A Blissful 2014

Greetings!  I hope your 2014 was a good one. Ours, like most came with its fair share of disappointments. We missed out on a few opportunities, and lost dear friends. Each of those occasion pressed Shannan and I to reflect on life and appreciate health, happiness in all the things that bring joy.  

Traveling is one of those joyful things for us. This year we did fair share of seeing new places and returning to favorites. I count myself fortunate to have enjoyed phenomenal opportunities to go running in Saint Andrews, Scotland, Mexico City, Mexico and Reykjavik, Iceland among some of the new spots. Each location proved beautiful and terribly interesting.

For me the highlight of running for this year came in our early summer trip to the southwest. Don't hear this as an ethnocentric American rant. No, it's far from it. I posted on this site about the triple digit heat while in Texas and New Mexico. Many times I've written about how the desert is my muse. She works a haunting magic on me. The Rio Grande, even as she was low, compelled me to wonder about her power, and history. Running in this landscape proved personally, emotionally and spiritually invigorating.

We still have travel planned before the year is over. Given the climate and setting of our remaining destinations, I have no qualms in making an early statement of the best running location of the year, for me anyway.

Find your bliss. Travel. Run!

Tom

Thank You

Greetings!  In the late 90s I took a graduate administration class with retired United Methodist Bishop, Bevel Jones. Across the term Bevel stressed the importance of gratitude. He insisted on using words of appreciation no matter what. However, he was even more adamant that some occasions demanded a written note. This was long before the age of texting. I took heed of his words back then and have made a practice of showing appreciation any and everywhere applicable. Those who know me can vouch that I say "thank you" a great deal every day. I do all I can to make each utterance meaningful to the person who I offer my appreciation.

In every class I have ever taught from public school to the university I push forward Bevel's admonition to show appreciation regularly and meaningfully. There are many folks you suggest that "thank you" are the most powerful words in the human language. In 2012, I read Rhonda Byrnes' book, The Magic. It was a follow up to her phenomenally successful book, The Secret. The newer book is a practical guide for fully incorporating gratitude into your daily life. Following the reading I use gratitude learned from Bevel Jones to daily lists, prayers and other regular activities. All that said, I am so grateful for this week where with family and friends we are all keenly aware and grateful for the joys of life. I am thankful for much.

Give thanks. Run.

Tom

Pro Wrestling Workout?

Spring 2010 marked my entry point into the world of home fitness on DVD. Shaun T.  was my first personal trainer. At present, I have a number of his workout programs. I also have several others from Shaun T.’s parent company, Beachbody, as well as some lesser known home exercise programs. For me, these in-home workouts add variety to my running schedule as well as fantastic options for rain and inclement weather.

In my professional life, I’ve conducted research related to pop culture and professional wrestling for number of years. This is of note, as recently Stephanie McMahon and HHH, of WWE fame or perhaps infamy, entered the increasingly popular realm of home fitness with the WWE Fit Series. The first rollout has a workout for men with HHH and another designed for women from Stephanie.  I’ve seen the 1-minute trailer clips.  The DVD exercise programs cost $9.99 each.  I find that to be surprisingly affordable. So I ordered HHH’s program. I expect it to arrive this week.

Shannan mocked me when I told her I made the purchase for research and for fitness. We’ll see how it goes.  I’ll review the workouts once I give each routine a test drive.

Work and Run.

Tom

Food Festival and More

Greetings! Shanan and I had a tremendous visit at Epcot's International Food Festival. This is the second time we’ve attended the annual event. We go for the get-away weekend, the incredible food, the nice FL weather and on both occasions Sister Hazel performed as part of the festivities. The band played three sets and covered a wide variety of songs from their canon. Those guys always make it feel like a family show, but the intimate amphitheater at Epcot creates a wonderful concert experience. 

