Big Sit, Day 66: Breathing In, Breathing Out

"Breathing in, I know that I am breathing in; breathing out, I a know that I am breathing out..."

When Tricycle's 90-day Zen Meditation Challenge, The Big Sit, started sixty-six number of days ago, I had endeavored to ignite a practice of sitting each day for 15 minutes (yes, 5 minutes less than recommended, but far better than the zero I had been putting in previously!). Things have “progressed” in that I have continued to follow through on setting aside fifteen-twenty minutes daily (preferably in the morning, but at night when necessary) and, thus far, have only missed two “appointments” with the chair/pillow.

While there is no real measure of success in practice (at least as I have seen yet), except for the reality that I now look forward to these moments and have tried to develop how and what I do with them.

I began this journey using a method of "counting breathes" (“One”… breathe in… breathe out, “Two”… breathe in… breathe out… and so on until ten), dabbled briefly in a few different “counting approaches,” but of late have settled on using the some techniques suggested in Thich Nhat Hanh’s Breathe, You Are Alive: The Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing. (The first of these is at the start of this post.)

In addition to using a few lines of these sutras (aphorisms relating to some aspect of the conduct of life) to focus in lie of simple counting, I have also begun reading a short gatha (one of a group of hymns) priro to beginning in each morning.

The best part is that I have started...

A Jeffersonian Consideration of Future Runs

Following last Sunday's BPAC 6-Hour Distance Run, and with my knees feeling better day-by-day, it's time to turn my attention to a follow-up feat... there are a number of different runs on the horizon so it would seem that bit of re-focusing is in order...

My options seem to reflect an almost Jeffersonian choice (see Thomas Jefferson's Head and Heart Letter (1786) here), a conversation of sorts between what my head thinks is best and what my heart desires. Unlike President Jefferson, these matters are not of personal romantic nature, but reflect two divergent avenues for expressing my passion for challenge. My knees are telling me "run short and fast," my hear and head continue to whisper "long and slow is the way to go..."

Coming up this Sunday is the 15 mile MedVed Madness Trail Race. This might be a good follow-up to last week's run with the change in elevation and (likely) technical nature of the course substituting for the beating my knees took running BPAC's black-topped surface. The races organized by the lads involved with this one are always great fun... though my goal would be to complete the race without getting a lost. (The pictures from the 2008 edition certainly do paint an intriguing picture, too!)

Three weeks later, over the Memorial Day holiday, there will be the second race in the Western New York Ultra Series, (the first being BPAC), the Highland Forest 1-2-3 on Saturday, May 23rd. This run would also require a little bit of a Roadie, this time East toward Syracuse. In year's past, my wife and I have spent this weekend in Buffalo for the Nissan Buffalo Marathon, so this might be a nice change of pace/venue... I'll file this one under a "possibility," but given the travel involved not quite yet a "probability."

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Biking 2 Home--A Brief Visual Tour!

Date: April 28, 2009
Bicycling: 12 miles in :40:31 min. @ 4:45 p.m.
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 59°F, 63% Humidity, Wind: From N @ 10 mph; feels like 57°F.Course: Bike 2 Work Day Route 1 made using USATF Map It!.

The return ride home after work yesterday was much more challenging, especially given the extremely warm temperatures... not a favorite weather condition for yours truly to pedal in! Fortunately, I had some pictures on file (from bicycling trips in years past) with which I can give you a quickie guided visual tour of the ride from school to my abode, a distance covering roughly 12 miles.

Here is where the ride ended this morning and begins this afternoon, the not-so-secret back entrance to the school at which I work.


The Greece Bike Path (also picured at the top of this post) goes beside Greece Olympia High School and past its baseball and football fields. There is quite a lovely selection of bird sounds emanating from the trees between the path and the expressway... if you can hear them through the sound of traffic, that is.


At the end of the Greece Bike Path, or at least the point at which it opens onto the very busy Ridge Road area, there is the odd juxtaposition of scenic pseudo-lake and four lane expressway. Such is the nature of the two huge influences in our community... development and a desire to maintain some green space.


Kodak Park at the corner of Ridge Road and Lake Avenue. MY grandfather worked here in the offices and my father worked in the electrical plant. I, too, worked there for a short time during college, spooling and packaging film on a conveyor belt one summer and serving as a courier another summer. (Hey, I think that yellow school bus is following me!)


Maplewood Park on Lake Avenue and home of the annual rose garden festival. If you look to the upper right hand corner you can see the YMCA my family and I frequent.


At the end of St.Paul, or at least where it splits off) and just past Genesee Brewery, the city becomes much more "mod" and the amount of foot traffic decreases significantly, that is until the coffee shops around the Eastman Theater near East Avenue.


From this point on it was pretty much business as usual, bicycling through neighborhoods I frequently run on the weekends... and straight on til home!

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Biking 2 Work!

Bicycling: 12 miles in :48:00 min. @ 6:00 a.m.

Pace: 0:00 min/mi.
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 58°F, 72% Humidity, Wind: From WSW @ 7 mph; feels like 58°F.
Course: Bike 2 Work Day Route 1 made using USATF Map It!

This morning I woke up early and, despite having run 26 miles yesterday morning, decide that it was time to attempt to ride my bicycle to work again this school year--partially in an effort to prepare for National Bike-Walk to Work Day, but mostly to challenge myself. I pedaled myself to school from my home in the Park Avenue neighborhood of Rochester, adhering (for the most part) to the scheduled route referenced above.

