A Week of Contrasts

This has been a week of contrasts. 

I have run four very hilly workouts followed by one speed workout on the treadmill.  The hill workouts are important for general fitness and for training for races with hills.  But they don’t help much in preparing for a 5K.  I have a 5K coming up on New Year’s Day.  The second year in a row for what may become a tradition.  The key is recognizing that both are needed and figuring out how to mix them together to get the fitness and race results I am looking for.

There were other contrasts in running.  Warmer and colder days.  Dressed with different layers.  Indoors and outdoors.  Windy and not. The variation is one of the things that makes running so interesting.

It has been a week of many different arts and crafts projects.  Glass etching.  Making a basket.  Painting on slate.  Painting on canvas.  Decorating a silk scarf.  Designing a bookmark, and designing a frame for hanging in a window.  Working with different surfaces and different media.  Some of the projects turning out with all that I expected.  Others turning out different what I had envisioned.  Each an experiment.  Each an opportunity to explore and work toward understanding how to do the same project better if I were to try it again.  Some of what I made will stay with me.  Some will go to my office.  Some will be given as gifts.  What is somewhat ironic is that I was most challenged by the landscape painting.  That required a lot of blending.  For someone who loves mixing and matching things in my life, I obviously need some work on how best to mix and match in certain situations.  Good life lesson. 

It has been a week of time alone (running and catching up on work), time with strangers (craft projects in classrooms in which I was the only one from my family), and time with family.  Again, each of these types of time is a necessary part of my life.  And I need to have the right mix to maintain mental and physical health. 

So, I have benefitted from the many contrasts this week.  Life is about contrasts.  Mixing and matching to achieve a balanced whole.  Not always a coherent whole.  But definitely a balanced whole.

40 Days to Better: Day 23

Today, my run was 6x1600 at 6:30 pace.  Me and my buddy Brian ran then all between 6:28 and 6:32.  And most of our laps varied little from the 97-99 second pace that we were trying to hold.  A little fast every here and there and maybe one or two lagged behind to 100 seconds, but we made it up to run the six at that pace.  A friend said I was training like a beast.  I mostly think I am following my buddy's plan for a full marathon at 2:55 when it comes to track workouts.  Next week the challenge will be 4x2400 instead of 6x1600.  We'll see what we can do.

In any case, over the last eight days, I have run 3x1600 fast and with consistency, a slow 7, a fast 10K, a fast 10 miles, a very slow 4 miles (for me), and a 6x1600 that was solid and consistent.  What is the lesson.  Contrasts.

I was pondering this as I ran yesterday.  Yes, I wrote about something else for yesterday's entry.  But I was pondering the concept of contrasts.  In our culture what do contrasts make me think of?  Very traditional weddings--for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad.  A couple getting married proclaims their willingness to stay together through contrasting times.  And it can be challenging to do so.

My running training these days also has contrasts.  I suppose the phrasing would be "in faster runs and in slower runs."  In my "long term relationship" with running there will be faster and slower.  Injuries and perfect health.  Days when I'm tired and days when I feel great!  And everything in between.

This is really true of all things with which I have a long-term relationship when I think about it.  my running.  My marriage.  Many of my friendships.  My work.  My cooking (hotter and colder, better and worse, etc.)  Even something as simple as my relationship with my pets--although at least when it comes to my dog that is one with almost constant affection.  Still, even she is "hyper and calm" at different times.

Contrasts can be good.  Contrasts can be instructive.  Contrasts are an important part of the expectations in any long-term relationship.  Knowing that going in can make for much better outcomes.  

Jonah and Jesus

Today's Catholic church readings are confusing ones.  The first is Chapter 3 (of 4) of the book of Jonah and speaks of God's repentance.  I always find reading that interesting to grapple with, but that is not the main subject of my entry this morning.  In the Gospel of Luke reading that follows, Jesus refers to Jonah when people are looking for a sign and refers to the generation in which he is living as evil.  Pretty harsh words.  As I read the verses from Luke 11, it seems like Jesus is saying "at least people repented when they heard Jonah--look you are being exposed to something even bigger and you aren't paying attention."

While that may be an overly simple interpretation, the contrast between the reading and the Gospel brings me to my main point this morning.   How do I know when I am onto something big as compared with something small?  How do I know when I am being asked to do something big rather than something minor?  How do I know how to prioritize?  Part of it is following my conscience.  That is guided by God through the Holy Spirit.  I do not always seek out incredible things but  simply seek to understand what has come my way and make sure that I act carefully and wisely and not ignore what may be much bigger but is less flashy.  Jesus didn't threaten to have an entire city destroyed in forty days.  But should I need such flashy things to get our attention?  Perhaps meteorologists think so.  It seems like every new storm is described as "the big one" and then only a handful actually are what was predicted.  But again, the question is how to focus, understand, and react even when the signs are subtle.  No easy answers.  A lot to ponder contrasting today's two readings.

St Sebastian Tattoo Step 3

So, this picture was also added to FB.  It is the first picture taken after the third visit at Have Fun Be Lucky for my tattoo.  Final step planned for January 5.  There is a building unfinished off to the left (around on the back of my calf) and there are some touch-ups to be done.  Much credit goes to Emily for all her work and the entire creative process since our first discussion last February.

The tattoo now has a well defined shaded cloud area that cuts the light post and the addition of color, but what is mostly gray (with some sepia tones) gives the entire tattoo a "darker" appearance.

I like that in general.  Martyrdom is not a happy subject although saintliness is.  And, having someone chained to a lamppost with two arrows through him is not a happy subject either.  The symbolism is all positive.  This creates an interesting contrast.

This is a good weekend for contrasts.  The tragedy in Connecticut at a societal level versus all things good at a personal level.  The readings in the Catholic church this weekend were about shouting for joy and rejoicing in the Lord, followed by questions John the Baptist on "what should we do"?  Certainly and uncertainty?  Joy and bewilderment.  Our priest even worked the  question of "what should we do" into how people might cope with the tragedy in Connecticut--asking what we can do to heal.  As individuals.  As a nation.  As a church.

Life is full of contrasts.  This is simply another weekend in which they are clearer than ever. And another weekend at the end of which I hope for signs of the brighter rather than the darker moving ahead into the future.  Another weekend during which I ponder, the country ponders, and the world ponders.  And a weekend at the end of which I hope that contrasting visions of how to solve the problem can be brought together in a meaningful way with compromise where necessary to make the world a better place and a safe place for all who care.  However, I am not confident that will occur.  I'm not even sure I'm hopeful that will occur.  I know it is possible, but I have seen little evidence to suggest that it is probable.

Do I lose hope?  No--being an eternal optimist.  Yet another contrast.  Such is life.