Mere chance

I'm having trouble getting out the door today. I need this.

And what did the lamb say when it fell down the hill?   Oh, Sheep!

Had to share....why most days I suck at running

https://www.motivrunning.com/running-life/humor/days-suck-running/

Resist tyranny

Make yourself a sheep and the wolves will eat you.......Benjamin Franklin

These times......

Somewhere in the dark corners of the internet, the alt left is planning universal healthcare and community gardens!!!

RMHalf finisher's photo arrived

     Jo Jo and I on the course.  She always looks athlete/model perfect with the breeze blowing gently through her hair.  My hair....a  sweaty,frizzy haystack.  But I am surviving.

Hymn, a new poem by Sherman Alexie

Hymn

Why do we measure people's capacity
To love by how well they love their progeny?

That kind of love is easy. Encoded.
Any lion can be devoted

To its cubs. Any insect, be it prey
Or predator, worships its own DNA.

Like the wolf, elephant, bear, and bees,
We humans are programmed to love what we conceive.

That's why it's so shocking when a neighbor
Drives his car into a pond and slaughter–

Drowns his children. And that's why we curse
The mother who leaves her kids—her hearth—

And never returns. That kind of betrayal
Rattles our souls. That shit is biblical.

So, yes, we should grieve an ocean
When we encounter a caretaker so broken.

But I'm not going to send you a card
For being a decent parent. It ain't that hard

To love somebody who resembles you.
If you want an ode then join the endless queue

Of people who are good to their next of kin—
Who somehow love people with the same chin

And skin and religion and accent and eyes.
So you love your sibling? Big fucking surprise.

But how much do you love the strange and stranger?
Hey, Caveman, do you see only danger

When you peer into the night? Are you afraid
Of the country that exists outside of your cave?

Hey, Caveman, when are you going to evolve?
Are you still baffled by the way the earth revolves

Around the sun and not the other way around?
Are you terrified by the ever-shifting ground?

Hey, Trump, I know you weren't loved enough
By your sandpaper father, who roughed and roughed

And roughed the world. I have some empathy
For the boy you were. But, damn, your incivility,

Your volcanic hostility, your lists
Of enemies, your moral apocalypse—

All of it makes you dumb and dangerous.
You are the Antichrist we need to antitrust.

Or maybe you're only a minor league
Dictator—temporary, small, and weak.

You've wounded our country. It might heal.
And yet, I think of what you've revealed

About the millions and millions of people
Who worship beneath your tarnished steeple.

Those folks admire your lack of compassion.
They think it's honest and wonderfully old-fashioned.

They call you traditional and Christian.
LOL! You've given them permission

To be callous. They have been rewarded
For being heavily armed and heavily guarded.

You've convinced them that their deadly sins
(Envy, wrath, greed) have transformed into wins.

Of course, I'm also fragile and finite and flawed.
I have yet to fully atone for the pain I've caused.

I'm an atheist who believes in grace if not in God.
I'm a humanist who thinks that we’re all not

Humane enough. I think of someone who loves me—
A friend I love back—and how he didn't believe

How much I grieved the death of Prince and his paisley.
My friend doubted that anyone could grieve so deeply

The death of any stranger, especially a star.
"It doesn't feel real," he said. If I could play guitar

And sing, I would have turned purple and roared
One hundred Prince songs—every lick and chord—

But I think my friend would have still doubted me.
And now, in the context of this poem, I can see

That my friend’s love was the kind that only burns
In expectation of a fire in return.

He’s no longer my friend. I mourn that loss.
But, in the Trump aftermath, I've measured the costs

And benefits of loving those who don't love
Strangers. After all, I'm often the odd one—

The strangest stranger—in any field or room.
"He was weird" will be carved into my tomb.

But it’s wrong to measure my family and friends
By where their love for me begins or ends.

It’s too easy to keep a domestic score.
This world demands more love than that. More.

So let me ask demanding questions: Will you be
Eyes for the blind? Will you become the feet

For the wounded? Will you protect the poor?
Will you welcome the lost to your shore?

Will you battle the blood-thieves
And rescue the powerless from their teeth?

Who will you be? Who will I become
As we gather in this terrible kingdom?

My friends, I'm not quite sure what I should do.
I'm as angry and afraid and disillusioned as you.

But I do know this: I will resist hate. I will resist.
I will stand and sing my love. I will use my fist

To drum and drum my love. I will write and read poems
That offer the warmth and shelter of any good home.

I will sing for people who might not sing for me.
I will sing for people who are not my family.

I will sing honor songs for the unfamilar and new.
I will visit a different church and pray in a different pew.