Though I did this last year, I was once again struck by how much more opportunity one has to "see" things that otherwise go unnoticed on any trip when rather than the more traditional mode of transport, driving in an automobile at anywhere from 30 to 60 mph.

The route I took this morning was not unlike the one I drive on occasion except for the little bike paths and side streets I found along the way which were not part of the original plan. Of particular interest was the Greece Interstate Trail , or "Bike Path," which ran parallel to the expressway. Stretching from Ridge Road to Olympia High School, the bike path is not readily noticeable from the expressway due to trees and bushes which make the path seem much more scenic than it actually is. On Trails.com the Trail is accurately described as:

This bike path slices through the town of Greece giving the cyclist a sample of its diversity from busy Ridge Road, to suburban backyards, to deep woods, and fields. On the way you may see rabbits, great blue herons, turtles, and ducks, not to mention the usual birds, squirrels, and chipmunks... In addition to metal signs reading “390 biking” on posts, at each crossing you’ll see the silhouette of a biker painted on the asphalt. We jokingly call this marking “the roadkill biker.”

Though I have worked in the district for over three-and-a-half years, I had not previously taken the time to "bike it," and clearly I had been missing out on something worthwhile. It is amazing how many resources we in our larger county-wide community have available to us!

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Birdapalooza: Hello, Ms. Northern Flicker!

Date: April 25, 2009
Time: 1:30-2:00 p.m.
Weather: Partly Cloudy and Windy, 82°F, 39% Humidity, Wind: From WSW @ 24 mph, gusting to 35 mph; feels like 82°F(!).
Location: The backyard of our home in the upstate New York city of Rochester.

Bird Species/Markings/Features: One female Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus). We identified her as being a female because she did not have the distinctive black "mustache" markings on her face, common to males of the species. The brown plumage of the female and male are richly patterned with black spots, bars, and crescents.

Sights/Sounds/Activities: The Northern Flicker did not utter a peep in the backyard, but silently pecked away, gently hopping every few minutes to a another location all within a six-foot diameter for about twenty minutes.

Shortly she (the bird) flew to the middle of a large tree and sat for a while--something my terrible eyesight wouldn't allow me to personally hone in on, but that Anne did see.

Notes: Upon returning from our weekend trip to both the "bird store" the food co-op, I came up to check my e-mail and Anne had a snack. About ten minutes later, Anne called me from the first floor excitedly imploring me to "come down, there's a new bird in the yard!" (Anne is excellent at spotting them with the naked eye and then (using binoculars--which are always at the ready) thumbing through Stan Tekiela's Birds of New York Field Guide.

Based upon the shape of its long-ish slightly curved bill, beak and the bright red feathering on the neck, we immediately determined that it was a woodpecker, but just which type took a little noodling. What threw us off was the fact that, unlike every other woodpecker species we'd seen in the past three years, this one did not feed from the tree, but rather pecked around in the grass for bugs (ants and beetles) to eat.

It would appear as though the three feeders we installed (and have kept loaded) have begun to attract a wider array of birds. While it is pleasant to watch more common species, there is an increased level of excitement when someone new comes by for a snack!

Breathe in, breathe out... YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

BPAC 6 Hour 4 Hour Distance Classic

Run: 26.2 miles in approximately 3:47:27 min. @ 8:00 a.m.
Weather @ Start: Cloudy, 50°F, 60% Humidity, Wind: SSW @ 7 mph; feels like 50°F.
Weather @ Finish: Partly Cloudy, 68°F, 63% Humidity, Wind: CALM; feels like 68°F.
Pace: 8:40 min./mi
Course: 3.25 mile certified scenic loop, P-shaped, paved, traffic free.
Official Results: Here (with splits), completed by Score-This!!!

Pre-Run Observations: Given the amount of space devoted to my "quickie" preparations these past few days, there really is not much more to say. My alarm woke me this morning at 5:00 am. to allow for a cup of joe, a shower and the 80 minute drive to suburban Buffalo. After rolling out of bed, my knees, ankles and chest are achy--I'm not clear as to how much of it is psychosomatic, so I figure "what the heck, why not, let's do this."

The things that is of most concern to me as I pull out of the driveway is how well I will be able to drive the distance home after having run the six-hours (which is entirely way too optimistic, but like I said, "what the heck..."

Post-Race Reflections: As you can likely infer from my alteration to the post title, I didn't end up running for the entire six hours, but I did manage to complete the equivalent of a marathon, or eight loops of the 5k course. While my time was not anywhere near a PR for the distance, I was very happy to have accomplished the distance at a fair pace with too little training. The plan of :36:00 minutes per 5k loop would have worked, but I had difficulty maintaining the slower pace over the first half of the run and it came back to bite me in the hindquarters in the latter loops. I continue to marvel at those (other than I) disciplined runners who can sit back and pace themselves without awareness of where they "rank," content to bring the run to them and wait for things to balance out. There were many good runners there this morning and given the "p" shape of the course, I was afforded the unique opportunity to both run myself and see them perform too.

Though I would be less than honest if I didn't share that I was disappointed not to be able to continue for two more loops, and therefore have the run "qualify" as an ultra, the physical cost would have been too great, I think. After actually attempting the ninth loop and realizing that my knees were not going to allow me to run and my pride would not permit me to walk, I called it a morning.

My psychological approach of focusing and taking each loop as a unique stage and meditating on that stage, in that moment, worked to good effect--I've never felt more together following a race of this distance than I did today... so many positives can be drawn from the overall experience.

All-in-all, it was a very nice way to spend my last day of Spring Break. I woke up at 5:00, left the house at 6:00, arrived at 7:25, ran from 8:00 to just before noon, and was back home having lunch with my wife by 1:30--not a bad way to spend a day, for sure!

