Beautiful Feb weather and a 50th B-day trip to So. Cal

I want to take a moment and relate just how nice it is to be seated in my Kansas living room in late February writing this entry with my windows open. It is a lovely day that began for me at 5:30 AM as I arose to prepare for a Saturday long run. Today the run turned out to be a bit less long, but way more hilly than I had planned. A moderately-paced 20 miles on my beloved river trails had been my target for the weekend. When I noticed a post from a friend (who is also training for the same marathon and ultra that I am working on) stating that he was going to do a bunch of hilly loops today, I changed my plan. I mean, he's done the races before, so what do I know?

Anyway, a couple of hours and 13 - 14 miles later, I had gotten in a solid, challenging run. The last lap I'd even had a scary encounter with an unaccompanied pit-bull and his brown boxer buddy. Running into aggressive dogs is never fun, but if you're looking to make lemonade in this situation, it does make for a fast lap time.

In other news, I did a bit of running, and a whole lot of hiking in Joshua Tree last week. The place is always spectacular - whether you are there to climb, hike, run, bike, or simply experience the beauty where the Mojave Desert meets the Colorado Desert.

Taken from atop a mountain near Indian Cove

Mountaintop Panorama

More Indian Cove

From a hike near Split Rock

While in the Joshua Tree area, I also experienced a sound bath at the wonderful Integratron, located in the desert community of Landers. The sound bath occurs in the custom-built domed structure. A person plays extraordinary bowls for about 25 minutes, and then a relaxing music is softly pumped in. The whole thing lasts about an hour. It is oddly wonderful, and massively relaxing.

Afterward, we stopped in at an orchid farm. It was simply serendipity. We saw it on the way to the integration, and figured, why not? What we got was an incredible tour of a farm that supplies about 80,000 orchids (and 10,000 venus flytraps) each month to stores around the US.  We were the sole visitors, and got a prolonged tour of the facilities.

A Pano inside the Integratron

Pre sound bath with my friend, Roger Henry

Outside the Integratron

Orchids

The trip to J-Tree, and later a few days in Palm Springs was for my 50th birthday. I can't say enough great things about the experience, as well as the numerous friends who helped put it together.

Until next time, keep running.

Zen and the Art of Trail Running - stupid title, I know.

So I'm reading this at the moment: Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate: A Trip Through Death, Sex, Divorce, and Spiritual Celebrity in Search of the True Dharma. Great book. As much as I like Brad Warner, the Zen teacher/monk who wrote the series of books (of which this is the third), he's a hot and cold writer. This book, luckily for me, is hot. If you want Zen and diversion, read his first book, Hardcore Zen, and then read this one. Book 2, while good, is a bit, ummmm... dry and more technical. Warner is best when he's telling simple stories from his life and not relying too much on Buddhist theory to interpret them. 

Anyway, I just finished my 83rd straight day with a zazen sit. I'm neither proud,nor ashamed of that fact (even though my app, Insight Timer rewards me with stars for every 10 consecutive day period I complete). Rather, I do notice that practicing allows me to bring meditation and 'the now' more readily into my life. I am more aware of what is actually happening. I'm also much more aware of emotions. I notice them - where they come from, how they feel, from what point in my body do they seem to emanate, etc... It is very interesting to be able to really lock in, albeit briefly, from time to time.

I popped down to Huntsville, TX last weekend to help pace my buddy, Bill, in his attempt to break 24 hours in the Rocky Raccoon 100 mile race. I won't go into everything that happened - or maybe I will, but in a later post - but suffice it to say, Bill is a monster runner who crushed 24 hours. I ran the 60-80 mile leg with him. I can honestly say that I've never paced anyone faster at that point in an ultra marathon. I actually had to tell him to slow down and conserve some energy for later. He really just cruised through the course.

I returned home on Monday, and mainly ran on treadmills and did a couple of running rounds (2-3 mi) on a local disc golf course. Nothin major.

This morning I hit the Clinton North Shore trails at their western terminus. Another buddy, Mike, wanted to run Bunker Hill and then hit the trails. It was pretty cold, but beautiful. See the pic below, taken by Mike Miley at the top of Bunker Hill.

We ran up the hill and around the back side before hitting the trails. It was a lovely run that grew warmer as we progressed. The only negative moment for me was when I took my first ever actual rumble on the N. Shore trails. I missed a little root/stump in the trail and went flying. I got a quick calf cramp and a bloody knee as a result. But honestly, if I only have a fall once every 8-10 years on those trails, I'm good to go.

Once the cramp settled, we scooted back to the trail head. Mike, like the running machine that he is, ran on for one last assault of Bunker Hill. I decided not to tempt my calf to fire again, and simply drove home. All in all, a lovely way to spend a morning.