I will silently sit and carefully listen to new stories
About other people’s tragedies and glories.

I will not assume my pain and joy are better.
I will not claim my people invented gravity or weather.

And, oh, I know I will still feel my rage and rage and rage
But I won’t act like I’m the only person onstage.

I am one more citizen marching against hatred.
Alone, we are defenseless. Collected, we are sacred.

We will march by the millions. We will tremble and grieve.
We will praise and weep and laugh. We will believe.

We will be courageous with our love. We will risk danger
As we sing and sing and sing to welcome strangers.

                       Sherman Alexie

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It's not.” ― Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

     Drumpf just took white supremacist groups OFF of the domestic terrorist watch list!
     Scary times.

Solar eclipse 8-21, don't forget!

Me, today.

                                                          DeFlocked

Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as you ever can.



     I saw a wonderful motto on a back-to-school tee- shirt today.  This should be available for all adults, too:

                                                 Choose today to be a hero.

Take gentle care of yourself in these times.....

     And in case you forgot......

I needed to hear this today

                                         I needed to hear this YouTube Video today

     And if you voted for this AH in the white house, get out there and fix your horrible mess now!!!  You did this.....you.  Take responsibility.

"We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."-Wiesel

     "Hard times require furious dancing."  Alice Walker

Health related news

 
     Osteoarthritis rates have doubled in the US since WWII.  Here is an interesting article on why.

 http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/08/15/543402095/creaky-knees?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20170815





     1 in 8 Americans are now alcoholics....the new crisis.

http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/deepening-crisis-in-us-reveals-one-in-eight-americans-are-now-alcoholics/


     Running is the thinking person's sport.

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/14/well/move/running-as-the-thinking-persons-sport.html


   

Let us now praise badass women.

     I love watching "American Ninja Warrior."   The women are so strong, so awesome.  The world needs more female role models of strength and women of substance.
     After just one generation, see what Title IX has wrought!  They just needed the chance.

Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 is a federal law that states: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."

"She was never quite ready. But she was brave. And the universe listens to brave." Rebecca Ray

     For a few years now I've been trying to get through the lottery to enter the bucket-list Big Sur International Marathon in Monterey, California.  I finally did it!  I should be ecstatic, but instead am worried.  It is a gorgeous course running along the California coast, but it is reputed to be extremely difficult with a strict time limit, high winds, and 2000 feet elevation gain and loss, and I wonder if I'm getting too old. And then there is having to catch a bus to the start at 3:30 am for an hour bus ride, and then a long wait for the buses to get off the course.
     But I did it....I completed the entry forms!  I have 8 months until April 29, 2018 to get fitter and try to get speedier.

(Psyching myself up)

Aging is not a disease that needs to be cured.  it's an opportunity that needs to be seized.
                                Marc Middleton

Life shrinks or expands in proportions to one's courage.
                                Anais Nin

Reality Check on Climate Change

     The earth will be uninhabitable to humans sooner than you think. Here is why.  This is not a pleasant topic, but must be faced.
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/07/climate-change-earth-too-hot-for-humans.html?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=s3&utm_campaign=sharebutton-t

     Here is the draft of climate science leaked to the public as our "government" will not act on science.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/07/climate/climate-change-drastic-warming-trump.html


https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/08/07/climate/document-Draft-of-the-Climate-Science-Special-Report.html

The eyes of the Future are looking back at us and they are praying for us to see beyond our own time.
Terry Tempest Williams

Needs to be shared!

     Even though our so-called president is a white supremacist neo-nazi,  they will not win.

Gnarly

     The brand of sports drink provided at the Rocky Mountain 5k and half was called "Gnarly Hydrate."  It was an appropriate product to serve at this half.  Gnarly=difficult, dangerous, challenging.  This course was challenging....lots of hills, almost 1000 feet of elevation gain per my gps, and higher altitude than I am used to.  I would call it beautifully gnarly.  We had views of Rocky Mountain National Park on most of the run, and ran past the famous Stanley Hotel (remember the movie "The Shining"?) at mile 9 on the way back to town. Like most of the runners, you learn to start walking all the uphills, and running the downs to save your energy.  I had my slowest results times ever!
     So here is a picture of my race bling....which is why people run, right?

