May 15, 2017 - For Nicola and Amanda!

Today's run was sponsored by Nicola and Amanda! 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.

Running is many different things to many people. For some, it's about the workout. For others, it's about the social aspect of running with friends. Others run to explore, to meditate, to reach a goal, to grieve, to raise money... If you've read my blog, you know that I run for all of these reasons.

But when I left the house on Monday morning, it was with the sole intent of taking some time to think. I had a potentially difficult meeting coming up, and I needed to think carefully about how I was going to proceed. My legs went on autopilot as I began the Statues 3 Miler route. You can read about other runs on this route here, here, here, and here. My thoughts centered primarily around how the ability to change my perspective and take a fresh look at the path forward might help me. What were my objectives? How might I present that information? I went through several scenarios and soon arrived at the Salt March Statue. Wikipedia gives a good quick look at the Salt March, or Dandi March, but basically it's the story of how Gandhi initiated the literal march as an act of civil disobedience, and began the figurative march to Indian Independence. You can read more about the Gyarah Murti statue on the so.Delhi blog and take a look at a video here.

Typically, upon passing this statue (which happens frequently when I go running), I acknowledge Gandhi-ji with a wave, or a hand on my heart. On this day, I did something different. I stopped. I walked around to the back side for a fresh look. I took a break at the statue and thought about how he may have approached his tough decisions.

The moment was poignant, as I considered this leader, who set out on a journey to the sea to prove his point.

But I also considered the followers. Without their support, the trip wouldn't have made the same impact. His point would surely not have been heard by the British. It was their support which was needed. Gandhi had big ideas and passion and cared about independence, but he thought carefully about how to deliver the messages of his people. People who were widely varied as illustrated in Choudhary's sculpture.

In the end, the Mahatma succeeded in changing minds and inspiring hearts. Renewed in the belief that my meeting was going to go well because I was aided by talented collaborators and representing good people, I continued my run and came across the Teen Murti statue.

The three statues (Teen Murti literally means 3 statues) are arranged in an equilateral triangle. Acknowledging the ironic fact that I wouldn't be allowed to pause and reframe this statue from a new angle since they are all the same, I grinned at the universe and finished my run.

I'm choosing to thank Nicola and Amanda for this run, because they are both involved with me in different groups at school. I've been grateful to share their thinking and I'm appreciative of their desire to help me fund the Campship. As I prepare to leave AES, I'm so thankful for the opportunities I've had to be part of important work. And as I prepare to enter a new school, I'm thinking about what opportunities for sharing thinking I'll have. Which ideas will become important? Will I have a chance to be a leader? Or perhaps, most importantly, how can I be an enthusiastic and supportive follower?

RUN STATS:

Distance - 5.15 miles

Time - 46:27

Temp at 6:30am, 87°F

Thoughts on Route Ownership

Be warned. There will be a quiz.

As I was running the other day, I started thinking about how I, as a runner, take great pride and ownership over the routes that I run and the roads that I run on. If you read the blog, you know that I am obsessive about creating new routes that not only take me to see new things, but also help in my pursuit of coverage.

But when I'm not looking for new paths, I'm plying the same roads. It occurred to me, that at 5am, 6am, when I'm hitting those same paths over and over again, I feel like I own the streets. They belong to me. I mapped the route, I named it, and I run it, so it's mine. Which is ridiculous, because: a) I share Delhi's roads with upwards of 20 million people and b) I always see other people on "my" roads.

Quiz Question 1: Do the other runners out there feel this way?

I know that Scott has the "Scott White 5 Miler" and Evan has "His Nehru Park Loop." Both are eponymously named and each of those guys would hesitate to run other variations. I also know that I have created and named dozens of routes since 2012.

That's why I buckled the other day when Melissa suggested we run "Quiet Neighborhood." That route is not called "Quiet Neighborhood," it's called the "Peacock 4 Miler." I designed the route in April of 2012. It took the name after repeated runs consistently yielded the viewing of peacocks in the same spot.

