My heart calls out,
ringing out like a gun shot in the night,
reaching around like branches to a tree.
Searching for meaning.
Searching for a place to call home.
A graceful hearth.
A place where it is free, free to express it's emotion.
A sanctuary of love.
My heart rests in the dark, awaiting the light.
The light that carries a smile.
A graceful smile with soft lips.
Lips that kiss away the dark, the lips of an angel.
For now my heart waits, waits for the lips to come it's way.
A hand to hold it, to guide it though the dark.
For now my heart fights by itself,
fighting off dark essences.
Creating a pathway, a pathway of tranquility,
opening the way for the angels lips,
the way for my heart to be discovered.
My heart is strong,
for if the light does not show, my heart will still survive.
Survive to live another day of hope.
Hope for the day its savior will come.
The day that the dark will be defeated,
conquered by the light, the light from Heaven.
My son wrote this and I like it. He's 17 and has gone through much of what the average teenager experiences. Love has found him and love has snuck away in the dark, leaving him questioning everything. He is strong yet quiet, smart with his dad's sense of humor, alone yet surrounded. Last year he scaled a wall that no one of his years should have had to climb. Yet he did it with courage, maturity and grace. I am proud of who he is and the man he's becoming.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Blanket of Peace
I ran in the snow today. I know, don't say it - I did take my inhaler before running and had it with me just in case. I set out for a nice slow 5 mile run that became a wonderful 9.5 miles. Since rolling my ankle I took some time off and this week I decided to get back to business. First let me say that I don't know how Sharon does it. How do you train yourself and then teach multiple classes the same day? Sounds hard doesn't it? It is. Tuesday night I ran nearly 5 miles on the treadmill, slipped into Sharon's 60 minute cycle class, and wrapped up the day with a 30 minute core workout. I then hit the hot tub. She does this and more nearly every day. OMG...I was spent. I mean the only thing that would have got me moving would have been a fire in the women's locker room. Someone needs to ensure their safety...why not me? Stop, drop, and roll, yup, that's it. Ok, one more time. Sorry mom....
Wednesday. I tried deep water running. Albert, Jen, Robin, and I with Sharon on the deck instructing. Wow. I hope it looked as hard as it was! Running in water without your feet touching the ground is not easy. Jesus walked on water and I can't even run in it. Not making a comparison, just stating fact. Somehow the girls were well out in front drill after drill. Albert and I sadly were way behind struggling to get the hang of it. The upside is that we were a bit entertaining (a short stop at my happy place). Truth be told, I got an excellent workout and look forward to more laughter...er, I mean instruction and support. Both nights I slept well - a practice that had been elusive.
Back to the run. What else was I to do but keep it up?!?! The Y had an event which I have done in the past but after waking early, I fell back to sleep only to wake at 7:30. No time to fuel equals no workout - I've driven that car before and it wasn't pretty. I decided to run a slow pace in the snow, an out and back to keep the mileage down. Soon I was dressed, out the door, and running down the street. I ran through Mill Creek and it was simply beautiful. Early enough that traffic was far and few between. People - didn't see them. The sidewalk was covered with a couple inches of unblemished snow just waiting for me to glide through, disturbing it as little as possible. I felt good. The air was so fresh and the snow hanging so gently on the leaves and branches was amazing.
Before I knew it I was running down Bothell-Everett Hwy. I had missed my turn and decided to keep going. The sidewalk path takes you mostly off the road and through some trees and bushes. I was listening to WoodRush, a local band with a nice folk sound. Their music blended perfectly with the environment. I felt at peace, running but not running. Moving but with so little effort. My head began to clear. It was nothing but snow, music, and me. Nice. In front of me I now saw foot prints. Another runner. I could tell from the steps. Someone else I thought was out here with me. He or she however was nowhere in sight...and I was glad.
I turned up past Lowes and I must admit the run got ugly. The dirt from the road had splashed up on the sidewalk and the once beautiful unblemished snow now suddenly lost it's magic. It was now a slippery mess that I had to navigate through. I picked up the pace to get the heck out of there. I made it past Albertsons and as I was working up the rise, a wonderful man in a pickup decided it would be fun to slide over into the muck and splash it all over me. Stupid Mother F..oops. It's Thanksgiving. I'm sure he was simply texting and lost his way....maybe he swerved to avoid a cute little kitten - a life saved....or the pumpkin pie was slipping off the passenger seat and he needed to save it - grandma doesn't like spilt pie. However, none of this explains the jerk behind him that did the same thing.
I made it to Safeway and was about a mile from home. The sidewalks became pretty again, the trees laced with snow, and walkers lifting a hand to wave as I ran by. Strangers saying hi. I tried a "Hi" back but it was apparent that my face was a tad frozen as was whatever had built an ice jam in and around my nose. Winter runs...gotta love em. Turns out I ran 9.5 and I'm glad I did. I feel refreshed. I won't close this blog with anything sappy except to say that there is much to be thankful for in this life and when you think it sucks for you, remember that there is always someone that has it worse. A smart person told me that and it stuck. I hope to see you on the road, be it running or honking as you drive by. Make today the best it can be, never cheat your fitness, Run...don't jog.
Wednesday. I tried deep water running. Albert, Jen, Robin, and I with Sharon on the deck instructing. Wow. I hope it looked as hard as it was! Running in water without your feet touching the ground is not easy. Jesus walked on water and I can't even run in it. Not making a comparison, just stating fact. Somehow the girls were well out in front drill after drill. Albert and I sadly were way behind struggling to get the hang of it. The upside is that we were a bit entertaining (a short stop at my happy place). Truth be told, I got an excellent workout and look forward to more laughter...er, I mean instruction and support. Both nights I slept well - a practice that had been elusive.
