Cotton Candy Skies

Another beautiful night to run...

I was going to take a break from exercise Thursday night but I was feeling restless.  Tell me if any of you experience the same feeling, where your mind and body are telling you to rest yet you have this nervous energy and you know if you do not release it you are going to have a hard time focusing on anything (or sleeping later that night in my case)??

After debating with myself and knowing I would feel better afterwards, I took off at almost 8pm.  I was worried darkness would set in before I returned home but I was rewarded with an amazing spectrum of colors following sunset (see picture above).  Oops, I have gotten ahead of myself...

Although the end is the best part of this enterprise, it is hard to appreciate the evening's value without the full story.  I was moving along the sidewalk next to the road staring at all the cracks and remembering the last time I ran in the dark on this busted up walkway - I was not paying attention, legs and feet heavy near the end of a long run, when a crack caught my shoe and I went airborne.  I felt like a little kid, falling and skinning my knee less than a half mile from home, ha!  Anyway, this was several years ago and the sidewalk is still crumpled up like a mini earthquake ruptured.  Made me wonder when our tax dollars might fix this booby trap?!

As you can tell from the start of this venture, my mind was all over the place.  I was trying to control the stream of thoughts bombarding my brain and hone in on writing a nice Father's Day post.  My psyche had other ideas.  I have learned not to swim against my inner tide and let my spirit go with the flow.  In that moment of resolve, a quietness occurred.  I lifted my head and began to explore the street I have run probably 100 times.  It always amazes me how the time of day or running on the opposite side of the street can give a road a completely new appearance.  I noticed a pond in this subdivision I had never seen and was baffled at how I could have missed it over the years.

Running and thinking is a tricky endeavor.  I may start off running with thoughts of work overwhelming me or be on a quest for a solution to a problem or challenge. Other times, I try to distract myself with anything that comes to mind or be creative with ideas and conceptualizing. Whatever the original abstraction, it typically fades into the background with each footfall.  I do not usually solve a problem or write a new hit song on the run, but the serenity that lingers after the exertion allows me to focus and see interests in a fresh light.

Back to it... I was settling into the evening and the experience and my mind slowly started firing again.  This time my mental activity was not so frenzied and a theme began to emerge.  I was thinking how my thoughts were out of control, then how life can feel out of control when the word "control" stuck in my head.  I realized that running was my control.  Just that night I was wishy washy and unsure what to do, but running made sense.  To run is to take control.  I decide how far I want to go, the path I want to pursue, solo or with a co-conspirator, fast, slow, etc.  The common link is me.  I am the constant.  I am the control.  This revelation put a spring in my step.  I might not know my purpose in life or what to eat for dinner, but I can always go for a run.

My first mile this night was heavy but now the weight was lifted.  I was singing along with my cheesy iPod pop songs and smiling at strangers passed along the way.  The Safety Harbor Pier came into view and I did not want the sun to set!  Barely a single wave rippled the water - I felt simpatico with the sea.  Something about the water brings a calm to my soul.  I never want to leave.  I gathered strength from my fellow ocean admirers and reminded myself, I will return.

My smile and crooning carried me home to the gorgeous scene captured with a quick photo.  What more can I say to the universe except, "Thanks"!

P.S. - happy Father's Day;)

Everything is Zen

Last night I had a rare, I am tired and do not feel like working out kind of night... I laid down to rest but could not fall asleep.  It was dreary and rainy outside which did not help my mood.  Now, thinking back, I realize the nasty weather was actually a gift.  The downpour of rain (which flooded Tampa-pic below)

(Bay News 9 photo)

was a welcome relief from the earlier heat of the day and gave me an idea. My runner dog, Kismet, might enjoy this cool weather and be the perfect running companion:)   

I suited up with slight hesitation--decisions, decisions--what running shoes do I want to trash knowing Kis likes to run in the grass and it is super wet out;) Kis saw me getting dressed and started to get excited.  She likes to weave in between your legs and rub up against you and block your path as you prep up. 

I believe she always wants to go with me thanks to this pitiful guilt face she makes but the high temps and longer distances as of late are not the right mix. However, she was in for a treat tonight!

When I grabbed her collar she started barking and jumping--this was it--she knew she was going for an adventure!  I also grabbed some treats to keep her motivated on the return trip.  Yes, Kismet is spoiled but they all are in ways to match their unique personalities.  

Kis loves to run and has one speed-fast! She knows the path and takes off full throttle.  We have a park near our home a little over a mile down the road.  There is water, shade and freedom for her to open up and let loose.  It is a beautiful sight:)  The problem is she does not know how to pace herself.  I try to pace her but it is easier to give in and call it a Fartlek session.  This word still causes me to snicker, which according to elite runners distinguishes the serious athletes from weekend warriors (like me).    

Per wiki:  Fartlek means "speed play" in Swedish and “is simply defined as periods of fast running intermixed with periods of slower running."

Regardless, once Kismet burns it out on our sprint to the park, she needs a little encouragement on the road home, hence the bag of treats.