On the way down we spent Friday night in Valdosta, GA.  We had a grand stay and I loved my pre-dawn run in a part of the city I had not explored previously. Sunday, before we returned home I had yet another lovely jog in Orlando, the city of happiness.  

Get Away. Eat. Enjoy Music. Run.

Tom

Return to Rome for Rocky

Back in August we had a Rome reunion. I posted a blog about the grand day we spent in Rome, GA August 12. In that post I mentioned the Desoto, Rome's Little Theater. The playhouse had a run of the Rocky Horror Show this fall. Joel, Shannan I purchased ticket for the final performance. The evening was especially interesting as it was the Saturday night of the Halloween weekend. That turned out to be a fabulous choice.

All of Rocky's quirky ability to empower the marginalized and outcasts came together to create a rather special occasion. Audience members dressed as characters from the show and just as characters in general. The cast delivered a tremendous performance of songs, choreography and pretty good acting as well. Richard O'Brien would be pleased, for sure.

Before the opening curtain our trio enjoyed dinner at Harvest Moon on Main Street. Let me tell you, this is not the Rome of my youth. Harvest Moon provided haute cuisine with starters such as black eyed pea hummus and entrée items that included tempeh. We followed our posh meal with a live, no holds barred, rendition of Rocky Horror. Rome has captured much of the city appeal while keeping the majority of big city problems at bay. 

Make a Trip to Roam Around in Rome.

Tom

Fair Weather Fans

Greetings!  Many people appreciate the cooler weather which accompanies autumn. This time of year tends to be very popular for getting out to enjoy the change of leaves. Most notably, fall brings a variety of festivals, parties and lot of folks gain weight from now through the end of December. If you must be a statistic, then be an outlier that ends the trend. Take advantage of the mild temperatures and beautiful surroundings to get outside for a run, walk or hike. Then keep it up all the way into the New Year. By then, it will be a habit, a good one.

Run through the seasons.

Tom

Left-Over Vegetarian

Greetings! I take food seriously. I enjoy gardening, cooking and, like many of you, I’m a big fan of eating. For me food represents many things, and thus I really despise wasting food. As a child and as an adult, very little edible food was thrown out as waste. I admit, my mother went farther than me. She would cut mold off cheese and drink sour milk and more. In those days we did not compost, and certainly didn’t have a worm farm. At present, I have a three tiered worm apartment complex and two compost bins. So, even the food we do not consume is returned to the cycle of gardening and so forth.

Leftovers are of great interest to me. Most times when we dine out I have food left on my plate. Regardless of company or class of restaurant I pack up the remainder to bring home for a future meal.  Another area of leftovers is the remnants after a recipe has been used for meal and enjoyed.  For many a handful of pasta, one head of broccoli, or an ounce of tomato sauce will go unused in the pantry or fridge until finally placed in the garbage or disposal. I find this equally offensive as not keeping and or eating leftovers.

Shannan is so kind, as she has more meals than not which are my creations of leftover prepared and unprepared food items. Since we have moved to a plant focused diet (not true vegans- we eat cage free eggs and dairy from non-steroid injected grass fed cows* don't you just love the guilty conscious, yet pretentious disclaimer). 

 I'll post some meals we make from leftovers. These will NOT be step by step recipes. The as the core items are leftovers. For example, last night I used a handful of cauliflower and roasted it with okra and goat cheese. That was the side dish to what I call Fridge Lasagna. We've had some lasagna noodles for much too long. They were in the pantry mocking me. So I used a 1/4 bag of spinach, a few aging strawberries, a wedge of onion along with two green peepers, two tomatoes and a fair amount of basil from the garden.  I sautéed the peepers and onions while blending the tomatoes, strawberries, basil, garlic and some spices. Then in standard lasagna form   I layered up a leftover vegetarian feast. 

Use Food wisely and Run!

