April 25, 2017 - For Ted!

Today's run was sponsored by Ted! Thanks so much for continuing to help fund the Ty Taylor Memorial Campship Endowment. We're getting so close to fully funding the endowment, I appreciate your help! Soon, YMCA Camp Miller will be able to send a deserving camper to camp for free every year in honor of an amazing man.


Today's run is for a former AES Runner, secretive donor and all-around nice guy. My students might call him a lurker, because I haven't heard from him in forever, but he's checking the blog and making a donation - but they've given on the intricacies and nuances of our language. I call him a friend.

Here at school, we ask the following question a lot: What does the research say? Friend or lurker? Well, researchers have been trying to convince us that social media is fooling us into believing that having hundreds of friends is normal, let alone possible. British anthropologist Robin Dunbar suggested that humans ability to keep and maintain friendships was correlated to brain size. 150 was the number he suggested, but he divided that 150 into layers. The closest layer contained 5. A study conducted by Time-sharing Experiments for the Social Sciences suggested that the respondents to their study had only two. Research from 2016 reported on the Huffington Post confirmed Dunbar's findings.

All of that seems like bad news for those of us in the world of international teaching. Falling out of touch is easy as people move in and out of our schools and our lives. We follow each others' blogs (peep Ted's gap here sailing blog here!), see each others' photos on Instagram and Facebook, but it becomes easy to slip away from each other. Facebook can make us believe that we're keeping up on each other when snippets fly through our feeds, but it's not the same.

But do you know what?

I'm okay with it.

Because the friends that I've met since I made the decision to come abroad are the greatest people I've ever met. I know that they're there for me. That they'll help out. That they'll meet up in Bangkok, or Buenos Aires or Brooklyn. And more than anything, that we'll pick up exactly where we left off last time without skipping a beat.

I miss Ted, and Amie and the kids. I miss the time we spent chatting on our runs. Truthfully, I've been thinking about two of them a lot lately. Amie and I spent about 5 minutes one day running laps around a traffic circle near the American Embassy waiting for the group to catch up. I think about it almost every time I pass that circle. And Ted was always willing to join on long, hot runs. I saw a map of the 2014 edition of the British History Half Marathon (the first running, btw), and remembered how Ted joined me for an extra few miles to bump it up to a 20 mile training run despite the fact that it was blazing hot at the end of a really long run. Like I said earlier, an all-around nice guy.

As the school year winds down, I'm thinking a lot about how great it's been to have friends step up with no hesitation to run with me. In the dark, in the rain or on hot April Tuesdays after work. That's what I did today. It was Kate's morning to work out, so I squeezed in a run after school.

It was hot. It was hazy. It was Delhi on an April afternoon. But knowing that Ted had taken the time to donate was enough to motivate me. Thanks for helping to make the Ty Taylor Campship possible, friend. I appreciate you, no matter what my silly students might call you.

The route was a classic. School to the Salt March Statue, to Teen Murti. A loop around Kautilya Marg and a loop around Nehru Park.

RUN STATS:
Distance - 4.93 miles (I really should look at my distance before quitting my workout - .07 miles more!?)
Time - 41:22
Soundtrack - Ana Tijoux, Vengo

April 21, 2017 - For Dr. A!

Today's run was sponsored by Dr. A! Thanks so much for continuing to help fund the Ty Taylor Memorial Campship Endowment. We're getting so close to fully funding the endowment, I appreciate your help! Soon, YMCA Camp Miller will be able to send a deserving camper to camp for free every year in honor of an amazing man.

There was a request for a specific run from Dr. A after her generous donation to the Ty Taylor Memorial Campship - a run in the heat, or a run in the rain. Well, Dr. A, you get heat. You also get an international destination run, given the fact that you're the most well-traveled person I know!

Although I abandoned my running group in Delhi, and was away in Bangkok for the weekend, you can see that our temps were about the same. Of course, I had the luxury of almost two extra hours of sleep, but c'est la vie. So, Dr. A, here's your hot one.