Back to the run. What else was I to do but keep it up?!?! The Y had an event which I have done in the past but after waking early, I fell back to sleep only to wake at 7:30. No time to fuel equals no workout - I've driven that car before and it wasn't pretty. I decided to run a slow pace in the snow, an out and back to keep the mileage down. Soon I was dressed, out the door, and running down the street. I ran through Mill Creek and it was simply beautiful. Early enough that traffic was far and few between. People - didn't see them. The sidewalk was covered with a couple inches of unblemished snow just waiting for me to glide through, disturbing it as little as possible. I felt good. The air was so fresh and the snow hanging so gently on the leaves and branches was amazing.
Before I knew it I was running down Bothell-Everett Hwy. I had missed my turn and decided to keep going. The sidewalk path takes you mostly off the road and through some trees and bushes. I was listening to WoodRush, a local band with a nice folk sound. Their music blended perfectly with the environment. I felt at peace, running but not running. Moving but with so little effort. My head began to clear. It was nothing but snow, music, and me. Nice. In front of me I now saw foot prints. Another runner. I could tell from the steps. Someone else I thought was out here with me. He or she however was nowhere in sight...and I was glad.
I turned up past Lowes and I must admit the run got ugly. The dirt from the road had splashed up on the sidewalk and the once beautiful unblemished snow now suddenly lost it's magic. It was now a slippery mess that I had to navigate through. I picked up the pace to get the heck out of there. I made it past Albertsons and as I was working up the rise, a wonderful man in a pickup decided it would be fun to slide over into the muck and splash it all over me. Stupid Mother F..oops. It's Thanksgiving. I'm sure he was simply texting and lost his way....maybe he swerved to avoid a cute little kitten - a life saved....or the pumpkin pie was slipping off the passenger seat and he needed to save it - grandma doesn't like spilt pie. However, none of this explains the jerk behind him that did the same thing.
I made it to Safeway and was about a mile from home. The sidewalks became pretty again, the trees laced with snow, and walkers lifting a hand to wave as I ran by. Strangers saying hi. I tried a "Hi" back but it was apparent that my face was a tad frozen as was whatever had built an ice jam in and around my nose. Winter runs...gotta love em. Turns out I ran 9.5 and I'm glad I did. I feel refreshed. I won't close this blog with anything sappy except to say that there is much to be thankful for in this life and when you think it sucks for you, remember that there is always someone that has it worse. A smart person told me that and it stuck. I hope to see you on the road, be it running or honking as you drive by. Make today the best it can be, never cheat your fitness, Run...don't jog.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Lost
Runners run. That's what they do. We all run for different reasons and each reason is exactly the right one for that person at that time. It's therapy....it's training for a personal best...we run to things and we run away from things....sometimes we run to forget things. Running doesn't define us but it shapes us. It can keep you grounded, centered, focused. What happens when a runner doesn't run anymore? There's a feeling of being out of sync, life's rhythm is out of balance, you feel lost.
Though I've been running this year I am clearly out of rhythm. I've ran 10 races this year. I started with a 5k in January that had me jumping into Lake Washington, ran a 5 miler, a 187 mile relay, a triathlon relay, a 5k obstacle course, and many 'regular' 5k's mixed in. I started this year saying that I wanted it to be different and my races have reflected that. What I didn't know is that my whole life would change this year. Holy F***! I got more than I bargained for. I am upside down and inside out. I look in the mirror and see someone I don't recognize. I know that person is a good person inside but constant actions prove otherwise. I'm lost.
I continue to lose without gaining. If this were a weight loss program it'd be great, but its not, it's my life. It's been like trying to hold sand in your hands only to see it pour through your fingers. You squeeze your hands tighter to stop it only to see it flow out faster. What you have left in your hands are scattered grains of who you are, who you were. You quickly start to pick up the sand to put your life back together and the tide comes in and washes part of it away, never to come back. You see that what was washed away were those things you never wanted to lose. The tide won't wash away the pain you caused others, promises broken, trust shattered. Life makes you keep those things. Maybe as a reminder. Maybe as punishment, a weight you must carry for what you did. I have made poor choices and saw myself doing it. It was like watching someone else, wondering who that person is but unable to slow the string of stupidity.
I didn't sleep last night, not a single minute. I spent the night looking out my window into the backyard and out into the darkness. Trying to understand my self-destruction. How many chances should a guy get in life? The answer is one. That's all any of us should ever need to always do the right thing. I got two and yet found a way to destroy that. If you see a mushroom cloud in the distance, I was probably there. Number three will never come. I realized a lot throughout the night. Much I won't share even in this blog. One thing I did realize is that I am me when I do for others without thinking about what's in it for me and letting life embrace me, come to me. I got away from that only to find myself grasping at the sand slipping through my fingers.
Today will be day one. A day of good decisions and listening to the voice that I recognize, ignoring the one that has been lurking in the dark, whispering in my ear. Life is not about me but about those around me. I have a heavy heart for those I have wronged and treated badly. I don't expect their forgiveness nor do I believe I deserve it. All one can do is step forward because you can't change yesterday. I'll run again. My rhythm will come back. Michael will come back. Light snow is falling and it makes me smile. Time to go brush my teeth - I hope the mirror remembers me.
Though I've been running this year I am clearly out of rhythm. I've ran 10 races this year. I started with a 5k in January that had me jumping into Lake Washington, ran a 5 miler, a 187 mile relay, a triathlon relay, a 5k obstacle course, and many 'regular' 5k's mixed in. I started this year saying that I wanted it to be different and my races have reflected that. What I didn't know is that my whole life would change this year. Holy F***! I got more than I bargained for. I am upside down and inside out. I look in the mirror and see someone I don't recognize. I know that person is a good person inside but constant actions prove otherwise. I'm lost.