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Ultra Prep, Part 2: Which Way (and How Fast) Do I Go, George?

I often tell the athletes I work with that performing well in a competitive race is much more than just "running fast." Often the "fastest" athlete is not victorious, while the smartest runner is. While I am not treating this Sunday's run as a "race" (i have no illusions of grandeur), I am hoping to participate intelligently in completing 32.5 miles in six hours.

As you can see from the map to the right, the run will be taking place over a "P" shaped course that is about 5k (3.25 miles) in distance.

Given my single prior experiences of running a loop course over 20+ miles, this course is not too bad, though most of the challenges are likely to be psychological (try running in circles over and over and over and over and over again!), but unlike the marathon (26 laps of one mile loop--UGH!) I attempted two years ago in February, this "bad boy" is not looking too bad... I'll just need to stay loosely focused.

As far as pace is concerned, if my goal is 32.5 miles then (hello!), I'll need to complete 10 laps in the allotted time, or ten successive 5ks. To cover that mileage in six hours, I will need to maintain a pace of 7:12 minutes /kilometer, or :36:00 for each of the ten loops (5k distance).

While I know this pace3 is definitely not as "easy" as I'm making it "sound" here, I'm planning on having my body keep it together long enough to finish with a (in all likelihood "delusion-induced") smile on my face...

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Poetry Month Earth Day Genocide Prevention Month

Lo and behold, in addition to poetry and Earth, April is was also a time for acknowledging the issues surrounding (and damning) international acts of genocide. Yes, April is was also Genocide Prevention Month.

Of this fact (that April was a specific month for raising awareness of this issue), I had no awareness and it was only after coming across the article entitled Darfur genocide inspires actress hunger strike on Yahoo! News, that I realized that April had yet another issue to which it was "devoted." Having recently taught a unit including the novel Night by Elie Wiesel, I had pointed out to my son that Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom Hashoah) was this past Tuesday, April 21, though.

Here is the brief news release in its entirety (which, in true "up-to-date" fashion appeared in my local fish-wrap two days later!):

LOS ANGELES – Mia Farrow plans to begin a hunger strike next week in solidarity with the people of Darfur.

The 64-year-old actress and humanitarian says she will begin a "fast of only water" on Monday "as a personal expression of outrage at a world that is somehow able to stand by and watch innocent men, women and children needlessly die of starvation, thirst and disease."

Farrow was moved to begin the hunger strike after the Sudanese government expelled international aid agencies from the country last month. Farrow says she is calling on world leaders to "help build a credible peace process" to end the violence in Darfur. Her protest is part of Genocide Prevention Month, a campaign to stop genocide worldwide.

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

A Light 2 Bike 2 Work By 4/24/09

"Get a bicycle. You will not regret it if you live."~Mark Twain, Taming the Bicycle

The most significant personal change which will impact my ability to participate in National Bike/Walk to Work Day this year is that I changed grade (from middle to high school) so have an earlier (7:00 am rather than 8:00 am). This means that when I leave in the morning to ride my bicycle to work, it is just before 6:00 am instead of 7:00 am and therefore dark outside still. This would not be such a huge concern as that my most direct route to school goes through the heart of the city.

So, this morning I went to the local bicycling store and purchased the inexpensive ($10) Bell Dawn Patrol Headlight for my bicycle (as well as four rechargeable AA batteries) in hopes of continue the "tradition" of riding when I can. Generally the month of May is challenge due to so many activities after school which will require my driving a car in order to be there in a timely manner. Last June, though, I was successful at riding my bicycle roughly three times a week.

This past week I have been bicycling to the video store and library as a way of getting my "bike legs" back, and now with the light in place, I am feeling more confident about pedaling Monday. It occurs to me now, as it did last year, is that the most difficult part of this adventure (other than careless motor vehicle drivers) is answering this question:

How does one ride 11+ miles to work and continue to smell (and look) like a professional?*

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

* = NOTE: This was mostly accomplished last year, but it was challenging not to look like I was destitute with wrinkled clothes and sweaty shirts.

Summer Camp*? Sign Me Up!

In the midst of much planning this week (an upcoming road race, a possible return tp bicycling to work) I have also taken advantage of the time off this week to do a bit more blog surfing than usual. During a recent spate of clicking and searching, I came across the Nike advertisement above for the NIKE Free sneaker. While I have been to a variety of track clinics and participated in group training runs before, my summer camp dreams have not (yet) been fulfilled to this extreme... yet!

While the commercial itself is (I think?) a spoof, I have indeed heard of a number of 5ks which are intended to be run "au natural." (My filter will not permit me to search under "nude" so you'll have to take my word for it!) With all that is in the news about barefootedness, "going back to nature," and extreme sports, it strikes me that there is likely an excellent story between the connection between nudity and running (or athletics) out there waiting to be written... who knows, Summer Break will be here soon and maybe I can work it into my "topic queue!"

A second little tidbit of interest is that towards the end of the commercial, this year's third place finisher at the Boston Marathon, Karen Goucher (clothed), and her husband Adam (nekkid), appear at the end of the video.

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

*Please check out Laura's very cool blog A Spring In My Step, where I first came across this video!

Ultra Prep, Part 1: Bring On the Weekend Weather Forecast!

Following yesterday's "training run," and subsequent evaluation of how I'm feeling, it appears as though I will be making the solo trek about an hour-and-a-half away to run in the BPAC 6-Hour Distance Classic.