Tom

Best Laid Plans

I wrote a piece for this blog site the day Shannan and I traveled to Scotland. As noted in the post, we had a lay-over in London’s Heathrow International Airport. My plan was to take a 40 minute run from the airport. I went ahead and posted that piece last week. Here's the rest of the story. We moved through customs and to our terminal to continue on to Edinburgh. To my surprise and dismay, this was not the same terminal as we’ve had previously. This, along with a handful of other issues hindered my planned run out of the airport.   

I figured “no problem,” I'll go for a run when we arrive in Edinburgh. Again, we encountered a few obstacles. Though I was none too pleased about it, we forged on to Saint Andrews. By the time we arrived in our very quaint lodge, Shannan and I had been traveling for more than fifteen (15) hours. This included a car ride to the airport, two planes, two busses, and a taxi. As soon as we dropped our bags in our room at Rufflet's I took off for the road.

What a delight. I ran through St. Andrew’s University sporting fields, and along a nice thoroughfare into the city center. Truthfully, I was never worried about The Streak, but I was thrilled to get my daily exercise completed. The weather was chilly, windy and drizzling, a good Scottish day. The whole thing was very enjoyable and well worth the wait. 

Plan. Run.

Tom

Airport Running

Greetings! It's a travel day. I always love a travel day. What makes it even better is today is an international trip. Like many other times, due to travel schedule and itinerary preserving The Streak takes some preparation. My current plan will mark my third time to go for a run from the Heathrow International Airport in London. There is a lovely canal that I have enjoyed jogging along previously. This time I intend to explore a new area by the waterway. As always, the real issue is getting out of the airport parking lot. It is treacherous. There are no sidewalks and cars are barreling along the road. To make it more interesting, I have the fun of remaining mindful that vehicles are moving in the opposite direction than I am accustom. This is very important when crossing lanes. 

The really fun part is to return to the airport sweating as I pass through security. That's a joy. Stop and think about it for a minute. It really is very suspicious activity. Don't hear me as complaining. Outings like this one break the normalcy of exercising every single day.

Whenever you can, wherever you can, RUN!

Tom

A Second Streaker

Greetings!  Okay, it's not a genuine Streak, but Shannan has exercised four to seven days per week for nearly two months. She found that 5:00am works for her on weekdays and 7:00am on the weekend. She likes to get up and get exercising immediately after waking. The process is panning out well for her. Shannan has stuck to it. She feels good, and here it comes. The goal of most people who exercise, she is seeing changes in her body. She’s dropped a number of pounds. Her friends and family are making positive comments.  

One thing that all the fitness gurus agree on is that it is crucial to find a time to exercise and stick to it. That advice is working for Shannan. I had a similar practice MANY moons ago when I first began this marvelous 17 year journey of The Streak.  I'm a little more flexible now as exercise is a part of my lifestyle. Make no mistake, I am the first to say that is a rough transition to incorporate daily exercise into your routine. Fear not, it can be done.  

Find a good time and Exercise.

Tom

Changing Fuel

Greetings!  Recently Shannan and I made some changes in philosophy and in practice to how we approach food. Over the years we’ve had discussions about how, what and where we eat and have made gradual changes. However in the last couple of months we made significant changes rather rapidly. Earlier this year I began reading and preparing to teach a sociology course on food. Here I learned a fair amount about livestock treatment, slaughtering techniques, farming methods and genetically modified organisms. Much of the information was distasteful to me. It was like thinking about an open secret. I knew much of this, but didn’t want to give any of it serious consideration. Shannan and I discussed these topics as I developed the course.

This summer, I gave the class a test drive since this term is shorter and tends to have fewer students. In class presentations and assignments, I learned a great deal more about particular diets, food products and cultural practices from the students. One young lady, who openly discussed her struggle to become a full-time vegan, suggested two documentaries, Forks Over Knives and Food Inc. Some students had already seen one or both, so I decided to view them as well. I watched and Forks Over Knives while Shannan was out of town. I was greatly bothered by animal cruelty in the commercial food business presented in the film. I decided to change my buying habits to support free range animals and the like.

