Tell it on the mountain

Shannan and I recently had dinner with Katherine, longtime friend, in Boulder, CO. She grew up in Atlanta, attended college at UC and stayed (not a unique phenomenon).  Katherine is a very active young woman. She hikes, skis and is a runner. Over the years we’ve shared many conversations about races and training. Katherine knew while I was in Boulder I planned to run “Mags” (see previous post). We talked about that over dinner as well as her run in the Hood to Coast race.

We had considered visiting Red Rocks Amphitheater, but had not cemented into our itinerary. Katherine adamantly insisted we go to Red Rocks. She gave us details about the venue, concerts that have been there and the museum in the lower plaza. On her enthusiastic advice we adjusted our schedule and added a trip to Red Rocks.

That evening Shannan gathered information and thought it odd that the amphitheater opened at 5:00am. When we arrived around 8:00am the parking lot was a buzz. People in exercise clothes and with water bottles milled about. We decided given the high involvement of outdoor activities in Boulder, perhaps the people were out for an early morning hike amid the rust colored rocks. To our surprise, 100 plus people were in the amphitheater running, doing cardio exercises, abdominal routines and more. Katherine could have mentioned that part.

She didn’t , so I am. If you are in Boulder, plan a trip to visit Red Rocks and include time to get in a high altitude work out.

Live. Learn. Run at Red Rocks.

Tom

Running Mags with the Buffaloes

Greetings! Some years ago my friend Lee loaned me his copy of Running with the Buffaloes, a book about the University of Colorado’s Men’s Cross Country Team. Magnolia Road “Mags” provides the brutal training ground for the team. Running on a mountain is one thing. Doing so at an evaluation of 8000 feet is an altogether different animal. Reading about the training runs on this road seemed awful. Last week we were in Boulder, CO and I decided to take my morning run on Mags. Turns out I was correct, running Mags was on the verge of inhumane.

The drive up the road to reach the unpaved portion that marked the 16 miles where the Buffalo trained was harrowing. It did build the anticipation. Once out and running the first half a mile was downhill. Here the views of the Rocky Mountains and a local ranch were so stunning I forgot about thin air. That changed as soon as I started the accent. Every part of me labored by the time I was 30 minutes into the run. The temperature was 52 degrees, it was good not to overheat in July, but the cold air proved annoying as I took in deep breaths.

I enjoyed coming to this place that had sparked my imagination from far away. I relished the pounding out one of the hardest runs of my life. I delighted in the view of one of North America’s most spectacular landscapes. This morning was not one of the best runs of the year. This morning epitomized why I run.

Thanks for the book, Lee.

Read and Run!

Tom

Presidential Running

Romulus, MI, a suburb of Detroit, was the location of a very early run recently. I found my way on to a small road that split farmland and let it rip for about 4.5 miles. I enjoyed the run very much in that I have been exercising indoors for a month or so. Once I got back to the hotel, Shannan was ready for a day of exploring. I cleaned up and we lit out for Freemont, OH to visit the Rutherford B. Hayes Home and Presidential Museum. Our tour guide, Eileen, made it a stop well worth our time. We discovered as soon as we arrived the property welcomed runners and walkers. 

 

Many people took advantage of the beautifully landscaped area to exercise. Had I know in advance, I might have delayed my morning run or at least used time more wisely to afford a short jaunt around the green. I missed the opportunity, but if you are ever going to visit this wonderful historic site, save some time for a jog. All indications are it will be a pleasant one. If not here, then enjoy the fantastic park at the William McKinley President Museum and Monument. 

Tom

E. Pluibus Pilgrimage

Thomas Hardy, King Arthur, Jesus, Jane Austin, the Eden Project, Doc Martin, Stonehenge, The Magna Carta, Salisbury Cathedral, Roman Baths, Buck Fast Abbey, cities, towns and the sea, apart from all of these things being in England, they all are related to pilgrims, believers, scholars, fans, and curious tourists who pour in from cities, suburbs. In our case we came from out of the country to take in the sites, museums and sacred locations.  

From vastly different places people come with common goals to see, experience, listen, read, learn and ultimately to share in conversations, classrooms or on social media (like this).  People make pilgrimage of sorts to gain first hand experience of uniqueness, of beauty, wonder, nature, and to muse at the ingenuity and creativity of human beings. These things make life quite interesting. For me, it's especially interesting to consider the journey, the experience and the reflection of those who traveled to locations like those mentioned above in ritualistic fashion. I think about what they hope to find and how it impacts their lives. To some degree the what is religious in nature, yet has become deeply entwined in pop culture.

