Power!

(disclosure: This is a long one. No pictures. No links. The Power in this lies in reading it uninterrupted from start to finish.)

This run was couched in themes of POWER.

It was a Powerful run. My last long run was the pits, so I needed a good one to boost my spirits. It was Powerful.

I summonsed a Power that lied outside of me, channeled that to within me and then had the Power to say no to going to a great show Saturday night, get up at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday to get my run in before having the will-Power to *still* make it to church.

I took Power naps all day Sunday (2.5) to recover from my Powerful run.

But really, what prompted this theme on Power was a Powerful comment directed towards me Saturday. I organized a clean up and community meeting in an attempt to reclaim the gem that Iroquois Park once was from the dulled diamond in the rough it has become. I intended this to be a small gathering of a few people to toss around some ideas, make some commitments and ask Metro Parks and Louisville Metro Government to partner with us on areas that can't be managed by citizens (i.e. tree removal, rehabilitation, etc.) . It gained Power, and became much more. Several elected officials came. Representatives from Metro Parks and Olmstead Conservancy attended. I met with them beforehand to gain an insight I lacked previously. And so, on Sunday, about 30-35 people arrived, met in Jacobs Lodge and so began our conversation. There is a group that formed prior to this, but I got a negative feel, vibe, etc. so I opted to just do something small. Despite a few media inquiries, I chose not to comment and to request the process remain a citizen-driven one. The meeting went ok. There were no tables, chairs or seats, no running water or restroom facilities so it was uncomfortable at times but these are some of the very problems I wanted to address. And address them we began to.

And then we spent several hours collecting about six bags of trash from the North Lookout and surrounding trails. Young and old, male and female, gay and straight, all walks of life. That's the park I want to reclaim. Unfortunately, there are egos involved (including my own probably, I am human) and, as such, I had a nasty message waiting for me upon my return home. The line that got me the most was, "at this time, you are not the person I will follow." I'm ok with not being followed. What resonated with me was this line spoke volumes to this whole movement of restoring the park: I don't want to be followed, I don't want to be The Chosen One (hell, I didn't even know I was applying for the job. I probably would have showered had I known!), I am a citizen just like every single one of you reading this. You're all citizens. We're all in this together side by side. I want people to walk alongside WITH me, and me WITH them. That's why we're in this mess to begin with...somebody somewhere thought (dare I say thinks) that they know what's best for "The People" and, as such, asserts themselves as The Chosen One.

Honey, let me tell you that's not a Power I wish to have. And it isn't a Power that our "leaders" should wish to have either. If you choose to follow someone who wants the Power of being the chosen one, you may well have had the wool pulled over your eyes.

And so, while I ran three loops around Iroquois Park (as well as a couple miles leading up to and back home from)...this was a theme I tried to meditate on: The Power of love shall reign supreme over the love of Power. At least that's my 26.2 cents worth...but don't take it from me, have your own thoughts; it's a Powerful process.

Totally Zoned Out

During today's run, I'm honestly not sure where I went!

I mean, I started at Iroquois Park by the Amphitheater (Iroquois Amphitheater details), went left like I always do, got distracted by this lovely surprise, and then completely zoned out the rest of the run. It was neither an enjoyable nor unenjoyable run. Or at least, I don't think it was. This rarely happens to me during runs, but I just went somewhere else. I'm almost embarrassed to admit it as it makes me appear slightly flaky. I completely escaped my reality for 28 minutes and 48 seconds.

I just returned from vacation where I had a couple of awful runs. I ended my vacation working more than I should have, but that's how it works out sometimes. I ended my vacation drained rather than recharged. I guess The Universe gave me half hour to escape anyway. Odd. And I didn't fight it, I allowed it. I just followed the path. In the repetition, I suppose I slipped into an active/moving meditation. And through that, I was just guided by Spirit. I wasn't particularly looking forward to the run due to this ache, that pain, a little dehydration and some fatigue...but I let all of that leave my body and soul and just ran. My time of 28:48 is on the slow side, but not terribly so. I just followed.

I think I forget to do that and needed a reminder. My next three weeks are go, go, go. Maybe my next three weeks need to be follow, follow, follow. Yea, maybe that was the point of today's run. Or at least that's my twentysixpointtwo cents worth. . .

Here's the route and details: Running Meditation Today

Do Not Settle

So the Sermon this Sunday at church focused on one phrase: Don't settle.

I have set a goal of a sub-4:00:00 marathon on October 28th. I began to settle...maybe this wasn't going to be my year. So much has happened. My agency has grown exponentially. I have a massive garden. I got two chickens. Grief still strikes me at random, odd and unwelcome times. It's a really hot summer. I don't have time. I'm stressed. I gained too much (grief) wait. Blah, blah, fucking blah! The ultimate reality and truth is: I began to settle! What a hypocrite I had become! Here I tell my kids they can be whatever they want, achieve all they set out to, transcend whatever vicious cycles they're "trapped" in and I began to settle.

No ma'am! Not anymore. I mean, I was on the friggin cover of the LEO. These kids look to me for hope when they may not have any other source. They come to me broken, beaten, downtrodden and full of self-doubt. And here I was going to let a few little life-occurrences let me settle.

