Birthday #74

 

 

 

"You will not find poetry anywhere unless you bring some of it with you."
– Joseph Joubert

 

I am pleased to report that for the past few months  I have  relatively pain-free during my conditioning trail runs compared to the last two years. Previously, I was being treated for issues with my Achilles.  Even though I still have some swelling in my Achilles, It doesn’t seem to bother me. As a result, I increased my trail running distance from around 50 miles per week to over 60-70 miles per week. So far so good.

My next scheduled competitive trail run is on New Year’s Day. The distance for that run is 10 miles. I plan to register for the 50 K Jed Smith run in February and the 50 K Way Too Cool In March. So within the next 3 to 4 months, I will have a pretty good idea of my running condition.

I have been blessed with my trail running experience. My  wife Linda accompanies me by riding her Arabian Nails. Also, I run with Tony about three times per week, and at times, we are joined by Chris. Another running friend Madhu has recently returned from India as well. Randall is starting to run again and I hope he joins us too. It certainly, in my experience, is more enjoyable to run and be  with others doing what you love.

On the other hand, I enjoy at times, the solitude of running by myself. It is during this alone  time that I get to think about issues connected to my interviews and my chapters for my upcoming book on “mental toughness, bonding, Bo-Woody, and the University of Michigan versus Ohio State University.” Just recently, I was writing  my conclusion to my interview with Reggie McKenzie. I was incorporating Carl Jung’s idea of the collective unconscious to explain in part Reggie’s drive for superiority , playing both college and professional football. While running, I was  able, to think more  clearly and  put together various ideas in a more coherent fashion. I’m grateful for having the ability to run with it’s many  benefits.

I just graduated to my 75^th year and expect to run for many more years. I will keep you  posted. In the meantime, keep moving, laughing, smiling, bonding, deep breathing and loving.