2015: A Disjointed Year in Review - top 10 lists included

As the end of 2015 nears, I find that I am reflecting less on both the past year as well as the upcoming days that will comprise 2016. The main thing I have taken from 2015 is an acquired appreciation of what is actually in front of me right now - this minute, this hour, today. As a newly-minted adherent of the 'now', I don't always succeed in the awareness that is required to live mindfully, but I do strive to do so whenever I think about it, which comes to 5-10 times each day.

So, in writing this, I'm going to take a look back at 2015, with an understanding that what is past is past. I am lucky to have been able to enjoy most the experiences I had. Below I'll look at books, movies and television, travel, and, of course, running.

Book of the year - IMHO

The best books I read in 2015:

1) Hardcore Zen - Brad Warner
2) The Portuguese: A Modern History - Barry Hatton
3) The Search for the King - Gore Vidal
4) Down and Out in Paris and London - George Orwell
5) Savage Harvest: A Tale of.... - Carl Hoffman
6) The Song of Achilles - Madeleine Miller
7) AWOL on the Appalachian Trail - David Miller
8) Jack Holmes and His Friend - Edmund White
9)The Sweet Life in Paris - David Leibovitz
10) 10% Happier - Dan Harris

Best Shows/Movies I saw this year (not in a particular order):

Note: this line is an addition to the post you are reading - added later in the day. The absolute best thing I saw in 2015 was Jimmy Chin's masterpiece of a documentary, Meru. If you haven't seen it, take any opportunity where it is available to view it. You will not regret one moment of your decision. And now onto my other favorite shows and movies of 2015:

1) Halt and Catch Fire (full season)
2) Louie - Season 4
3) The League - Season 6
4) The Way He Looks
5) Peep Show - Series 8
6) The Trip to Italy - Movie
7) Workaholics (all seasons)
8) It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (all seasons)
9) Mozart in the Jungle - Season 1
10) Boys - Movie
11) Downton Abbey (season 5)

La Sagrada Familia - BCN

Best places visited:

1) Portugal - Lisbon, Cascais, and Belem just may be 3 of my favorite places on earth.
2) Barcelona - A beautiful place that everyone in the world has discovered. Overrun by tourists, but still magnificent.
3) Leadville, CO. - Stunning - very little to add.
4) Nederland/Boulder, CO. Every time I go back to Colorado I question why I don't live there.
5) Keystone, Breck, Frisco, CO (see remarks immediately above).

Continental Divide

Best Runs:

In a year where most of my running was limited to less than 15 mi at a time (due to hamstring and ankle issues), there were still some great excursions:

1) 6 miles run/jog on the Continental Divide. Super fun, and done after spending about 5 days in the area to acclimate to the altitude.
2) 5 miles along the lake in the rain - Geneva, Switzerland
3) Sub 8 min/mi 7.5 mi run in West Lawrence in August. Probably fastest training run of 2015.
4) Vinland area run with the Trailhawks - November
5) Run along the reservoir - Nederland, CO. October
6) Multiple runs in shorts and t-shirts in December (for crying out loud!?!)

Best running discoveries/products:

Hoka One One - Odyssey

While I've always been a fan of Mizuno, I had not tried the Wave Sayonara until this year. Honestly, the pair I purchased is one of my favorite road shoes ever. My other shoe discovery of the year was the Hoka One One Odyssey. I never liked my earlier Hoka purchase (Mafate trail shoes) which were heavy and clunky. But the Odyssey model is one of the lightest and most versatile shoes I own. In fact, I like them so much that I bought a second pair (more on that later). The final running product I discovered is the FlipBelt. A running buddy (Michael Miley) was wearing one. I had a gift certificate to a running store, so I went and purchased one the next day. The belt carries a good amount of items and is so comfortable that I forget I'm wearing it.

Mizuno - Wave Sayonara

2016:

I have no resolutions, just plans. In April, I am entered to run in the Rockin' K Marathon. It is supposed to be a tough little trail race. My plan is to keep long runs in the 15-20 ish mile range in Jan-Feb, then have a couple of longer runs in March before the race in the first week of April. I'll have a quick trip to the EU, but plan to increase my mileage in the second week of April before a taper prior to the Heartland 50K at the end of the month. I love the Heartland course, and am looking forward to getting to run on it again. I'm not keen that two major races occur in the same month, but if my training is on track, they should be doable (if not PR-able). While not trail shoes, I plan to run at least the second of the two races in the newest pair of Odysseys. They should be broken in and ready to go by that time (I'm only wearing the new pair 1-2 times /month in order not to tear up their soles on trails).

I plan to continue to keep my annual mileage in the 1,500 range. I also plan to take 20-40 minutes each day to sit and be mindful/meditate. Meditation coupled with daily workouts - running/biking/swimming - seems to positively affect my outlook and performance throughout the day. 

And, while I may have another post before the year end. This has been a decent (albeit brief) look back at 2015. 

Keep running.

SLT Paths Back Open For Business

The South Lawrence Trafficway path between Sixth Street and Clinton Parkway are now open and better than ever. The reopened section has three additional entrances. Going south from Sixth Street, the first appears to the west of Langston Hughes elementary school. The second entrance is where 15th St. and the SLT intersect. Continuing on the pathway and not cutting off on 15th St., runners and bikers will find themselves going under the street through a very nice long tunnel - the reverberations are fantastic should one choose to sing while running or biking through the tunnel as I did this morning. The final turn off comes at an unmarked, yet wide and paved street about a quarter-mile to the south of the 15th St. exit. Users of the pathway will recall that the street used to be a gravel road. It now runs from the South Lawrence Trafficway to George Williams Way behind Corpus Christi church. I hope to go back and take pictures for people to see sometime soon. This morning I took a lovely 9 mile run incorporating most of what I just wrote about. The new and improved paths are well worth checking out.