Category Archives: Run Rabbit Run

Colorado, Dogs, Exercise, Fort Collins, Horsetooth Half Marathon, Politics, Psychology, Quad Rock 50, Religion, Run Rabbit Run, Science, Science Fiction, Sociology, Space

MUSINGS FOR FRIDAY 28TH, FEBRUARY 2020

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“Today’s science fiction is tomorrow’s science fact.” Issac Asimov

Soul Nebula

All of these images are courtesy of NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope. It was launched in 2003 and was recently shut down in January 2020 due to mechanical issues. A 16 year mission. Pretty cool if you ask me. For more information on these images visit: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/spitzer/infrared/index.html

“The function of science fiction is not always to predict the future but sometimes to prevent it.” Frank Herbert

The Helix Nebula

“Anything you dream is fiction, and anything you accomplish is science, the whole history of mankind is nothing but science fiction.” Ray Bradbury

The Triangulum Galaxy

“Science, my lad, is made up of mistakes which it is useful to make, because little by little they lead to the truth.” Jules Verne

The Swirling Core of our spiral Milky Way Galaxy

“Blessed are those who read science fiction for they shall inherit the future.” Thomas M. Disch

Large Magellanic Cloud. This image shows a satellite galaxy to our own Milky Way galaxy.

HEY!! I AM LOOKING AT YOU!! THAT’S WHO!! LOLOLOLOLOL

I hope that everyone had a great February. I sure did. For most of the month Old Man Winter made a comeback on the Front Range and in the mountains. It does make it a little difficult to run outdoors but we live in a high plains desert, so all moisture is welcome.

In January, I again did not get into the Leadville 100 Run. But I will try again next year. Lol. Probably if I did some volunteer work for them it would up my chances in the lottery. I did sign up for a few other races in the process though. The Horsetooth half marathon here in Fort Collins. Always a great race and fun to do. The next one was the Quad Rock 25 / 50. Which is in Fort Collins too. I have done the 25 mile version of this multi times but I always sign up for the 50. Unfortunately I have never been able to complete it. Usually I time out at the 25 mile mark and last year was no different. Of course my goal this year is to complete the whole 50 miles. So we will see!! The third race I signed up for was the Run Rabbit Run 100. I will try it again. It is tough. I think the Leadville is an easier race but don’t tell Ken Chlouber! For those of you who don’t know him he was the founder of the Leadville 100 Run. I would probably never get in again if he knew. I will probably add a fourth race. The Silver Rush 50 in Leadville to have one more 50 miler in prior to the Run Rabbit Run.

This picture was taken January 2nd, 2020, around 4:30 pm, up by Cameron Pass. It was Marvin’s first ski trip into the back country and he learned very quickly that it was best to stay on trail and not to wonder off or he would sink up to his ears in snow! Lol.

In this blog post I want to continue with the theme of Space and to add Science / Science Fiction. Now you might be wondering why I am continuing on this path of “Space” and getting off the planet? I mean it seems like I might be pounding on the soap box too much? Right? Well recent events this past January and February have me thinking otherwise. The out break of the “new to humans” Corona virus in China is a very, very good reason for getting off the planet in a big way if we are serious about the survival of humanity. As the world population continues to grow you can expect more outbreaks like this, especially with the ease of international travel. There is always the chance that the next one will be even worse, higher fatality rate, easier transmission, etc… Humans need a second home. Not to abandon the first one but a second one in which we can establish a firm foothold, so when the next pandemic hits, we have insurance to prevent extinction.

This picture was taken January 7th, 2020 at about 6 pm. Here I was looking West and the bright star in the sky was Venus. Marvin and I had just come down from skiing. When we got to the car I happened to look across the parking lot. Wow is all I can say! The moon was behind us to the East and shining brightly. With the snow, it was providing a ton of back lighting. Just beautiful. Again this was just “luck” in being in the right place at the right time.

