Bright Lights, Big City Of … Stamford?

Buzzing through the city streets of Stamford, CT, I found myself quite surprised. Cold temperatures and black snow piled up on the curbs and sidewalks all made sense to me. I expected as much. What really surprised me was the number of financial institutions, the high level business district and the bustling downtown. Stamford has all the trappings of a big city, but with a small town name.

I ran past a very modern multi-story City Hall, a long queue for folks wacky enough to stand in line to watch tapings of the Jerry Springer Show, a seven-story mall with outcroppings of white tablecloth restaurants and a bevy of walkers hustling to work. I was puzzled for sure. A year prior, I had never even heard of Stamford.

After my hour run about town, Shannan and I took a very nice walk. We lunched at Cosi, a low key, yet trendy eatery at the base of the mall. My window seat afforded a view of the well-dressed business people scurrying back and forth. Via idle conversation we came to hear Stamford described as a place where companies go that can’t afford to be in New York City. And so my cognitive dissonance of the big city in the small town was resolved.

Run around town. Who knows what surprises await?

Tom

Awesome Abs

"It hurts" and' "It's hard" gets to the root reasons many people don't exercise, at least not in the calorie burning "zone." Not to suggest that we must all subscribe to the "no pain, no gain" theory, but It would be disingenuous to suggest making changes in the human physique comes easily. Let me check that statement. We all know, and some of us better than others, gaining weight seems to happen almost effortlessly. At least, we don't generally cry and complain as we eat that extra donut or another handful of chips.

Our waists can expand virtually unnoticed until a button or belt takes more effort to fasten. Removing excess body tissue from the midsection takes a great deal of effort, especially the older we get. Hence, the average person doesn't have a "six pack" or "washboard" abs. Oddly, social ideals makes many people long to have magazine cover abs. This gets garbled with the another social reality in our country, that every thing can happen easily and quickly.

Numerous infomercials take advantage of both. These marketers want to you believe there's a miracle abdominal exercise or single piece of equipment to make fantasy abs appear practically overnight. The fact remains, working and toning abs proves rather complex. Upper, lower and obliques abdominals all require different movements to stretch, strengthen and reshape them. Moreover, these exercises need to happen with frequency and intensity, both of which lead to pain during exercises and often an uncomfortable midsection afterwards. This brings us back to where this blog started.

Hard abs require hard work. It's unpleasant more times than not, but boy do they look good!

Tom

Chasing Buffalo in Cusco

Some years ago I read a wonderful book, Running with the Buffaloes. Author, Chris Lear, chronicled a year with the University of Colorado's cross country team. The book is well written and interesting. Reoccurring themes include running at high altitude and workouts on a trying trail called “The Mags.” Since reading the book I have wanted to go to Boulder, CO, to run the path of these collegiate athletes. The Mags sounded like a difficult run on its own, and coupled with altitude it must be a bear.

Four years ago Shannan and I visited Mauna Kea in Hawaii. At 13,796 feet above sea level I felt much worse than woozy, but I managed to summit. Two years ago I endured a very unpleasant run in Flagstaff, AZ. Plagued by very strong winds and an elevation of 7000 feet, I worked hard to stay on the road for thirty minutes. Still, I longed to run with the Buffaloes.

This year our trip to Peru gave us several months to think about, more truthfully to worry about, spending a number of days at 11,000 feet above sea level and the imminent altitude sickness it would bring. I planned accordingly and Cusco didn't disappoint. Soon after our arrival I found myself with a headache and a tingling sensation in my fingertips. Rather than running, for the first two days I exercised in the hotel room using Power 90 DVDs (see P90X Confession). I drank lots of water and waited patiently. We visited Machu Picchu at eight thousand feet above sea level and I enjoyed a sensational run in the nearby city of Aguas Calientes.

Today back in Cusco I woke at 5:00 am and lit out for my daily exercise on the streets of Peru's sacred city. It took five minutes or so to get the rhythm of breathing. I maintained a cautious pace. Once I was acclimatized, I pushed and had a fantastic running tour of the plazas. Unfortunately, many of the streets in Cusco look the same. I set out for a three mile Streak preserver and ended up having jogged four glorious miles in the capitol city of the Inca Empire before returning to the hotel.

Prepare well. Run better.

Machu Picchu: Wonderful Things!

The Visit.

Machu Picchu! Echoes of Howard Carter ring for nearly a hundred years from North Africa to South America. From the Vilcabamba River valley at the base of the mountains, to the first full view of the Inca ruins atop a plateau surrounded by clouds resting on lush green peaks, one can only utter Carter’s famous words, “Wonderful things. I see wonderful things!”

Looking and seeing prove to be marvelous gifts. The more you allow the eye to wander the more glorious the experience. It’s all magnificently beautiful as you gaze down to the river, across the valley and contemplate a world hemmed in by some of creations finest works. Experiencing it is empowering and humbling. I gratefully partook of the splendor thinking it may remain unequalled in my lifetime.

The Run.