     I got the Elk Double campers mug, the tee shirt, medal on left is for the Friday night 5 k, 2nd medal is for being 4th in my age group for 5 k, 3rd medal is for the Saturday am half, 4th is for doing the Elk Double (5 k plus half).  I will also be getting a 5th medal in the mail for coming in 5th in my age group for the half. I guess if you live and run long enough even slow runners like me will get to stand on a podium.  (I loved that).
     The weird blue item on the right is a silicone hydro-pouch given to all runners.  It clips on your belt and you can fill it at all the water stops.  This was a cup-free race, so you either carry your own hydration or use this hydro-pouch system.  Actually it worked great.  I had feared there would be lines at the water coolers/gnarly sports drink coolers every 2 miles, with runners waiting to fill up, but that never happened, and there were no cups wasted and littering the ground either, and I didn't have to worry about lugging a couple of liters of extra water and sports drinks around for 13+ miles.

Rocky Mountain Half Marathon and 5 K.....Elk Double

     Friday eve was the 5k part of the Elk Double.  We ran around Lake Estes in Estes Park.

                                                      Me

                Me and my friend JoJo, who is a much faster runner than I am, but ran with me as she recovers from an injured ankle.

                                              Lake Estes

     More, later.

OMG

     Trying to feel excited rather than panicky.  I must (I get to) drive to Estes Park today, check into my hotel, find the race expo, and run an evening 5k.  Then tomorrow I must (I get to) arrive at the Fairgrounds to park my car by 4AM for a half marathon. The altitude varies from 7500 to almost 8000 feet, and miles 5 through 9.5 are all uphill.
     I can do this.  I will not get lost. I can do this.  I will not get lost.
     The Elk Double....Rocky Mountain 5K plus Rocky Mountain Half.
     Keep your fingers crossed for me.
     I will not get lost. I am not scared.  I get to do this.

...I'm The CEO Of Me, Inc. & I'm Sure As Hell Gonna Make It Count...

     (read on FB this morning, and well worth a share)

Don't wish

Set some goals.

Stay quiet about them.

Smash the hell out of them.

Clap for your damn self.


                                                            # 10!!!!!!

Such a high-stress year!

     What will they destroy today?

Outlook is everything

     A friend shared this experience....she was having a really bad day....and to top it off, a road-raged driver yelled at her and gave her the finger.  So she rolled down her window and started singing the theme song from the Mary Tyler Moore song at the top of her lungs...."who can take a nothing day, and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile? ...."
     What a wonderful outlook.

"Theme from the Mary Tyler Moore Show" Lyrics

Sonny Curtis

Who can turn the world on with her smile?
Who can take a nothing day, and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile?
Well it's you girl, and you should know it
With each glance and every little movement you show it
Love is all around, no need to waste it
You can never tell, why don't you take it
You're gonna make it after all
You're gonna make it after all
How will you make it on your own?
This world is awfully big, girl this time you're all alone
But it's time you started living
It's time you let someone else do some giving
Love is all around, no need to waste it
You can never tell, why don't you take it
You might just make it after all
You might just make it after all

                                                                     FaceBook video

Shinrin-Yoku, or Forest Bathing

     It is healthful to go to a forest and just breath the air.  Research shows that it can lower blood pressure, promote immune responses by increasing white cells and natural killer cells, and improve sleep.  We evolved in nature and need to spend more time there.
     My 20 year old treadmill stopped for good last week.  That is a good thing. It'll make me get out in nature more, at least until winter icy weather arrives.

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/07/17/536676954/forest-bathing-a-retreat-to-nature-can-boost-immunity-and-mood


     It is also important for health to re-connect to the earth at times through "grounding" or "earthing".  It can have the same wonderful effects as forest bathing.
Here are two articles from NIH which study the practice.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4378297/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3265077/

     This weekend I will make time for a barefoot walk across the grass as well as a walk in the woods.  How about you?  Are you willing to give it a try? Become a tree-hugger.


“Run into peace.”

– Meister Eckhart, 14th-Century Philosopher

Active recovery is the answer. (ARITA)

 This is an interesting article.  
 R.I.C.E., is it all wrong?
https://life.spartan.com/post/is-r-i-c-e-all-wrong?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid_facebook&utm_content=fans_train&utm_campaign=blog_2017

The end of this century people.....please sit up and take note of this NPR article

http://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2017/08/02/541095519/why-we-are-naively-optimistic-about-climate-change?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20170803

Also:
http://www.denverpost.com/2017/07/31/committed-warming-nature-climate-change-pollution-global-warming/

I'm still on the fence about this.

http://johnpavlovitz.com/2016/11/16/why-im-staying-in-donald-trumps-america/

The New Colossus
By Emma Lazarus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land; 
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

(1883)

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” ― Audre Lorde

Well Duh!

Recharging my batteries.....

                              A beautiful morning for a 6.6 mile easy jog for my birthday.