portable soccer goals and challenged each other in a cleared section of a grass field. Life goes on.

For my last run, I chose a loop through Hugh Taylor Birch State Park. The former private estate, which includes 3½ miles of beach-front was only partly reopened after the devastating storm. Park rangers and tree service workers had toiled to make the 1.7-mile loop through the 180 preserve passable.

Normally, the park offers picnicking, group camping and canoe rental for lazy trips through a freshwater lagoon filled with wading birds, turtles and fish. A self-guided nature trail offers a close-up look at the last of the maritime hammocks (tropical hardwood forest.

For now, I could only peer into the hammock from beyond the yellow caution tape blocking the entrance. I could see that the nature trail beyond was an impassable jumble of debris.

The tangle of broken sea grape and fig trees blocked the breeze from the ocean completely. The paved loop on that side of the park was hot and my pace slowed to match conditions. I stopped to catch a cooler breath where the route bent toward the Intracoastal Waterway, then headed back.

Before leaving the park I stopped by the lagoon for a cool-down stretch. A three-foot long iguana padded by on the boardwalk. Water lilies floated like boats on the dark water while birds chirped over red mangroves.

Clearly, some residents of Fort Lauderdale had weathered the storms better than others. Nature wins again.

Saturday, 9 a.m.: Fight for Life 5K, Apollo. Benefits American Cancer Society. 724-309-3776 or dzukas@cancer.orgSaturday, 10 a.m.: Somerset Turkey Trot 5K, Somerset. Starts at Somerset Area High School. 814-445-6213Saturday, 10 a.m.: Youngstown Road Runners Club Scholarship 5K Run, Youngstown, Ohio. Starts at McMahon Hall Metro Parks Farm across from Canfield Fairgrounds. 330-482-9230Sunday, 9 a.m.: Cleveland Fall Classic Half Marathon and 5K Cleveland. www.cwrrc.orgNext Thursday, 9 a.m.: Downtown YMCA Turkey Trot 5-Mile, Pittsbugh. Last downtown distance run of the season, random drawing for 2 treadmills. 2-mile fun run at 8:15. 412-471-YMCANext Thursday, 9 a.m.: Gobbler's Gallop 10K and 5K Run-Walk, Ellwood City. Starts at Riverside High School track. 724-758-6227Next Thursday, 10 a.m.: Harry C. Holland Gutbuster, Frick Park, Pittsburgh,. Choice of 2-mile, 4-mile, 8-mile runs. 412-441-1776 or 412-341-0684Nov. 26, 9 a.m.: Treesdale Turkey Trot 5K Run and 1-Mile Walk, Gibsonia. Starts at Treesdale Golf and Country Club. 724-625-2220 or terri.smith@ourclub.com