This run was pure joy from the start!  I left my watch and headphones behind and we shot out the door.  Kismet knew the night was ours and put her paws to the pavement.  The trip to the park was a blur with me pretending to stop her for her own good but really an excuse for me to suck air.  WOW--it's been awhile since I have run full speed!  Kis was smiling ear to ear with her tongue hanging out and nudging me to start the speedy roller coaster ride again.  Hang on, I thought, here we go.  I had to mentally remind myself, it is only a mile and surely I can gut it out.  I can rest on the walk/jog home.

We made it to the park and I set Kis free.  She took off into the wide open park and I took off in the opposite direction.  The benefit of a herding dog--they like to chase (bonus-running for no reason;)  She heard my feet rustling the leaves on the other side of the trail and she was on my heels in seconds.  No sneaking away from Flash.  We then jogged along the trail which allowed me to catch my breath and her to investigate the bushes that run along the tennis courts, the holes created by gopher turtles and send squirrels scampering for the trees.

The sun was long gone and any remaining light was starting to fade.  I let Kis have a nice long drink and rest while I inhaled the cimmerian air.  Running is an equalizer for me whether I want to do it or not.  I need the physical release. Running (and boxing) allows me to push out excess energy and balance my body and spirit. The same holds true for Kismet--she needs the liberation as much as me.  She is my sole sister.  

The lethargy in my body was gone and my mood lifted.  Kismet was up and ready for the journey home.  Surprisingly, she wanted to run and kept up a jogging pace much more my style.  We ran along the grass in a state of bliss barely stopping for her typical treats.  On the final road home, the moonlight shimmered on the street and had me drifting into a zen-like state.  We were two shadowy beings, the rhythmic sound of our feet/paws and I felt like we were the only two alive when BAM--a cat ran across the road.  Kis had the leash fully extended in chase and I was skating across a neighbor's lawn.

Back to reality but the dream was real and set my soul at peace:)

The Art of Athletic Support

I have used the term "SAG wagon" over the years.  I knew it meant something about support and aid but then I fumbled with what the "G" stood for and kind of just mumbled it fast;)  Supporting our friends recently at the Dunedin Triathlon this past Sunday made me think of the term again.  

It appears the origin of the term came out of the cycling world meaning “Support and Gear” or “Support Aid Group.”  I laughed out loud at a SAG reference on a cycling site that mentioned it could mean "Sick And Grouchy" if having a bad day (http://www.steephill.tv/galleries/2005/high-pyrenees/). 

Wikipedia has more:

"SAG" may derive from a rider "sagging" off the back of the group.

SAG station - a location along the course of a long mass participation recreational ride providing mechanical and/or medical assistance to riders in need.

Volunteers at the SAG station may also dispatch SAG wagons to assist riders stranded along the course. A SAG station may also function as a food stop.

Now equipped with the definition I feel much better about using the term!  

So back to this weekend... it was a friend's first triathlon. We wanted to be there to cheer and support in this endeavor!  As a competitor, I know how valuable encouragement from a friend, family member or total stranger can be. One moment you are dragging along and then someone yells your name or says, "great job" and your head lifts a little higher and somehow your legs gain energy.  The emotional and physical lift is amazing!  

However, the logistics of athletic support is a sport in and of itself.  Just ask my aunt, Carol, who did a phenomenal job chasing me and a friend around the city of Louisville to cheer and support during the marathon.  The eve of the race, we poured over the course map to pinpoint locations/mile markers where she thought she could park, wave, cheer, throw pretzels and even coordinate a drop off for my wife to jump in and run the last ten miles with me.  This race was over 5 years ago but the images of my "sag wagon" evoke strong feelings of happiness, camaraderie, and strength which pushed me through fatigue and pain to the finish line!  Wow, I am about to tear up - such is the power of SAG!

We knew the Dunedin Tri course and set ourselves at the end of the Causeway at the bike turnaround to watch 2 laps of cycling.  We also knew the color of our friends' bikes, the color of their helmets and what they were wearing.  Although we had this information, discerning your friend in a pack of speeding bikes is not easy at all.  The colors and faces were a blur as bikes flew past us.  We cheered and clapped and kept a determined lookout.  I was sent up to the first bridge as a "spotter" to see if I could warn the cheer/picture squad of our friends advance arrival.  I was barely at the base of the bridge when I saw a white bike and gray helmet fly by.  My brain quickly made the connection as our friend on the bike yelled and waived to alert her supporters, hahaha.   I think we snapped one photo before our friend hit the turn and was cranking back towards Honeymoon Island.  We discovered she was on lap two already and her wife was maybe still on the course as well.  

We continued to clap and shout out to the bikers keeping an eye on the road for friend #2.  The bikers were very appreciative and many thanked us for the encouragement.  One girl stood out in particular as she pedaled along, she looked over and said, "thank you sooooo much".  It was extremely heartfelt and stuck with me.  It felt good to make someone else feel good.  

Our friends finished the tri and had a great experience.  We rehashed the details of the morning over a hearty, well-deserved breakfast!  Our friend's daughter (who was part of our glee club) brought up the appreciative biker in between bites of banana pancakes.  That girl made an impression on us all!

To all my friends, relatives and strangers that have motivated and encouraged me to conquer my goals - THANK YOU!  I hope you felt the gratitude in my heart bestowed onto me by this unknown triathlete:)