I continue to lose without gaining. If this were a weight loss program it'd be great, but its not, it's my life. It's been like trying to hold sand in your hands only to see it pour through your fingers. You squeeze your hands tighter to stop it only to see it flow out faster. What you have left in your hands are scattered grains of who you are, who you were. You quickly start to pick up the sand to put your life back together and the tide comes in and washes part of it away, never to come back. You see that what was washed away were those things you never wanted to lose. The tide won't wash away the pain you caused others, promises broken, trust shattered. Life makes you keep those things. Maybe as a reminder. Maybe as punishment, a weight you must carry for what you did. I have made poor choices and saw myself doing it. It was like watching someone else, wondering who that person is but unable to slow the string of stupidity.
I didn't sleep last night, not a single minute. I spent the night looking out my window into the backyard and out into the darkness. Trying to understand my self-destruction. How many chances should a guy get in life? The answer is one. That's all any of us should ever need to always do the right thing. I got two and yet found a way to destroy that. If you see a mushroom cloud in the distance, I was probably there. Number three will never come. I realized a lot throughout the night. Much I won't share even in this blog. One thing I did realize is that I am me when I do for others without thinking about what's in it for me and letting life embrace me, come to me. I got away from that only to find myself grasping at the sand slipping through my fingers.
Today will be day one. A day of good decisions and listening to the voice that I recognize, ignoring the one that has been lurking in the dark, whispering in my ear. Life is not about me but about those around me. I have a heavy heart for those I have wronged and treated badly. I don't expect their forgiveness nor do I believe I deserve it. All one can do is step forward because you can't change yesterday. I'll run again. My rhythm will come back. Michael will come back. Light snow is falling and it makes me smile. Time to go brush my teeth - I hope the mirror remembers me.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Pineapple Classic
I ran with a pineapple today. It may sound like I've burned through all my friends and I'm so hard up that I'm down to running with fruit. Some say I've not been myself lately so it could be possible that I'm down to fruit and vegetables. Whens the last time fruit told you that you looked sick....that you don't seem happy....that you need to put on some weight....that it wondered where the "real" you went...? Take it easy folks, I don't hear fruit talking to me, that'd be crazy. At least that's what the carrots told me. I have heard these statements from friends and I appreciate each and every comment and the care and love behind their meaning. They see me off my game and care enough to point it out. That's a friend. Anybody can tell you what you want to hear. If you simply want nothing but good news all the time start hanging out in the produce aisle...baby carrots are nothing if not generous.
The 5k today was quite an event. It was not just a 5k, it was an obstacle course. Most of the Tri team joined forces to tackle this course and it was so great to see everyone. I missed those who couldn't attend. You should have seen the get-ups we wore. There were grass skirts, hair in rollers, bathrobes, special shirts, funky sunglasses, faces painted, and when Steve sends some pictures I'll post them on my blog. I wore a bib of fake abs. A nice clean unblemished six pack of semi real looking flesh that turned heads. More than a couple women took a snapshot - ok, I goated them into it but who knows how many Facebook posts Mr Abs will show up on....I'll do my best to forget about the two guys who took pictures. I don't think they were thinking Facebook....
Our tribe took off at 11:00 and I guess in my mind we were all going to run together. Not so much. Pineapple fever took over and BAM! we were everywhere. Oh well, I still had my team and there wasn't an obstacle we couldn't overcome. Sharon started with the pineapple and if you ask me, was a bit too comfortable with it. She had it tucked under her arm like a fullback going in for a touchdown. I don't know why it was so funny to watch. A girl and her pineapple...Shane...Shane...come back Shane. No one will get that but me. Deborah and Kerrie were great. They ran side by side from start to finish - loved that!
We hit the first wall and by then mud had become the rule. Helping each other up and over the wall was a test of patience and mud tolerance. We all made it and soon I was carrying the pineapple. It was a compact little sucker. Next was a crawl on your belly under a net challenge. More mud. It was more of the same until we came to a section of the course where you had to jump over a ditch of mud (what else) or go around. We all jumped. Kerrie leaped, made it, then slide back in. Her foot got stuck. She pulled it out and her shoe was still there stuck in the mud. By now her sock was caked with mud. It was so funny and she was such a good sport.
Up ahead we saw the first pit stop. An aid station. Upon inspection we found it to be a beer vendor - free samples. Not wanting to be rude I had a small taste. Small taste. Now what happened next has nothing to do with the er, aid station. We hit a very muddy spot and as I was turning I lost my balance and when down. Smack down in the mud. Sure laugh. Done? How about now? Ok, it was funny. Except that my knee seemed to find the only rock out there. Tore my running 'tights' and cut my knee in two places. At the end of the race I did go to the medic tent so they could clean it out. They had to pick some dirt and crap out of it. Painful but I do have a low pain threshold. Had the 'nurses' been a bit on the hot side, I might have felt the need to lay down and rest a little. As that was not the case, I made my way out as quickly as possible - I didn't like the way they were eyeing my abs...
The end of the race had a 30 foot slip and slide. Oh sweet mother of pearl! As they dumped fresh water on it I dived belly first and coasted from one end to the other. How cool was that?! I loved it! Popped up and it was just a few yards to the finish. The rest of the gang was already there so we made our way to the free food and beer. The beer was good and the food ok. It didn't matter, we were done and had survived. As we snacked many a runner walked by in their costume. Four girls walked by, each with flashing red lights on their nipples (can you say nipples in a blog?). I admit I had to look at couple ten times. It's not something you see every day you know. My appreciation to everyone for holding a towel around me so I could strip naked and put on some fresh clothes. I know you all looked away...and tell me, why the snickers? Oooh! Never mind...