<B>Hampton Alliance 5K, Oct. 15:</B> Dominic Wyzomyrski, 1st Overall M, 17:50; Sandy Fischer, 1st Overall W, 20:25; Jared Steinmetz, 1st 14-18 M, 20:27; Michael England-Krieger, 2nd 14-18 M, 20:31; Elaina Balouris, 1st 11-13 W, 20:31; Paige Serbin, 1st 40-49 W, 21:36; Michael Lochnar, 1st 11-13 M, 22:00; Roxanna Romah-Picard, 1st 41-50 W, 22:02; Barbara Dexenzo, 2nd 41-50 W, 22:05Mark England-Krieger, 2nd 41-50 M, 22:38; Joe Hughes, 3rd 14-18 M, 22:54; Tom Ebbert, 3rd 41-50 M, 22:55; Joe Bursick, 2nd 31-40 M, 23:00; Eric Slagel, 3rd 31-40 M, 23:06; Laura Jakovac, 3rd 31-40 W, 23:36; Colleen Geyer, 1st 51-60 W, 26:33; Rebecca Miller, 3rd 41-50 W, 26:54; Patricia Bruelman, 2nd 51-60 W, 27:25; Angela Raimondi, 1st 14-19 W, 27:39; Ainsleigh Cardone, 2nd 10 and under W, 27:49; Kelly Ebbert, 3rd 10 and under W, 28:57; Kyle Proper, 1st 21-30 M, 29:09; Renee Lambert, 2nd 21-30 W, 30:14; Matt Dowling, 2nd 21-30 M, 31:30: Gayle Meier, 3rd 61 and over W, 1:01:47Roger Murray, 23:03; Steve Andritz, 23:41; Tom Andritz, 23:56; Cathy Hughes, 24:03; Colleen Caminsky, 24:13; Griffin Patterson, 24:31; David Casassa, 24:34; Steve Zbur, 24:41; Don Pellegrino, 24:55; Ashmor Kelsie, 25:01; Tom Clendaniel, 25:14; Nicholas Gust, 25:21; Bill Machuga, 25:30; David Mulqueen, 25:39; Matthew Bauman, 26:03; Chris DeMichiei, 26:48; Susan Ferguson, 27:10; Theresa Cardone, 27:17; Tracey Cardone, 27:18; John Cardone, 27:19; Emily Spencer, 27:45; Kathie Werner, 27:46;Craig Bender, 28:40; Charlie Possina, 28:40; Allison Williams, 28:44; Nicholas Zbur, 28:44; Faye Degerome, 28:52; Jim West, 28:53; Chris Lochner, 28:58; Laura Kelly, 29:03; Carol Kelly, 29:03; Alan Hedges, 29:18; Selina Brende, 29:30; Matthew Williams, 30:00; Kyle Spencer, 30:01; David Spencer, 30:03; Michael Lambert, 30:10; Alec McGinnis, 30:11; Mara Muir, 30:12; Ryan Gray, 30:15; Joe Mulaveen, 30:17; Nicole Elway, 30:22; Ellen Murray, 30:53; Mark Williams, 31:06; Katie Williams, 31:09; Joseph Raimondi, 31:41; Kyle Herock, 32:23; Colleen Ebbert, 32:56; Mary Herock, 33:14; Chelsea Miller, 34:06; Bob McGinnis, 34:09; Erica Gmuer, 36:17; Sam Andritz, 37:43; Linda Andritz, 38:03Jennifer Kyle, 38:07; Joni Rothlein, 38:10; Eric England-Krieger, 38:11; Mary Miller, 39:42; Alexander Gust, 40:34; Matthew Gust, 40:47; John Gust, 40:54; Konnie Oleniacz, 41:54; Danielle Lefever, 42:53; Mauro Macioce, 43:22; Larry Korchnak, 43:36; Karen Korchnak, 44:47; Jessica Schwartz, 44:49; Katie Gluntz, 45:41; Bonnie McGinnis, 46:31; Cathy Gmuer, 46:36; Megan Roethlein, 46:48; Stephanie Robert, 46:49; Aimee Gmuer, 47:38; James Smith, 48:16; Rich Smith, 48:17; Darryl Richardson, 48:17; Jamie Miller, 48:18; Leah Gibson, 49:43; Becca Smith, 51:03; Julie Richards, 51:43; Lacy McGinnis, 51:43; Michelle Sullivan, 51:59; Jeremy West, 52:14; Ross Bernard, 54:39; June Bernard, 54:40; Joe Murray, 54:40; Karen Degerome, 54:57; Myrna Alt, 56:27; Janet Bender Stahlman, 56:28; Jeff Gmuer, 59:05; Doug Saklad, 1:00:19; Rachel Kelly, 1:01:44; Breanne Vodde, 1:04:01; Kali Kobert, 1:04:02Bob Meier, 1:04:16; Kathy Kobert, 1:04:42; Bill Vodde, 1:04:43; Ellen Bauman, 1:05:18; Jeff Bauman, 1:05:19; Maggie Bauman, 1:05:21; Vincent Kuzniewski, 1:05:56; Cassandra Kuzniewski, 1:07:55<B>Mothers Guild 5K, Oct. 22:</B> Brent Collins, 2nd Overall M, 19:22; Wayne Biddle, 3rd Overall M, 20:55; Heather Schell, 1st Overall W, 23:33; Ron Hartle, 2nd 40-49 M, 22:22; Christopher Bloch, 3rd 40-49 M, 23:20; Matthew Poling, 1st 20-29 M, 26:54; William Dundore, 1st 50-59 M, 29:00; Joanne Frizzell, 1st 40-49 W, 41:34Send comments and suggestions: to: 435 Cherry Valley Road, Saxonburg, Pa. 16056. Phone or fax: 724-352-4395. Email: lotzak@highstream.net