Running Into the Unknown

“Mistah Kurtz - he dead.”

This one was for Keir, my dedicated running partner who always keeps me going and Marianna, a generous colleague.

On today’s run, I felt like the protagonist of Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness.” Like Marlow, I was heading into the unknown, the dark spooky jungle. I ran The Ridge alone this morning, for the first time. There’s a sense of foreboding when running The Ridge, because the entrance is lined with a gauntlet of monkeys. They set the tone for your attitude while on the run. If they’re gone, it’s a peaceful day in the woods. If they let you pass, you’re on edge and anxious. If they come at you...

Today, it was a successful negotiation of the monkey labyrinth and the accompanying anxiousness. After passing through the gauntlet, I entered the ridge forest. Questions immediately began flooding my mind. “Will I remember the turns?” “Will I get lost?” “Will I be attacked by wild beasts?”  I should have been enjoying the respite from the Delhi concrete, but instead I was overcome with doubt and fear of the unknown. I was watching each corner carefully, waiting for monkeys, cows or bandits to jump out at me and leave me like Kurtz. The fact that the ridge is a wild jungle-like setting didn’t help calm me down.

As I ran along thinking about Conrad, Kurtz, and Marlon Brando in “Apocalypse Now,” I started analyzing my fear. I had no reason to be afraid of The Ridge, but the very fact that it was unknown to me made me nervous and afraid. We tend to fear the unknown. Meditating on the fear of the unknown, with my annual departure from Delhi three days away, I started thinking of my previous trip out of Delhi. It was November and we were heading home to deliver the twins. We had no idea what was in store for us, but we were anxious. We knew it would be difficult. We knew it wouldn’t be easy. We knew we were coming up on the hardest times in our lives, but we had no idea what that would mean. Every day we headed further up the river, into the heart of the unknown but instead of finding a “hollow man,” we found ourselves. We made it through and out the other side. I wondered  what this next trip home would yield for us. I knew that the grieving process would begin anew, when we gathered with family and friends that we haven’t grieved with yet. I knew that returning to the lake with one fewer child than we had planned on the previous summer wouldn’t be easy. I ruminated on all of this while running the ridge alone. Every step brought me one step further and I found the right turns, avoided the imaginary demons in the bushes and made it out unscathed. I was sure the same could be said for a trip home to Minnesota.

The soundtrack for the day was intentionally the new John Denver tribute album, “The Music is You.” A nice country album for a run in the woods, I thought. Unintentional though, was the last song I heard as I emerged in one piece from The Ridge - “Leaving on a Jet Plane.” Indeed, I was leaving on a jet plane. A jet plane that would bring me and my family home and into the unknown yet again.

A video about the ridge - https://vimeo.com/110863559

RUN STATS
Distance - 5 MilesTime - 42:42 
Soundtrack - Various Artists, The Music is You: A Tribute to John Denver

May 27, 2013

Only four more days of school! Then it’s back home to Minnesota. In celebration of that trip, the run today is dedicated to Aunt Sandy and Uncle Joe. Can’t wait to see you soon! Also, thanks to Heather, my first race photographer. She was there for my first 5K as part of a team triathlon at our school in Seoul. Today’s run was a 5 miler with Keir. Thanks for running with me yet again, friend. It always helps to have you along for the company. Today we ran a familiar five for me, but it was the first time Keir had run it. I decided to run it backwards to see if it would cure my desire for new routes.

The run was a typically Delhi run. It was hot, humid and seemed like it would never end.  The route is essentially a big loop, so there’s not of variety on the run. Hence, the backwards path today. Two crossings of the ring road, once in the street and once on a pedestrian bridge. Other than a major turf war being fought by two rival dog gangs, there was not too much to report. The end of the year is coming soon and cooler climes will prevail soon!

RUN STATS:Distance - 6.5 MilesTime - 40:39Soundtrack - The Fugees, The Score

Another Crazy Idea

I sent out a request for donations that would put me past $1000 in my fundraising and within minutes two sets of wonderful friends stepped up to help out. Thanks for your gifts, Matt & Skye and The Gregors. It really puts me in awe that so many friends are willing to help out with Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. The organization was so helpful to our family, and the ability to repay some of that kindness means a lot to us. Thank you.

In order to live up to the challenge of passing 1K, I conspired to offer up another of my crazy ideas for a run. Over the past two years, I've grown a reputation for dreaming up crazy runs and somehow convincing people to join me on them! Some of them have been themed (The Railroad Run, The Embassies of the Countries I've Visited Run), some have been pictographic (The Star Run) and others have revolved around my desire to explore (How about a run to see the Hanuman Temple that's made of an 80 foot cement monkey? A 1/2 marathon to Old Delhi and Back? Okay? Let's go!). It was in this vein that I convinced Liz to join me on an exploratory run to Haus Khaz Village and back.

