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

Abishag

Greetings!  In more than one post on this blog site I have referred fondly to rituals.  The Streak, is one of my many daily rituals.  It just happens to be the one that takes place every single day no matter what else is going on or where I am in the world. Today, I exercised very early in the morning as I am want to do, especially when I have a busy day scheduled. The first item was a trip to the vet. Abishag, the cat who has lived with us for 16 years, just one year shy of The Streak, was having some trouble.

I soon learned the trouble was far worse than we imagined. We had to have her put to sleep. This sort of thing is never easy.  Shannan is devastated and I am having a heck of a struggle.  It hit me really hard when I arrived home.  We have all these rituals related to life with the cat. I expect the rituals will be as hard as anything as we move on without this precious little creature in our lives.   

We buried her on our property.  Digging the hole was a great physical release for my wide range of emotions.  I am seriously considering going for a run this evening, rather than sitting around avoiding regular rituals.

Abishag, aka, Abbey, was a pure delight in our lives. We will miss her sorely, but will always remember the beauty and joy she brought to us. For that, I am extraordinarily grateful. Thank you, Abbey.

Rest well, my friend. Rest well.

Tom

More than I expected in Baltimore

I knew we were staying in the downtown area of Baltimore. Other than that I didn't know what to expect from the 30 hours we'd spend in the city. What a delightful time we had! We poked around on the Johns Hopkins campus before a visit to the world-class Baltimore Museum of Art. We enjoyed a delicious brunch at Miss Sadie's Cafe, milled around the Inner Harbor, toured the Museum of Industry and had a particularly moving experience at Fort McHenry. As you may know, this is the place that inspired Francis Scott Key's Star Spangled Banner in 1814.

Prior to our next day of experiencing, learning and exploring I set out for a lengthy run. I traversed some of the ground mentioned above, as well winding though the city streets and along the waterways. The weather was mild, the morning clear. Both helped in the making of a perfect run. Baltimore is a great town for jogging. The downtown area is mostly flat and there's plenty of sidewalk. The scenery changes with ethnic neighborhoods, interesting architecture, a goodly amount of sculptures, street art and the natural beauty of the Patapsco River. I wish I had planned more time to run. It was truly magnificent. Writing about it reminds me of how energized I felt in the moment.

Baltimore has a lot of incredible history and culture to offer. Plan a visit and RUN!

Tom

Sooner or Later

Surprisingly, I have been working in the same town for nearly six years and have never run within the city limits. Granted, most of those years were spent as a part-time adjunct faculty member working two nights a week. I know, that’s a lame excuse. Nonetheless, there is a stream near the college, so I have often imagined I would run by it sooner or later.

This morning I intentionally set my schedule so as to have a mid-day run. However, rather than exploring the stream I've ventured into a large city park. It's a very nice recreational facility with fields and nature trails. To my surprise there is a fantastic stretch of the trail along a lovely creek. People of all ages filled the park around lunch time. Children from school groups scurried around on the ball fields. Adults played tennis and lots of other outdoor activities. The run was worth the wait. I’ll get to that stream before the next five years pass.

Here. There. Where you are. Run!

Tom