Here's a screenshot of the route:

And here's a screenshot of a very similar route, made in 2011 called "Quiet Neighborhood."

Obviously I was crushed. It destroyed my concept of ownership. Does Kira own this route? Do I need to change the name of my run? Then I really got thinking. Did someone before her run this route every Tuesday? Is new thinking derivative? Is ownership of ideas possible? Is everything just a repackage of something else? I was stymied. So I went back and ran it again, this time alone.

This is what I heard.

It was haunting. I stopped running. I turned off my music. I took out my phone and shot these videos to try to share the experience with you. It took several minutes, but I finally found one of the instigators. 40 feet up a tree, was the unmistakable silhouette of a peacock.

Quiz Question 2: So tell me, how quiet was this neighborhood?

Anyone out there have any thoughts on this? Leave the answers to the quiz questions in the comments!

RUN STATS (Feb 24):

Distance - 3.73 miles

Time - 37:49

Soundtrack - Random Playlist

RUN STATS (Mar 3):

Distance - 4.13 miles

Time - 34:22 (peacock break not included)

Soundtrack - Cacophonous Peacocks!

For My Colleagues!

Wow! The people I work with are incredible. I mean, really incredible.

In the title of the post, I call them my colleagues, but really at International Schools, the people we work with are much more than that. They are friends, support systems and chosen family. Life can be tough being away from "home," but the special people I work with make it much easier.

Yesterday I put out a request for donations to my staff and I was pleased to see two donations waiting for me when I woke up. As always, it was a motivation to run this morning.

During school today, another donation made its way to my desk. I immediately went to offer my thanks and yet another person was able to hear my story about the difference Camp Miller and Ty Taylor made in my life.

Feeling gratified, I started to think about how to honor these three donors. One dedicated run for all of them? One for each?

Ten minutes ago, I sat down at my computer and started scrolling backwards through my messages. I was amazed to see another donation. Then another and another and yet another!

That makes seven donations in one day! Every penny earned is another step toward creating an enduring campship in the honor of my friend, and I truly believe that every donation big or small deserves a giant celebration. The kicker? These six donations have brought an extra $430! That's equal to almost 40% of what I've earned so far. I'm starting to believe that $7000 is possible!

The generosity of my friends is truly humbling. It's comforting to know that their kindness will be paid back many times over when future counselors are able to teach needy campers the joy and wonder of Camp.

See the joy and wonder on my face?

ps. There is no way that I could possibly lump all of these donations into one dedicated run. They will all get dedicated runs. Seems there are lots of extra miles in my future.

13.1 Running Metaphors

Today's run is for the Steadman family. Thanks for your donation. As a professional photographer, I know that Tim can relate to the importance of family photos and the difference they make for the lives of those who benefit from NILMDTS. Take a moment to check out Tim's website if you haven't already used his services. We have and we love his work!

The run for today is the longest run of my training program thus far this year, 13.1 miles. This is the dry run, the practice for the big dance. This year I've been pretty slack with my training so I was a little worried about this run. I've been behind on all of my times and my motivation is low. It helps knowing that people are donating and benefiting a great organization, so I'm keeping that in mind.

13.1 miles is a long way to run, it creates a lot of time for thinking. Last year, when I ran for ACS, I often thought of the comparisons between fighting cancer and running. There are a lot. In fact, I've had a blog entry composed in my head for the last year about those similarities. So today, in honor of the 13.1 mile run, I offer 13.1 Running Metaphors for Life.

