A Choice at the Track

Today’s run tells me a lot about me.  Why? 

Well, today is a Tuesday.  My most typical Tuesday workout is a track workout.  I have done this ever since my first marathon training group summer and fall when we had workouts at the a local college track every Tuesday.  There is nothing  magical about Tuesdays.  Just force of habit ever since then.

And for much of the time since my last formal marathon training group (fall 2011), I have run on the track at the a local high school in Baltimore within site of some of the buildings where I worked for years. 

This practice was put on hold for a while when a local company paid to have the football field resurfaced and built a fence around the combined football field and track.  In the time since, there has been a variety of off and on attempts to provide access to the track.  Usually, there is a city police officer who comes to open the gate for us so that we (and any local community members who care to join us) can run on the track.

Recently, the officer has been late a number of times.  I hear from other friends that he has missed a number of times.  Today, unfortunately, was one of those times. 

I first ran back to my car to put a piece of pie that a friend had brought in my car so I wouldn’t have to carry it if we ran the streets.  I am glad to have friends who find stress relief in baking.  The sweet potato pie made a very nice breakfast after the workout.

Then, when we felt pretty sure that the officer was not going to show, I was taking my windbreaker and hat back to the car.  I ran past two men with whom we sometimes cross paths on the track.  I told them the officer had not shown.  They said, “We just jump the fence.”

So after I put the clothes I did not need in my car, I jogged back to where I’d started and found everyone jumping the fence.  This presented an interesting issue for me.

In Sunday school, I teach kids to follow rules and respect the property of others.  No matter how much I may disagree with the city’s decision to limit access to the field and track, it is school property.

In my job, the registrar is one of my direct reports.  The registrar’s office was once referred to as the last line of defense against chaos.  Why?  Because it enforces rules.

At every step along the way in my job progression since taking the position last April, I have been encouraged to enforce and stick by rules.  Because any broken rule sets a precedent that will come back to haunt me and my office.

I also thought about how I represent the University.  I am someone who is considered a member of the senior leadership.  I was trying to imagine the conversation I would have if the officer showed up and started asking question.  My direct supervisor is the Dean.  I knew that later in the day I would have a meeting at which the University provost might be in attendance.  In either case, I could not imagine trying to explain why I was climbing over a fence at a place that was not my property.  I could not imagine it.

So, despite the pressure of my peers, I decided to do a tempo run alone on the city streets.  I ended up running 7 miles (6.6 at a 7:33 pace which is not really what I aim for in a tempo run but for my first time outside by myself in a while it was not bad) so that now I am up to 83 miles total in two weeks of the new year.  From where I left off yesterday, I would have passed through Mercersberg (a little town from which I knew a runner when I attended the 1985 Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Sciences).  I would have also passed by the birth place of President James Buchanan.  And I’d still be on Pennsylvania’s route 16, now headed more or less north as the road twists and winds through the southern part of the state.

So, despite all my hemming and hawing about the lack of access to the track and my personal thought of being a “rebel” when it comes to not necessarily doing things by the book, I did not take the opportunity to run on it when others I knew did.  I just stuck with my “law and order” and follow the rules approach to life.  I worried about others’ impressions of me rather than just about my own needs.  Not living on the edge.  Not doing anything out of the ordinary.  Just behaving.  Simply—being a grown up who realizes what risk there is to doing things wrong and who realizes the consequences.  Whose goal is to set an example.  Who could not only not face my boss but also not face my students.  I adjusted what I did.  I am flexible.  I just go with the flow. 

Any surprises in all this?  Not really. 

More Thoughts About Choices

Yesterday, I was thinking about the fact that not all of the kids in my Sunday school class could give even a basic idea of what they might want to do when they grew up.  I talked with Sherry about this at home last night.  She pointed out that we didn't necessarily have much of an idea of what we wanted to do at that age.  I agreed, although I remember kids at least giving a set of answers like "doctor, police officer, fireman" or any of a number of other "typical" professions when we were kids.  Sherry also pointed out that many kids really don't know what their kids do.  Some kids might even have a difficult time talking about where their parents work.  While I have a hard time understanding that, I know that Sherry is right.  Even for me--I could tell where my dad worked, but it would have been a challenge to tell what he did at some points in his career--other than that I knew it had to do with working with veterans and helping them.  My mom's jobs were easier to describe--bank teller, bookkeeper, teacher.  
  
