2014 Highlights

April release of my novel, RUN

I will best remember 2014 for three things; 1) the release of my first novel, RUN, 2) an epic road trip out west, and 3) ultra marathon pacing. Any of the three would be enough to have made 2014 a decent year. Combined, however, they made the year (as the Chinese proverb would say) interesting.

Publishing the book was one of the scarier things I have ever done. Books really reveal a lot about an author. Fiction is drawn from a very personal well of thoughts, feelings, actions and emotions. Even if it is 'made up', it still is the product of one's mind. It hadn't occurred to me how exposed I would feel once I made it available to the public in paperback and on Kindle. Eight months down the line I'm feeling much better about it.

Initially I considered finding an agent and a publisher, but instead opted to simply put it out and move on to my next novel - working title, BASE. I don't know if self-publishing was the correct decision, but it did allow me to stop worrying about business and continue writing. RUN has gotten some nice write-ups on blogs, Amazon, and Goodreads. So I'm pretty happy with how it has done. I'm less interested in sales than in simply having people read and enjoy it.

If you are reading this and want to read the novel you can borrow it for free (if you arean Amazon Prime member or subscribe to Kindle Unlimited). Or you can order either paperback or Kindle editions here http://www.amazon.com/Run-Allen-Levine/dp/1497449146 . Either way, if you read it (even if you don't like it), please write a review and post it on a blog, Amazon, Goodreads, etc..., because indie books live and die by the review. Thank you!

Shoe of the Year - Mizuno Wave Ascend 10

Before I go on to the other topics of travel and ultra running, I want to take a moment and give a review of a road shoe. I know, I know. I am mainly a trail runner. But I do run on roads from time to time, and certainly have my shoe preferences. The Mizuno Wave Ascend 10 model was the best version of the Ascends I've ever used. Having the logo adhered rather than stitched was a welcome change. The cloth uppers were weak and wore out quickly - many other runners commented on this matter in product reviews on sites like Running Warehouse. The criticism of the uppers and the less-cushioned soles was valid. But you know what? I found that I liked the road feel that I got from the soles. Since I'm not a big heel striker, the firmness didn't bother me. As usual, the fit was flawless. Ive owned five pairs of Ascends over the years, and have never experienced a single blister. Now if they could just use slightly stronger fabric...

New Trails at Rock Chalk Park

One more quick note: Lawrence, KS has some lovely new trails (actually sort of crushed asphalt) dedicated to runners and walkers. They are soft, hilly, gravel road-esque, and fun to run. It is possible to go 3-5 miles without repeating much of the course. Trail plusses; there are no dogs, no traffic, easy access from good running routes, and close to the massive (and free) Sports Pavilion where post-run weights can be accessed.

Glamping in Moab

It had been many years since I took a true road trip. In September I drove my friend, Mark, back to his home and farm animal sanctuary outside of Reno, NV. On the way, we visited the Colorado National Monument, Arches, Moab, Canyonlands, and Bryce Canyon. The biggest surprise for me was the immensity of Canyonlands. The national park is, in so many ways more impressive than Arches, and yet is somehow overlooked. Bryce Canyon was as stunning as advertised. Moab was fun - I would love to go back and spend more time there. I brought my bike for Moab as well as Park City, UT on my way home. 

My Specialized Rock Hopper 29' just chillin' near Moab

My buddy, Mark, not really trusting the rail at Bryce Canyon

The best run I had of 2014 took place on the 8 mile Fairyland Loop at Bryce Canyon. Lots of climbing and a couple of spots where the ground fell away on both sides made for a challenging and exhilarating workout. The night before I had been trepidatious. But I navigated the course at a speed that was much faster than I had anticipated. Running surrounded by beauty on such a monumental scale made the run more enjoyable than anything else I did in 2014. 

Note: Bryce Canyon Lodge has a fantastic restaurant that can knock out excellent vegan dishes. 