Given some of the footage, I suggested that Shannan may find some of the scenes unsettling. She elected not to watch the film, but she did watch Food Inc. In this movie veganism is promoted for health and the treatment of animals.  Shannan decided to remove pork, beef and chicken from our diet. I happily agreed.  

Six weeks later we are maintaining a fully vegetarian diet, including many vegan meals. We’re still working on plans related to the consumption of fish. Since the transition we’ve both lost weight and we feel fantastic in body and in principal. Mostly, we have had a terrific time exploring new recipes and new food products.   

Eat well. Live well. Run.

Tom

Rome River Run, Revisited

Oh what a wonderful return to Rome, Georgia. It's been awhile since Shannan and I met Joel in Rome for exercise and an outing. We gathered in Ridge Ferry Park, which hosts a Farmer's Market Saturday mornings. Before we burned a few calories we shopped for fresh produce. It was small group of vendors, but we found a number of locally grown items to purchase. Then we set out on the River Path. I ran while Joel and Shannan had a brisk walk. 

I slowed down midway when running across an old rail road bridge. I noticed the South’s version of the love lock bridge. There were hundreds pad locks intertwined on the mesh of the bridge symbolizing the strong and enduring love of couples. I pondered over the joy of engaging in such a thing and hoped all of the lovers remained together. 

This was one of the many treats. I smiled at a fun pro-library mural on the support wall of an overpass. For August it was a particularly cool morning, made even more surprising by remarkably low humidity. The path snakes along the confluence of the Etowah and Oostanaula Rivers. At one point I slipped of the paved trail and jogged around downtown. Plenty of folks were out exercising, walking dogs and going about their daily routines. 

Afterwards we enjoyed a fantastic breakfast at Honey Moon Bakery. Next we took a stroll down Main Street to the Myrtle Hill Cemetery, which we hiked up for a grand view of the area. The historic burial ground is on one of the seven hills in Rome, like its Italian namesake. From here the Clock Tower loomed large, as it stands on another of Rome’s hills. We trekked over to the historic courthouse and took photos of

the Romulus and Remus sculpture donated to Georgia’s small town from Benito Mussolini. Then we had a small break in a coffee shop directly across the street. On the way back we jotted notes of upcoming shows we plan to attend at the Desoto Theater.  The Chieftain's Museum provided the next activity. It’s small, but was a good stop and had a very knowledgeable docent on hand. On the way out of town we made sure to drive past the Roman Arches.

Food. Friends. History. Architecture, Sculpture. History. Run.

Tom

Day trip to Sapelo Island

Sapelo, one of Georgia's Barrier Islands, has long been on our weekend getaway list. Shannan and I have interest in the culture, history and eco-system of the small Island. Unlike many of our peers, our desire to visit Sapelo is purely academic.  In fact, the Bilali Document that is in the Hearsay Exhibit I co-curated originated in Sapelo. It is arguably the oldest Arabic script in North America.

Shannan and I stayed in nearby Savannah rather than on the Island as we are not beach people. Oddly, while on Sapelo we took a half day tour. As is the case with so many of these outings, the last portion allowed for free time on the beach. We used this time to walk and discuss what we had learned and experienced and I took a short run.  It was nice to cruise along the beach on a warm summer day.

Whatever your interest may be, take a trip to Sapelo Island. It's a true gem along Georgia's coast.

Experience. Learn. Run.

Tom

Hearsay Running

Greetings! Like many other runners I do my best planning and long term thinking while on the road. Since the winter of 2012 I have been involved with the After Malcolm Project. Being a part of this research collective has afforded opportunities to travel, to visit museums, interview people, collect artifacts and more. Our team includes student and teachers from several educational institutions. Together we have built a respectable archive of photographs, documents, oral histories, a 25 minute documentary and scholarly publications. Last fall we held a conference which led to an invitation to participate in the Zuckerman Museum's Hearsay Exhibit. 