I also got some feedback from a friend I know through running who teaches high school students.  She, like Sherry, pointed out that we really didn't have a good idea of what we wanted to be.  She reminded me of the rate of people changing majors.  Even in my own experience I originally thought I wanted to be a doctor, then I decided to major in chemistry when I went to college, then I switched to health policy and administration.  Then economics.  Then the years in a school of public health as a successful faculty member followed by the move to a business school in an administrative position.

The even more interesting thing my friend pointed out was that so many people who have the opportunity to teach children have a tendency to say that it is someone else's responsibility to teach specific things.  So, whose responsibility is it to teach the kids about career choices?  A sunday school teacher's?  Maybe in some ways.  In a Sunday school setting, it can be structured as a discussion of a vocation or a calling.  It can also be structured as a discussion about the things mentioned in Matthew 25:34-36 (the hungry, thirsty, naked, ill, strangers, and prisoners).  How do we move through our lives trying to help those in these six groups or those with other needs?  How do we grow from being needy to helping the need in little ways, to making it part of our identity.  How does our faith guide us in this?  And what example can I set?

It is interesting to me to think about how I have helped groups with these six types of needs and how I can continue to do so.

Today, I pondered while running just 4 easy miles.  That puts me at 76 miles total.  Still on PA 16.  Now between the Calvary Bible Church and the Church of God between Greencastle and Mercersberg.  And even more interesting, I have finally gotten something back from the archivist in the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico.  I'll talk about that later.  

Through My Eyes on on Sunday Morning

This is a rewrite of yesterday's blog entry. Somehow when I was trying to get it to look better, the entire thing disappeared. So this is a quick rewrite on 1/13/14 of an entry initially written on 1/12/14. The key is that my day began at 5:30. I didn't wake Sherry up quite as early as she had hoped, but I did have a smoothie to her by 6. The, working with Daniel I had the cranberry sauce made and the start of a bread dough (was hoping for chewy rolls but it turned out to be more like focaccia) by 7 AM. Then, go ready to run and got a picture with my dog before the run. She was happy to see me ready to go outside but disappointed that I went without her.  You can see that I had my windbreaker on.  I was worried about the rain.  I took my phone with a camera with me.  I took pictures along the way, and thought about what I saw.  In short, the first picture was of the sun rising.  The second picture was just a little further along as you can see the first hints of yellow and orange at the horizon.  I originally went up Highwood, across Lake, down Chinquapin, up Northern, up the Alameda, and then across Regester.  The picture taken on Regester shows the sun hitting just the tops of the trees.  I love the contrasts.  I have written about contrasts many times.  The next picture was the end of the snow from after the Christmas season on Stevenson.  The snow fell just after the new year when some children were still on Christmas break from school.  The dirty snow represents the end of the season in one way.  The discarded tree on Gittings represents the end of the season in another way.  The next picture is a shot of the muted sunrise once I returned near home.  Mostly just a lot of gray and white.  Then my time.  A very easy run.  Then, two pictures with my dog after walking her.  One in which she surprised me and a second in which she was just showing her affection.  Then, the dough shaped into what I hoped would be rolls.  Later the rolls as they were baked.  Then, the rolls as they were served for lunch with brie and the cranberry sauce.  

The interesting thing between the completion of the run and walking the dog (the run brought me up to 72 miles from St Pius which puts me on PA 16 just west of I 81 and east of US 11 near Greencastle PA) was teachins Sunday school.  The chapter started out with Matthew 25:34-36 where Jesus talked about feeding the hungry and helping the thirsty, naked, ill, strangers, and prisoners.  We talked about that and we talked about Jesus's infancy (and being presented in the temple with Anna and Simeon recognizing him as the Messiah), then Jesus at the temple as a twelve year old, then Jesus teaching as an adult.  I got the kids to think about how they had grown in the church from infants to where they are now (singing, sitting still, paying attention, bringing up gifts) and what they might do as adults.  Some kids knew what they wanted to do.  Others struggled.  It was interesting to see what they came up with.

What a day!

What a Day!