Canyonlands - Awesome Park (Correct use of the word, 'awesome')

Atop the museum in Reno with Mark and Dianne

Bonneville Salt Flats On The Way Home

Before biking down the mountain in Park City, UT

After

Heartland 100 - 36 miles from the finish

I paced my friend, Paul, in two races in 2014. He and I ran the last 25 miles together in the Hawk 100. Then, a month later, I ran the last 36 miles of the Heartland 100 with him. I write 'ran', but really pacing for many in these distances is a combination of run, shuffle, walk, repeat. Both races were difficult in their own way. Not so much for me, but for Paul. It was interesting to see firsthand, the peaks and valleys competitors go through as they work to complete hundred mile races. Honestly, I loved pacing and will gladly do it again in the future.

Boulder

My last trip of the year was hanging out in Boulder, CO with a book club that had read my novel. I had a great time running, visiting museums, stores, restaurants, and spending time with friends (old and new). In the past year I have come to really love Colorado. I'm not a winter sport sort of person. But the state has much to offer in the other seasons as well. In 2015 I plan to return numerous times to road bike, mountain bike, and run in that wonderful place.

So that's a quick summary of the high points of 2014. 2015 should bring more travel in the EU as well as a return trip west. My resolution is to continue to run, bike, read and write in many more interesting places.  So until next year...

Injury and a Gratuitous Pic of My Cat, Lucas

So something popped in my ankle on a run last Saturday. Initially I thought I'd blown an Achilles. A reach down the back of my leg proved that was not the case. But some tendon or ligament between the back of my heel and my ankle bones had 'sploded (as Ricky Ricardo would say). A quick visit to the doctor yesterday to make sure there wasn't a stress fracture in the area as well confirmed the weirdness of the injury. Only very slight swelling. No issues with flex forward or backward. No discoloration. I just experience severe pain in the ankle when I cross my legs - like when you sit in a chair and cross your leg to tie a shoe. Really strange. It is diminishing day by day. So I've been biking in the interim. I also plan to avoid Clinton N Shore for a couple of months. There are trails (plenty of them) that torque the feet to a lesser degree.

Injuries suck. And this one, as I've ramped up miles to be able to have my pick of ultras next year - Big Bend, and a 3 day race in Canada leading in my imagination - is really happening at an inopportune time. But I've got to say that I've been relatively injury-free (other than a permanently painful hamstring) over the many years of running I've had. And since I can bike, swim, and will be able of kind of trot in a few days, this really isn't so bad.

Things for which I am thankful:

1) I was just under a mile into the trail run when I felt a pop. I didn't have too far to walk back.

2) Feetures socks always look good. 

3) Living in a first world country means I can see a doctor tomorrow.

4) well, there really don't seem to be any more upsides. Drat!

Rock Chalk Pics and A couple of Interesting Running Articles

As promised, I will have pics of the new trails at Rock Chalk Park dispersed throughout this post. The images do not show how hilly this course actually is, but they do give a good idea of how pretty it is even on a dreary day after all the leaves have fallen.

I did a lot of running and a little mountain biking (as recovery) this week. One day was devoted to hill training - something I rarely do.

The most interesting thing I read this week related to running was a short piece in Outside Magazine that discussed training at altitude. I had always thought that spending time training at altitude would give a runner increased red blood cells and a higher VO2 max. I think a lot of people believe that. Outside's article pointed out that recovery from training at altitude takes much longer than at sea level. That is a point that gets glossed over. Basically, the piece concludes that training at altitude will help an athlete race at altitude, but not much else. I look forward to reading the comments that I hope will be posted about this in next month's issue of Outside.

The second most interesting piece I read this week was a piece by University of Houston CC coach, Steve Magness. In his blog, The Science of Running ( http://www.scienceofrunning.com ), he give a very thorough explanation of how the IAAF is failing in its efforts to stop doping/cheating by athletes, as well as cover-ups by specific countries' governing bodies. He is an excellent and methodical chronicler for everything he writes about. His blog is well worth a follow.