These are some of my most favorite runs in Delhi, or really anywhere. I sit down on MapMyRun, look around for cool stuff and plan routes that:

A: are actually on roads that are "supposed" to be there.
B: are not "dangerous" due to lack of aforementioned roads.
C: not too twisty turny so I can remember the route as we run.

Amazingly (and out of character for most of my crazy ideas for runs), Sunday's was a smashing success. The route to Haus Khaz was easy and except for one small missed entrance to Deer Park, the route went as planned.

Haus Khaz has enjoyed the ups and downs of gentrification. Although it is almost 800 years old, the modern history of the village is what draws most of its visitors. The ruins of the mosque, the reservoir and the madrasa are wonderful archeological sites, but the hip cafes, restaurants and art galleries are what the Delhi elite and expats are coming for. The ruins almost seem like a quaint afterthought. Like any good neighborhood, Haus Khaz became too cool for the cool kids and other, trendier neighborhoods are taking its place. But it wasn't the cafes and galleries I was looking for on Sunday, it was Deer Park. This expansive park would lend itself well to adding miles to a run that is no further than Lodi Garden. The thing about this run, though is the fact that it goes the other way! Most of our runs head east and north, but this one bears almost straight south. There's plenty to see on the way to Deer Park, including a run through the sleepy Netaji Nagar neighborhood, a dodgy Ring Road crossing and a bad stretch on Africa Avenue (crazy ideas, right?).

The arrival to Deer Park, though had me thinking other thoughts. We entered through the Commonwealth Games tennis complex and I was instantly amazed by how nice Deer Park was! There were large lawns, manicured trails and a nice path around the reservoir. If you squinted just right, it was reminiscent of a nice city park in Orlando or another urban area. It was still Delhi, though. The pack of street dogs that chased away an interloper into their territory, the creepers and the unnatural green color of the water told us that. But for here, nice. And for a new route that creates possibilities for more diversity in runs, really nice!

We tried to get from the reservoir up to the madrasa and the ruins, but all of the gates are barred and locked, so we explored a bit for a path out and into Haus Khaz. Eventually we found it, found the next segment and ran along the deer enclosure. Plenty of people were feeding the animals and we cruised past and came out of the park right where I thought we were going to. Success! The crazy route planning worked. I love it when that happens.

The rest of the run was along a busy road and back across the Ring Road and into Sarojini Nagar. We took a pit stop to replace some sweat with Lime Soda, which was much needed after a late night on Saturday. From there it was a few miles left to get home. After a bit more running, we decided that we had had enough adventures for the day and we hopped into an autorickshaw for a quick ride home.

Thanks for joining me Liz and supporting my crazy ideas!

If you want to support more crazy ideas, please donate to keep me running!

https://www.coloradogives.org/forellis

RUN STATS:

Distance - 7.57 miles

Time - 1:18:11

Temp at 6am - Hot. Damn hot.

Soundtrack - De la Soul, 3 Feet High and Rising.

May 25, 2013

Saturday's run was sponsored by Melissa and Scott! Thanks a million. Your donation is well-appreciated.

It's appropriate that this run was sponsored by Melissa and Scott because it was the three of us that went for  a run on Saturday. I've had a standing appointment to run with any and all comers this year as I've been training and Melissa and Scott have shown up for several. When I saw their names appear on the fundraising site Friday night, I wasn't surprised. They're very generous friends and we've become closer over the years through the heat, the sweat and the numerous miles.

We headed out for a nice 6.5 Miler, the Lodi Garden run. Lodi Garden is a favorite run for many of us, due to the shade, the wonderful monuments and the people watching. If you live in or near New Delhi and you're interested in a morning walk, jog or laughing yoga, this is the place for you. It can be a lot of fun to run to the park and see all of the people. Saturday was no exception. There seemed to be more people than usual, and finding room to run on the jogging track wasn't easy. No laughers this time, but there were plenty of people doing yoga-in groups, alone or just simply taking a moment to do a simple sun salutation. By the way, this is rapidly becoming one of favorite things to see on my morning jog. A faithful Delhite steps out of the shadows into the sunlight, brings his or her hands together in the namaste and takes a moment. At times, it can be magical. The ancient ruins of Lodi Garden make it even more spectacular. There's something that's so reaffirming about watching someone take a moment to give reverence to something that most of us take for granted. The sun for example. Or a tree.

Saturday's run was a good training run for all of us. Melissa and Scott will be running a half marathon in Milwaukee this summer. The pace was good and the weather wasn't too nasty.

As always, help if you can!

https://www.coloradogives.org/forellis

Here are a few pics of Lodi Garden that I took while not running!
 