As I write this year's posts, I'm ruminating on the fact that not only do I want to capture the experience of a run, but I'm also looking back on 8 years in India and 15 in Asia. On the first day of June, we'll say goodbye to #thisplace and head onward to Ghana. Surely new adventures await, but the awesome task of saying goodbye to what has become home looms.

In Bangkok for the weekend, knowing I had to dedicate a run, all other considerations (laziness, the pool, breakfast) were outweighed as I laced up, filled my Camelbak and headed out the door for a longish run. The route was easy. In 2015, Bangkok become something of a second (third?) home to our family as Kate moved into an apartment waiting for our son Amos to be born. I grew to know the streets. In reality, Bangkok has been a destination for us for years. Thailand is a go-to vacation spot, Bangkok, the closest spot for "big city-therapy." It's comfortable. It's predictable. It's always interesting.

So, Saturday morning, I took off from my hotel on Soi 11 and plied the early morning streets of Bangkok.

Up and over a pedestrian bridge across the lifeline of Bangkok, the Sukhimvit. Even at 7:45am, the famous Bangkok traffic was beginning. Today's route would take me across the busiest parts of town to the back alleys, the vast parks and the canals that make the city famous.

Skirting the edge of Chuvit Garden, I headed toward Benjakitti Park. The trip from Soi 10 alley takes you across this charming bridge to the park. No traffic, no noise, the city slipped away.

In all of my city running, I've always been amazed by just how quickly cities can dissolve to quietude and peaceful back alleys. I appreciate the opportunity to get to know this about them. I also was thinking about how confident I felt about today's route. It was known to me. I've done it before and I was able to just run. It got me thinking about how much I'll miss Bangkok after we leave. Benjakitti is a cool park in the center of the city. A large lake and running/biking paths all around.

It's an oasis of sorts, of course in the full sun, it was brutally hot. I tried my best to run in the shady spots.

Even at 8am, the sidewalks and streets of the city were busy.

Bangkok is a city that lives and breathes on its streets and as I ran past the various ice cream, chicken on a stick, pad thai vendors and other shops that were busy setting up, I was saddened to think about an article I had just read forecasting the demise of its street culture. It would seem that Bangkok is "cleaning up" its sidewalks and sidewalk woks in an attempt to "improve hygiene."

Pondering, I head to Lumphini Park. As I've written before, Lumphini Park was the  temporary home of anti-government protesters. Today though, all reminders of the conflict were gone as the park was replaced with joggers, tai-chi practitioners and a lovely man playing "When I'm Gone" on a harmonica connected to an amp as hids companion on the bench laughed and an old lady danced away.

When I'm Gone, indeed. The universe has a way of connecting to you when you're on a run. Luckily, I know that I have one more Bangkok trip in me before I head off and away to a new continent. For now, I'll keep my baht, I'll pack my shoes and I'll have at least one more run in my favorite urban playground. Pictures.

The thing about getting too nostalgic, of course, is the fact that one never knows what's going to happen in the future. Although it was 14 years ago that I left Northern Virginia for my around-the-world adventures, it wasn't long ago that Dr. A was sitting in my living room in New Delhi. The world works in mysterious ways.

RUN STATS:
Distance - 6.86 miles
Time - Around 70 minutes?

April 15, 2017 - For Heidi!

Today's run was sponsored by Heidi! Thanks so much for continuing to help fund the Ty Taylor Memorial Campship Endowment. We're getting so close to fully funding the endowment, I appreciate your help! Soon, YMCA Camp Miller will be able to send a deserving camper to camp for free every year in honor of an amazing man.

I'm so excited to write about this run! In most ways, it sums up exactly what running in Delhi has been all about for me over the past several years.

