Sanctuary Sharing

Greetings! Below is a status update my friend, Susan, placed on her Facebook account. She’s a physical education teacher, a long time runner, a tri-athlete and is in training to run an Iron Man race.

If you have a sanctuary, feel free share by commenting on this blog.

My sanctuary: running in the park alongside the river - beautiful day just as the sun begins to set and the sky turns into a masterpiece of colors - listening to Andy Stanley, Louie Giglio, and Chris Tomlin on my podcast - seeing old and new faces sharing the same moment - and walking away feeling refreshed and renewed. It’s as simple as that. Do you have a sanctuary?

Susan M.

The South Will Rise Again

Recession and revitalization compete vigorously, and at present the economic battle is too close to call in Opelika, Alabama. Just off the Interstate, shoppers have access to a massive retail hub which includes all the major chains. Yet, within that very hub and all about town abandoned stores and shops symbolize the brutality of the marketplace of late.

Not to be counted out, Bose wave ground speakers broadcast upbeat tunes in the resurrected multi-use historic downtown district. I must say it’s a touch with great sophisticated appeal. Across the city limits past and present architecture melds from Emmanuel Episcopal Church, the oldest public building in the city, to Red Door June, a nouveau coffee and floral shop. I explored these places and more in my hour plus run through the city.

Along the way I encountered all the usual suspects, cats, dogs, peppy little squirrels, a brilliant sunrise and friendly folks. The American South still has hospitality and miles and miles of charm.

Happy Trails.

Tom

Desert Calling

Deserts leave few indifferent. Climate, landscapes, and unusual fauna and flora send some reeling homeward while at the same time beckoning to others. I’m quite fond of the desert. If I were prone to reincarnation, I’d believe I had lived a previous life in one of the world’s vast collections of baked sand. Barring the tundra, must deserts share characteristics of majestically painted mountains, ragweed, the ubiquitous cacti, scorpions, coyotes, blistering hot days and windy, cool evenings. Let us not forget the American Bedouin living in aqueducts, canyons and RVs.

Tucson, Arizona, holds true to the above desert description in many ways. This great American city whispers the secrets of indigenous people, pioneers, gun slingers, and the legend of Kokopelli. All of these haunt the southwestern corridor. What separates the region from others is not the desert alone, but this desert’s ability to not dominate, but to hand the brush to its people and let them color its history, existence and future. The area’s desert claims interesting people from the past like renowned photographer Camillus Fly, and residents in the present such as eclectic bookseller Winn Bundy and our family members, Leslie and Tyler. Born or brought to the deserts of southern Arizona, these people add their story to the never ending novel, a book of relationships with one another, nature and a quest to commune with intangible things greater than life itself.

Magnificent Mazatlan!

Shannan and I planned a relaxing day on a ranch in Mazatlan. Unfortunately, most of our fellow longed to shop or soak up the sun so our excursion didn’t meet the required critical mass. Refusing to be denied, we first meandered around the port's straw market and made small contributions to the local economy. From there, we exited the barbed wire and broken glass protected enclosure and embarked on a journey through town.

It took nearly ten minutes to escape the range of beckoning taxi drivers. From there we listened to the authentic sounds of Mexico as families and shopkeepers went about the business of living. Many swept or hosed the endless parade of dust from their doorsteps. Street vendors cooked unknown animal parts, people enjoyed midmorning meals at outdoor cafes and music blared to entice customers. We took it all in as we navigated high sidewalks alongside the brightly colored buildings.

Children played in the street--perhaps a rarely traveled one, as a little girl laid down for a rest right in the middle of the road! Not daunted by the morning sun, we ascended a long, but gradual hill and wound our way into the old downtown. We could have walked for hours, but the sun was powerful and Shannan reached her quota eventually.

After our stroll, Shannan returned to the port zone, reminiscent of a military check post, and I enjoyed a short run. During my run on this day, a funeral came to an end and I struggled for an alternate route so as not to interrupt the mourners pouring out of a church. The detour took me into a neighborhood where I snapped a photo of a life size nativity scene.

Relaxing days of reading and chatting come and go, but an opportunity to get a closer glimpse of a different culture and close the gap on the world--well, those are rare. Thank goodness for chances to step outside the daily routine we live and to step outside of ourselves a bit as well.

Accept change. Appreciate diversity.