Whether this is a good idea or a foolhardy lark will likely only be determined on Sunday evening after I have a) driven the 80 miles to suburban Buffalo, b) run about twenty six or so miles in six hours straight, and c) turned immediately around and drive home. Now that I have the correct date (Sunday rather than Saturday---as I had been posting prior too yesterday), I can begin to finalize preparations and expectations around how the day (and run) will go.

The greatest variable that will likely impact my performance (beyond training) is the weather. For me, it has always been an indicator of what might come to pass. Last fall, when I attempted to run the Rochester Marathon I ended up pulling out at mile 17 due to the extreme humidity and heat. On the more positive side, in November 2007 I ran the Mendon Trail Ultra (32.6 miles) in cool, cloudy drizzly conditions, which are much more preferable. The weather forecast for Sunday (as found on the Weather Channel's website) is:

Weather: Partly Cloudy, 72°F, 30% Humidity, Wind: From SSW at 9 mph; feels like 57°F.

It would appear that there will be a mix of the two "types" of weather for which I have gained experience running in. Now, I'm no weather person, but I would bet that there will be little actual precipitation (30% chance = thunderstorms?), but that it will indeed be warm (by April upstate New York standards anyway. The potential for this weather pattern doesn't concern me so much, as knowing is half the battle, and given the forecast, I can pack accordingly for some eventualities...

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Earth Day Poetics

"Poets, as few others, must live close to the world that primitive men are in: the world in its nakedness, which is fundamental for all of us--birth, love, death; the sheer fact of being alive."~Gary Snyder, "Poetry and the Primitive"

The "celebration" of Earth Day can be an awkward and tricky thing.

While the idealistic intention is to (maybe) "honor the Earth," the necessity of a "special" day strikes me as unfortunate: that we, as a disparate, loose community of people, require the setting aside of a specific day on which to 1) demonstrate our commitment through special "events", and/or 2) honor the intrinsic connection through an outward expression of unity.

Perhaps, I'm being too cynical--any progress towards a deeper understanding of our innate connection with nature and each other can only be viewed as positive, right? For me, I'll acknowledge "Earth Day" by sharing Gary Snyder's reading of a piece of his poetry from his excellent collection Axe Handles:


It does sometimes seem apropos that Earth Day falls within The Academy of American Poets National Poetry Month celebration, especially given the connection between the poet's potential role in illuminating/preserving the individual's connection with Nature.

A "Tryout" Training Run

Run: 13.2 miles in 1:44:59 min. @ 5:35 a.m.
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 41°F, 86% Humidity, Wind: From SSW at 9 mph; feels like 35°F/41°F.
Pace: 7:57 min/mile
Course: Thirteen Mile Test Run, made using USATF Map It! for which I once again used my wife's Alma Mater, Nazareth College, as the "turnaround."

Pre-Run Ruminations: If I were to participate in this Saturday's Sunday's BPAC Classic, the dream would be to go at least 32.5 miles, or 10k over a marathon, therefore qualifying the run as an ultra marathon. An inability on my part to fully accomplish this would not be confidence shattering though, as 26.2 miles (a distance that might also be a bit of a stretch at this time) in six hours would be nothing to sneeze at. The longest recent training run I've had has been an 18 miler.

So, let's do the math. Let's just imagine that I anticipated covering the 32.5 miles (or about 50 kilometers) given the six hours time limit. That would mean maintaining a consistent pace of about 11 minutes per mile. Now that we know what the anticipated pace might be, perhaps a practice run of a third (10-13 miles) at "race pace" would be in order. The planned route (Thirteen Mile Test Run) is slightly over thirteen miles in distance, so if I pace myself at 11:00 min/mi. that makes the target finishing time for today's run is approximately 2 hours and 23 minutes!

Afterward, I'll (briefly--I promise!) evaluate how I'm feeling (chest pains, leg aches, ankle turns, etceteras), and see how realistic the thought of running this particular race on Saturday is. This will undoubtedly sound conceited, but aerobically, I am confident in my ability to successfully complete the ultra, it is the other variable (as mentioned previously) that are a greater cause for pause...

Post-Run Reflections: This morning's run went very well, though my confidence is slightly tempered given the nearly perfect running conditions this morning... if every race could be executed in cloudy, 41°F weather, I'd be a content cat. Other than an unplanned four minute "pit stop" at a McDonald's at around mile 8, everything went pretty well, except, that is, my ability to pace myself. Internally (in my mind) I felt as though I was slowing myself down, focusing on my from and breathing, but when I did the math afterward, my pace was about 8:00 min/mile, when my goal was 11:00.

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

A Challenging Potential Lark

lark /lɑrk/[lahrk] (noun) 1. a merry, carefree adventure; frolic; escapade.

While perusing the various local road racing calendars yesterday (a bi-monthly ritual during which I will occasionally map out my intentions for the upcoming months) I came across a number of runs of interest ranging from the very common 5k to a number of ultra marathons. In these days of reduced dinero for running graces, I rarely find something as short as a 5k worth dropping $20-$35 (I'm looking at you Chase Corporate Challenge!), so I have tried to find longer more challenging distances worthy of my hard earned money.

A run that came on my radar screen for the third consecutive year, and that I failed to sign-up for last year, is the BPAC 6-Hour Distance Classic. "It is what it says it is"... you run/jog/walk 3.25 mile certified scenic loop (pictured to the right) for as long as you are capable in a six-hour window, the goal being to run at least 26.3 (just 0.1 over a marathon distance) thereby making it "officially" and ultra (over) marathon. I actually competed in the last "leg" of this series of races (Western New York Ultra series) a year ago last fall when I ran my first and only ultra, a six mile trail course not far from my home. The BPAC, however, while flatter, is a bit of a hike from home (to just outside Buffalo from Rochester).

