Swinging...trying

I ran a little under 3 miles yesterday. A good run. The day before that a small 6 mile bike ride. The sunday before that: around 2. The week before that was spent in Belize. I have had a little more than a difficult time getting back into the swing of things with this and everything else since the trip. In short: it was one of the best weeks of my life. I will try to write more on it this weekend.

Placencia, Belize

I have had greater luck lately at having an empty mind during my runs. I had a brilliant three and a half yesterday. The air was clear and hanging in the lower 80s. I timed my run so the sun was low and had no problems with heat. Tomorrow at this time I will be en route to Belize for 7 straight days of lounging on a beach, discovering ancient ruins, rolling through the ocean, and being completely internet and phone free. How will I react to that? How will my mind handle the stillness? I am eager to see. I believe there is a room where I can go and get some access. I may go and post a picture of two, I hope not, but I know how strong the draw of addiction is. I finished White Noise two days ago and now face three books that I can't decide to bring on my trip. I am thinking of bringing all three:

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick De Witt
The Father of All Things, by Tom Bissell
Ratner's Star, by Dellilo

I have somewhat started Ratner's star alreay but I am not sure yet that I want to commit. It is an earlier Delillo and has traces of Sci Fi. Also, the book is older and has a 1980's feel to its paper and weight. My mind sometimes gravitates towards shinier books, both of which the Dewitt and the Bissell book lean towards. I have read other of Bissell's non-fiction and consider myself a fan.

Finally, I am bring goggles and a pair of vibrams for my trip to Belize. My work outs will consist of running the beach, swimming in the pool, and possibly meditation. This sounds sorta hokey and such but I don't mind being somewhat honest on a blog turned running journal that no one reads. To catch the sunrise is a must. That and tropical drinkies.

Rehling

Two quick miles through autumn streets, slight wind blowing. I can't say enough how wonderful this weather is. It reminds me of first moving here, lounging near the lakes, doing nothing. Push ups and pull ups. Good day.

He didn't believe him. "No way. Every time you read it?" "Yea, every time. It is really strong." The sunlight was the middle of the day, a Saturday. Hid Dad's wool plaid sweater looked comfortable. Just years ago, his Dad would still put it around him to warm him. It was always impossibly warm, and smelled of wood smoke. "So anyway, we have to read it for class." He flipped through the pages, the light spilling through the dusty kitchen; a golden ladder with tawny rungs.

"Half a league, half a league
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred."

His dad walked to the sink and placed his hands down on the aluminum walls of it; he stared out into the street. A young kid was wrapping toilet paper around a red bundle of caps. A blue jay landed on the feeder sicking out of the fern garden. Into the valley of death rode the six hundred.

The weather was cooler by the end of my run; probably in the 50s. I stopped briefly with traffic and once to stretch, but the majority of the 4.6 miler was defined by clear thoughts, pumping lungs, and breathing. One of the best runs I have had in a while. The weather was cool. You could almost picture wearing more clothing if it was just 10 degrees cooler; one decimal place. I rounded the south side of the smaller University lakes and started by run back home: up Lakeshore drive, back into the garden district, past Acadian, and into Capital Heights. I didn't really think about much or do too much reflection; it was a pure run. In 5 days I will be with my wife in Central America. I hope for warm sun and perfect sunrises.

not the past

Two my right: five large glass windows facing north. I was called into work today after half my my Saturday shift came up with a case of the heaving what nots. I stalled and grabbed myself a smoothie and some lunch. I see the lawn stretching 100 yards to the north of that front facing walls: my library. In front of me is the kids section. Down the west facing cooridor is the adult fiction section. I had a quick beautiful run this morning before I knew any of this. What a lesson this is. My run, clipped through beautiful Southern Louisana weather was, as often times is, cut into with thoughts of my day and my future; interspersed with my path. Almost none of my run was focused on the present, except when I had to consciously fight to make it so. And now here I am at work. Instead of seeing the old oak trees rising out of the lawns of the upper class, or feeling the cool wind brushing against my skin, I thought of the clothes I would fold and what I would make for dinner. I had forgotten "White Noise," the Delillo book I am about half way through. A very good read. I think I am bring one of his older books as well as possibly a volman and a bissell(if it comes in time) book with my to Belize. I can only hope that my time there is fully immersed in the present. not the future

Felt like I tweaked my legs yesterday on just under 3 miles. The streets felt extraordinarily hard. Didn't think much of it until this morning. As I write this my right knee feels weird. I am hoping its nothing. I did make the mistake of wearing the least supportive of my shoes today so i will need to spend less time on my feet as usual. The weather this last week has been great. It started with glimpses of an autumn we certainly never seemed to have last year. It sill get a little warmer today and tomorrow but by Sunday there is talks of cooler weather. I am already formulating plans of brush burning and titans games on the phone turned radio. It is a shame that I focus so much on the weekend, but as much as I love my job it is impossible for me to have the kind of enthusiasm for it that a day in my backyard raking leaves, burning leaves, cleaning gutters and throwsing sticks for walter gives me. I suppose the real trick is to create the same amount of pleasure in all things but who can do that? To be truthful though I am happy with my current job and sometimes I don't mind at all going in. I find Mondays to be completely ok. It is Tuesday and Wednesday that are the real drags for me. These blogs are meaningless.

three and a half miler

I was on my second mile; Ramsey heads southward and elbows into South Ramsey. I was following the tarred lines through the streets, temporary patches to the cracking and splitting of old roads. My mind was happily thoughtless. I picked up in the middle of a small hill. A good run after trudging through several bad ones. It is the bad runs perhaps that make this particular run so good. I try to stay positive on crappy runs; I usually reflect that just being outside on the pavement is all that really matters. The last run (yesterday) was on a couple of beers and a failed Titans win. I decided not to even record it; it was really not much more than a glorified walk.