Another aspect of getting off the planet is part of what you see going on with politics right now. Specifically I am talking about the isolationist tendencies of our current government, among other things. There was a time in history in which our country welcomed immigrants. Truly welcomed them. We needed them to help “tame” the West so to speak. Western Civilization was expanding and people were desperately needed in this expansion. To build the railroads, to open up new towns, to mine resources, populate the vast open stretches of the Western United States. Now, what do you hear and see: Keep them out, go home, we don’t need you, we’re building a wall, etc… The truth, this will get worse. And not just here in the United States. We have tamed the West and the world. Humanity needs a new place to build and grow AND more importantly to explore! And the only viable alternative is up. What was the line that Captain Picard stated at the first of every “Next Generation” Star Trek episode? “Space the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. It’s continuing mission, to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations to boldly go where no one has gone before.”

This picture was taken January 16th, 2020, at about 4 pm, looking West across Horsetooth lake. Compare this picture to the one below. They are only about an hour apart on the same day! Crazy colors and lighting with Colorado sunsets.

Now to get to the other part of this blog post. I want to talk a little bit about Science / Science Fiction and in the process, religion. To start, I want you to know Science and Science Fiction are one of my favorite types of literature. So I am a little biased towards the genre. I see both as a “literature of ideas” that explores how scientific and technological innovations affect our psychology and more importantly the sociology of humans. When you look back at the history of the last 10,000 years you can see how warfare, religious movements, famine, natural disasters, disease, etc… caused significant change in human society. These events were the original drivers of transformation. That was until about the seventeenth century. A switched occurred at this time and it was all brought about by revolutions in science and technology. Think Galileo, Rene Descartes, John Locke, Blaise Pascal, Robert Hooke, Pierre deFermat, Thomas Hobbes, Edmond Halley, Sir Issac Newton, etc…. The scientist of the 17th century and later have greatly altered humanity’s knowledge base and with it, changed our understanding of our place in the natural world and the universe.

This picture was also taken January 16th, 2020, looking West about 5pm. It was on the same trail run with Marvin. But about an hour later!! What a difference in the light from the above picture.

This “Scientific and Technological” transformation has continue all the way up to present. But there is a difference. Now we are fast approaching a time in which changes in techno-science, that once took years, decades, and even centuries to develop are happening in months, even days sometimes. The question becomes, how will humanity continue to adapt to this rapidly changing environment? What framework do we have to help with this adaptation? Our mythologies, our religions, our current framework, without a corresponding transformation, will not adapt to this rapid pace of technological advancement. We need something different. A new philosophy that is based on the religions of old, except for one big change.

This pictures was taken January 17th, 2020 with Janet (my wife) beside Marvin. He is 11 months in this picture. I forget how big he is until Janet is beside him. Lol

And here is the idea. Imagine if you were to take all the religions of the world and condense them down by removing all the “godhead” mumbo jumbo of mythical beings and just set it aside. In my humble opinion it is a detriment to world harmony and is not needed. Imagine that. No more “my god is the only true god, my god is better than your god, my god told me to…, blah, blah, blah, blah….. You get the picture. So what are you left with? The lessons, the parables. All the things that humanity has painstakingly learned and relearned over 1000s and 1000s of years. Sounds good right? But we are not done yet. Now go through all that is left and only take the best. Anything that is derogatory to women, race, color, sexual orientation, etc… Throw it out. If there is something that promotes slavery, violence, hatred and/or divine right, then throw that out too. And keep doing this process with each religion until you have the core essence of the best parables and lessons on humanity, philosophy, morality and love, etc…

This picture was taken January 18th, 2020 at about 4:52pm. What a beautiful afternoon in Fort Collins. I believe that the temperatures were in the 40 to 50 degree range and a very light breeze was blowing to keep the smog away. Very nice indeed!

Now combine them and rewrite it. After that is done, go back through, read it, review it and rewrite it again. And again. Combining the best of each religion with each other by writing and editing and rewriting. Over and over again and again. Until you have a cohesive whole. A new manifesto. A new world philosophy without a godhead but based on the old religions. A philosophy that all of humanity could get behind because all parts of humanity had a “part” in its creation. Wouldn’t that be cool? No justification for the subjugation of women. No justification for war, violence, hatred of one race over another. No justification for slavery. No justification for “one sexuality” over another. And on and on it goes. That would be pretty cool and you might think that would be it. That would be enough? You have this great philosophy that everyone can get behind, what else do you need?

