Make Time for Change

Greetings! When I was a youngster I had such ridged rules about running. Once I started my stopwatch I wouldn’t stop moving until the run was finished. In heavy traffic, I’d pace back in forth until an opening came or the light changed. If I encountered a friend or someone with a question on the path, I’d run in place while talking. I still do the exact same thing for both of those. 

One thing has changed. In the past, if I saw coins on the ground, I’d leave them be. I know that is very difficult for some of you to believe, but it’s true. Many times I’d go back later to retrieve the money (if it was still there). These days, I’ll interrupt my stride and stop to pick up a single penny. Of course, running in a formal race is an exception.

Sunday morning I took a short run on the main road close to my house.  In the outing I found a twenty dollar bill and eleven cents in change. What a banner day!

Run. Stop for Money. Start Running Again.

Tom

Keeping Pace with Change

Some 26 years ago I started running as a means of exercise. I fell off a bit while in graduate school. I got back on track and now The Streak is in its 18th year. That’s been a long time of consecutive days of exercise. Sure, a number of times I didn’t feel like running. As I have noted many times on this site, I am not a fan of running in the rain or the cold, and particularly the combination of the two. Nonetheless, I can’t recall a single occasion when I didn’t enjoy the run once I started. For me, that is what it’s all about, moving, thinking, seeing the places around me (even those time when I run on a treadmill), and then the euphoria to follow.

So the thing is, I just like running. I call myself a “purest” as I really have no interests whatsoever in running apparel (my Scottish friend, Kirsty, calls running costumes) or exercise gear. Where we used to live a neighbor regularly ridiculed me for running in dark socks. I’d hit the road as soon as I arrived home from work, and didn’t care to switch to white socks. Some say fads and trends change gradually. As I look back at the over the last 25 years a great number of things have changed in the running world.

As to socks, dark socks are acceptable to wear with shorts these days. I wonder if my neighbor would cling to her socially constructed reality and continue to mock me nonetheless. Along with dark socks bright colors have a place in the running costume. The stripped sock has made a comeback in some circles. Then there is the issue of length, ankle socks, crew socks pushed down or pulled all the way up over the calf. Calf warmers fit in here somewhere.

Shorts used to be fairly short. Now those are expensive specialty items, as the mainstream shorts tend to reach the knee, if not beyond. Women now have the option of the running skort (skirt/shots hybrid). The bright color thing includes shorts, shirts and shoes.  Marketers tout the colors as a benefit for running outside of daylight hours. Without question, safety is paramount. I have two reflective vests that have served nearly two decades and I anticipate many more years. 

Clearly in the last quarter decade running grew in popularity. Shoe types run a wide gamut where fashion seems nearly as important as function. The barefoot movement may have peaked (I subscribe to this one). Even with a saturated industry, Nike maintains a foothold on the industry.

Nearly all runners will agree a simple stop watch is essential. Perhaps one with a greater number of splits serves best if you are training. Active wear is our new term, not for clothes, but for wearable tech trinkets. This includes, music players, heart rate monitors, GPS access wristbands, Fitbits and smart watches. 

The constant in running is people do it. For a bevy of reasons, we run. It can be done with little more than shorts and shoes (both are optional, I guess).

Roll with the changes. Run.

Tom

Just Another Superb Saturday

A couple of weekends ago I greeted Saturday morning very early, as is my norm. It was one of those days where everything clicked, household tasks, reading, writing, checking in with the online classes I'm teaching this term.  All systems were smooth. I felt great about the day ahead.

Around 6:45 AM Shannan and I went out to exercise on a 5K trail in our neighborhood that winds along a substantial creek. Lots of others were out enjoying the lovely morning and the near perfect weather. At the trail-head a small Farmer's Market provided the fresh veggies for the family gathering we had planned for the next day.

After a bit of shopping, we hurried home to clean up and get ready for the next part of the day. Our friend Joel arrived mid-morning. We set off to lunch and meander around Little Five Points. We dined at The Porter Beer Bar. The food was excellent. Meandering did not disappoint as Little Five Points continues to maintain its reputation as Atlanta’s premiere gathering spot for non-conformists.

Our afternoon was capped off with a fantastic rendition of Vonya and Sonya and Masha and Spike performed at the Horizon Theater Company.

Make Great Days. Start with a RUN!

Tom

Finishing Ideas

A few of weeks ago I finally got around to clearing an item out of my running blog folder.  There was a file with a solitary sentence, a runner sees the world on fire.  I wrote the idea over two years ago and just recently took the time to finish out the thought. It's the June 3 post about the sunrise creating a vision like the world is on fire. Since I had that idea a terrific amount has changed on my side of the sun.

Of course, not much has changed in the way the sun works for us in our normative day to day lives.

For me, that's the beauty of smaller stories and the larger story.  The horizon is always busting with energy and intrigue.

Follow up on ideas. Run.

Tom

Park to Park

Shannan and I went to exercise in one of the Roswell Parks Saturday. The weather was fabulous. I decided to run from the park where we started to the neighboring Hembree Park. Since 2001 I've run at least once a year on the trail at Hembree. Everything was going perfectly. I recalled many found memories of running and training on the roads between the parks.  Along the way I slowed to read a subdivision banner congratulating high school graduates. I knew all of them from teaching in the area. It was nice to imagine the great and marvelous places those young folks would go in the future. 

When I arrived at Hembree Park I thought back on all the people I ran with there over the years, including running clubs for students. To my delight I ran into my friend, Lee.  He is probably the person I ran with the most in this very park. Lee was out walking his dog.  We enjoyed a brief chat before I ran back to the other park.  Nearly every reason I run came into play in this one five miler.  

Enjoy the routes. Run.

Tom

Setting the World on Fire

Greetings! My preference for early morning exercise has allowed for the viewing of many fantastic sunrises. I find that to be one of the fantastically beautiful things in nature. Over the course of our travels, I have for sunrises to be a very different site to behold in some parts of the world due to geography (the Arctic for example), nonetheless this ordinary daily event can be most extraordinary.  I recall admiring fabulous colors melding in a first morning sky once while running. Its vividness painted a picture of the horizon engulfed in flames.  Of course, I am prone to wonder. I mused if some person of antiquity saw a similar sight and deduced the world was on fire. It's a chilling thought to consider.

In any case, the world is full of wonder and majesty. I contend those assist in making life a joyful endeavor.  

Appreciate. Imagine. Run. 

Tom

Superb Spring

Greetings!  The spring has been grand so far. Shannan has truly taken exercise and integrated it into her lifestyle. I’ve been adding a number of new routines as well as running some beloved routes. Best of all our garden is coming in nicely.

In the garden we have done much of the same as exercise. I’m growing several new items, mustard greens, grapes and tomatillos. Shannan had a hand in making sure some tried and true favorites got planted, such as tomatoes and okra. 

This is the second time I have attempted to propagated a vegetable in a nontraditional, no soil urban garden. I used a plastic tray (designed for washing machine). I lined it with an old piece of carpet and filled it in with compost. We planted flat leaf parsley. To my delight, the parsley is growing fantastically well, better than other herbs planted at the same time in regular pots with standard soil.

Spring has been a real winner. Summer is close at hand and we are looking forward to great health and good eating.

Grow. Run. Live.


Tom