I firmly believe you don't have to travel to exotic part for the world for pilgrimage.  People can attend an event; engage in an activity or outing just for a few hours. You may be alone in the moment, but the notion of pilgrimage is communal in nature, E. Pluibus Unum, out of many, one. I plan to start a life changing one right here at home next month. More to follow.

Engage in ritual. Run.

Tom

Sacred Stones and Sacred Stories

From Heathrow International Airport to the Salisbury Plain, England windy frigid weather did not detour our quartet from a great beginning to our stay in the West Country. We enjoyed a long and thoughtful stay around the sacred stones. We considered the evolution of the site, the purpose of the otter ditch, the hinged megaliths and the border markers. This site which draws visitors, baffles anthropologists and intrigues the curious did not disappoint. Visiting Stonehenge has long been a personal goal. It was worth the years of study, consideration of various theoretical positions to be standing on the plain. A little chill did not take away from the majesty of the Stonehenge.

I didn't run at the World Heritage Site, not its neighbor, Durrington Walls. I did have a very nice, yet frosty run Easter morn in Bath, England. I trotted along the Avon River and through the historic town. Within twenty-four hours we had gather information about gods, King Arthur, we related to the land, and spoke of faith, lore and legend. After my run I hurriedly clean up and hustled back to town for an early Easter service.

I never removed my coat in the large drafty cathedral. I did listen attentively as The Church of England priest gave a nice homily on the resurrection story. It was Mary of Magdala who told the tale of the empty tomb and risen Jesus. Her narrative has been shared over time and place again and again. The human endeavor to pass along a story of love and sacrifice is symbolized in the Christian Eucharist. Like much of the information we had encountered in our first day of travel, this story involves basic elements- earth, bread and wine. Like the stones on the Salisbury Plain these organic materials are given meaning by stories that strengthen tradition and keep the work of the past meaningful in the present.

Engage the Sacred. Run.

 

Tom

Chilly Cleveland, TENNESSEE

Like many times before in frigid weather I read and tended to various tasks early in the morning waiting for the sun to rise. Usually this gives the temperature a slight bump up a degree or two. This day it increased from 27 to 30 degrees. I lamented more than necessary before finally leaving the hotel for a run in Cleveland, Tennessee.

Upon exiting the hotel I noticed an addition to the cold and windy morning, a constant stream of snow fell. Oddly, my immediate thought was this will be nice. Cold is not of any interest to me whatsoever yet since we see so little snow in the Atlanta area the novelty of it held a strong appeal. Make no mistake the excitement of snow wasn't as powerful as the joy of running in a new city. I got going and took it all in, the rolling hills and falling snow.

In a mile and a half I entered the Bradford County Greenway.  I watched a magnificent Great Blue Herron gliding in for a landing near a small stream. The bird descended as effortlessly as the frozen white flakes. The Heron landed in a landscape that could easily have been the backdrop for a Thomas Kinkade painting. I enjoyed the experience of the cold crystals, including the ones landing on my face. All my senses were engaged and invigorated. 

The chilly run left me ready for a great day of exploring even more of Cleveland. Shannan and I visited a local museum, ate lunch at The Spot, an historic diner, and made some purchases in local shops. We had a riverboat cruse planned, but it was cancelled due to inclement weather. Who's afraid of a little snow?!

Do something different. Run in the snow.

Tom

Marking my place in the world

12 years ago I arranged a birthday day party for myself, one of only two. As party favors each attendee received a small booklet entitled, 3 Decades of LaPorte: Poetry, Pictures, Prose and Propaganda. During the evening I read two short pieces from the collection which I wrote especially for the occasion. One reminisced about a tattoo of my initials on my shoulder. I mocked it as immature, yet honored it as marking my life as it was in my teen years.

That tattoo was homemade and didn’t cost me anything more than a little pain and time. Today I had my first (more to follow) visit with a professional to have the tattoo removed via laser. The pain was less this go around, but the cost was much more. I know tattoos continue to grow in popularity and cultural meaning in this country and others. For me, the ink on my arm represents a social location far removed. I don’t wear short sleeve shirts because of the tattoo. I decided it was time to make a change. The tattoo served its purpose, sometimes better than others. Nowadays I look for new, less permanent ways, to identify myself in the world, like posting a health and fitness blog.

Run well.

Tom