Tom

Run of Ship

Running on a cruise ship while at sea has its challenges. First among them, in my opinion, is rude walkers. I’m a fan of anyone who engages in any form of exercise, but all of us must be mindful of others. There is, in fact, a form of etiquette in the exercise world. I’m sure we’ll cover a numerous items as they relates to specific topics. Today, here are a few important ones for use in common courtesy and for safety.
1. Announce when passing: “Passing on the left.”
2. Don’t run, bike or inline skate on trails marked “Walkers Only.”
3. Wipe down exercise equipment immediately after use.

Most cruise ships have a walking track on a midlevel deck and a jogging track on one of the top levels of the boat. Generally, jogging is prohibited on the midlevel track. Walkers and joggers share the upper track. I have been on more than one boat that separates the two on the starboard and port side. In these cases the track is marked with words and arrows for walkers to take the wider inside track and the joggers are to continue on a narrow outer path next to the rail. Heaven only knows why countless walkers refuse to follow the rules, even after several sweaty runners remind them and often even unavoidably bump into them as they pass.

I try to accept that I can’t change people. With that in mind here’s another force beyond my means of control--the ocean winds. It’s like running while chained to a 300 year old mighty Sequoyah when going against the wind and I feel like I’ve pressed a bionic boost button with the wind behind me.

Another hardship comes on the treadmill. You’d think in the wake of H1N1, and especially on a cruise ship, people would have a heightened awareness of bodily fluids and cleanliness. No. Not the case. Cleaning a machine before use is easy enough. Then comes the fun part. On sea days the ship tends to pitch and roll a bit. The average cruiser never notices, but it’s quite unsettling and mildly dangerous on a treadmill.

By now you must think I hate running on cruise ships. To the contrary, I have done it many times. I find that during both day and night the sky proves indescribably beautiful. The sunsets and sunrises inspire me while the fresh sea air fills my lungs and it’s like breathing for the first time. Whales, dolphins and an assortment of birds excite the
imagination. Best of all, running on a cruise ship burns scads of calories, allowing me to enjoy the endless parade of food. That, my friends, out weighs  all the aforementioned negative aspects of running while on a cruise.

Until next time--Exercise Safely.

Tom

People Who Sweat. We're not alone

I sweat. For me a day doesn’t count as a day unless I sweat. At least this has been the case since 1997. The book, People Who Sweat, offers an interesting glimpse into the lives of folks who engage in out-of-the-ordinary pursuits that might cause one to perspire.

After over a decade of obsessive exercise I find myself looking for a couple of things. First, I long for a new athletic event to break the monotony of miles and miles of running and hours in the gym. Second, I occasionally seek affirmation that I’m not alone in bizarre personal quests. People Who Sweat delivers on both counts. It also makes for an entertaining and inspirational read.

Robin Chotzinoff, an offbeat and nontraditional athlete herself, spends time with a handful of driven, ordinary sweaty people and tags along to experience for herself the extraordinary sweaty things they do to make life worth living. From spelunking to mall walking this little gem of a book has something for everyone. Its size and content make it ideal to read while on a stationary bike or an elliptical. If your sweaty activity doesn’t allow for reading while exercising, once you dry off your hands pick up this book.

Be the best you've ever been in 2010

Greetings and Happy New Year! For many, January marks the time to set goals and the ubiquitous resolutions. Statistics suggest that most people abandon earnestly set resolutions before the month’s end. That’s why I set short term and long term goals rather than making firm resolutions. This allows me not to feel like a failure and have a mental excuse to ditch a goal when life gets in the way and I fall off track. My little semantic and psychological game allows me to plug along over a period of time toward achieving the goal.

Twelve years ago, after I made it through a full year of exercising every day, I went crazy and set a whole list of resolutions I felt like I needed to do everyday. The first year I tried that it was a dismal fiasco. Time taught me to be realistic. I have narrowed the list to seven (7) things I commit to doing everyday. The list includes exercise, of course, and a handful of odd ball items such as writing, reading the Bible and doing push ups.

I overdo, but I must admit the results of working on and actualizing goals I've set provides a wealth of benefits. This year my goals include a lot of the same and a few new ones. The top item on the list is to participate in a new athletic event. Lord knows what it will be or where it will take place, but I know it will come.

Even if you haven’t done so before, I encourage you to write goals. It helps to post them in a place where you will see them. Make a note in your calendar to review your status every month. This really makes a difference. Obstacles will come. Don’t let them hinder you from working toward your goals and enjoying what they bring to your life. I wish you the best year ever in 2010.

Resolve, run and reap the benefits.

Tom