RUN STATS:

Distance - 6.5 miles

Time - 1:10:06

Soundtrack - Galactic - The Other Side of Midnight (Live) and Ruckus

May 24, 2013

This year I wanted to run a marathon. Cooler heads (Kate's) prevailed and convinced me that the first 6 months of life of our new son was no time to be training for a marathon.

Thank God Kate is so smart. This week I took three days off because our son decided to wake up every two hours. That means that waking up at 5:40am isn't so easy. It also means that if I can get 30 extra minutes of sleep before heading to school, I'll take it. The temperature in Delhi is also rising. That means hydration is more important than ever. After not drinking water all day long on Wednesday, then playing soccer Wednesday night, I woke up in the middle of the night with a killer headache. Another day of not running.

Finally, Friday I was back on the streets of Delhi tallying up miles in pursuit of my goals.

The run is a 5 miler that passes through a Dhobi Colony in the Ministers of Parliament's neighborhood. Dhobis are the launderers of India. They collect your clothes, take them away, wash and press them and bring them back. When I cruise through the narrow lane just before the 2 mile mark on this run, the dhobis are just starting their day, hanging the day's work on the multitudinous lines on either side and criss-crossing the route. Given an hour or two more and there would be a sea of white shirts, sheets and other assorted articles of clothing lining the way.

Not too much to report on this run, it was pretty standard. This is the third time I've run this route, and I beat my previous best by 4 seconds, completely on accident!

I've got to start bringing a camera on my runs, or going back and taking photos. A new goal?

RUN STATS:

Distance - 5 miles

Time - 42:27

Temp at 6am - 90 degrees F

Soundtrack - Bonobo, The North Borders

The "Thing" About Running

This run was for Jonah, a dear friend, a generous donor, and maybe a runner mentioned in a previous post...

On Sunday, May 19 I ran a 10K trail run. I had been itching to do a race, with all of the training I had been doing. Since March, I've run 242 miles, which is helping me approach my goal of 1000 miles this year. It's nice to do a race to keep training fresh, add some incentive and switch up the training.

The day before the race, I found myself talking to my wife, Kate about running. These days I love talking about running. I mean, it's almost obnoxious. I'll talk to anyone about running for as long as I can. Anyway, I found myself saying to Kate, "The thing I love about running is..." And then I realized, that I've said this a million times about a million different things. There is no one thing I love about running. There are a bunch. I used to tease my host sister in Mexico when she would say, "There's a saying in Mexico..." and I would respond, "Really? There's A saying in Mexico." Now I know how she must have felt. Sorry Jadwiga.

But back to the "thing" about running. That "thing," I explained to Kate as she patiently waited for my most recent diatribe to end, is that running and other individual sports don't rely on a winner for satisfaction. You are always competing against yourself.

You have the runs where every stride you take takes you farther than you've ever run before. I remember those runs with great fondness from last year. The reward that comes from doing a 2 mile, then 3 mile, then 5, 6, 7, 10, 13 mile run is incredible. There are few things better than coming back from a run that took you one mile farther than your farthest run.

There also comes a great satisfaction in breaking personal records. The swim coach and basketball coach of our middle school were talking about their respective tournaments during assembly and the swim coach beamed with satisfaction that everyone on the team had beaten personal, school or conference records. The basketball coach then goofed on the fact that they also "beat records." Of course, they didn't and that's the "thing" about running. Every time I run a route that I've planned and come home sooner than I did last time, it's an achievement. Every time I enter an event and finish with a PR, it's an achievement.

That's why I was so excited to run the 10K on Sunday. I've only ever run 2 other 10Ks, and the first was before I really became a runner, so I have no record of it. The other one was last year about this time and it was also a trail run. As far as I could recollect, my time from last year was about 50:30. With this in mind, I set out to beat that time. Just me against me. And whoever else showed up, but that's neither here nor there. Every race has faster runners and slower runners.

Zach(the swim coach), Brent and I attended the staff going-away party on Saturday night, then woke up at 4:15am, headed out the door and arrived to the venue at 5:30am. By 5:45 we were off on the 10K trail run. It was a really fun route that took us into a protected Aravalli bio-diversity park, the remnants of the 1500 million year old Aravalli mountain range, through the local villages and back. We passed temples, dogs, wild pigs and more on the cross-country run. It was the first time for a new running organization in Delhi to organize such an event and as you could expect there were freshman snags. The event was well organized in advance and the check-in was easy breezy. In fact the organizer had made special arrangements to help us register! The signage on the run wasn't great and the front runners of the 10K got lost on the way back to the finish. Being one of them, I convinced the other guy I was with to cut across a ravine to get back on track and we did. From there, we ran back to the finish and I was lucky enough to finish first.