Today was quite a day.  It started out with my goal to run 12 miles.  I was out the door by 5:35 because I had to get to a hockey game for my 9 year old by 10 in Chevy Chase, MD.  You can see me before the run.

The most interesting thing about today's run was that being by myself at that hour I could leave the house with one goal--get 12 miles and be safe.  That was not entirely simple as I did have to worry about it being "soggy and foggy" as suggested by one of my favorite meteorologists on a social media site.  I thought about my Slap Lit bands but decided to go without since I was wearing my orange windbreaker.  And I left the house with only one vague and guiding idea--it would be fun to do 12 strictly in the city for the first time in a while.

So, I left and headed up Highwood, down Lake to Chinquapin, and across Northern Parkway.  Running along Northern I was already feeling comfortable in the 36 degree weather with just the slightest misty drizzle and I finished the first mile in 8:32.  First decision point was at Loch Raven and Northern.  I made my loop around the shopping center there, and headed back down Loch Raven into the city completing mile two shortly after I crossed Northern--8:14.  So far so good.  Not too fast.  Just feeling good.  No more ice to worry about--except a big patch in one place along the entire route.  Biggest issues were big puddles (stepped in one that made my foot very wet) and the mud when I tried to run around puddles--where I could slip if I wasn't careful.  

The next decision point--of the many I had today--was at Loch Raven and Belvedere.  I've run west across Belvedere from there a bunch of times lately.  So, I decided to continue down Loch Raven instead.  There is a fun device to tell cars how fast they are going.  When I run by and there are no cars there, I can see how fast it detects me going.  It bounced back and forth between 8 and 9 as I approached.  Cool.  Brought me to about the end of mile three when I passed it with an 8:05.  Here, I decided to lose the windbreaker as it wasn't raining and I was overheating.

Continuing along, I arrived at Loch Raven and Cold Spring.  Made the decision to continue straight ahead and decided on a plan to go to Lake Montebello.  A friend had recently posted that there was absolutely no ice to worry about.  So, when I reached Loch Raven and The Alameda, I had to decide whether to continue straight to 33rd St or to take The Alameda.  I decided to do the latter as I was not sure if I had ever (in 3 1/2 years since I started marathon training) run on that section of the Alameda.  Always fun to run through new places.  I'd say "see" new places but there wasn't much to see in the cold and dark.  I did finish mile 4 before I reached the Alameda--8:16.  Running along The Alameda and 33rd and then to the lake, I completed mile 5 just after I reached the lake--8:09.

Several interesting observations about the lake. I saw someone who appeared to be leaving the lake as I arrived.  But I did not see a single other soul (runner or biker) going around the lake.  It was too dark and foggy to see much on the lake and it was so foggy I could not see the streetlamps on the far side of the lake "long ways" (the lake is shaped like an oval).  Finished mile 6 as I went around the lake--8:09.

As I was getting ready to finish around the lake I thought about next steps.  I have decided that aside from NCR (very easy) and Loch Raven Reservoir (very challenging), I really don't like out and back courses.  When running along I really really don't like out and back courses.  So, I decided to minimize repetition.  As a result, I made the decision not to run any further along 33rd street than necessary once I left the lake.  That took me up Hillen toward Morgan State.  Mile 7 completed before I hit Cold Spring--8:12.  Continued up Hillen to where it becomes Perring Parkway unless you make a hard turn and one past much of the west side of Morgan State's campus.  Hit mile 8 before leaving that straight away.  I'm pretty sure I haven't run there before.  Mile 8 was done in 8:13.

As I got to where I knew I needed to turn, I turned one street earlier than planned on Woodbourne.  That was okay.  When I got back to Hillen (the part after the distinct turn), I ran up to Belvedere and on toward the north side of Good Samartin--I'd seen the west side on the way down Loch Raven earlier.  I was still chugging along at an easy 8:30 for that climbing of hills section of the run.  Mile 9 ended before Good Sam.