After seeing the online registration sheet, I quickly printed it off and put it in my pocket to share with my wife for her impressions when I picked her up from work. While I have been training for "something," which anyone will tell you is probably not the most intelligent way to train for anything, despite my recent health concerns I am in relatively good shape... good enough to punch out 26.2 in six hours (my PR at that distance is 3:26).

The cost ($20) and spartan prizes (Certificates for all finishers; finisher medals for only the top 30 finishers) are both attractive features, and though my wife said "If you want to go, we'll go" I know she does not want to sit and (in effect) wait around for me to pass every 3.5 miles... so though it would be bit of a lark, is this something I should do?

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

R U Ready 2 Bike 2 Work?

Last year, I participated rather fully in the idea of riding my bicycle to work in an effort to 1) reduce my personal use of oil (remember the $4.00+ a gallon pricing from last Spring?), 2) model bicycle safety through my wearing of a helmet to my middle school students, and 3) vary my exercise habits to further minimze the impact of running on my legs.

Well, it's almost that time of year again!

The League of American Bicyclists is once again promoting National Bike Month and Bike-to-Work Week from May 11-15 and National Bike/Walk to Work Day on Friday, May 15. While my community is unfortunately not among them, many cities and towns are also sponsoring related activities in hopes if increasing the cycling traffic and reduce the number of motorized vehicles on the roads.

It seems to me that riding one's bike to work is a venture that individuals can spend oodles of time explaining why they can't do it, or suck it up and do their best to attemtp a level of participation. This year, I'm once again choosing to suck it up...

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Music Monday: "Let the Sunshine In"

"Our space songs on a spider web sitar,
Life is around you and in you..."

Currently, my tenth grade English classes are working with a student teacher who is reading Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers. Earlier in the school year my eleventh graders and I studied The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien.

Both novels are set on the front lines of the Vietnam conflict. More than sharing a similar setting, thematically both pieces address the individual cost of war, while raising questions about who goes to war (Angels) and what those who serve bring back with them (Carried).

Though I have enjoyed both the musical and Milos Forman's 1979 film version, the obvious connection between both books and Hair (1979) only came into clear view as I was digging through my thoughts and files in search of a song to share for this week's Music Monday.

It's a little embarrassing that I hadn't really considered (or mined for a previous post!) what now seems an oh-so-obvious connection between these literary selections and the film... especially given the shared settings. Perhaps it's because up until "Let the Sunshine In" and the accompanying images presented above that the movie seems to become truly serious (and shocking).

Windy Days and Mondays Always Get Me Up

Run: 9.7 miles in 1:16:19 min. @ 9:40 a.m.
Weather: Cloudy and Windy, 45°F, 71% Humidity, Wind: From SSE @ 20 mph, gusting to 32 mph; feels like 37°F.
Pace: 7:51 min/mile
Course: Castaways 9.5 Mile Money Route found on USATF Map It! in reverse.

The first official day of Spring Break, and after dropping my wife off at work (a "job" I enjoy during these respites from work is to drive my wife to and from work), and though it's sprinkling out this morning, I am committed to getting some road work in for the second consecutive today.

The goal with this morning's training run is the antithesis of yesterday's--go longer and at a more reasonable pace (at least a satisfactorily moderate pace for someone who has been "off " from training for nearly a week). I also want to be sure not to exacerbate my chest "issue" in anticipation of tomorrow's visit to the doctor.

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Avoiding a Training Goose-Egg

Run: 4.7 miles in :35:00 min. @ 7:35 a.m.
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, 41°F, 84% Humidity, Wind: From NE at 8 mph; feels like 36°F.
Pace: 7:31 min/mile
Course: Beginning on Canterbury Road, take a right onto Monroe Ave, until turning a left at South Goodman, followed by a left onto South Clinton Avenue, another left Elmwood Avenue, yet another left on Eastland to Southern Parkway then onto Monroe then to Culver and back onto Canterbury until finally making my way home.

Yes, I'm still feeling the (more and more familiar) discomfort on the left side of my neck , chest, and arm, but inspired by yesterday's dog-walking excursion, I thought I could attempt to start small and go for a brief, slow-paced, easy run (I just can't type the word "jog" and mean it).

Plus, I really do not want to have the obligation of penciling a goose-egg (0) for my training mileage this week...

Of course, once I was aware of my surroundings and situation (on the road and attempting to run), I naturally picked up the pace and while the distance was short, the pace was fairly steady and quick (7:30 mi/min).

Immediately afterward, I did experience a sharp discomfort in my left chest, but this quickly subsided and was not in accompaniment with a especially high level of breathlessness. I'm looking forward to Tuesday's appointment with my primary care physician to begin getting to the bottom of this. I continue to hold out hope that the discomfort is the result of some bizarre muscle tweak or pull...

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Dog Walkin'

Gracie and Anne following a walk last summer...
once we get a new camera, I'll be able to post more updated pix!
Walk: 2.5 miles in 40:00 min. @ 7:30 a.m.
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, 52°F, 42% Humidity, Wind: From W @ 12 mph; feels like 52°F.
Pace: 16:00 min/mile
Course: Around our neighborhood.

After five days having passed by without lacing up my running shoes and hotting the pavement, this morning I resolved to at(at the very least) get out for a walk. For the previous four evening's I had been planning to go for a walk with my wife, my dog, or both, but tiredness and a lack of motivation stood in the way.