When discussing my finish with my friends, I received the obvious congratulations for finishing first. But the "thing" about running isn't winning, it's beating your PR and doing the best you can on any given day. I tried to explain to a friend that winning the race wasn't that big of a deal. "It just means that I was faster than everyone else who showed up that day." Any other day, with any other runners and the story could be different. A broken PR though, can't be taken away. He replied by simply restating what I had said. "Exactly. You were faster than everyone else that day." Another friend helped me accept my fair share of joy when I said, "It's not that big of a deal." "You're right," he said, "but it's fun, isn't it?"

I guess it is fun, but I know that on any given day, there will be people much faster than me. And that's the "thing" about running. It doesn't matter. As long as I'm true to myself and true to my goals and true to my inspirations and motivators, I'll win. Thanks to Jonah, Zach and Brent for the motivation to get up too early after a night too late. Thanks to my family for giving me a reason to run, and thanks to all of you who read the blog. It's not too late to add to my inspiration. If you can donate a few dollars, it's enough to get me out the door on the days that I want to stay in bed, cozying up to my wife and son.

Oh, and we had moustaches!

Please visit https://www.coloradogives.org/forellis and see why I'm running this year.

 

 

RUN STATS:

Distance - 10K (6.2 miles)

Time - My time 46:22, they say 47:15. Either way it's a PR for a 10K!

Soundtrack - Super Race Day Playlist taken from our wedding reception playlist!

• Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win - Beastie Boys
• Body Movin'-Never Gonna Get It - Beastie Boys Remix
• Let Me Clear My Throat - DJ Kool
• Young'n (Holla Back) - Fabolous
• Bang Pop - Free Energy
• No Pause - Girl Talk
• Great! There it is - Hood Internet
• Mayhem - Imelda May
• Tipsy - J Kwon
• DANCE - Justice
• Back that Ass Up - Juvenile
• Bulletproof - La Roux
• Drunk Girls - LCD Soundsystem
• Roll Out  - Ludacris
• Electric Feel - MGMT
• Work It - Missy Elliot
• Little Lion Man - Mumford and Sons

May 18, 2013

Thanks to my dear friends Becky and Isaac. This one was for you!

Today's run was awesome! The route is one that has achieved a cult status among the small handful of runners here at school (if such a thing exists). Can you have a cult following of 4 or 5?

I'm referring (of course) to the Star Run! This one is so special, I'm going to put the map in the middle of the post instead of at the bottom, where I normally put it.

As you can see, this route looks like a star (or a spur). This run has been in my pocket for over eight months, just like The Low Impact 5 Miler. It was a run that I mapped out, but never ran. I tried to get people to run it with me several times, but for one reason or another, it never happened. But today, we finally ran it! This run is designed to be a differentiated run, with something for everyone. At about the 3 mile point, we reach a traffic circle and people can choose to run as much or as little as they want.

I've actually mapped several possibilities for this one! I'm addicted.

Star 3-Do the beginning of Star 6 and take an autorickshaw home.

Star 6-To the roundabout and back. http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/195109620

Star 7-The first two spoke, with adjustments. http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/195110378

Star 8.5-Four spokes. http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/195110788

Star 9-All spokes, no roundabouts. http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/207598053

Star 10-All spokes, roundabouts and the extra bit to Rajpath. http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/133177603

I was happy to have three adventurous colleagues join me for the Star Run, but it was Kendra's enthusiasm for the route that really made me feel good! Thanks Kendra. This year we've had a lot fewer runners due to injuries, air quality issues and the demanding pace of life at our school, so it meant a lot to have others show up for this run.

Nothing too crazy on the run. The first roundabout on spoke one has an old mosque in the middle of it, which is unusual for Delhi. Google Maps calls it the Sunhari Bagh Masjid. According to the one image I've found it was built in the 1700s, and it seems that Google Maps at least misspells the name, but there is a much more famous Sunehri Mosque in Old Delhi, so I think it's mislabeled too.

**UPDATE: It seems that the mosque is actually called Sunehri Bagh Road Masjid. I've found some voter logs for the people living there, but no real information.

In any case, it looks neat. There's also a mosque on the fourth spoke and the guards at the Taj Mahal (don't be fooled by the name!) Delhi Hotel were very friendly! Not a lot else interesting on this route, but it was a fun way to pack in 10 miles!

Thanks again, Becky and Isaac. If you want to be like Becky and Isaac, please follow the link and help out. Thanks a lot!

https://www.coloradogives.org/forellis

RUN STATS:

Distance - 10 miles

Time - 1:31:29

Soundtrack - Vampire Weekend and Daft Punk - Super secret copies of upcoming releases!

The Finish Point

Big, big thanks to Ben & Jacqueline, Jess and Chico for their generous donations! Thanks so much for helping a great organization and for inspiring me to get out and run. I guess an eight mile run from school to Vasant Vihar and back was enough to earn enough to push me past 50% of my goal! Special thanks to Chico for the text at 5:24 am. "Wake up and run, be nimble and quick, Chico just donated!" It was a great way to start the day. Luckily, I was up and ready to run!