This community of scholars truly produced a great deal from our collaboration. I strode miles and miles thinking and planning related to all of the above and reveling in our progress. The museum exhibit opened last Saturday.  I had a nice long run that morning reliving the details of the road we covered. It has been a real treat and I am grateful to be a part of the team.

The entire exhibit is very nice and the museum is FREE! Make sure to visit. http://zuckerman.kennesaw.edu/ 

Love your work. Run.

Tom

Middle of the day run in Middle Tennessee

An easy jog of one mile led to the Harpeth River/Hidden Lake State Park in Middle Tennessee. Several families enjoyed the lovely trails, the lake and river's edge this Fourth of July weekend. I, too, had a great time as ran about 5 miles in and around the park in the midday sun. Then, I added another mile to head back. The park and summer run provided a bright spot on a day that was already amazing. The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent with family, food and good times.

Enjoy life. Run.

Tom

Run with the Changes

The other day I ran in a park where I have jogged for the last 14 years. As you might imagine, much has happened over that time. Mostly there have been many fantastic experiences for which I am extraordinarily thankful. I went to that this particularly park quite purposefully, a major change has happened in that community, which will limit my interest in returning to the area. The park and its wooded 1.1 mile loop has a nice mix of hills and the surroundings are gorgeous. I’ve referred to it in several previous posts as the place holds many fond memories. I’ve walked there with Shannan, taught classes in the outdoor classroom, and run laps with dozens of friends. Flashes of all sorts of weather and life occasions zipped through my mind as I trotted around the mostly dirt path.  It's a good place, one for me, that marks many good times.

Running is a real celebration of life. 

Tom

Running in Reykjavik

Three days of running in Reykjavik delighted the senses. A slight kiss of the western horizon amounted to the summer sunset in Iceland. My usual pre-5:00am run offered no chance of appreciating a stunning sunrise as the light never surrendered to darkness. Each day the high temperature lingered around 50 degrees. Day one was windy and damp, each following day was increasingly clearer. 

Thursday and Friday had little to no activity on the streets within the city, no traffic, shop owners or others out for early morning exercise. Saturday proved different. Taxi cabs lined the roads as people streamed out of clubs and bars off to the next destination or finally ready to go home from Friday night's fun. As I ran, many folks made comments and gestures, all in good taste.  It was very interesting.  

Stay up late or get up early and RUN.

Tom

96 Hours of Sun in Iceland

Greetings! In a recent post I delighted in bright sunshine and smoking hot days of the American Southwest. Last week we spent four days in Iceland, and the sun NEVER set. I loved it. It represented no problems with sleep or normal rhythms for Shannan or me. Here's the catch, the sunny day time high temperature reached 54, once.  If only I had heat to go with 24 hours of daylight!

Mild weather had no impact on our trip. We enjoyed every well-lit minute.  

Bask in the sun. Run.

Tom

Midnight in Reykjavik 

Son of the Sun

Here comes the sun. I have delighted in that inevitable part of many runs. I love the heat, and summer has just officially arrived. On a recent trip to Mexico I encountered a kindred spirit, Alvero. He wore a medium jacket in the 65 degree morning. Alvero lamented that it took too long to get warm. He said, “I am a son of the sun." This point of connection opened several other conversations for us about language, culture and history.  All as I found a brother of the warmth. 

Here in Atlanta it's finally breaking 90 degrees. I may be one of the very few who celebrates such a marker.  Earlier in the month we were in the southwest. The “lowest” high daily temperature there was 103.  I relished the dry heat.  Of course I took advantage of the opportunity and ran during a mid-day high temperature of 112 degrees. It was glorious.

This son of the sun joins Alvero and others like us in the welcoming of summer.

Sun up or sun down, Run!

