Gotta Run

Gotta Run, Maui, Hawaii, March 2011, Nikon D5000 with DX 18-200mm VR lens, 
300mm, 1/100 sec @ f5.6, ISO 200, 0 EV, no flash © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go ...

Heading off on a trip today, where it will be warmer, and yes, beach running will be an option.

I've been slackin' (well, at least in terms of my running), so hopefully I'll get a few long and enjoyable runs in while I'm in Israel.

But for now ... let's just say ... I gotta run!  Bye.

Lemme Outtahere

Lemme Outtahere, Eliezer Peri underpass, Tel Aviv, Israel, January 2011, Panasonic DMC-ZS7, 
25mm, 1/40 sec @ f3.3, ISO 80, no flash © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Tel Aviv (and Jaffa, and elsewhere in Israel) has some great graffiti artists.

This underpass pillar always intrigued me, so one day when I went out for a run on the beach, I decided to end my run with this photo.

Let's just say ... there were consequences ;-)

Day 36: Feeling frozen?

Frozen, Amherst, NH, March 2008,

Nikon D40, 35mm focal length equiv. 158mm, Exposure 1/160 sec @ f5.6, ISO 200, no flash, exposure bias -1/3

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Are you frozen in time or place?  Unable to take decisive action?  Or break out of limiting patterns?

Usually, at the core of such indecision or bad habits, is a lack of self-confidence or self-respect. 

That's one of the insights being explored by the donation organization today, "Back on my Feet."

From their web-site, "Back on My Feet ... promotes the self-sufficiency of homeless populations by engaging them in running as a means to build confidence, strength and self-esteem."

What an awesome idea.  And if it can work for homeless folks that are really down on their luck, imagine what it might do for those of us that just need a kick in the butt to break out of old, frozen patterns of behavior.

So go ahead.  Find some old sneakers, and lace 'em up.  And take the first step in a new direction.

• Donation:  To Back on My Feet, who helping homeless people gain self-respect through running
• Exercise:  Nice 3.5 mile walk with Carol and Frito (75 mins)

Day 24: Shore up your defenses

The Tower, Hohenzollern Castle, Mount Hohenzollern, above Hechingen, Germany, December 2008,

Nikon D40, 35mm focal length equiv. 63mm, Exposure 1/250 sec @ f8, ISO 200, no flash, exposure bias -2/3

© Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

So how are your defenses?  I thought mine were pretty strong -- eating healthy, getting regular exercise, and generally taking pretty good care of myself.  Well, that all came crashing down on my last business trip.  I don't know for sure what I have, but it seems to me like severe bronchitis -- we'll let the doc sort it out later today.

And then as for my running, it has been getting stronger, and a little bit easier.  Still no where back to where I was during marathon season, but I guess that's what training programs are for.  Until I got tripped up on a loop of metal (road detritus) and went crashing to the ground ... nose first.  Ouch!

I was pretty amazed a driver stopped immediately right in the busy road, and got out his first aid kit and tried to help put humpty dumpty back together again.  And within a minute, a police officer stopped as well, and was going to make arrangements for an ambulance.  But it wasn't *that* serious, so I thanked them both profusely, and hobbled back to the hotel to clean up and raid *their* first aid kit.

Not a good combination -- gouged up nose with bandages that just about cover the nostrils and some kind of cold/bronchitis (think sneezing, running nose, with a wicked cough).  My defenses have been trashed.  I am (and look) officially pathetic.  

I hope your defenses are in better shape.   Something to keep in mind as you make your dietary and exercise selections each day.  And maybe not hanging out with sick people ;-)

But this too shall pass and at some point, things will be back to normal humming on all cylinders.  Lord only knows when ;-)

• Donation:  KIVA loan to Félicité Kabassele
• Exercise:  Walk with Frito (could have been a scene from night of the living dead, in my trench coat, hacking away) (30 mins)

Run 11.11 miles on 1/1/11 @ 11:11

Mission Accomplished, Ellen, Will, Trent, Andi, and Steve at Will's house for post-run recovery, New Year's Day 2011,

Apple iPhone 4, Focal length 3.85mm, Exposure 1/17 sec @ f2.8, ISO 250, with flash  © Steven Crisp

Well, thanks to organizing by Will, encouragement (shaming?) by Andi, and with fond memories of Angi, this group accomplished its mission.

And that, according to Will, was to run 11.11 miles on 1/1/11 at 11:11 AM.  Great idea.  However ... Note to self:  "conditioning is a terrible thing to waste" ;-)

I haven't run in probably 3 months, and my heart rate was constantly in my anaerobic range, which meant by the end of this run, there was nothing (I mean nothing) left in the tank.  But the group showed great patience, and Trent probably got an extra mile of running from doubling back to make sure I didn't get lost (thanks, Trent).  So that means one more thing for me ... the run was at an 11 minute pace.  That's appropriate, don't you think?

 As for the weather?  Typical German winter, with some spitting snow and lots of snow (and some ice) on the trails.  But I could not blame my footing, and here's why:  I screwed my shoes.  If you count, I've got 50 sheet metal screws set into an old pair of my running shoes.  That's some traction.  Just don't wear your shoes in the house ;-) 

We ran up to Birkenkopf (aka Rubble Hill) and had a nice view of Stuttgart (not to mention a nice rest for some of us ;-)  Below you see a photo looking toward Stuttgart (and perhaps notice the detritus from New Year's Eve), the runners at the top of the hill, and a 360º panorama movie of the surrounding towns and forests.

                

But wait, there's more.  Where can you be running along a trail and come across a wild boar family (yes, with a fence in between, but still)?  And where can you be running along and stumble across an outdoor Glühwein stand?  You guessed it ... only in Germany.  So below you will see a few photos, as well as our Glühwein toast to Angi and Mike Buckley -- Happy New Year guys -- we miss you!

Running Meditation

Running Meditation, Portland, Oregon, May 2008, Nikon D40 with 18-200mm VR lens, Focal length 50mm, Exposure 1/13 sec @ f4.8, ISO 800, exposure bias -1/3 stop, no flash, circular polarizing filter © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Step 2. Nurture Peace in Yourself
{continuing the series, by Susan Skog}
"The first step is to come home to ourselves. You don't need to become a Buddha. You need to become yourself." -- Thich Nhat Hanh

It's hard to stay peaceful if we're overwhelmed by life. Find some peace, calm, and stability in your inner world so you can be kinder in your outer world. Do whatever soothes you, daily. Spend time in nature, meditate, sing, dance, play, chill on the couch. Do yoga, read by the fire, eat good chocolate while watching an entire sunset. Disconnect from conflict and just breathe for a while. Center yourself and tap into the peace you already carry within.

For me, it is not the cushion, but simply time alone.

Walking or running, especially in nature, usually does the trick. I notice that a few things happen.

Sometimes I work out problems -- things that didn't seem clear or resolvable before, now I see a way ahead.

Sometimes my mind is elsewhere, and I am just part of the rhythm of my breath and my steps. During those times, I may just feel the eventual euphoria called the runner's high (which is pretty nice by itself).

But many times, I have little "aha" moments. When my mind is clear and not focused on anything, and then a new idea, disconnected from anything else, just pops into my head. It's a creative inspiration, and then my mind can take that and run with it.

Othertimes, what I'll call "deep thoughts" appear and I spend time examining them. Not looking for answers to questions, but twirling the issue around so that I can see all sides of it. I like to challenge my own biases and cultural prejudices, and see if I can examine it from another's point of view. I like to blend the "us vs them" perspectives, and help uncover how there is only "all as one".

So this is my approach to nurturing peace within myself. What's yours? Whatever works best for you -- just give it time.