I had fun today. It wasn't what I expected and started a little rocky. Most of that on me. I could blame it on getting over a chest cold or my nearly healed rolled ankle but that wouldn't be the whole truth. Truth is I still struggle with decisions made and the impact it's had on others. I don't mean to be a bad person. In fact I think I'm quite the opposite. For some reason it doesn't show or it just comes out wrong. I could say what the fuck and just be myself but I made a commitment to swear less in my blog which I have been quite successful up to this sentence. So I will simply say that I will be myself. I will get there. Don't give up on me. Keep helping. Mikey will be back. Until then keep texting me, don't take life too serious, never cheat your fitness, Run...don't jog.
PS. I'm still wearing the abs....
The 5k today was quite an event. It was not just a 5k, it was an obstacle course. Most of the Tri team joined forces to tackle this course and it was so great to see everyone. I missed those who couldn't attend. You should have seen the get-ups we wore. There were grass skirts, hair in rollers, bathrobes, special shirts, funky sunglasses, faces painted, and when Steve sends some pictures I'll post them on my blog. I wore a bib of fake abs. A nice clean unblemished six pack of semi real looking flesh that turned heads. More than a couple women took a snapshot - ok, I goated them into it but who knows how many Facebook posts Mr Abs will show up on....I'll do my best to forget about the two guys who took pictures. I don't think they were thinking Facebook....
Our tribe took off at 11:00 and I guess in my mind we were all going to run together. Not so much. Pineapple fever took over and BAM! we were everywhere. Oh well, I still had my team and there wasn't an obstacle we couldn't overcome. Sharon started with the pineapple and if you ask me, was a bit too comfortable with it. She had it tucked under her arm like a fullback going in for a touchdown. I don't know why it was so funny to watch. A girl and her pineapple...Shane...Shane...come back Shane. No one will get that but me. Deborah and Kerrie were great. They ran side by side from start to finish - loved that!
We hit the first wall and by then mud had become the rule. Helping each other up and over the wall was a test of patience and mud tolerance. We all made it and soon I was carrying the pineapple. It was a compact little sucker. Next was a crawl on your belly under a net challenge. More mud. It was more of the same until we came to a section of the course where you had to jump over a ditch of mud (what else) or go around. We all jumped. Kerrie leaped, made it, then slide back in. Her foot got stuck. She pulled it out and her shoe was still there stuck in the mud. By now her sock was caked with mud. It was so funny and she was such a good sport.
Up ahead we saw the first pit stop. An aid station. Upon inspection we found it to be a beer vendor - free samples. Not wanting to be rude I had a small taste. Small taste. Now what happened next has nothing to do with the er, aid station. We hit a very muddy spot and as I was turning I lost my balance and when down. Smack down in the mud. Sure laugh. Done? How about now? Ok, it was funny. Except that my knee seemed to find the only rock out there. Tore my running 'tights' and cut my knee in two places. At the end of the race I did go to the medic tent so they could clean it out. They had to pick some dirt and crap out of it. Painful but I do have a low pain threshold. Had the 'nurses' been a bit on the hot side, I might have felt the need to lay down and rest a little. As that was not the case, I made my way out as quickly as possible - I didn't like the way they were eyeing my abs...
The end of the race had a 30 foot slip and slide. Oh sweet mother of pearl! As they dumped fresh water on it I dived belly first and coasted from one end to the other. How cool was that?! I loved it! Popped up and it was just a few yards to the finish. The rest of the gang was already there so we made our way to the free food and beer. The beer was good and the food ok. It didn't matter, we were done and had survived. As we snacked many a runner walked by in their costume. Four girls walked by, each with flashing red lights on their nipples (can you say nipples in a blog?). I admit I had to look at couple ten times. It's not something you see every day you know. My appreciation to everyone for holding a towel around me so I could strip naked and put on some fresh clothes. I know you all looked away...and tell me, why the snickers? Oooh! Never mind...
I had fun today. It wasn't what I expected and started a little rocky. Most of that on me. I could blame it on getting over a chest cold or my nearly healed rolled ankle but that wouldn't be the whole truth. Truth is I still struggle with decisions made and the impact it's had on others. I don't mean to be a bad person. In fact I think I'm quite the opposite. For some reason it doesn't show or it just comes out wrong. I could say what the fuck and just be myself but I made a commitment to swear less in my blog which I have been quite successful up to this sentence. So I will simply say that I will be myself. I will get there. Don't give up on me. Keep helping. Mikey will be back. Until then keep texting me, don't take life too serious, never cheat your fitness, Run...don't jog.
PS. I'm still wearing the abs....
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Trail Running
I'm in love. There you go, I said it. It's out there now. No more sneaking around. I can now embrace the forest with my head held high. I love trail running. Wow, that's a weight off my chest. Go figure. I knew I was in love before but today sealed the deal. Sharon, Jen, Robin, and I arrived at the Redmond Watershed around 9:00 and after a short warm up, disappeared into the forest. It was my longest trail run at 90 minutes but it certainly didn't feel like it. That's the magic of the trail.
I should back up and say that the drive to the trail was amazing. Trees are embracing Fall and Fall is doing her best to strut her stuff. I use "her" because a man would simply have no patience for changing colors. We'd cut to the chase, drop our leaves, and hunker down for the winter. Now we all appreciate Fall colors but Sharon...Sharon nearly slips into a trance with each and every tree. She sees the sheer beauty of each and appreciates them for what they each have to offer up, almost as if they had a personality of their own. The rest of us enjoy them as well however we found our job being more of a "hey the lights red"...."we should drive in only one lane at a time"....you get the picture.
The trail. We started out on a skinny trail covered with hundreds of beautiful leaves, piles of them. It was fun to run through them. I always think of those car commercials where the car drives though leaves and they fly up as the car rushes by. I looked behind me as I ran and saw very little movement....The down side to the leaves is that they cover up rocks, twigs, and the ever frightening pile of horse poop. Yes, you know you're in trouble when the leaf pile squashes down a little too far. That's why I don't drive to the trail - my car and 'squishy' don't do well together.