The run itself was a great one. Good pace to the Veevs, met Zach (thanks Zach!) and good pace back to school. The usual Veevs sights (cows) and one great surprise - An ELEPHANT! This is the first time I've seen an elephant on a run. Now I can add it to ever-growing list of mammals I've seen while running. Last night a friend sent me a link to the Northwest Passage Marathon, the northern-most race in N. America. If I do that one, I could add beluga whales, seals, polar bears and muskoxen...

Today's post isn't a detailed description of a run. If you want that, you can go back and see this post about the Veevs 8 Miler.

Instead, today's post is a bit of running/life philosophy that I've developed since I began running last year.

Everyone knows about the finish line. It's the end of a race. A goal to be reached. However, since I've started running, I've developed some ideas about something a little different - the finish point. The finish point is different than the finish line. The finish point is that moment on a long, tough run when you say to yourself, "I can finish this run. I'll be able to get all of the way home." On different days, the finish point is closer to the end and on others it's much further away. Those are the tough days. On the tough days though, you wait for it to come. You wonder if it's coming at all. You wonder what it's going to take. A glimpse of the finish line? A last endorphin rush?

Sometimes it's one of those things, but not always. Sometimes you come across a friend that's on a walk that smiles and says hi, sometimes one of those friends is running home too and you join them or sometimes it's just a shift in your thinking. It's always just what you need at just the right time.

But always, there's something. There's always a point in your run when you say to yourself, "I've got this. I'm going to finish."

This thinking can be adjusted for just about anything we tackle in life. There's always a point when you can say to yourself, "I can do this. I'm going to make it." No matter how tough, now matter how exhausted you are, no matter how impossible things seem, there's always a finish point. As long as you keep moving forward, you'll make it.

The last year has been hard for me, but those last minute endorphin rushes, those times when a smile from a friend, or a helping hand was just what I needed at that time to help me through.

If you can donate, please do!

https://www.coloradogives.org/forellis

RUN STATS:

Distance - 8 miles

Time - 1:04:47 - Another route record!

Soundtrack - Public Enemy, The Best Of and 1/2 of Fear of a Black Planet

Coverage

Today's run was for all of the anonymous donors. Again, these donations gave me the incentive I needed to go out and run. I appreciate the donations and I understand if you don't want your name up in lights on the donation website or on this blog, but I'd still love to know if you've donated so I can thank you personally. I really believe in the good work that Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep does, so thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Today's run is all about coverage.

This is a Google Map that shows all of the roads I've run on in New Delhi. As you can see, I covered a lot of ground. Especially near the school. There are only a few roads in and out of the neighborhood, so finding new places to run is tough, especially for short runs. The problem with today's run was the mileage - 6 miles. To go out and back, you're stuck with three miles. Within that three miles, there aren't a lot of choices of where to go. So I was stuck with choosing one of the old standbys. I actually spent about 45 minutes trying to make a new route, but I couldn't come up with anything that didn't involve a million turns or a high likelihood of getting lost. Then I remembered a post that I had written a few days ago about running a route backwards. I figured it was just what I need to freshen up the Railroad 6 Miler. The Railroad 6 Miler is a fun route, that has a lot to do and see, but I'm getting bored of it. Four of us showed up this morning to run, but we ended up splitting into pairs and running different routes.

The RR 6 Miler goes past several railroad related sites in Chanakyapuri. When run backwards, those sites include the Railroad Museum(4 Stars on TripAdvisor!), Sarojini Station, Safdarjung Station, The Railroad Workers Park and Chanakyapuri Station. There's a lot to see. For some reason, there were a billion people camped out at the Sarojini Station. Why were they there? Where were they going?

Here are a few pictures from the Railroad Museum, just for fun.

 

If you can donate, please do!

https://www.coloradogives.org/forellis

RUN STATS:

Distance - 6 miles

Time - 47:13 - A route record!

Soundtrack - Public Enemy, Apocalypse 91 ... The Enemy Strikes Black

May 13, 2013

I took the weekend off from running and was rewarded with more donations! I know that's not how it's supposed to work but, Sharon, this run's for you. Thanks for your kindness.

Today's training run was a 5 Miler that I've been keeping in my back pocket for a while. I designed the run almost exactly one year ago; it was mapped on May 15, 2012 but I've never run it. At that point last year, I was experiencing the pains of training. My back was killing me. I thought maybe it was due to all of the street running I had been doing, so I made "The Low Impact 5 Miler." It was designed primarily around the the massive green lawns in Chanakyapuri, Shanti Path and the dirt paths of Nehru Park.