Rollin gout of bed, I had decided that "enough was enough" with my waiting to go to the doctor's on Tuesday (a meeting during which he will tell me "nothing is wrong that I can tell... run when you'd like") until getting out and, to be honest, the sitting around was beginning to bum me out. So after checking my e-mail, drinking two cups o' joe, and sitting for fifteen minutes, I woke our dog Gracie and brought her with me for a short (leisurely?) walk around the neighborhood.

Just one time in the past Gracie came with me to a road race, a benefit for the local dog shelter. This morning, however, she is my companion for a walk. The weather was perfect this morning, and the winds remarkably calm, so I deep quite lay upon the neighborhood save the chattering of birds. Gracie and I walked through the streets, I trying to identify the birds by song and Gracie searching for a grey squirrel or two to pester...

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

What Now, Achy, Shaky Heart?

My training over the past few weeks has been a little sporadic, due primarily to lingering concerns following my hospital stay a few weeks ago. Immediately following my release from the Emergency Room, I (sort of) resumed training, but in the past few days have found the discomfort in my chest and arm to be too much to just look past while running.

In the days (week?) of training which lead up to (as well as directly following) my hospital stay, I found that running and exercise did not exacerbate the discomfort and that, in fact, the activity served to move my attention beyond the troublesome "ache."

I'm really not trying to be melodramatic, but rather trying to articulate for you (and me) why my activity level has tapered off of late. Especially as this current malaise represent a change in my common training pattern... Normally, with Spring Break next week, I would be re-asserting my commitment to a training plan due top the freed up time.

This break though will have a slightly different emphasis as I'm hoping to first see my primary care physician for my second post-emergency room follow-up and (as my symptoms have neither dissipated nor improved) seek a referral to a specialist... just whom and for exactly what is to yet be determined.

I would really like to get a more meaningful diagnosis than the vague (and frustrating) "virus" though so that I can continue to move forward...

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Time to "Hit" the Colbert

At least the occassioanl trip to my local YMCA will include a few more laughs...

Given the events of the day, I may need to re-evaluate my attitude toward training on a treadmill Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill (COLBERT).

In a news story which recently finished behind only the significant acquisition of a new family member by our First family (welcome, Bo!), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) created both a new acronym, as well as some much needed mojo, by announcing Tuesday that though it won't name an entire room in the international space station after the comedian, it has named a treadmill after him.

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Music Monday: "Let The Mystery Be"

"Some say once you're gone you're gone forever, and some say you're gonna come back.
Some say you rest in the arms of the Saviour if in sinful ways you lack.
Some say that they're comin' back in a garden, bunch of carrots and little sweet peas.
I think I'll just let the mystery be."

When I think of Spring (which believe it or not has finally begun to "spring" here in upstate New York), I am often reminded of the unique vocals of Natalie Merchant. While in college in the late Eighties, there were few bands hotter than the 10,000 Maniacs, especially where I went to college as the band hailed from nearby Jamestown, New York.

As I was perusing Youtube for clips of 10,000 Maniac songs (I had "These Are the Days" in mind) I came across this little gem from what appears to have been some sort of MTV Unplugged. "Let the Mystery Be" is a cover of an Iris Dement composition (herself a wonderful performer), performed here by David Byrne and Natalie Merchant, accompanied by the 10,000 Maniacs.

Springy, twangy and somehow sun-shiny all at once...

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Music Monday: "Busindre Reel"

"Oh dho que'
Va t'ma fsa vio ka,
Zapatien dorwi thole padreyyen."

About twelve years ago, my first wife and I took a trip to Toronto, and while there I blindly purchased a number of "World Music" CDs, and among them was a sampler including the song linked above, "Busindre Reel" by Hevia.

Upon first listen, I was both mesmerized and perplexed as I had a difficult time identifying just what type of muss it was (other than instrumental) and what instrument he was playing. The notes certainly sounded like that of a bagpipe, but from the picture of the artist included in the booklet it was clear that he was not Scottish. Not long thereafter, now back in the US, I came across Hevia's first American release, Tierra de Nadie (1998) and the pieces began to come together.

Come to find out, now aided by Wikipedia) that José Ángel Hevia Velasco, known professionally as Hevia, is a Spanish bagpiper, or more specifically, an Asturian gaita player. Though "Busindre Reel" remains his most well known international piece, I would strongly recommend any of his CD; I can assure that Tierra de Nadie still finds its way into my car for long car rides during the summer...

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Erie Canal Bird Run

Run: 11.8 miles in 1:33:20 min. @ 8:30 a.m.
Weather: Mostly Cloudy and Windy, 37°F, 57% Humidity, Wind: From NNE at 21 mph, gusting to 25 mph; feels like 26°F.
Pace: 7:56 min/mile
Course: 12 in Twelve made using USATF Map It!

Roughly three of the almost twelve miles I ran this morning took me once again along the Erie Canal Trailway, a path I have run both East and West often. My favorite aspect of the trails at this time of year is the seemingly sudden reappearance of an abundance of aviary life: American Robins, Downy Woodpeckers, Mourning Doves and others.

Most times I first become aware of their presence not by a visual cue such as the flapping of wings among bramble branches, but rather due to their respective songs, such as the American Robin's "cheerily, cheer up, cheer up, cheerily, cheer up," or the Mourning Dove's plaintive "Òcoo-OOH, Ooo-Ooo-OooÓ."

Personally, just by a few moments taken during a run to fleetingly observe or listen to bird activity that goes on around one can bring a sense of calm and well-being to a run and create are far more enriching experience than the BOOM-BOOM-BOOM of an i-pod or radio...