It was an incredible experience switching from one trail to the next, around corners, up and down, as the trail wound throughout. Everyone did great. Jen and Sharon pushed the pace from time to time as Jen is working on building her 5k speed. She did really well. Robin set a PR today, running for the longest time ever! She did great. Robin has a way of finding her pace and pushing forward. Determination is a mainstay on her face - love it! Jen ran a couple weeks ago and today was night and day - she rocked it. Sharon ran a zillion miles as she would run back and forth to make sure everyone was staying together and no one got lost. She had me pick up the pace with her for a short stretch and I was right there with her. For a minute anyway. Then she does whatever it is she does and with little apparent effort she was soon well ahead of me. Note how I like to phrase it that she is fast so I can avoid the nasty thought that I might be slow...I am not! Just not as fast as some...
After the run we headed to Starbucks for our post run treat and consumed our rewards on the drive back home. We laughed so hard that I nearly had a 180 degree, non-fat, no foam latte find it's way through and out of my nose. Robin and her "Mr Hankey and the Christmas Poo" started us off and it never stopped. It's clear that we are very funny people! I won't even start with the fake accents.....I had a great time on the run and great people make all the difference in the world. Today was definitely a good day and I look forward to many more. Right now though I need to find a shower and scrub the trail off my body, clean some very dirty clothes, and sooner or later spray off the bottom of my running shoes. Seems that I landed in more than one "squashy" pile of leaves today.
I should back up and say that the drive to the trail was amazing. Trees are embracing Fall and Fall is doing her best to strut her stuff. I use "her" because a man would simply have no patience for changing colors. We'd cut to the chase, drop our leaves, and hunker down for the winter. Now we all appreciate Fall colors but Sharon...Sharon nearly slips into a trance with each and every tree. She sees the sheer beauty of each and appreciates them for what they each have to offer up, almost as if they had a personality of their own. The rest of us enjoy them as well however we found our job being more of a "hey the lights red"...."we should drive in only one lane at a time"....you get the picture.
The trail. We started out on a skinny trail covered with hundreds of beautiful leaves, piles of them. It was fun to run through them. I always think of those car commercials where the car drives though leaves and they fly up as the car rushes by. I looked behind me as I ran and saw very little movement....The down side to the leaves is that they cover up rocks, twigs, and the ever frightening pile of horse poop. Yes, you know you're in trouble when the leaf pile squashes down a little too far. That's why I don't drive to the trail - my car and 'squishy' don't do well together.
It was an incredible experience switching from one trail to the next, around corners, up and down, as the trail wound throughout. Everyone did great. Jen and Sharon pushed the pace from time to time as Jen is working on building her 5k speed. She did really well. Robin set a PR today, running for the longest time ever! She did great. Robin has a way of finding her pace and pushing forward. Determination is a mainstay on her face - love it! Jen ran a couple weeks ago and today was night and day - she rocked it. Sharon ran a zillion miles as she would run back and forth to make sure everyone was staying together and no one got lost. She had me pick up the pace with her for a short stretch and I was right there with her. For a minute anyway. Then she does whatever it is she does and with little apparent effort she was soon well ahead of me. Note how I like to phrase it that she is fast so I can avoid the nasty thought that I might be slow...I am not! Just not as fast as some...
After the run we headed to Starbucks for our post run treat and consumed our rewards on the drive back home. We laughed so hard that I nearly had a 180 degree, non-fat, no foam latte find it's way through and out of my nose. Robin and her "Mr Hankey and the Christmas Poo" started us off and it never stopped. It's clear that we are very funny people! I won't even start with the fake accents.....I had a great time on the run and great people make all the difference in the world. Today was definitely a good day and I look forward to many more. Right now though I need to find a shower and scrub the trail off my body, clean some very dirty clothes, and sooner or later spray off the bottom of my running shoes. Seems that I landed in more than one "squashy" pile of leaves today.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Dawg Bite
It's Dawg Dash weekend! The 25th annual Dawg Dash that is. Super if you're a runner or a Huskie fan, not such a big deal if your loyalties fall with Washington State. I've never been one to even come close to understanding why alumni become so freakin passionate about their teams. I mean crap, most people never played a sport in college and they graduated decades ago, let it go....Maybe I don't "get it" because I didn't have the opportunity to live that college life. I spent years earning my degree by going to school at night. Working all day, school for 4 hours a day until 10:00pm, study, homework, wake up and do it again. That's a long haul...more years then I care to remember. All I know is that I had long hair when I started and couldn't find my hair by the time I finished. I'm glad I did it and I value the time spent and the knowledge earned.
My 5K weekend started Saturday night with Albert as we got together for some pizza and catching up. It had been too long (my fault) and it was good to kick back and shoot the shit. "Shoot the shit" - where did that phrase come from? I don't really want to know but farms and cow pies come to mind. Anyone reading this not familiar with a cow pie, just know it isn't something you can order at Sharie's or the French Bakery...
Our conversation flowed and the pizza was fantastic. We also had a couple suicide blondes. I know what you're thinking, a suicide blonde sounds a lot like a $20 hooker. Rest assured that while that may be true, in our case it was a type of beer. Not being a big drinker I quickly downed the first one and moved to the second. Yes, by now my second blonde was much more attractive than her younger and now forgotten sister. I was however a complete gentleman, sipped rather than gulped, made no promises, and might have even used my real name. I got home and maybe, just maybe stumbled across a bit of rum. How it got there I do not know. What I do know is that Sunday morning came quick...too quick. Thought I might need a bit of the "hair of the dog" - defined as a measure of drink intended to cure a hangover. Thankfully I didn't really have a hangover. My head hurt a bit but I have been spending an awful lot of time thinking these days - that can do it you know. My tummy was whispering to me in an outside voice but then again, now that I have a couple abs, maybe it was just wanting a little attention.