Chanakyapuri was designed as an add-on to New Delhi in the 1950s, after India won its independence from Britain. The area was set up as the Diplomatic area, a place to build all of the embassies that would soon be moving into the capital of the nascent nation, eager to develop diplomatic relations. The focal point of this new neighborhood would become the Shanti Path, or the Peace Road, with its sweeping, manicured, green lawns. It was eventually lined with trees and embassies. The streets surrounding the Shanti Path speak to us of the ideals of this new area of diplomacy. Panscheel Marg is the "Street of the Five Principles", celebrating a 5 nation treaty signed by PM Nehru. Satya Marg is the "Street of Truth," Niti Marg is the "Street of Politics," and Naya Marg is the "Street of Justice." Sader Patel, Jose Rizal, Jose Artigas, Alexander Dubceck, Kwame Nkrumah and Andre Malraux were all heroes and Chanakya himself was an ancient leader of India, a master of politics and diplomacy.

The run started and finished on Andre Malraux Marg, named for a French author, statesman and convicted tomb raider. This marg is a very standard part of almost all of my runs. The US embassy compound takes up two blocks, with the Swiss and French to the right. A right-hand turn in the shade of trees on the access road and Keir and I were running past Myanmar, Russia, the Netherlands and Canada. Not bad for a few minutes. From Canada, it's a straight shot across Shanti Path, dodging cars, auto-rickshaws and buses (not too many at 6am) and then a left-hand turn on the opposite access road. Now heading northeast, we passed Germany, Sudan and an abandoned(abandoned-looking?) Serbian embassy. Next is Pakistan with its towering blue domes and we take a right turn to head to Nehru park. The loop in Nehru Park is about 1.6 miles on a packed dirt track, then it's out and back to Peace Street. Another right and it's past the Commonwealth - Australia and the British High Commission. You see, they have High Commissions, we have embassies. Same, same, but different. The Norwegian Embassy is neatly tucked into the far corner of Shanti Path, then you cut across again and the northwest corner is bounded by the China. The US, Brits and Chinese all have huge plots of land. The next embassy comes after crossing Panscheel Marg, where the US embassy starts again. Then it's back to Andre Malraux to head back home.

I can't believe it took me a year to run this route. It's simple, interesting and largely devoid of traffic, direct sunlight or the other problematic features (read: dogs, monkeys, toxic fumes) of most Delhi street runs. It's definitely a keeper and will be a quick go-to for a 5 mile run.

Thanks again Sharon for the donation. If you can help a grieving family with a small gift, please do:

https://www.coloradogives.org/forellis

RUN STATS:

Distance - 5 miles (although Keir's GPS frequently puts us at less)

Time - 37:46

Temp at 6am - A reasonable 75 degrees F

Soundtrack - More repeats. I've got to do a better job of updating the iPod.

Hands

Today's run is for Beth, Lynn, Tommy and Elisa! Thanks for your generous donations, they meant a lot to me today.

It seems unreasonable that I should be writing a running blog entry about hands. Running is about legs, and feet. It's about the drive and determination to take another step.

But lately, I've been thinking about hands. It's something that runners often neglect. What do you do with your arms and hands while you run? Runner's World suggests that your arms and hands help control your upper body and compliment your strides to move your body forward. They say that you should, "Imagine yourself trying to carry a potato chip in each hand without crushing it." This is keep you from making fists, which inhibits blood and oxygen flow. I end up with fists all the time when I run because I forget to think about my hands.

CC: By Charles Haynes
via WikiCommons

A few weeks ago, I showed up to run on a weekend, and I met a bunch of folks that I had never run with. They took me on a trail run in a nearby green space and as we were running, I offered a suggestion for a sloshing Camel Back. I had seen this video that describes taking the air out before you run. The guy thanked me for the suggestion, then offered me one that has proven to be even more important than a sloshing hydration pack. He looked at my hands and told about the Yogic Mudras. The mudras are basically hand gestures that are used to facilitate the flow of prana, or life force through the body. Different mudras have different jobs. He encouraged me to place my forefinger and middle finger together, and touch my thumb to my other two fingers (kind of like the boyscout salute). I assumed this was the air mudra, to help me with my breathing. I've since learned that it's not. Instead, this is the life mudra, which after writing this entry, I now find to be even more appropriate.

On my runs lately, I've been thinking about my hands and what I'm doing with them as I run. Am I clenching a fist and prohibiting the flow? Am I concentrating on the technical precision from Runner's World "Tips for Perfect Form?" Or, am I allowing the life force to flow freely through my body, the one that "allows weak people to become strong?" In many ways, these are questions that we can ask ourselves about how we move through life.