1. Sometimes the most difficult part is the first step. Finding the motivation to get up and do it can be tough. But, once you're moving, you're glad you did.
2. You never know what's around the next corner. Sometimes it's giant hill, but sometimes it's a cool breeze. You have to turn to the corner to find out.
3. When you're on the top of a hill, sometimes you can see for miles. Other times, the view of what's to come is obscured. In both cases, you have to keep running to see what's next.
4. Every run has a "finish point." This isn't a finish line, this is the point when you say to yourself, "I've got this. I'm going to finish this run."
5. Just keep running. No matter what, keep running. The only way to finish is to keep moving forward.
6. But sometimes, finishing isn't always the goal. Sometimes You Have to Go Back and take a closer look.
7. It's easier and more enjoyable with friends. Having someone alongside you makes each step a little easier.
8. Slowing down gives you time to soak it all in and see what's to be seen.
9. Running Into the Unknown can be scary, but it can be exciting too. You'll occasionally get lost, but if you keep pushing on and ask for help, you'll be back on track in no time.
10. Running with a purpose is better than running without one. Having a strong motivation to run helps.
11. Setting goals for yourself and trying to improve on your best is important. You don't have to compare yourself with others, but you can always keep working your hardest.
12. You'll be surprised to see what you can do with training and conviction. You are capable of more than you think.
13. It's important to finish strong. When the end is in sight, dig deep and see what you can do. You might surprise yourself with a last minute push that brings you in on a high note.

13.1 - Finding a passion and developing it can be exhilarating. Discovering new routes, going a bit further each time, breaking a personal record-these are the things that make running/life great!

Thanks again for taking the time to read my blog, leave comments and donate to a good cause! 10 days until the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon!

https://www.coloradogives.org/forellis

RUN STATS:

Distance - 13.1 miles

Time - 1:54:48 (way off of my best for the route or the distance)

Soundtrack - Lots of Modest Mouse on Shuffle

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

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

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 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!

May 3, 2013

Friday's run was a special eight miler. It involved a creative way to get more people to run with me. The trick was for me to design an out and back run to Vasant Vihar, the old neighborhood. That way I got my long run, friends who live in VV got their run and everyone was happy. I had tried it the week before but due to some unclear communication and some Keystone Cops style circular movements around the meeting point, which resulted in no meet up, I ran the whole route by myself.

This time, a more clear meet up point (with a different, less circle-y walking friend) and it was pure success! The run to the Veevs was uneventful, except for a small dead end on the access road and some doubling back. Upon arriving to the old dong (Korean word for neighborhood, which seems ingrained as my default now, for obvious reasons) I was greeted by a procession of at least 15 holy cows. I met Jess at the rendezvous point and didn't even have to break stride:

ME(from a small distance): Good morning!
JESS: Good morning. Gonna stop?
ME(approaching): Don't have to...
JESS: Alright, let's go.

And we were off. We ran from my old neighborhood market, past the road to the shopping center with the "good" grocery store and the restaurants, the inroads to friends' houses, the local park where I went to my first Dushera, past the site of the theater where I saw my first Bollywood movie and back to school. Which is now also home. Two years ago we started living on campus in what most of us affectionately call "The Bubble."

I started to wax nostalgic for my old "dong." I loved living in Vasant Vihar for several reasons. While I love the convenience of living on campus (75 second commute, running home to visit my son, living extremely close to friends), I also loved living away from school. Living in an Indian neighborhood helped me feel like I really lived in India. There was always a lot to see, like today's cows, for example. Living off campus forced me to explore a bit more. A friend and I challenged ourselves to visit the sites we passed every day (the theater, a local temple, the Sunday market). In fact, I started to take my camera with me in the car to capture the sights of daily Delhi. I've included some of those images in this post for posterity's sake, including the elusive "Five on a Bike!"

I loved living off-campus, but I don't regret the move to school. Perhaps, one of the reasons I love running in Delhi so much comes from this same place. I obsessively map runs that take me past cool sights, down new roads or through areas where people are living their daily lives. It helps me get out of the bubble of work/school and see what's to be seen. It helps remind me why I've chosen the international lifestyle.

The Effigy Burning of Ravana

One of the VV cows

Innovation!

  

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ON A BIKE!

RUN STATS:

Distance - 8 Miles

Time - 1:12:22

Soundtrack - Beastie Boys, deep cuts and rarities