We had quite the racing crew. Albert running the 10K, Heather, Iain, Jen, Robin, Sharon, and myself tackling the 5K (note how everyone is in alphabetical order - very tidy). We noticed the moon which seemed to be full - I love a full moon, so cool and the Fall foliage was beautiful. Sharon commented that every Fall should be this beautiful. She's right, the colors were amazing. The weather on the other hand was terrible. Rain....rain....did I mention rain? Had a dash of wind pop through from time to time just to say hi. When race time approached we had to climb out of the car - had I mentioned that we were piled in the car trying to stay warm and dry? 9:00 comes as we decide to get out and warm up. No sooner did we step out and the big guy upstairs opened the heavens and down came the buckets of rain. It was so stupid it was funny.
Now by the time we hit the bathrooms to ah, let's just say it, pee and get warm (Ok, satisfied now?), the rain stopped. We all slid into our personal warm up routines to get ready for our race. Some do more than others. Sharon and Albert knock out what seems a mile or two. I simply jog around, do a couple strides (strictly to intimidate the competition), and save my juice for the race. It's limited and I hate to spend it early as the recovery time is a good 20 minutes.
The race itself was fairly uneventful. We all run at different paces so other than seeing Sharon disappear in front of me early on (same play, different race), I ran my race the best I could. The first half of the course is all incline and I do my best running downhill. A week ago I had tossed out there that I would finish in the top 10 in my age division. That's saying something for this race because with a couple thousand runners, it's pretty competitive. I don't do it to be cocky I do it to put competitive pressure on myself. For that extra push. I'm glad I did because I wasn't feeling 100% but knew that I better push past the side ache and queasiness. Turns out that I finished 5th in my age division and 76th out of 1205. You can read that again if you want.
Our rockstar today was Sharon. Though she lied about her age, er, I mean accidentally wrote the wrong number down - I too have always thought 3's and 4's looked a lot alike. I might have to have a talk with her parents about this as I've seen this before and we may need an intervention before a pattern develops. Regardless, she came in 1st in the age divisions 30-39 and 40-49 which are the two most competitive. She was 3rd overall for woman and finished 40th out of 1205 runners. Too bad she had to leave right after the race because there's a medal with her name on it.
Everyone had a great race. Albert came through the 10K finished 14 of 110 in his division and 83 of 1077! Iain and Heather - our husband and wife team - hit paces of 13:09 and 11:39 respectively. It was Iain's first 5K! It's so cool because he's been walking while the Tri group ran and has worked his way to a 5K. I hope he's hooked because it was so sweet to see the two of them celebrate and congratulate each other - lot's of love there. Jen smoked a 9:23 pace and finished 16th of 140 in her division - way to go Jen, you are getting faster!!! Maybe Devil Hill is your friend after all! Though Robin has completed several Tri's, this was her first standalone 5K. She kicked a 10:32 pace and was 48th in her division of 156. Coincidence that everyone did so well AND are members of the now world famous Tri team? I think not!
Race complete and freebies consumed, it was time to go. Sharon had already left as Little T was having his birthday party today. That kid is such a crackup, but I'll leave that for another blog. Which by the way I may do. I've been told that I should blog more often which means I'll have to share my thoughts on more than just a race experience. I like to write and if you can stomach them, I invite you to come around from time to time and give me a read. Oh, back to my original line of thinking. We were leaving...Yes, leaving. Well wouldn't you know it, the heavens opened up once again and it was a down pour. We got to the car soaked to the skin and cold. Funny thing is, I wouldn't have changed a thing. That's a lie. I would have changed a couple things - one being my time :)
You may have noticed that this blog is not as dark as a few of my most recent. While not every day is a great one, they are getting better. Friends can make such an amazing difference and they should never be taken for granted but instead embraced and thanked for what they give, who they are. Many of the Tri team are running the Pineapple Classic in a couple of weeks. I look forward to that and the training that will take place between now and then. Multi-Sports is around the corner and that excites me too. If it delivers half of what the Tri program did, it'll be a home run. Until the next time, do your best at whatever you do, forgive when you can, hug often, and know that hearts don't change, people do. If in doubt, Run...don't jog.
My 5K weekend started Saturday night with Albert as we got together for some pizza and catching up. It had been too long (my fault) and it was good to kick back and shoot the shit. "Shoot the shit" - where did that phrase come from? I don't really want to know but farms and cow pies come to mind. Anyone reading this not familiar with a cow pie, just know it isn't something you can order at Sharie's or the French Bakery...
Our conversation flowed and the pizza was fantastic. We also had a couple suicide blondes. I know what you're thinking, a suicide blonde sounds a lot like a $20 hooker. Rest assured that while that may be true, in our case it was a type of beer. Not being a big drinker I quickly downed the first one and moved to the second. Yes, by now my second blonde was much more attractive than her younger and now forgotten sister. I was however a complete gentleman, sipped rather than gulped, made no promises, and might have even used my real name. I got home and maybe, just maybe stumbled across a bit of rum. How it got there I do not know. What I do know is that Sunday morning came quick...too quick. Thought I might need a bit of the "hair of the dog" - defined as a measure of drink intended to cure a hangover. Thankfully I didn't really have a hangover. My head hurt a bit but I have been spending an awful lot of time thinking these days - that can do it you know. My tummy was whispering to me in an outside voice but then again, now that I have a couple abs, maybe it was just wanting a little attention.