Thinking about all of this as I was approaching home, I found myself concentrating on the prana mudra and because I was paying attention to my hands, I presaged a glimpse of my finish line crossing in June and what it might mean for my hands. Last year as I came into Canal Park for the finish line, I looked up at the giant clock and saw that I had beat my goal time by a lot. With my finger, I pointed up to the clock, pumped my fist and crossed the line. So today as I was arriving home, thinking of mudras and the finish line, my right hand started to move almost unconsciously. First, an e. Then a sliding l. Then an i and an s. I was signing Ellis' name with my right hand. An unexpected lift rose through my body and a wave of exhilaration as I discovered what I'll do in June as I cross the line. This run is for my boy Ellis. I have a reason for running.

Thanks again to the donors. It means a lot to me, my family and the families that will connect to Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep during one of the toughest times in their lives. If you can help too, please click the link below. Thanks.

https://www.coloradogives.org/forellis

And oh yeah, a comment every once in a while wouldn't be terrible.  :)

RUN STATS:

Distance - 4 miles

Time - 32:34

Temp at 6am - 83 degrees F

Soundtrack - The Raconteurs, Live in Newcastle and Rage Against the Machine, Self Titled

May 9, 2013

Today's run by the numbers:

1 Rumblin' rail, passing overhead
2 Tiny tents, hidden in garden beds
3 Pretty peacocks, beautiful and blue
4 Darling donors, this run's for you
5 Dirty dogs, eating milk and trash
6 Morning miles, not quite at a dash

Maybe I've been reading too many children's books for Arlo these days.

Today's run was a six miler dedicated to The Lawson Family, Marina, Mary and Kerrie. Thank you all for your generous donations to the NILMDTS. They appreciate the gesture and I know people will benefit as a result of your kindness. As for me, your donations forced me out the  door on a Thursday morning, something I don't normally do. Wednesday night is soccer night, so I usually skip the run the next morning. My legs were tired! I chose a fun six miler and saw some great stuff on the run.

The run starts at school and runs down a lane that is bordered by the US and Pakistani embassies. Early in the morning (before six a.m. today) there was already a line of anxious people waiting to get visas to visit the US. At the Pakistan embassy, a row of translators with typewriters at the ready, happy to help with visa documents. Then the run cuts through Nehru Park, a favorite green space of the Chanakyapuri neighborhood. As always, lots of people were there, walking, jogging, doing yoga, etc. A quick dip into the route I like to the Peacock 4 Miler, because sure enough, 3 pretty peacocks all in  row - one each on three bungalow roofs as I ran past. A shortcut underneath the railroad bridge, complete with a train passing overhead and I was in Sarojini Market.

CC: By Shashwat_Nagpal via Flickr

I like this route a lot because Sarojini is super interesting. It's a great market to visit because it is a hectic, crowded, diverse place. You have to go with a lot of patience, but when you do, it's worth it. At 6am though, it's quiet and just waking up to a long day ahead. This is where I saw the dirty dogs, eating milk. A woman had stopped at a local milk stall and was feeding the street dogs as her dog, leashed to a police tower, looked on. The Wikipedia page explains India's unique street dogs (they belong to no one, yet everyone) and this NYT blog post offers a different perspective. Luckily, they were complacent today and caused me no trouble (unlike last year, when I was bit).

I kept cruising and due to a little roundabout traveling (again caused by Delhi Metro construction) I found myself cutting through an apartment block with tiny garden areas that had been overtaken by squatter tents/shacks. I would guess that they are the homes of the servants working in the apartments. It was interesting, another reminder of the scarcity of space in a city with almost 22 million people.

The run back (a loop in Sarojini is the half-way point) included views of cows, fruit sellers and monkeys as I hoofed up a hill and back into the embassy area. All in all, a good run!

Thanks again to my donors! If you want a run and your name in lights, please visit:

https://www.coloradogives.org/forellis

RUN STATS:

Distance - 6 miles

Time - 48:52

Temp at 6am - 81 degrees F

Soundtrack - The Probers, a CD of a band from Wisconsin that played at UWEC when I was in college

Looks a little like Marvin the Martian, right?

May 8, 2013

Today I forced myself to leave my comfort zone a little bit. I skipped my run on Sunday, I skipped my hills run on Tuesday and instead of running 6 miles today, I only ran three.

But, I pushed myself to run as fast as I could. I forced myself to push since I skipped the hill workout. It's been a while since I've done a really fast short run, so I opted for a new 3.11 miler, which is of course a 5K.

The route was basically old familiar roads, and I focused on my pace. As usual, I started too hot. My first mile was 6:21, the second was 6:36 and the last 1.11 was 7:36. That put me at 20:33, just three seconds off of my all-time best for a 5K. My goal is sub-20 and I'll get there, I just need a little more inspiration and a little more restraint at the beginning.