I. Think. Not.

And so, I set it out this Monday. My course. My plan. My vision. Wait, no...there's that damn ego getting in the way again. I set out to follow The plan. The course. The vision. I happen to be a mere pawn in it.

I will be honest, I am still struggling. I still eat desserts more than once a week. Though I've conquered the candy challenge! I still drink sodas. And I still eat Ding Dongs now and then randomly throughout the week. But it's ok. It doesn't matter where I am today, it only matters that I move forward. That I've not settled. That I don't take a look around and say, "well, hey...maybe I didn't do a 4:00:00 marathon, but at least I did something. I think I'll stop now." Instead, I need to remind myself, "well hey, I didn't do a 4:00:00 marathon this time. What do I need to do in order to improve next time."

My journey isn't over, regardless if I do a sub 4 or not. My journey is on-going. And today, I set out to run 5 miles. 7.4 miles later I realized I had seriously under-estimated my distance from the park. But I didn't stop. I didn't settle. I kept moving forward. And here I am, less than 30 minutes later feeling like I need to puke and poop at the same time. But I didn't settle. I'm already looking forward to when I add the top lookouts of the park (another 200 feet in elevation maybe? and another 3ish miles) to my 5 mile run that turned into 7.

Don't Settle. It's just not in the Plan. Or at least that's my 26.2 cents worth. . .

The View You Have to Work For

Years ago, I was listening to some random NPR program. This was in the days when I didn't have a tv, but had Satellite Radio (in my defense, my ex paid for the subscription. And subsequently paid for a full year after we broke up too ha). Anyway...there was a program on indigenous ways of healing and medicine. As in those that are not chemically manufactured in a lab with high paid chemists in lab coats and goggles. Not that I'm against that in entirety (I reference this in a previous post, I won't belabor it here). Anyway, there was a healer from Appalachia being interviewed and he said something along the lines (I'm generously paraphrasing) that God put all the good healing herbs and roots far into the forest. The kind you had to work for to heal major ailments. i.e. peppermint, which cures a common upset tummy or bad breath, can be easily found everywhere. It takes a true healer and someone following Spirit to wade deep into the forest to find the herbs to heal the difficult and more serious ailments. And so the patient of the healer enjoyed the work of the healer.

view of beautiful valley, wanted you to experience as I did. 

So it is with running. I love running Iroquois Park (a common theme, no?). There is a route that takes you up. And keeps taking you up.  Nearly 2 miles of non-stop up. And when you've made it, you've truly made it. The view is GORGEOUS! This is the view you have to work for. Yea, yea you could get there by car. But I suspect the view is neither as awesome nor rewarding.

Click here to view the route and elevation


I ran the double loop a few days ago. Around the bottom, up to the middle-top, then I decided to take the plunge and keep going up. And up. And up. And up. And BAM! The view you have to work for. But by the time I got there, the last thing I wanted to see was a large vista that indicated the distance I had left to run in order to get to my car. Half way around the top loop, at the second look out, I thought, "stop. Enjoy the view. You've worked for it."

And so my invitation to you is this: When you reach the "summit" of any challenging task stop and enjoy the view. Afterall, this is the view YOU worked for. Give yourself permission to enjoy it. Otherwise, you might as well just (metaphorically speaking) stay on a treadmill. Or at least that's my twenty six point two cents worth.

Marathon: My Marijuana

So yesterday was the 20th of April, also known as 4/20 aka 420 and "let's all get high" to stoners day--a holiday for them of sorts. One in which I neither partake NOR do I endorse. I do not endorse substance use/abuse of any kind in any way, shape or form. Well, caffeine as the exception. I go so far that I don't even take advil, ibuproferin (I can't even spell it!), aspirin, etc. I think we should learn to listen to our bodies and respond to its needs accordingly and naturally. (I should also say that I DO advocate medical interventions when necessary as the last resort. They can work, and must be used with caution, in my twentysixpoint two cents worth.).

Anyway, I was having coffee this morning with a longtime friend (E) and her partner (K). All three of us have a more intimate relationship with alcoholism and/or substance abuse than we might otherwise prefer. E was saying that she feels so much more balanced now that she's doing some running, she said "now if I mix in yoga..." at which point I chimed in, "it'd be like being high on marijuana all the time, but substance free!"

You see, for me, running IS my drug. When I don't do it for any period of time exceeding 3-4 days, I feel out of sorts. My legs cramp, they become fidgety, my brain is foggy, I have pent up energy and I struggle to make sense of the world around me. I've never partaken in marijuana or any other illicit/illegal substance (save for the occasional alcoholic beverage at 19 and 20) so I really have nothing to compare it to, but I imagine that's what it is like.

After I run, I feel more balanced, calmer, sedate, ready to tackle the world. My world makes more sense to me. Marathon training is my marijuana. It's also my therapy. What better therapist can there be than a pair of shoes, running shorts and God's great Universe?

For those of you who may be struggling with something...maybe a relationship isn't going right, maybe you have an addiction to drugs, alcohol, food, etc, perhaps there's a struggle at the workplace. Might I suggest lacing up and pounding it out on the pavement? You don't need to toke up, shoot up, stir up or any other up-just lace up your shoes and hit the road Jack or Jill. God will find you, and so will your answers. Or at least that's my 26point2centsworth anyway. . .