We had quite the racing crew. Albert running the 10K, Heather, Iain, Jen, Robin, Sharon, and myself tackling the 5K (note how everyone is in alphabetical order - very tidy). We noticed the moon which seemed to be full - I love a full moon, so cool and the Fall foliage was beautiful. Sharon commented that every Fall should be this beautiful. She's right, the colors were amazing. The weather on the other hand was terrible. Rain....rain....did I mention rain? Had a dash of wind pop through from time to time just to say hi. When race time approached we had to climb out of the car - had I mentioned that we were piled in the car trying to stay warm and dry? 9:00 comes as we decide to get out and warm up. No sooner did we step out and the big guy upstairs opened the heavens and down came the buckets of rain. It was so stupid it was funny.
Now by the time we hit the bathrooms to ah, let's just say it, pee and get warm (Ok, satisfied now?), the rain stopped. We all slid into our personal warm up routines to get ready for our race. Some do more than others. Sharon and Albert knock out what seems a mile or two. I simply jog around, do a couple strides (strictly to intimidate the competition), and save my juice for the race. It's limited and I hate to spend it early as the recovery time is a good 20 minutes.
The race itself was fairly uneventful. We all run at different paces so other than seeing Sharon disappear in front of me early on (same play, different race), I ran my race the best I could. The first half of the course is all incline and I do my best running downhill. A week ago I had tossed out there that I would finish in the top 10 in my age division. That's saying something for this race because with a couple thousand runners, it's pretty competitive. I don't do it to be cocky I do it to put competitive pressure on myself. For that extra push. I'm glad I did because I wasn't feeling 100% but knew that I better push past the side ache and queasiness. Turns out that I finished 5th in my age division and 76th out of 1205. You can read that again if you want.
Our rockstar today was Sharon. Though she lied about her age, er, I mean accidentally wrote the wrong number down - I too have always thought 3's and 4's looked a lot alike. I might have to have a talk with her parents about this as I've seen this before and we may need an intervention before a pattern develops. Regardless, she came in 1st in the age divisions 30-39 and 40-49 which are the two most competitive. She was 3rd overall for woman and finished 40th out of 1205 runners. Too bad she had to leave right after the race because there's a medal with her name on it.
Everyone had a great race. Albert came through the 10K finished 14 of 110 in his division and 83 of 1077! Iain and Heather - our husband and wife team - hit paces of 13:09 and 11:39 respectively. It was Iain's first 5K! It's so cool because he's been walking while the Tri group ran and has worked his way to a 5K. I hope he's hooked because it was so sweet to see the two of them celebrate and congratulate each other - lot's of love there. Jen smoked a 9:23 pace and finished 16th of 140 in her division - way to go Jen, you are getting faster!!! Maybe Devil Hill is your friend after all! Though Robin has completed several Tri's, this was her first standalone 5K. She kicked a 10:32 pace and was 48th in her division of 156. Coincidence that everyone did so well AND are members of the now world famous Tri team? I think not!
Race complete and freebies consumed, it was time to go. Sharon had already left as Little T was having his birthday party today. That kid is such a crackup, but I'll leave that for another blog. Which by the way I may do. I've been told that I should blog more often which means I'll have to share my thoughts on more than just a race experience. I like to write and if you can stomach them, I invite you to come around from time to time and give me a read. Oh, back to my original line of thinking. We were leaving...Yes, leaving. Well wouldn't you know it, the heavens opened up once again and it was a down pour. We got to the car soaked to the skin and cold. Funny thing is, I wouldn't have changed a thing. That's a lie. I would have changed a couple things - one being my time :)
You may have noticed that this blog is not as dark as a few of my most recent. While not every day is a great one, they are getting better. Friends can make such an amazing difference and they should never be taken for granted but instead embraced and thanked for what they give, who they are. Many of the Tri team are running the Pineapple Classic in a couple of weeks. I look forward to that and the training that will take place between now and then. Multi-Sports is around the corner and that excites me too. If it delivers half of what the Tri program did, it'll be a home run. Until the next time, do your best at whatever you do, forgive when you can, hug often, and know that hearts don't change, people do. If in doubt, Run...don't jog.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Olive Branch
I admit it. The past two months have been shit. Decisions made created a new world for me. A roller coaster of emotion - feelings hit me from every angle and I didn't know how to react. Felt like I was in a boxing ring with my arms tied behind my back. I always try and live in my "happy place" where life is good and evil doesn't exist. So when things go bad I struggle to figure out how to dig out. Let's be clear before anyone feels sorry for me - the decisions made were mine. If you want to place blame - I'm your man. Some decisions were the right ones, others simply fucked the world up. Most created ripples, splashing onto the innocent. It would be easy to say I don't care, but I do. I burned trust and still can't find my way back. If you know me you know I'm already directionally challenged so this journey is like racing with a blindfold on - you want to go fast, fix it fast, but all you do is run off course.
What helps me is running. If you follow me on Facebook you'll see that I have been running a lot. It gives one time to think, to inflect some personal pain, to test yourself. Racing intensifies this. So I heard about a 5k and decided to race. I got lucky and Sharon decided to run too. Upside: she's a blast. Downside: I would place one spot further back in the standings. Her slow day is quicker than my fast day. Anyway, we arrived at the race and each dropped $40 for same day registration - $40....that's almost $13 a mile. It wasn't easy but I managed to hand over a couple twenties. "Sir...sir...you need to let go of the money now..."
Before we knew it we were at the start line. It wasn't a huge race but it seemed well organized - we were starting on time! Sharon was up near the start line, I was back a little. Just before the race started a couple women pulled forward up with Sharon, maybe a tad in front. I chuckled to myself knowing what they didn't know. Sharon's fast. More important though was that I knew she wouldn't appreciate their move. She didn't. The gun when off and in short order our speedster was out in front and the women were fading fast. I passed them with a smile. It was all I could manage because I was determined to keep Sharon in sight - that red/orange sports bra would be easy to spot. Right there next to me was this 12 year old kid that hung in front for about a quarter mile. He was flying but soon spent his gas and slowed.