Heidi was kind enough to donate for the write up, thank you so much. It has been truly an honor getting to know her over the years. I'll confess though, when I first met her, I was a little intimidated and unsure about what it would be like hanging out with a parent and not just other teachers. I was bridging an unknown gap, going out of my comfort zone. Luckily, it was exceedingly easy to chat with her on runs and we've been doing it ever since. In fact, she's outlasted several teachers in our running group. If I'm not wrong, she holds the most seniority in the group! And she's by far the biggest recruiter of new runners. Due to her hard work, friendliness and ability to do what I can't, I've been able to meet several great people that didn't actually work with me. Chalk it up to another benefit of running. Thanks, friend.

Saturday's run had to have a theme, of course. Heidi has been along for all of the themed runs, the drawing routes, the (probably) dangerous runs and more. Always with a smile. So, it had to be the Round Buildings Run I put together in 2013.

Circles seem to be a theme in Delhi. Traffic circles are everywhere, markets are designed in circles, and several buildings in the heart of Lutyens' Delhi share the shape. To clarify, Edwin Lutyens along with Sir Hebert Baker, was the chief architect of the British Raj in the 1920s and 30s. He was responsible for shaping much of what is now known as New Delhi, the nerve center of the capital's government.

This eight mile route passes nearby to what is perhaps the most iconic round building in the capital - The Sansad Bhawan, or Parliament House. Lutyens' signature was combining local and traditional elements in his works. The Parliament is inspired by the Chakra Wheel, the symbol in the center of India's flag.

New Delhi's round post office, the Gole Dak Khanna, was built in 1934 by R.T. Russel, the same architect who later finished Connaught Place, Delhi's iconic round market. For an incredible glimpse into what the area was like, take the time to read this wonderful recounting of Lalit Nirula's growing up in CP.

The final round building inspired a bit of controversy during our excursion. Tempted to play tour guide, I talked about the main building of Gole Market. I mentioned its octagonal shape, making it in fact, not a round building. Quickly, Tim (a scientist!) piped up, "Are you sure? There seem to be more sides than that." Given that we could see four of them from our vantage point, I knew he was right.

 slyronit via Flickr

It was also designed by Lutyens and was the principal market area that served his Delhi. It was also the precursor to the more grandiose Connaught Place. Saturday's controversy isn't the only one surrounding this dodecagonal building, though. Over the years, tenants have fought and lost to keep their shops open as the building crumbled around them. A wonderful monument to the past it was supposed to be redone in 2009 as part of the build-up to the Commonwealth Games, but for now, it stands in ruins, victim to time and the political machine that Lutyens buildings call home.

RUN STATS:
Distance - 8.09 miles
Time - 1:12:54

April 14, 2017 - For Pat and Jack!

Today's run was sponsored by Pat and Jack! Thanks so much for continuing to help fund the Ty Taylor Memorial Campship Endowment. We're getting so close to fully funding the endowment, I appreciate your help! Soon, YMCA Camp Miller will be able to send a deserving camper to camp for free every year in honor of an amazing man.

Everyone else can get their dedicated run by clicking here and allocating the donation to the Ty Taylor Memorial Campship.

This year I've been thinking a lot about what my dedicated run posts will look like. It's the end of an era for me here in Delhi. Our family is leaving after nine years and we're heading on to Ghana in July. I'm also hoping we can bring closure to the fundraising that started so long ago. With those things in mind, I'm hoping to not only capture my waning moments in this amazing city, but also honor those of you who have continued to support me through the years.

So...

...Pat and Jack, you get my go-to route. It's the one I can always count on. Just like you. When I was lucky enough to have you become part of my life, I was immediately struck by how quickly you let me in and by how willing you both were to support me. I know that you'll always be ready to help, and for that, I'm eternally grateful. Thank you.

The go-to route is, of course, Nehru Park. We're lucky to have Nehru Park so close to campus. It's only a kilometer away, and it's a wonderful green respite in the craziness that can be India. In a lot of ways, Nehru is our Central Park, although it's only 1/10th of the size. On any given morning, there are people jogging, walking, doing yoga, playing cricket or otherwise enjoying some time for themselves.