This picture was taken January 23rd, 2020 at about 4:13pm. This one is looking West across the Horsetooth lake but at the shoreline level. It was another beautiful day in Fort Collins with temps approaching 60 degrees.

Good question. What else do we need? We need a way that the new “philosophy” can be tweaked a little bit when needed. As our tools change so does our reality. And this is what is happening to the “Old mythologies” or religions. Reality changes but they don’t. So the idea is not to write it in stone but to make something that is a little more malleable. The rate of world change is heating up. What was once “SiFi” yesterday is tomorrow’s reality and it is only going to get faster. We still need the lessons from the old religions. After all for now, we are still “human” and destined to make mistakes. Hubris is part of the human condition. The atomic bomb was the first real scientific development that put all of humanity at risk for extinction. But it will not be the last. How will we manage these emerging technologies for the betterment of humankind? And what framework can we use to analyze them with in order to make intelligent choices? The old religions with the godhead figures are at best passe, at worst dangerously inadequate. It is time for something different.

This picture was taken February 1st, 2020 at about 5:33pm. Again this was one of those times that I was in the right place at the right time. Lol. This one is looking West across our neighborhood lake. It only lasted for a few minutes but unreal colors for the sunset.

Well that is going to be about it for this soapbox. I think that it was long enough! Lol. I am hoping that I have given you something to think about. All I can say is that it is more important than ever to do your own research on this subject. Again there is that technology thingy – changing your reality. You have sooooo much information at the tip of your fingers. All you have to do is access it. Unreal when you think about it. REMEMBER at one time it was just Science Fiction. Oh and one last thing before I finish, I want to include a YouTube video by Alain de Botton. He does a pretty good job on this subject. It is well worth the watch no matter what your beliefs are. https://youtu.be/2Oe6HUgrRlQ

I am excited to see what the next 10 years brings in scientific research and understanding of our place in the Cosmos. I feel that we are just on the verge of some truly amazing breakthroughs. Of course only time will tell. So take care my friends and I hope to see you out there!! Adios!!

“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous.., leading to the most amazing views.” Edward Abbey

Colorado, Dogs, Exercise, Fort Collins, Quad Rock 50, Run Rabbit Run, Trail Running

MUSINGS FOR SUNDAY 10TH, MARCH 2019

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“Running isn’t a sport for pretty boys…It’s about the sweat in your hair and the blisters on your feet. Its the frozen spit on your chin and the nausea in your gut. It’s about throbbing calves and cramps at midnight that are strong enough to wake the dead. It’s about getting out the door and running when the rest of the world is only dreaming about having the passion that you need to live each and every day with. It’s about being on a lonely road and running like a champion even when there’s not a single soul in sight to cheer you on. Running is all about having the desire to train and persevere until every fiber in your legs, mind, and heart is turned to steel. And when you’ve finally forged hard enough, you will have become the best runner you can be. And that’s all that you can ask for.”
― Paul Maurer, The Gift – A Runner’s Story

“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”
― haruki murakami, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

“Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up.”
― Dean Karnazes

“The pessimist is not guaranteed a tomorrow.  And, if tomorrow does come, the pessimist does not expect to feel better at the same point in the race…. indeed, it might feel even worse.  So, the pessimist plugs on and accomplishes their goals today.  And today is the only day that counts.” – Gary Cantrell

This picture was taken Wednesday 27th, February 2019. It was a couple of days before the weather really changed to a much more wintry mix. Still looks pretty cold out, but I think that the temps were in the 30s that afternoon. So not too bad for running. The photo is of Horsetooth Reservoir looking South towards Loveland. In this picture I am at the North end of the lake.

Well it has been another good two weeks!! Winter has made a comeback to the Front Range of Colorado and the mountains have gotten a lot more snow. That is always a good thing, both from a skiing perspective and from a water/moisture perspective. In Colorado we are considered a “head-water state”, meaning that the water we get only comes in the form of rain or snow from the sky. Nothing flows into the state. So the more rain and snow we get the better. It can be really dry here on the Front Range, but as long as the mountains get a significant amount of snow and rain, everything else can be irrigated. This snow/rain scenario also plays a role in fire season. I am hoping that this year will be better than the last. But you never know. Until long term weather prediction gets a lot better it is always a kind of guessing game.