I was fast out of the gate as well. My first mile was 6:54 and I felt pretty good. It was a wonky course. Lots of turns and it wasn't always clear where you should go. Sharon was well ahead of me and I saw her coming back from the turn. Sweet, half way done! Not so fast.....I kept running...and running....I knew something was wrong. Before I knew it Sharon was flying by me. F'd City. A volunteer sent her the wrong way and she had to rerun a section of the course. I saw her gaining ground on the guys that had been behind her. She was able to pass them as the race went on. Turns out that she was misdirected not once, not twice, but three times. I was nearly sent the wrong direction but the volunteer switched his arms at the last moment and sent me the right direction.
Even with the extra mileage Sharon ran, she had an amazing race. Her time was 20:43 -nice! If you factor in the extra mileage it's safe to subtract a minute, maybe a minute twenty. It's clear she was a 19 something 5k. Her best ever. Smokin boys, smokin. She still managed to win her division, was the overall women's first place finisher, and finished 3rd overall. She walked away with a nice trophy. Me? I got a ribbon...which they will mail to me....Ran a 22:30 which was 14 seconds off my best ever. Won my age division, 5th overall men, and finished 6th overall. All this cross training has been helping me. I'm back down to my racing weight and I know that helps too. I thought I saw an ab in the mirror yesterday....I was afraid to look again.....maybe next week.
As we were walking to the car, a guy drives by, slows down and tells Sharon how impressed he was with her attitude about being misdirected during the race. Class guy. He didn't have to do that but he did - he took the time to make a day better. It put a smile on our racer. I thought about what he said and he was right. She could have flipped but didn't. Good for him, good for her. People can surprise you. Not everyone likes surprises and I can understand that. Me? I would like to be surprised. Maybe I have been lately. An unexpected olive branch can change your day, your outlook. It doesn't have to come with promises or forgiveness. It doesn't have the power to build trust. But if given from the heart, it opens a door. From there, who knows. I know I've not been a good friend lately. I've been all about my world, fixing the fuck. I'm trying to change that and will change that. I'll keep running....racing....swimming. I'll be back, maybe a little different than I was before but at the center, I will be the guy you can count on. Keep the olive branches coming, give everyday the best you have, smile at a stranger, run naked. MYLACM.
What helps me is running. If you follow me on Facebook you'll see that I have been running a lot. It gives one time to think, to inflect some personal pain, to test yourself. Racing intensifies this. So I heard about a 5k and decided to race. I got lucky and Sharon decided to run too. Upside: she's a blast. Downside: I would place one spot further back in the standings. Her slow day is quicker than my fast day. Anyway, we arrived at the race and each dropped $40 for same day registration - $40....that's almost $13 a mile. It wasn't easy but I managed to hand over a couple twenties. "Sir...sir...you need to let go of the money now..."
Before we knew it we were at the start line. It wasn't a huge race but it seemed well organized - we were starting on time! Sharon was up near the start line, I was back a little. Just before the race started a couple women pulled forward up with Sharon, maybe a tad in front. I chuckled to myself knowing what they didn't know. Sharon's fast. More important though was that I knew she wouldn't appreciate their move. She didn't. The gun when off and in short order our speedster was out in front and the women were fading fast. I passed them with a smile. It was all I could manage because I was determined to keep Sharon in sight - that red/orange sports bra would be easy to spot. Right there next to me was this 12 year old kid that hung in front for about a quarter mile. He was flying but soon spent his gas and slowed.
I was fast out of the gate as well. My first mile was 6:54 and I felt pretty good. It was a wonky course. Lots of turns and it wasn't always clear where you should go. Sharon was well ahead of me and I saw her coming back from the turn. Sweet, half way done! Not so fast.....I kept running...and running....I knew something was wrong. Before I knew it Sharon was flying by me. F'd City. A volunteer sent her the wrong way and she had to rerun a section of the course. I saw her gaining ground on the guys that had been behind her. She was able to pass them as the race went on. Turns out that she was misdirected not once, not twice, but three times. I was nearly sent the wrong direction but the volunteer switched his arms at the last moment and sent me the right direction.
Even with the extra mileage Sharon ran, she had an amazing race. Her time was 20:43 -nice! If you factor in the extra mileage it's safe to subtract a minute, maybe a minute twenty. It's clear she was a 19 something 5k. Her best ever. Smokin boys, smokin. She still managed to win her division, was the overall women's first place finisher, and finished 3rd overall. She walked away with a nice trophy. Me? I got a ribbon...which they will mail to me....Ran a 22:30 which was 14 seconds off my best ever. Won my age division, 5th overall men, and finished 6th overall. All this cross training has been helping me. I'm back down to my racing weight and I know that helps too. I thought I saw an ab in the mirror yesterday....I was afraid to look again.....maybe next week.
As we were walking to the car, a guy drives by, slows down and tells Sharon how impressed he was with her attitude about being misdirected during the race. Class guy. He didn't have to do that but he did - he took the time to make a day better. It put a smile on our racer. I thought about what he said and he was right. She could have flipped but didn't. Good for him, good for her. People can surprise you. Not everyone likes surprises and I can understand that. Me? I would like to be surprised. Maybe I have been lately. An unexpected olive branch can change your day, your outlook. It doesn't have to come with promises or forgiveness. It doesn't have the power to build trust. But if given from the heart, it opens a door. From there, who knows. I know I've not been a good friend lately. I've been all about my world, fixing the fuck. I'm trying to change that and will change that. I'll keep running....racing....swimming. I'll be back, maybe a little different than I was before but at the center, I will be the guy you can count on. Keep the olive branches coming, give everyday the best you have, smile at a stranger, run naked. MYLACM.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