For me, that's what a run in Nehru has been over the years. It's familiar. It's predictable. It's a time to go on autopilot and meditate on a morning run. Now that it's April, it's crowded at five o'clock, but in the winter, it's often dark and abandoned. It's a perfect time to unplug and recharge at the same time.

It's the painted reggae bridge, the Lenin statue, the fountain that was fixed for some reason last month and now flows with renewed energy and commitment. It's the contests from 2014 to be the fastest lap around. It's food festivals, three ancient temples and hidden idols.

It's Arlo zipping around on his bike, Amos and Kate and I following behind. It's comfortable. It's my backyard. It's home.




RUN STATS:

Distance - 6.16 miles
Time - 54:26
Temperature at 5:42am - 79°F

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April 3, 2017

Well, training has begun in earnest. And it's already hot in Delhi.

Granted, this was an afternoon run, but if it's a sign of things to come, this year's going to be a tough one for training. Speaking of training, I've decided on a pretty tough plan that I hope will help me to finish with a PR for the half marathon in June. Oh, and I'm starting at week 5 of the plan. And I was crazy tired and dehydrated from traveling this past weekend. Whee!

But, I ran. I ran because I know that this post was going to be a dedicated run because my friends are generous. So, this post is for ______. You can get a dedicated run by helping me finish my goal of raising $3000 to fully fund an endowment to give a campship to a needy camper at YMCA Camp Miller in memory of my friend, Ty Taylor. Just click here and donate, then let me know you did it - http://www.ymcacampmiller.org/donate/ty-taylor-campship-endowment/

The route was a quick Nehru Park four miles after school to make up for the long week of not running at all in Italy over our Spring Break. Granted, I was snowboarding almost every day, so it's not like I haven't been working out. Speaking of last week, here's a picture from the top of Courmayer!

Going from that to 100 degrees was a shock to the system to say the least. Here's looking forward to two more hot months of India running.

RUN STATS
Distance: 3.91 miles
Duration: 34:52
Time and Temp: 4:00pm, 100°F

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Running For a Reason 2017

It's time to finish this.


In 2010, the world lost Ty Taylor. He was a camp counselor. He was a father. He was a son. He was a friend to many. To me, he was a mentor.

Growing up at YMCA Camp Miller is an important part of the lives of the children of northern Minnesota and beyond. It definitely was for me. Ty played a huge role in helping me to become the person that I am today. For that, I'm thankful and I'm doing everything I can to repay the gifts he gave to me.

From my blog, March 2014:

When I was sixteen I joined the staff as a CIT and when I was 17, I was an Assistant Counselor. That's when I met Ty Taylor. He was an amazing guy that had a life story that blew my mind as a 17 year old from Minnesota. We worked together all summer and he was a big influence in my life. He inspired my love of adventure, my ability to laugh at myself, helped me appreciate the simple things that surrounded me and taught me about the value of unconditional friendship.  

In 2014, I used my marathon training as an opportunity for raising money for the Ty Taylor Campship Endowment. I did the same in 2016. Today, the endowment is $3000 away from generating enough interest to send a deserving child to YMCA Camp Miller for every year forever. It's my goal to raise that money this year.

Please consider donating. It will help a kid have the experiences that I did and it will motivate me to keep running every day from now until raceday. And beyond, if necessary. Anyone who donates will have a run dedicated to them, and a write-up on this blog! Please make sure you let me know you donated so I can write up your run as soon as possible.

Here's the link for donating - http://www.duluthymca.org/give/ Just choose the Ty Taylor Campship option.

If you prefer, here's a direct link.

My goal for this year is to get 40 people to donate and convince one friend each to donate. 80 donations should be enough to finalize this endowment and start sending kids to camp!

Who's first?