Sharp viewers will note that the photos below look different than the others. They are. I spent the last couple of mornings running the beautiful Lawrence Riverfront Trails. The first shot is from about 4.2 miles out on the trails. This is actually the Mud Creek tributary that will join the mighty Kaw River in a quarter mile or so. It was just a peaceful place to stop and take a couple of pics.

My Favorite Books of 2014

My reading habits are a bit eclectic. If you put a gun to my head (but please don't), I'd say that I prefer contemporary fiction to any other genre. I normally eschew romance, western, sci-fi, fantasy, and almost all mysteries. For non-fiction, I prefer biographies or adventure/travel writing (either historical or contemporary). Sometimes science or pseudo-science can find a place in my library as well. To find non-fiction that I do not like, you simply have to type in phrases like self-help, pop psychology, and business biographies. Here's how to find the worst non-fiction available: if you see a lot of people dressed in suits in an airport all reading the same thing, chances are it is some bullshit 'how to sell more effectively' psychobabble that biz types love to read and then discuss - somehow this makes them feel as if they are bettering themselves and at the same time it makes them 'readers'. I will confess to falling into this rabbit hole on occasion - it is hard not to do so. I did once this year, with the book, Outliers. Sadly, the book's premise that 10,000 hours can make you an expert at whatever you seek to do (as long as there is some innate talent, perhaps), has been mocked and poked full of holes over the past couple of years. To me, the book was the single least-satisfying read I've had in recent memory. Gladwell's, The Tipping Point was good. Blink was OK. Outliers was terrible.  While reading it I kept thinking perhaps Gladwell should take a sabbatical. He's achieved great success making full-length books out of ideas that could just as easily have been explained in a couple of paragraphs.

Anyway, as usual, I digress. So here are my favorite books that I read in 2014. Again, these are not books that came out in 2014, but simply the books I found to be most interesting. There is not a top 10 or top 5 list. I'm just including the books I would recommend. While I read a lot of fiction, I am only putting one on the list for now (there are still a couple of weeks left in the year).

Non-Fiction

Everett Ruess: His Short Life, Mysterious Death, and Astonishing Afterlife, Philip L. Fradkin. This biography follows the early 20th century teenage explorer of the western US. Jon Krakauer wrote a bit about him in his book, Into The Wild. Everett Ruess, though, was certainly worth a full book (actually, there are several, and a few documentaries as well).

Under the Banner of Heaven, Jon Krakauer. A book ostensibly about a murder in Utah, but much more a history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - the Mormons. It is deeply disturbing and illuminating at the same time. If you look back in this blog (or on my GoodReads.com page, you will find a much more in-depth review).

Waiter Rant, Anonymous. This is a fun read. Anthony Bourdain to us about the back of the house in Kitchen Confidential. Waiter Rant covers the front of the restaurant that interacts with customers. Great literature it ain't. But if you are looking for great stories and a quick read, this is the book you should grab next time you visit a library or bookstore.

Into The Wild, Jon Krakauer. We've all seen the movie and read countless articles about Christopher McCandless's wanderings that ultimately end with his tragic death in an abandoned bus in Alaska. But the book is better. Many people have written about how foolish McCandless was. But Krakauer makes a case that the boy was actually quite well-prepared and was, instead, the victim of a series of unfortunate events that likely would've befallen even more experienced outdoorsmen. Again, I have written extensively about this book in earlier postings and on GoodReads.

The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge, Jeremy Narby. I have probably written more about this book, and what led to my reading it, than anything posted here so far. Ultimately, the book is a fascinating attempt to prove the author's theory about the origin of knowledge and what we perceive to be real versus what others perceive to be just as real. I would recommend this book as the most interesting that I've read in the past couple of years. Don't let the title scare you off. It is a compelling read as well.

Masterminds and Wingmen, Rosalind Wiseman. I met with a book club in Boulder, CO in October. They had read my novel, RUN. The host of the club had also read Masterminds and Wingmen around the same time. So she discussed my novel partially in the context of Wiseman's book. I had a chance to read M&W, and immediately saw why the comparison was made. M&W is a handbook for anyone raising boys. I wrote about the book at length, so I won't go into it here, but in short, it is a fun and moving read. I have recommended it to many friends who have kids.