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Good (Friday) Run

Run: 6.4 miles in :46:34 min. @ 9:50 a.m.
Weather: Cloudy, 43°F, 51% Humidity, Wind: From NE @ 7 mph; feels like 39°F.
Pace: 7:17 min/mile
Course: Canterbury to Culver Rd. to Monroe Ave. (past Cobbs Hill, pictured below) left onto Winton Rd., right onto Highland Drive, left onto E. Highland Drive, left onto East Avenue, another left onto Oxford and a final left onto Harvard, and, finally, home.

The water bureau building at the top of Cobbs Hill; though Monreo Avenu runs by the bottom of the hill, it's difficult not to take note of the architecture atop the hill.
Following another (relatively) "long" rest period (its been four days since I ran the 9,3 mile road race last Sunday!), I managed to take advantage of the day off to get back outside. It really has been a case of "best laid plans..." syndrome wherein I have had one run in the "queue" for about two days, yet have been unable to work it into my personal plan.

Unfortunately, my wife was called away to visit her ailing brother in Denver this weekend, so I will be home alone (with no kids) and, therefore, having plenty of time on my hands, my intention is to use part of this time wisely and keep myself running.

An easy six miler, with a personal goal of two more extensive runs on Saturday and Sunday) seems as logical a place as any to get the ball rolling...

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Sitting: Quick Reflections on 46(!) Days

A student asked Soen Nakagawa during a meditation retreat, "I am very discouraged. What should I do?"
Soen replied, "Encourage others." (Essential Zen)

Though occasionally my dedication and purpose lapses, I continue to make every effort to sit for at least fifteen minutes daily. Here we are at Day 46(!) of the Tricycle's 90-day Big Sit. While I have at least made the effort to sit and focus each day there has been at least two day in the past few weeks that have ended very abruptly, usually when I have gone running early in the morning rather than sitting with the idea of attempting to do so in the evening. It has yet to have been successful.

I've come to the conclusion that my "mind" is much too splintered and wild to focus with any real intent after a day of drama students work, so my best course of action appears to be continuing to adhere to my vow to sit in the morning prior to "starting" my day.

Another challenge has been holding true to the precepts ("... reading or viewing the Genjokoan," "getting more sleep," etceteras) and, though these are not in and of themselves life-changing, I find myself being discouraged when I read the "vow" (as I do prior to each sitting session, and recognize my inability to follow through on all six elements. The cumulative effect of falling short is frustrating, but I endeavor prior to each prior to , during and following each session

On the "plus" side (though it is really neither "better" nor "worse" than what precede it) Recently I have also attempted moving from sitting in a chair to doing so while sitting Indian style on a pillow... actually a yoga blog with a pillow on top of it to provide myself a degree of stability. This, too, has proven a challenge mostly because my legs, though sort of flexible, are unfamiliar with holding this position for extensive periods of time. Like many new things, though, I am sure that with more practice I will be able to maintain the cross-legged sitting position comfortably for the 15-20 minuets necessary (for a beginner like me).

Wow... I still can't believe it's been forty six days, just slightly over halfway to 90!

Spring Forward Distance Run 15k Wrap-Up

The picture above is from yesterdays FleetFeet Spring Forward 15k Distance Race, taken by one of the fine folks from the Greater Rochester Track Club (GRTC).

The complete results are available here care of YellowJacket Racing and my specifics are as follows: 68 of 378 total finishers, 59 among 250 male finishers, and eight from a group of thirty M35-39 year old finishers.

Not bad, if I do write so myself!

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Hidelly-Ho, Raised Arms Happy Buddha!

As I continue along my ninety day Big Sit experience, I also continue to accrue items for my home altar. As you may recall, I recently acquired one of the more common visitors to many Zen altars, (including my own "homemade" one now), the Red Robe Laughing Buddha (or "RLB"). Yesterday, while on my way home from running errands, I purchased a "friend" for RLB, an individual who is best (and very generically) eponymously described as a 7" Raised Arms Happy Buddha (RAHB). Like many objects or images that have a spiritual value, what he means or is intended to represent often has a number of interpretations.

In fact, the statue I purchased at a local eccentricities store has some unique elements, as well as many familiar ones, with those I was able to track down online. At the very least there are some elements which are common to Chinese statuary that have fairly clear meanings.

The RAHB appears to be widely recognized as representing Chinese monk named Ho Tai (sometimes spelled "Hotei"), but is more commonly referred to by non-Buddhists as “laughing Buddha” or “happy Buddha.” Many believe that he is an incarnation of a Buddha who will appear in the future and might properly called a Bodhisattva. Another online source suggests that the statue represents Hotei, the god of contentment and happiness, one of the seven lucky gods. Perhaps they are one in the same as a Bodhisattva could be thought of as "godlike."

RAHB is usually depicted as the picture exuberant good health with his arms are raised high above his head. In most cases, each of his hands hold a legendary Peach of Immortality, though in the piece I have his hands are empty. A rosary is draped around Hotei's neck, highlighted by a lingzhi, the fabeled "fungus of immortality." (This corresponds to the plant Polyporus lucidus, a woody fungus usually dark in color with a lacquer-like sheen.) This lingzhi motif is found in every medium of Chinese art, and is a wish-fulfilling as well as a longevity symbol. Hotei's robe is meticulously etched with knot patterns, representing prosperity.

Even without the Peaches of Immortality, Hotei is a welcome addition to my altar...