This picture was taken Friday 1st, March 2019. Again this is Horsetooth Reservoir, but at the shoreline. In this picture I am looking West. The sun was just starting to set and the reflection off of the water was beautiful. Maybe it was the combination of light, clouds and silence. No lapping of waves due to the ice and to get to the shoreline you have to drop down off the trail and go down a little bit. Just beautiful. It was the quite before the storm. The next day the weather was very different as seen in the picture below. Lots of Mountain Bikers on the trail this day. Getting that last ride in before the ice and snow. Temperatures were in the 30s.

Running has been coming along nicely this year so far. No injuries and I do seem to be getting a little faster. I have three main ultras planned this year. First is the Quad Rock 50 in May. This is a hard run I think. I have done the 25 mile version multi times with the intent to do the 50, but I have either chosen to stop at the 25 mile mark or timed out. The location of the run is very nice for me because it is where I live and run. Just behind Fort Collins. It takes place in Lory State Park and Horsetooth Mountain Park. Very convenient. It is put on by the http://Gnarrunners.com. They always seem to do an excellent job every time I have competed. Weather can be a little iffy this time of year on the Front Range. Which in my opinion always makes the race a little more interesting. You can have mild temps with clear skies, heat and sun, cold and rain, or you can have snow. The best part, you can have all four in one day! Lololololol. Some might complain about this but I just see it as an added challenge. You make the 50 mile mark by doing two 25 mile laps. I am hoping that everything will come together just right so I can make the 50 this year!!

This picture was taken Saturday 2nd, March 2019. Wow, what a difference a day makes. I think we had 5 to 8 inches of snow and the temps were down in the single digits when I took this picture. Cold!! Oh well you make the best of it and as a instructor in a survival school once told me “It’s a character builder.” Lol This picture is of the Poudre River looking Northwest. You can see the bike trail on the left hand side of the picture. There were not a lot of people out on this day, but that came with the added benefit of solitude.

The second ultra planned this year is also put on by Gnar running. It is the Never Summer 100k. This one is located about 80 miles from where I live and is in the Cameron Pass area and the Colorado State Forest. I have signed up for this one a couple of times but due to other issues, injuries, work commitments, logistics, etc… I have not been able to even attempt it. Again I am hoping that this year will be different. The trails in the area are beautiful. Not a lot of development in the vicinity. Which has its own appeal. The race description from the web site says it best: “This is a mountain race in the truest sense of the term, with extended periods of high alpine ridge running, two alpine peaks, and five alpine lakes visited along the way. When above timberline, you will enjoy huge views of the northern Never Summer Mountains to the south, the stunning peaks of RMNP to the southeast, expansive vistas across North Park to the Park Range above Steamboat Springs to the west, and even north out to Wyoming’s Snowy Range.” If you want to check out more here is the link to the web site: http://gnarrunners.com/never-summer-100k/

This picture was taken Monday 4th, March 2019. It highlights what it is I love about Colorado. Two days later from the prior picture and the sun is out and shining. It is cold, in the teens, but the sun is out and trail is pretty much clear. I love this tree shot. Just the size and the shape with the sun shining on it. Beautiful. Lot of bikes out today even with the cold temperature. And of course a few brave souls out running.

The final ultra I plan for this season is again the Run Rabbit Run 100. I attempted the 100 mile distance last year but timed out at the 50 mile mark. It was a really good experience and I learned a lot. Up until last September (2018) I had only competed in one other 100 mile race. The Leadville 100. All my other races have ended at the 50 mile mark. In the Leadville, I did make it to Hope Pass but was short of the cutoff by 12 minutes and by the time I got back down to Twin Lakes, the distance was again 50 miles. In all, I think that I have done the 50 mile distance, on purpose or inadvertently, 6 times now over the last 7 years. I turned 57 this year and I am not getting any younger. So I want to get that 100 miler done. Lol. The people that put on the RRR in Steamboat Springs do a really good job each time I have competed. And I am guessing that it will be the same this year. Here is the link to the web site: http://runrabbitrunsteamboat.com/ The 100 miler is filled but I hear there are some spots open for the 50!