Rimbaud: The Double Life of a Rebel, Edmund White. As with several other books listed, I have written a review of this book on GoodReads. I chose the book because of its author, Edmund White, not its subject, Rimbaud. Neither disappointed me. I am not much of a poetry fan, but I was struck with the passion and bravery (in both style and subject matter) that Rimbaud exhibited over his very short writing career. White tells just enough of the poet's life to make this short biography a riveting read.

3 Cups of Deceit, Jon Krakauer. I guess this could be called my Year of Krakauer. Three of the four books of his I read this year made the list. You do not have to have read 3 Cups of Tea to enjoy this take down and dismantling of the best-selling piece of fiction that had been sold to us as fact. Krakauer deftly and succinctly (the book is very short) makes his case and sets the record straight for many people who weren't able to have the forum to clear their names and images after being portrayed in 3 Cups of Tea. A very good read.

Fiction

Disturbance, Jamie O'Neill. Disturbance is a very nuanced story narrated by a young man, Nilus, worried about major transitions in his life - his mother has died, and he and his father may lose their home. While this may sound somewhat mundane, the novel is anything but. O'Neill slowly builds the novel through the narrator's POV until a very clear picture develops about what is happening. The creep factor increases exponentially as the novel progresses. It is a brilliant work. I would highly recommend it to readers of contemporary fiction, horror, and mystery.
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So there you have it. My next post will be back to running. It will feature new photos of the Sports Pavilion Lawrence nature trails - a hilly treat to run. It will also have a review of a program designed to build core strength, balance and flexibility, as well as some listening suggestions for running.

End of Year Lists for Film and TV

End of year lists - For my lists, I follow the rule that if I saw it or read it in a specific year, then it counts as that year - even if a movie or a book is 20 years old.  I don't want to do top 10 or 20 lists. I just want to list the few I've enjoyed that I think others might like as well.

Movies & Television

Since my tastes run anti-big budget and anti-action, I hope to elevate a couple of movies people may not have seen.

Best movies I've seen this year (In no particular order)

How to be a Man - Starts out great and then goes a bit too Hollywood toward the ending. Still, clever and funny.

Simon Killer - Great movie where the viewer's perception of the characters changes dramatically as the film progresses.

The Trip - Since there are at least a couple of these, this is the one starring Steve Coogan. The Trip to Italy, a sequel to The Trip, also came out this year. Netflix streaming will carry it later this month. I will add it to the list if it is any good. Reports so far have been mixed.

The Story of Luke - Interesting little film about an autistic young adult.

The Grand Budapest Hotel - Wes Anderson creates a visually beautiful setting for this funny, poignant little film.

Boyhood - Honestly, one of the most over-hyped movies ever. So much so, in fact, that it almost didn't make the cut for me even though it is a good movie. I went in with huge expectations and was disappointed when the film turned out to be very good (on reflection), but not great.

Pride - Here's a late entry (actually seen after this post initially went up). Pride takes place during the Thatcher coal strikes in Wales in the 80s. A gay group in London raises money to help the striking miners creating an odd alliance city/country, gay/straight, socially liberal/economically liberal. Many people know of the strikes. But few know about this. The film has the wonderful tone of Billy Elliot or Waking Ned Devine. Very much worth a watch.

Best Feature Length Documentaries I've Seen This Year

Desert Running - This film follows several athletes as they compete in 4 x 250km ultra- running races in South America, Antarctica, Asia, and Africa. It will make you want to get out and run.

Somm - Ever wonder how much training you need to be the world's best sommelier? This documentary is oddly revetting as it follows several people in their truly obsessive quest to know everything about wine.

Best Tevelvision I've seen this year

The League - Hands down one of the funniest series I've ever seen. The jokes don't change. The characters are truly despicable. But the yucks are non-stop. In trying to think of another series that comes close in hilarity, I could only think of The IT Crowd (which had a different type of humor, but still resulted in belly laughs). Binge watch warning.

