Being Grateful

As I enter a new calendar year and press toward the 17^th year of The Streak I realize how this part of my life is more than a great gift of health. Daily exercise allows time to reflect, explore and has opened doors in surprising ways. I know all too well that not everyone can engage in physical exercise, and the vast majority of able bodied people can’t manage to carve out the time every single day.

For me, this nearly 20 year old physical journey has become deeply spiritual and philosophical. I completely enjoy the holistic benefits of The Streak. Running, exercising, and living a healthy lifestyle are key components to my identity and happiness. I am thankful for the wherewithal, resources and the support of others to keep The Streak alive.

Identify whatever brings you joy. Run it down and stay with it!

Tom

American River, Again

When traveling I do all I can to run a different route when returning to a city. For some time I know I’d be back to the Sacramento suburb, Fair Oaks. From the initiation of the travel plan I looked forward to running beside the American River, once again. I did, however, plan to run in the opposite direction of my previous visit. It was good plan, even if it fell short a bit.

 

Right at daybreak I hurried along the city streets to the river. Upon arrival I turned right as opposed to my left turn in January of this year. Quickly a problem presented itself as the trail disappeared into steep cliff. I didn’t and to trade in the run for hill scaling. So, I kicked a little dirt and spun around to repeat the portion of the riverside trail I jogged 10 months earlier.

 

Like before the weather was chilly, mist rose off the water and I was swallowed by immense natural beauty. Here is what was different. The salmon were spawning. That was fun. The upstream swimmers brought masses of waterfowl to the river in hopes of a meal. The sun was rising just as before, however, since my prior run in this sublime landscape I’d learned about American Transcendentalists such as Emerson, Alcott and Thoreau. The smells, sights, sounds and wonder struck me in a new and invigorating way.  This moment was part of living life, enjoying life, being alive.

 

Much good came of the road previously traveled.

 

Experience the world in new ways. Run.

 

Tom

out of pocket

Greetings!  Thanks for the notes. I know I have been remiss in posting. Things are grand and the Streak is still in place. I have been working on a big project, giving it a lot of attention. On the exercise front I am a week away from completing the Shaun T. Focus T25 program.  It’s a core monster.

Have a great week.

Keep writing and keep exercising. 

Tom

Get Focused

Like so many other Fridays, Shannan and I had this one planned from dawn to late night. Our agenda for the day included work, meetings, and travel. Scurrying around in the early hours of the morning I used my limited time poorly. We had to leave before I had exercised. I packed my gym bag with a couple of extras, a laptop and a CD of Shaun T.’s Focus T 25. I’d started the program just over two weeks ago, and I really wanted to stay on track.

After dropping Shannan at work and crawling through Atlanta’s heavy morning traffic, I pulled of the Interstate at the neighborhood of my youth. A park where I spent lots of time as a kid served as my outdoor gym. I placed the laptop on a picnic table and completed the cardio workout in a cool fifty degrees. It was nice to be back on my old stomping grounds, even with this terribly new activity.

Find a way to fit it in. Exercise.

Tom

Blue Ridge, Blues & BBQ

Shannan and I went out early in the season to pick apples. This year we visited Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge. We decided to make the most of the road trip to North Georgia by staying the night Saturday and getting out to the orchard first thing Sunday morning. We didn't have a dinner plan for Saturday; however we did have a list of many restaurants in town. Good fortune befell us. Upon arrival we learned the Blues and Barbecue Festival was taking place downtown. Our choice was made.

We thoroughly enjoyed the festival including a turn through a local art gallery and listening to great music. Our biggest dilemma came in deciding on which BBQ station to patronize. In the end, we divided and conquered. We each went to a different place. Both vendors provided exquisite food. We had pulled pork, sausage and brisket along with traditional sides of mac and cheese, brunswick stew, cornbread and baked beans.

Some years ago we visited a traveling food exhibit sponsored by the Smithsonian in Indian Springs, GA. One of the panels noted that sharing recipes affirms the bonds of friendship and family. A year or so later while touring the Agrirama in Tifton, GA I enjoyed a small section about BBQ in the south. Several quotes suggested that barbeque is one of the unique food items which crosses racial lines, and in fact brings people together.

Roasting meat does not happen in nature. It's a practice that sets humans apart from the animal kingdom, and it's intricately linked to human communities across time and place. I plan to explore this topic more as the first theme in forthcoming podcasts, Bread, Beer and BBQ: The Sustenance of Societies.

Read. Eat. Run.

Tom

The unplanned plan

I couldn’t make up my mind if I wanted to exercise or to go for a run. So, I walked Shannan out to her car and it didn't start. In order for us both to get to work on time, we had to leave right away. So, the decision was made, not to exercise at the moment. Of course we had fully packed day planned, with an evening outing as well. To add to the dilemma, I was teaching on two campuses. I knew immediately I would have to skip lunch and exercise midday.

On the way between the campuses I stopped off in a park to get in a run. As mentioned before, I have a “go bag” always packed in my car. It has everything I need to fit in an exercise session. The park was small. I explored its fields and trails before I ventured out on the street for a bit. The weather was lovely and I took an opportunity to run in a new place. So even as a rushed unplanned experience, it turned out grand. Our busy day and fun evening went smoothly, including purchasing and installing a new battery for Shannan’s car.

Roll with the punches. Run.

Tom

Unring the Bell

“Unring the bell,” Judge Lance Ito admonished the jury in the O.J. Simpson trial. That was the first setting I heard the phrase. I liked it. A couple of years later my Hebrew Bible Professor, John H. Hayes, instructed the class, “I need you to forget what you know.”  Moreover, he instructed us to read the Bible as if it was the first time. Ito's "Uring the bell" admonition came to mind. I tried earnestly to encounter the scriptures as new throughout out the yearlong course. The more I was able to leave my prior experience at the door, the more useful it was to pick it back up after class. Make no mistake, this was a struggle every single class session. I give the same admonition to students in my Hebrew Bible and New Testament courses.

 

Yesterday, I went out for a run on the route I use most often as it’s close to my home. The sun had not made its daily appearance. I was reminded that this is the time I often run when traveling. When out of town I am very mindful of weather, and surrounding as I run. I try to commit as much as possible to memory out on the road so I can add it to my travel journal and as well as posts on this site. I decided to try to unring the bell. I wanted to look at my own neighborhood and try to see it for the first time, as if I were a traveler new to the area.

 

Wow, was it difficult. All I could think about was the process. The shops, scenery, rolling hills, and even smells were all too familiar. I failed to forget what I knew. Afterwards I decided I should have crossed the street. That might have helped. Nonetheless, this experience will help me as I work with students in future class when I call on them to unring the bell on very familiar territory.

 

Run as if it's the first time.

 

Tom