Nourish the Truth that is You

At mass this past Sunday, Fr. Ray Chase used the phrase "nourish the truth that is you."  What an expression.  The statement was made in the context of a series of readings from the Gospel of John in which Jesus spoke on multiple occasions about "eat my body and drink my blood."  And the truth in this case had to do with what our Catholic faith calls on us to do.  Makes a lot of sense in context.

However, there is also a much broader interpretation.  When I think of nourishing, I think of making grow.  I think of making bigger.  I think of helping to develop in a healthy way.

When I think of "the truth that is you," I think of who am I really meant to be.  And, conversely, who am I not meant to be.  And not forcing myself to be something I am not.  And to truly pursue what I am passionate about.  What I am passionate about is the only thing that will truly motivate me to get things done.  I know that as a fact.

So, who am I?

Runner.

Writer--maybe.

Teacher.

Researcher--maybe.   Maybe not so much any more.

Communicator.

Friend.

Confidante.

Expressive.

Baker.

Peacemaker.

Team builder--sort of.

I know that researcher is something I choose to focus on less.

Writer--I wish I could be an even better one when it comes to things other than academic papers.

Team builder--I want to improve.

But all those other things are things that I choose to focus on.  That I enjoy.  That I am passionate about.  

And the most interesting question is, other than being a runner who blogs (sometimes in haiku) and who writes poetry and makes homemade cards for friends and family and who bakes for his training partners--what does this combination of things make me.  Do I have to further prioritize.  And if I do figure out what is the truth of me I should nourish, what does that look like and where do I find a way of nourishing it?

You'd think I'd have answered that at age 45 1/2.

In some ways, I feel like I'm only beginning to ask the right questions.   

Two Haiku Stanzas

Ran two with the dog

Then ran eight more by myself.

Putting in miles to

Prep for marathon.

The race will be in eight weeks.

I will be ready.

Two More Sets of Haiku Stanzas

8/12/15
Another morning
Good rest.  Made a pizza dough.
Ran short with my dog.
The ran eight miles more.
Slow at first.  Finished stronger.
Guzzled down a drink.
When I got to work
Had a very big breakfast.
Boss was glad I'd run.
Said that I would need
A pacemaker implanted
If I had not run.

8/13/15
The temps were cooler
The plan was to run eight miles
The pace was at eight
We achieved the goal
On a pretty chatty run.
Aim for 3:30.

Trials and Tribulations of Summer Training

Muggy Monday miles.
Summer marathon training.
Fall race--thankfully!

Celebrating A Rest Day

A rest day before
A planned twenty two mile run
Begins with breakfast. 
Thin sliced tomato
With balsamic vinegar 
All around the plate. 
A three egg omelette
With horseradish cheddar cheese 
Sits in the middle. 
A delicious meal
To provide some of the fuel 
I'll need tomorrow.

Reflection on My First Track Workout Since June 30--In Haiku

For the first time in

Far too many weeks I ran

An on-track workout.

To get to the track

I jogged over--and this time

I really did jog. 

So I was not sure

How the workout would proceed

When I started out.

In fact I had thought

That on the day after a

Strong progression run

I might not have all

That much to power myself 

Through the track workout. 

However the first

800 meters took me

3:03. Not bad. 

In fact I worried

That I'd gone out at a pace

Like a springbok when

I should have been a

Little more circumspect and

Gone out more slowly. 

Four additional 

800's. Each in a time

Of 2:58. 

Realization.

Today was a springbok day

For me after all. 

Too much time away

From the track I so enjoy

Makes it hard to judge.

Long run. Track workouts. 

Different concentration.

Varying focus. 

Complementary 

In my long distance training. 

And throughout my life.

Focus can be good. 

But too much or too little

Each can cause trouble. 

A little focus

With diversification 

Works best in my world. 

What is a Progression Run--in Haiku

Progression runs are

Sometimes planned purposefully 

With a goal in mind. 

But at other times

A progression run begins 

When legs feel heavy. 

I start my running

Feeling like I'm a rhino

Lumbering along.

But as miles progress

I feel as though I'm transformed

Into a springbok. 

Marathon Training on Mid Summer Morning

5 Stanzas of Haiku

Meet at five fifteen. 

See lightning. Hear thunder. Run. 

Then the big rain starts. 

Keep going forward. 

Seven mile workout gets done. 

Despite the weather. 

Reminded me of

Running through streams in high school

Cross country races. 

Lauren felt stronger

Than she had in a long while

On a tempo run.  

Mission accomplished. 

With Freedoms Run marathon 

And Comrades ahead. 

Trust in a Training Partner

Trust in a Training Partner
Training partners
Have to put
A lot of trust
In each other.
Trust to wake up--
    in time.
Trust to do whatever else at home--
    in time.
Trust to leave the house--
    on time
Trust to arrive wherever you are meeting--
    on time
Trust to let me know when there is--
    a delay.
Trust to pick up the pace--
    if I have a hard stop time.
Trust to be conversational--
    when the run is the right pace.
Trust to respect the need for silence--
    if that is what the day calls for
Trust to listen--
    when I have a lot to share.
Trust to know when is the time to speed up--
    or slow down.
Trust to wait--
    if I need a pit stop.
Trust to wait--
    if I need to get some calories and am having a hard time
    with whatever I brought.
Trust to know which days--
    are for going all out.
Trust to know which other days--
    are for taking it easy.
And with time, trust becomes the sense
Of just knowing all these things
With barely a word
Needing to be said
While on the trail
Or on the roads
Running.