House of Cards - What can I say? Good job Netflix.

American Horror Story Season 1 - Holy crap, is this a scary (and deeply disturbing) show! When all was said and done, I tried to watch Season 2, but ultimately had to put this series on the shelf until I am able to recover from the horror I had already witnessed.

Alpha House - A much less serious political series than House of Cards, but still very good. Amazon picked a good cast and writers for this comedy/drama (I hate the non-word, 'dramedy'). It follows the lives of 4 right wing Republican senators who share a house in DC - funnier than you would think it would be.

Betas - Also a decent series from Amazon that follows the trials and tribulations that a tech startup faces as it tries to get off the ground in the Bay Area. The series sometimes can't figure out if it is a comedy, a drama, a romcom, or what. But it is good diversion if you're looking for a series to follow.

Extreme Weight Loss - OK. . . guilty pleasure. This series follows a different morbidly obese person for a year as the host, Chris Powell, works with him/her to help them lose weight. In the process, Powell attempts to get to address the root cause of the behaviors that led to his client's obesity. The stories are compelling, the efforts to cure and restore seem genuine, and the transformations are uplifting to see. It is much better than many other shows of its type on TV.

Running, Partying, Reading, and a Self-Serving Holiday Gift Idea

And thus ended another couple of typical weeks of Fall/Winter weather in Kansas. . .

Fluctuating temperatures from the teens to the upper 60's made running both challenging and fun. 100% of the 65 miles undertaken over the past 10 days were run on trails - something I don't think I had actually accomplished this (or any other year). Normally there are road miles in there somewhere. But with the addition of the trails behind the new gargantuan Rock Chalk Park / Sports Pavilion Lawrence facilities, I find less and less need to run on the roads - even near my home. When the place first opened, I would run over, run the trails, and then run home. But I have a real fondness for the new trails, and find that I would rather have all of my run on them. So, lately I've been driving over, so I can have the extra 4 miles of travel on the trails. The short, brutal hills make them an excellent part of my weekly training.

I will post pictures of the new trails soon (I keep meaning to do that).

I finished another couple of books this week. Jon Krakauer's, Eiger Dreams, did not disappoint. I don't know what it is about his writing that I find so compelling, but in almost all of his books, he makes me care about mountain and rock climbing (and those who do it) a lot. I also finished his book, Three Cups of Deceit. You do not have to have read (the massively fictional) Three Cups of Tea, to enjoy Krakauer's takedown of the work. It is a short, powerful book that will leave you shaking your head at how a good idea could go so terribly wrong.

I attended the Sunflower Outdoors and Bike party last night. There was so much beer and wine flowing at that shindig that I doubt many attendees will be doing too much biking or running this a.m. (other than to a cupboard for some ibuprofen). But it is was great to be there and to see a special business like Sunflower finish up another successful year. There is a fantastic blog about getting to, and enjoying the party, by cycling great, Steve Tilford, that can be read here http://stevetilford.com/2014/12/05/winter-mileage-rule-sunflower-bicycles-annual-holiday-party/ It is worth a read - spoiler alert - he biked over from Topeka. Nice!

I'm taking the day off from running. I'll finish some work-related emails and calls, and then probably hit my sauna (I know I'm lucky to have one) and read a biography of Rimbaud that has captivated me since I started it a couple of days ago. I'm not a big fan of poetry, but I may have to become one.

I'll be out with the Lawrence Trail Hawks for a 15 mi Clinton North Shore run tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. Cold and mud should make for an especially fun run. If any reader wants to join in, just shoot a message to me and I'll get you driving directions.

Finally, there is a new review of my novel, RUN, at Honest Indie Book Reviews. The novel could make a good Christmas stocking stuffer (or Hannukah present) for the runner in your life. ;^) honestindiebookreviews.wordpress.com - Review


To see more review or to get the paperback or Kindle editions, click below:
http://www.amazon.com/Run-Allen-Levine/dp/1497449146/ref=sr_1_1_twi_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417796885&sr=8-1&keywords=allen+levine

I promise to have trail pics next time!