Spring Forward Distance Run 15k

Run: 9.3 miles in 1:06:23 min. @ 8:30 a.m. + 2.5 miles
Weather: Fair, 34°F, 81% Humidity, Wind: W @ 10 mph; feels like 26°F.
Pace: 7:11 min/mile
Course: "The course is hilly and a great tune up for late spring marathon or 1/2 marathons. Three Water Stops on course with water, gel and Electrolyte Drink at mile 6. The Start is on Douglas Road and the Finish is on the dirt road next to Stewart Lodge."~ from the race website
Official results: Here courtesy of YellowJacket Racing.

This morning's run marks an anniversary of sorts; the first road race I registered for and begrudgingly got over my insecurities and actually showed up, was the 2005 Spring Forward 15k. That year I finished with a time of 1:17:45 (split: 8:21). The following year, 2006, I improved significantly and made it in 1:06:46.849 (Split: 0:07:11). Though I could swear I also ran this race in 2007 (the results prove me wrong each time!), I purposely did not register for the 2008 edition due to other commitments.

Pre-Race Ruminations: This April 2009 road race marks the start of my fifth year of road race running (holy alliteration!), something if you'd have told me six years ago I would still be doing, I would never believe... but here I still am.

Perhaps the most significant change in my approach from that man who signed up in 2005 (or from even two years ago) is that I now don't feel as "obligated" to run in every single 5-15k that appears on the racing calendar--which once March picks up is at least 2-3 a weekend. Some folks do, I just don't. For me, running has become more of a personal pursuit or challenge than a matter of "me" versus "them," or fulfilling some imaginary requirement of the running community to be at every "big race." Every race is a big race for someone, so props to evryone who crosses the Finish Line.

For whatever reason, this year I've signed up and picked up my number (and perfunctory t-shirt) at the local FleetFeet for the Spring Forward Distance Run 15k and have committed to be at the back of the pack when the bullhorn goes off this morning.

Let's see what happens, shall we?

Post-Race Observations: Due to the benefit of having as friend to run the course with, I believe I may have PR'd at this distance and certainly put together my best run in this particular race, finishing with an approximate time of 1:06:20. The only downfall was that my chest did start aching badly at about mile seven, but I held on until the finish. All-in-all it was another quality
YellowJacket Racing event, that started with a cool wind but ended awash glorious sun!

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

More Wintry Weather, Please!

Run: 7.4 miles in :57:23 min. @ 9:00 a.m.
Weather: Light Snow and Windy, 34°F, 96% Humidity, Wind: From W @ 24 mph, gusting to 37 mph; feels like 21°F.
Pace: 7:46 min/mile
Course: Modified Jack & Field 7 Miler made using USATF Map It!

Despite having gone for a run yesterday morning, and there being a 15k for that I am pre-registered for coming up tomorrow, when a natural opportunity for a run presented itself I decided to take it.

My son has two practices to attend today (Modified Track & Field in the AM, Little League Baseball in the PM) in an outlying suburb of River City, in the town in which his mother lives and he goes to school, so I knew I would have at least a few two hour blocks to fill.

Of course the rapidly changing weather has shifted from a balmy 52°F yesterday morning at 5:00 a.m., to "feels like" 21°F (with winds gusting to 37 mph and the humidity nearly doubled from 49 to 96%!)... I reckon it's not quiet time to pack up the running tights just yet!

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Getting Om the School Bus?

While perusing Yahoo News this morning, I came across a short article entitled McCartney, Starr still meditate on India trip. I recall (quite a few) years ago, seeing one episode of the Beatles documentary miniseries on network television, which dealt with the lads' trip to India to (among other 60s type things) visit with the Maharishi. While Ringo (my personal fave Beatle) and Paul are the only two still with us, this Indian experience still resonates with them just as the experience of meditative practice continues to influence others who embark on that path--and one that is not solely a religious one.

According to the article, a number of celebrity-types, including the two surviving Beatle, as well as Moby and Sheryl Crow among others, will be performing at a benefit concert in New York City (where else?) for the David Lynch Foundation. The organization's initiative is to teach one million at risk youths transcendental mediation techniques.

While I am not overly familiar with transcendental mediation as a specific school of mediation, the idea of imparting upon at-risk (or any) youth the discipline of mediation seems to me a powerful one. It is an idea I have toyed with as an educator since my first positions in the penal system up to the point where I work (now) with students stressed over their performance on standardized assessment.

Of course, the highest hurdle might be convincing (or reassuring) conservative school board members that this is not a cult inculcation program or a religious conversion system... regardless, it is a connection that would seem to bear exploring, at least to this educator/nascent "student" of meditation.

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Heart Felt Insomni-run

Run: 7.5 miles in :56:00 min. @ 4:05 a.m.
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, 59°F, 72% Humidity, Wind: From SSE @ 11 mph, gusting to 22 mph; feels like 59°F.
Pace: 7:32 min/mile
Course: Out and about.

After spending two days and a night in the hospital last weekend for a virus(?) which presented itself as a heart attack-ish type physical ailment, I find myself not feeling all that much better... which is not surprising as there was no real diagnosis except to tell me that "it's a virus." Hopefully, today OI can schedule a follow-up with my primary physician who can tell me more.

Of course, preceding any discussion of what was wrong with me , the tending physician (after reviewing all manner of cardiographs and stress test results, informed me that "you can start running seventeen miles again!"

Which is not quite exactly what I have done (yet), though I have been picking up a mile here and a mile there, thanks primarily to my inability to sleep through the night. Waking up (gain this morning as I did two days ago when I last ran, I forgo my planned morning fifteen minute sit to venture out into the cold and (relatively) empty streets.

It feels great...

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!