Then, I continued across Belvedere as I would have if I had decided to turn right the first time I was at Loch Raven and Belvedere.  Mile 10 coming along Belvedere past Chinquapin Park but before Belvedere Square--8:01  Then, I turned north on York and got to my own neighborhood after recrossing Northern and Lake.   In fact, I turned on Hollen, Clearspring, and Gittings.  Mile 11 done in 8:21.  It was then that it began to rain in earnest again.  Windbreaker went back on for the last mile.  The last mile was a neighborhood loop.  Gittings to Weidner to Hollen again to Yorkshire to Cedarcroft around the triangle of Cedarcroft, Northwood, and Woodson and home again.  Last mile was the only one done in sub-8 at 7:56 for an 8:13 overall.

It felt good to be done after going on a new "big loop" path that I think I will use again.  The sense of freedom from just running in the cool rain was great.  It is great to have the mental map and know approximate distances to pull off something like that.  A little adventurous but nothing stupid or unsafe.  Here I am after the run.

In my virtual pilgrimage, I have now gone 66.5 miles.  I would be somewhere along Buchanan Trail East between about 8 miles west of where it turns off from Charmin Rd in Waynesboro PA.  Looks like it is past Patterson's Diesel on the west side of Waynesboro.  The street view on a mapping site shows what looks like a used car lot in the area.

Ate a quick bowl of raisin bran with soy milk, drank some OJ and water, took a quick hot shower, and drank a Coke.  Then, Sherry, me and Daniel drove to Chevy Chase for the game.  Missed our turn onto the country club grounds with an outdoor rink on the first try.  Made the correct turn the second time after having to circle around a 3 lane traffic circle.  It was a nice outdoor rink but it was raining like crazy.  When the rain let up the zamboni helped clear the ice, and they played started about a half hour late.  It was a good game, although my son's team was disappointed to lose.  It was interesting to see how the usual "hockey puck and skating physics" just don't work when there is so much ice on the rink.  You can see how much water was on the ice before the game.

We then drove to the Columbia Town Center and had an enjoyable Chinese lunch.  Both Daniel (from his game) and me (from my run with only a small breakfast after) were hungry.  After that we tried to find a store to exchange my backpack where the zipper has come apart.  Apparently we did not get the memo that the store had closed.  

Next we drove home.  We skipped going to a home brew store in the same area to look for cheese making supplies and spent much time discussing whether to drive to King of Prussia or Tysons Corner or send my backpack by mail to be replaced.  All the while the rain continued.

After stopping briefly at home, I had a fun trip to the grocery store with Daniel.  We played "pick a pint" and chose a pint of special ice cream for each family member.  When we got home I was finally overheating from all the layers I had on from earlier.  I'd already lost the two outermost layers other than my jacket--a windbreaker and a hoodie.  I still had on a long sleeved shirt, a short sleeved t-shirt, and long sleeved undershirt.  I got down to one layer and made dinner with Daniel.  Two meat lovers pizzas.  One thin crust and one think.  You can see them here.

Then did some dishes and listened to him read a chapter of his book.

What a day!  Tomorrow is another one with more decision points along the way. And more time with family and friends who help make my life as fulfilling as it is.

Thanks to all who do and to all who wished me a happy birthday and shared in the great day.

Simple Update

Today I ran 7.9 miles leaving at 4 AM and being back just past 5.  Why so early?  I wanted to (and did) beat the freezing rain.  It did not start until after I had returned and was most of the way done walking the dog.  The total distance for the year is now 54.5 miles and that puts my in Pennsylvania at the intersection of Waynesboro Pike & Old Waynesboro Rd not far over the Pennsylvania line just north of Maryland in Fairfield, PA.  It is not far from the Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church.

Not much else to say today.  I enjoyed the run.  It was great to get to that distance without ever getting too far from home.  I ran over to Loch Hill and Loch Raven.  Down to Good Samartin.  Across to York.  Down to Bellona.  Up to Northern.  Across to Charles.  Up to Melrose.  Across to Bellona.  Up to Gittings.  Across to Walker.  Then up around the apartments and back to the house.

Staying close to home gives a sense of security.  I think that is one important theme.

Dealing with the slippery roads this morning in my car gave me a sense of security.

Walking with the dog gave me a sense of security.

And it was interesting to see how empty the roads are at 4 AM rather than  or 5:30 and even the 7-11 had no one in it at 4:10.  Interesting run.

Got a lot done at work today.

Enjoyed Turkish food for dinner with my family.  But Joshua was not feeling well and didn't come and Daniel fell asleep.