The donations are coming in for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, thanks! I didn't see them until after school, so the first dedicated run will be tomorrow, which is normally a rest day for me. But thanks to your kind donations, I'll be out there running tomorrow morning!

If you can help, or want a dedicated training run, please visit my fundraising site:

https://www.coloradogives.org/forellis

RUN STATS:

Distance - 3 miles

Time - 20:33

Soundtrack - Summer Guide 13, repeat. I thought I updated my iPod, but I guess I didn't. Good thing it's a good mix!

 

Running for a Reason

Last year, I accomplished something I was very proud of. It wasn't becoming a runner, it wasn't getting up early in the mornings to run, it wasn't entering all kinds of races. In fact, it wasn't even running my first half marathon.

Last year, I was faced with the rejection of not getting a lottery spot in the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon. As a second chance, I was offered a spot if I could agree to raise $2000 for the American Cancer Society. I agreed, and my fundraising career was born. Running for the ACS gave me even more focus. I dedicated training runs and felt compelled to complete them to thank my donors. I heard stories from friends that have been affected by cancer. I wrote posts for the ACS Determinators blog. It was life-changing. I knew I was helping.

People have asked me if I'm raising money again. I am. But this time it's way more personal. In December, my twin sons were born in New York City. We knew that Ellis had a congenital heart defect and that he wouldn't be with us for very long. He lived for fifteen days. Fifteen precious gifts that can never be taken away. Fifteen days of laughing, crying, and living.

Three days before he left us we contacted an organization called Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. NILMDTS is an incredible group of professional photographers who volunteer their time to come to hospitals and do family photos with children that have passed away or that will soon. On New Year's Day, we were visited in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit of the New York Presbyterian Hospital by Rachel Elkind of Brooklyn, New York. Her generosity, ability, compassion and caring can never be repaid. Her gift to us is something that we will cherish forever. Ellis was atypically aware that day. His eyes were open, he stayed awake as long as he could for the photo shoot and we got great shots. The next day, he died.

This year, I'm running to support Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. It's an important organization that provides comfort, relief and happiness to way too many families. We were lucky. We were blessed with fifteen days and we were blessed with amazing photos to remember.

Please donate. I love the support and you're truly making a difference.

https://www.coloradogives.org/forellis

May 6, 2013

Today's run was a new route, complete with exploration and challenges! Running in the Diplomatic Area of Delhi is nice. The streets are wide, lined with trees and the buildings are beautiful. I pass embassies, colonial-era bungalows and monuments to the greatness of the Indian subcontinent. This route, the Moti Bagh 5 Miler, leaves the Diplomatic Area. Could things be that different?

If you look at the map below, you'll see the Ring Road about half way between Mile One and Mile Two. The Ring Road aptly circumnavigates what most people consider to be New Delhi or more appropriately, Delhi as it contains Old Delhi as well. But today's run had me thinking about the Ring Road as a border. Without creating too many generalizations about what's inside and what's outside of the "Ring," I'll talk specifically about what happened when I crossed this particular portion of the border.

The first mile of this run is on one of those wide, tree-lined streets that I talked about earlier. It takes a fun detour over a railway track, passes a huge private park for railway employees (but probably not for the ones that serve tea) and an army something or other. It's nice. Then it crosses the Ring Road, up and over six lanes of dirty traffic on a pedestrian overpass. The minute we entered the neighborhood on the other side, it was like entering a completely different place. The streets were narrow, hot, and choked with flies. All available space was taken up by buildings. While the people on the other side of the Ring Road were walking, jogging (ahem), and otherwise slowly waking up to their days, this side was packed with people working. They were loading and unloading, washing cars, carrying goods to/from market. The contrast was stark. Google Maps had me thinking we were cruising around a park, but it sure wasn't the Railroad Employees private park from our side of the Ring. We ran past a busy market where at least four or five dogs wanted to give us some attention and then made our way back to the Ring Road. This area is currently ripped up for Delhi Metro construction. Up and over another overpass and the run took us back into the (relatively) quiet and clean Moti Bagh North.

Of the multitudinous things that I love about India is the fact that within a mile (1 MILE!) of where we live, we can see and do so many different things. The contrasts are incredible. The first time I came to India and described to people back home I said, "The colors are brighter, the sounds are louder, the smells are more intense." It's a crazy place, and I'm humbled to have the luxury to explore it on my morning runs. 

Thanks to Keir for joining me on the exploration and for pushing crazy splits! Our first three miles were 8:21, 9:19, 9:14. The last two were 7:38 and 6:42. Granted, his gps said we didn't do a full five, so maybe that last one is off a bit, but still. Too fast.

RUN STATS:

Distance - 5 miles

Time - 40:29

Soundtrack - Summer Guide 13, a playlist from an old friend with an obession. Check his blog to get great playlists. Thanks Regan!