Thursday, March 24, 2011

Heartbeat!

A year and a half ago I reclaimed running in my life, with some hesitation about whether too many years had passed and also actual concern about being too old and decrepit. I hate to look un-intentially silly and out of it. I was not sure I could run from my driveway to the end of the street - probably less than a block. But, it was not as hard as I expected. And every body has to start somewhere. I am happy that I did. Tonight was yet another of the innumerable reinforcements of the rightness of the decision. The impending negative change in the weather almost stopped me from going out. But having a gap on my Daily Mile journal was, for some reason, utterly unacceptable. As I left my front door, the misty, rainy, hard sleety stuff hit me in my face. It made me smile. And the smile lasted through the precipitation and spirited wind, until ... the stars unexpectedly came out brightly. I felt loose and young and happy, as if I could go on forever. And toward the end of the 5 mile run, it occurred to me that my heartbeat was healthy and the course of my breath was strong, and my pace was in time with something terrific on my IPod.  As I wound my pace down, I checked the music, and appropriately it was "Heartbeat" by Annie; now one of my conscious favorites. As on so many happy runs, I was again grateful for the 2009 Christmas present of the IPod from my wife, and of my daughter's gift of loading it with terrific music.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

The Irregular Vegetarian

This time last year, I made the "enlightened" decision to convert to vegetarianism for reasons of health as well as  horror at my unintentional participation in the industrial slaughter system. During Lent it was an easy decision to make and stick with. And it was easy through the summer. The blog "NoMeatAthlete" by Matt Frasier and the book "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safron Foer sustained me. Between a regular schedule of running in 100+ degree summer sun and my evangelistic consumption of retro food, I scaled off about 20 pounds and generally felt healthier than thou. Then as my daughter's wedding approached, and the platters of food piled around were stronger than me, I slipped. For months I slipped. In the cycle of things a new Lent is a time for renewal, and so I am back. Only this time the logic of the whole thing moved me much closer to becoming a Lenten Vegan. And for me that is sometimes harder, if only because I have to think farther into ingredients. So it was a good thing for me at lunch today to discover Hen House grocery's "premium homestyle Quinoa Garden Vegetable Soup". I felt defiantly virtuous when I chose it over some other hearty foods and really spoiled and happy as I slurped it at my desk. This may not really be so hard after all.  That and a freshly baked French roll for a total of about $4 seems like a good discipline to observe. Now if any one actually reads this and actually knows that my accomplishment was not vegan at all....break it to me gently. But it was still tasty.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Cross Country Retirement

A couple of weeks ago my wife and I were walking the Mill Creek Streamway Trail where it meets up with Shawnee Mission Park. Along the way we had the good fortune to be stopped by Karen Clark and Jerry Bowman seeking directions to Desoto, Kansas. My initial thought was that these nice people, who clearly were dressed and geared for a day out on the trail and had the healthy look of outdoors people, were actually crazy or confused. Desoto? Why that must be 10 miles away. Well, perhaps they are crazy. But in the way I want to be crazy.

Following their well planned retirement they began to implement some of their deferred dreams. We met them in the middle (quite literally) of one:  to hike the entire continental length of the USA!  In 2010 they accomplished the first half of the dream by walking from the Atlantic Coast to the Kansas-Missouri border. Then they retreated home to California for the winter holidays. We met them on the very day they picked up to complete their amazing journey by trekking from Olathe, Kansas to the California coast.

Their on-line journal of the adventure can be followed at www.journals.com/karenandjerry. They post fun photographs along the way and their journal is full of interesting observations and insights. Their journey is full of history, nature, and health. As I write this, they have already walked from Olathe to Lawrence to Baldwin City to Ottawa and on to Council Grove. I have also included a direct link to their journal under "My Blog List" with some of the blogs and sites I like to follow.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Unity With Nature

For a couple of years now, I have maintained a private journal on the combined topics of running and spirituality. Today as I was reviewing part of it, I came back across this quotation which I like:

"No longer conscious of my movement, I discovered a new unity with nature. I had found a new Source of power and beauty. A Source I never knew existed."

-- Roger Bannister. Englishman; Neurologist; 1st Human recorded to have broken the 4 minute mile.

When I have touched this dimension of running, it is the best. I want to run enough more so that I again reach that almost mystical point. The sensation is almost that of a drug (I would suppose) - even for a old and slow amateur like me.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Umph

Time to get back outside! Thanks to DM I am painfully aware that February 2011 was my lowest mileage month since beginning to keep records last summer. That needn't have been. Sure there were all kinds of scheduling crunches and, indeed, it was the shortest of all the months. But, just 1 or 2 additional short outings and I would at least not have come in last! Instead of posting any PBs I have a new PW. Plus my weight is floating upwards a bit more than I want it to thanks to my drive to keep the sugar industry profitable, and I am eating animals with abandon. Maybe it is today's nice temperature and sunshine, but this slothful pattern stops right now. At this very moment I return to being a steadfast vegetarian, and throughout the month of March I will log a minimum of 1 mile all 31 days - if only to give joy to my tiny (and slightly plump) spotted dog by walking her. And at least 3 times each week I will run 3 - 7 miles. Plus this is the month I take the next "real runner" step of implementing tempo and interval track runs. I already feel better.