Looking forward to running again tomorrow.   

Understanding Motivations, Values, and Coherence

As of the 9^th day of the year, I have completed 46.6 miles and am somewhere around Taneytown on my virtual pilgrimage to Our Lady of Perpetual Help.  I have actually written to two email addresses associated with the church to try to find out something about the church as the church does not appear to have an extensive website.  The church’s history.  Parishioner’s demographics.  What their third graders in religious education are doing.  So far, I do not have a response.  If I do get one, I think it will help very much to make my third graders understand what it means to set a goal, to persevere, to look forward to something that takes a while with great anticipation, and to explore our faith in ways that focus on taking one step at a time and appreciating all of God’s creation along the way.

The other day, on a social media site, there was a question about what was learned in 2013.  I wrote that I learned that “The more I place my relationship with God first, the more at peace I am with myself.  (Doesn’t guarantee I’m at peace with everyone else, but it makes it easier to work with others.)” 

That statement was written quickly.  But it is the kind of thought I could spend a long time during my 2000 miles pondering—at least on days when I am running alone.  This morning I was fortunate enough to run only 0.4 miles on my own.  After that, I met up with a number of other runners (there ended up being a total of around nine on the track this morning and I knew nearly every one of them).  We ran an 800 warm up and an 800 cool down with an excellent 4x4x400 in between.  I wanted to do something to celebrate my 44^th birthday (tomorrow) and convinced those I was running with (5 of the 9 for various bits and pieces) to run this.  The rests were 200 meter jogs between each of the 400s in the set of 4 and 200 meter jogs after each set of 400.  It was a nice workout and except for one 400 closer to 1:35, I was in the low 1:30’s throughout.  It felt great in the upper 20’s (temperature-wise).

In any case, what does it mean to be more at peace with myself when I place my relationship with God first and is there a secular equivalent to the statement?  I think that it means that it is important to ask myself why I do what I do, is what I am doing consistent with my values, and if not how can I improve the situation.  In a religious sense that may be labeled as putting my relationship with God first.  In the sense that my motivations come from my relationship with God.  They are driven by my faith.  They are driven by my belief system.  And the more I focus on really making sure I understand my beliefs, I understand my values, I question whether they need to be changed, and I focus on making sure that I lead a life of meaning and consistency with my values, the more I am at ease. 

I think that could be translated into a secular framework pretty easily.  Not everyone needs “God” to give them values.  Not everyone needs “God” to have a moral compass.  Not everyone needs “God” to have a sense of right and wrong.  For some me, the notion of God gives me something to build values and morals around.  But that is not necessary for everyone.

So, I think that my statement could be made by many people regardless of their religion or regardless of any religion.  For me, as someone who takes the time to ponder the source of my values and my sense of self, the more life has a coherence that reflects the sense of self and values in everything I do or say, the more life “makes sense” and the more I can be at east with myself.  Once I am there, it makes it much easier to work with others and to figure out what to get stressed about and what not to bother getting stressed about in others’ behavior and in how I relate to it.

With an excellent year of running (with a few months mostly alone) behind me and an excellent year of running, hopefully, ahead of me, I know that has made my life more coherent.  With nearly a year of a job change behind me, I am feeling better about where my career is headed.  And while family life has not always been perfect under the stress and strain of running and the job change, I think I am generally doing at least okay and have a sense of how the part I play in our family life can help to make things better for all concerned moving ahead.

Little joys

Today was a day not to get out of bed too early.

Today was a day not to force myself to go to the Y or to run outside in crazy low temperatures.

Today was a day to do a 30 second plank and 100 basic squats (from which you can work up quite a bit of sweat.)

Today was a day to rest my legs after accumulating 90 miles (a lot for me) since the day after Christmas and having run on 11 of 14 days now.

Today was a day to just enjoy the warmth of home in the morning.

Today was a day to get some extra stuff done around the house to try to make this a new habit.

Today was a day to ponder turning 44 in two days.  Does it mean anything other than that another year has passed and it is a multiple of 11?

Today was a day to just breathe and relax.

Today is a day with a full work day ahead (but what day is not at this point?)

Today is a day that just is.  Without anything major.  And sometimes I need days like that.