Ah, but the majesty of Machu Picchu had only just begun. A slight drizzle damped the morning, but not my spirit. I jogged along the river road to the park entrance gate. It seemed like the sacred mountains were shrouded in regal white robes as the clouds hung low. I passed a thriving ornamental garden of vibrantly blooming plants and flowers next to the roaring water. Quickly this ranked this as one of the top runs ever for me. Then I entered deeper into the rain forest engulfed by plants on all sides. Machu Picchu had worked its, yet again.

The Wonderful Things.

Languid. Sensual. Cosmic. Machu Picchu holds a world of wonderful things. For my brief encounter I tried to savor one and all. The run itself transformed into a wonderful thing, cloaked in the sanctity of the revered locale. It was a great pleasure to enjoy a moment that Kodak can capture, but can never recreate. Long live my memory.

Tom

Triumphant Return to Arlington

October 16, 2005, made for one of my worst days in recent recollection. A couple of days prior to it, I had experienced excruciating pain in my left heel. I later learned Plantar Fasciitis caused the discomfort. This particular morning in October we were in Arlington, VA. In the early morning before we were to return home I went out for a run. My foot hurt so intensely I did something I had never done in the history of The Streak. After about twenty yards, without even leaving the hotel parking lot, I had to stop. I couldn’t take the pain.

As we traveled to Atlanta I spent the day fretting, not only about preserving The Streak, which was eight (8) years old at the time, but more importantly I feared permanent damage had occurred that would take the joy of running from my life. We returned home where I used a stationary bike for my daily exercise. After a couple of visits to physicians and orthopedic specialists I spent the remainder of the year engaging in only low impact exercise. The lack of running nearly drove me bonkers.

Thank goodness the Plantar Fasciitis did not end my running. As I have noted in an earlier blog posting, the heel stress did return in 2009, and I continue to struggle with it. Here’s the interesting thing. On January 16, 2011, we returned to Arlington, VA. In fact, we stayed in the very same hotel. The morning we planned to travel home I once again went out for a run. As is my custom, I lit out before the light of day. This time I made it out of the parking lot and enjoyed a tremendous four mile run. I meandered through neighborhoods and relished my return to the area, and most of all, the ability to run at all.

Listen to your body. Heal. Run again.

Tom

P90X Confession

Christmas Eve in Miraflores, Peru, seems like as good a time and place to come clean as any. Many people use blogs, Facebook, and other online journals to make virtual confessions. At this moment, I see the allure of the passive element of doing so electronically, and thus avoiding face-to-face embarrassment and shame. I think I'll join the fray.

Ten weeks ago I began, in earnest, the P90X program with Tony Horton. I've worked hard and diligently followed the workout exercise program (not the meal plan). In the seventh week I sustained an injury to my right shoulder. Luckily week eight of the program provides a slight break. It helped. Feeling a slight recovery, I ambitiously increased weights and intensity, which led me back here to injury town.

As I packed for our trip to Peru I decided to break stride with the 90 day program. While away I am giving the shoulder a break by running and using Power 90, a less intense version of the program. My confession is this, I went off script. Oh, the shame!

Exercise with honesty and integrity.

Tom

Legendary Lalanne

On January 23, 2011, the world said goodbye to a great friend, Jack Lalanne. Following his passing, many have credited Lalanne with bringing fitness into our homes, our consciousness and keeping the movement going and growing. I tend to agree. His resolve to remain healthy and in good physical condition throughout his entire adult life motivated and inspired millions, including me.

He virtually invented the concept of working out at home by following a televised trainer or coach. Richard Simmons, Shaun T., Jane Fonda, Tony Horton and the like followed on the path Lalanne blazed and maintained. Many of us have had our lives transformed thanks to advancements and convenience of individual training. For me health is one of the single most important parts of my identity, world view and vision for the future. I’m deeply grateful for the path Jack Lalanne carved in the world and proudly continue in his tradition of regular exercise and promoting fitness and total mind and body wellness.

Thank you, Jack.

Tom

Sacred Beauty

Columbus, Georgia, and Lima, Peru, have little in common outside of chain businesses like McDonald's and Dunkin Donuts. While enjoying particularly nice runs in each city I spent a great deal of time consciously noting the weather, sights, sounds and anything else that would read well in a blog post. Doing so made me extra cognizant of the surroundings. As a consequence, I found myself enjoying the physical activity and the new experiences immensely.

As it turns out, I'm writing this blog in bits and pieces. Along with the tour bus driver, I'm the only one who remains awake as we wind through the glorious mountains of Peru. I'm trying to fully appreciate the glorious and striking setting, which is oh, so different than any place in Atlanta. The people, homes, buildings, animals and stunning panoramic views hold a richness I deeply appreciate. I must be a hoot to watch as I write a sentence or two and then look out the window like a child seeing curious things for the first time.

I find myself using this phrase all the time, “The world is an incredibly beautiful place.” I hope never to take for granted the opportunity to be in awe of beauty, be it experienced from a tour bus, on a daily run, in a small town or an ancient sacred city.

Tom