Tom

Turn Left at the End of the Line

Greetings! Our home county is the best of the worst when it comes to running paths. All across the county there are a number or trails, each highly touted, however few are complete. We have everything from a half mile to just shy of two miles. Every trails is said to expand or connect to others. I've been waiting for over five years for some of these extensions to take place. Recently, a new trail came on line, and a local running specialty store even conducted a 5K race to celebrate it.

I had the notion that this course connected some of the existing lines.  Imagine my surprise when the path ended at a hair past a mile and a half. Don't get me wrong, the trail is beautiful and it’s a grand avenue for walkers and people out exercising their dogs. For, me this was simply an irritation. 

I exited at the “temporary” end and ran on a busy 6 lane divided highway. After a bit I turned off to run through a very large subdivision under construction. Next, I meandered through town and made my way back to the beginning of the route. I put up around six miles. Given, all the complaining I did at the end of the trail, and in the words above, I had a fantastic run. I took to streets I have never experienced as a runner in nearly 10 years of living in this area. It was a humid morning in the high 70s and I enjoyed every step of the run.

Trail. Road. Run.

Tom

Welcome Southwest Surprise

We exited at Sunland Park Drive. Immediately I lamented the retail hub being the surroundings for the run I'd take the following morning. Then I gave it little thought as we enjoyed a fabulous evening in El Paso, TX, including dinner at the Hoppy Monk. 5:00 am arrived and I thought only to run opposite of the cluster of staunchly middle class stores. Within a half a mile, to my delight, I crossed the New Mexico state line. Shortly thereafter I ran over the Rio Grande River. Those sorts of things don't happen around most shopping plazas.

When will I ever learn the concrete oasis of shoppers doesn't have to equate to a lackluster environment for running? I rambled around water canals, past horse stables and ran through dry water runoff beds. Sparse grass, cacti, rocks and sand decorated the ground as a rose hue back light the craggy mountains. The desert morning air was crisp and cool. Mud packed ground had split from constant baking in the sun and didn't offer any give under foot.

I scurried up a slight hill, which offered a view across the valley floor. Majestic! Once again, I found myself deeply entranced by the spell of the desert. No matter what continent, the desert touches me deeply. I love the landscape, the critters, the dry heat and the mystique of the dusty land. I long for it.

Run by store. Run in the desert. Just Run!

Tom

Just Jogging

Greetings!  Oh how I love running in on warm days! Yesterday was pure bliss for me. The sun was shinning and I had time for a midday run. I ran in a park that occasionally houses a cross-country race. I have participated in races on the course a number of times. During this run as part of daily exercise, I thought back on previous races. Oddly, I remembered a great deal even though the last time I raced there was some years ago. I recalled the dampness of the fields, other runners and how I felt at specific turns on the course. It was fun to flash back. After about a mile I found myself thinking about other races.

Often in the moment, I find racing a bit brutal, both physically and psychologically. It was much nicer to think about the experience ex post facto. Reflecting on racing while having an afternoon jog didn't have me bound up worried about finishing time or anything else. I just thought about the act of racing. For me race days are filled with patterns and rituals

I wake up very early in the morning with pre-race anxiety. I have water, but no food. I putz around the house to keep my mind busy. I do not like to arrive at the race site too early. Once there I prefer to have only enough time to confirm registration and to get in a one mile warm up jog, this is especially true in the winter.  Next comes the interesting task of finding a comfortable and fitting place at the start line.

Once the race begins I get into my least favorite part, pacing. Far too often I come out of the gate much too fast. Once I finally find a stride that works for the distance and my goal is to hold steady until the final push. This is pretty bad also. I let my ego get in the way and push too soon because someone passes or is drawing near. Once the finish line is in sight I run all out, ignoring my legs and lungs. Then comes the finish. Almost every time I think back over the start and finish errors and ask myself, Could I have run faster?

For this run, those were all memories and not realities of a grand jog in the direct sun of a summer day.

Make memories. Run.

Tom