Well, the search continues for a new dog. We are now looking at King Shepherds out of Boulder. They seem to be a cross between Great Pyrenees, Alaskan Malamute and German Shepherds. Which makes for a fairly large dog with not as many genetic issues as the typical GSDs. This is a picture of one of the pups from the current litter at 3 weeks old. Big already!! Lol

Well this is going to be about it for me this week. I hope everyone has had a great weekend. These last few days I have felt a little bit under the weather and decided to take a few days off from running. But hope to be back in full form by Monday. Take care my friends and maybe I will see you out there on the trails or the ski slope!!

Art, Colorado, Exercise, Meditations, Psychology, Run Rabbit Run

MUSINGS FOR SUNDAY 23RD, SEPTEMBER 2018

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Plunge Your Whole Life into What You Are Doing

“Just as when you sit in meditation you just sit, when you sleep, be aware of the totality of your whole being going to sleep.  When walking, you just walk.  When you eat, you are right there just eating.  Plunge your whole life into what you are doing at that very moment and live that way.  So, we train ourselves to engage our whole being in what we are doing.  Whether sitting or eating, you are not engaged in discursive, wandering, or deluded thoughts.  All of you…environment, body, and mind…is right there.  Whatever you do, whatever the task at hand, your whole life is there at that moment.

Some people may interpret plunging your whole being into the practice or into the task at hand as a very tense approach.  This is incorrect.  By putting your whole being into what you are doing, you are also being relieved from doing anything else at that moment.  Therefore, when you are doing that one thing, that is all you have to care about, and you can do it in a very relaxed manner and attitude.  In this light, you will better understand the meaning of engaging your whole being in the present task.  This is a relaxed and reposed attitude to practice.”

Excerpted from: “The Method of No-Method:  The Chan Practice of Silent Illumination, by Chan Master Sheng Yen

 

Happy Autumnal Equinox!!  First day of fall?!  Wow where did the time go??  Well….. it has been a good week.  Still recovering from the attempt at the 100 miles with the Run Rabbit Run.  It has been nice to just do some easy bicycling each day this past week.  The temps are getting cooler in the mornings and you can tell that fall is in the air.  Even with the unseasonably hot weather.  The air conditioner is not running constantly, trees on the front range are starting to change leaf color, etc.…  I am wondering what this winter will bring?  Will it be non-existent so to speak with less snow and more rain?  Or will it be like the winters of the past?  I guess only time will tell.

Looking West towards the Foothills – Spring Creek Trail.

Prairie Dog (Colorado State Rodent) on Spring Creek Trail.

The bike riding in the afternoons has been fantastic.  I am very fortunate to live in a city that continues to expand its trail system.  If you really wanted to help your citizens with health care, then get them outside and walking, running, biking, skating, etc.…  Whatever it might be.  The trick is that you need easy and I mean easy access.  We are all creatures of habit and we need that easy access to help with the “willpower requirement” of just getting out.  We could prevent a lot of our health care cost just with preventive strategies like exercise.  It is an old idea but still just as valid since time immortal.

I have been working on another “anatomical heart” picture.  They do take time.  I figure in this one I already have about 5 to 6 hours of drawing in place.  And I am only about a 4th of the way done.  This is a smaller one at 7 inches by 10 inches.  I will show more of it as the weeks go by.  I usually get an hour or two drawing each day.  This will be the fourth one I have done of the hearts.

I love the above quote from the book “The Method of No-Method: The Chan Practice of Silent Illumination.”  Some days I am much better with this practice than others.  Modern media and advertising does not help.  Always wanting you to want more.  Distracting you from what you are doing.  I have found that doing meditation each day helps with this.  Focusing me on what I am doing so that I can just be in the moment.  Not letting my mind pull me in a thousand different ways.  Just taking a deep breath and bringing myself back into the moment.

Monkey Mind – all the things I have to do – over and over and over and – I need this, I need that, I cannot live without this, etc.…

Realizing that it is OK, the “monkey mind” is going to wander… The trick is to realize that you will have to pull it back into alignment… a lot.  Over and over until it become second nature.  If you are like me, our minds really have the tendency to wonder and this is without the help of modern media.  I wonder what it would have been like to live 150 years ago?  Before radio, before TV, before cell phones, before the internet.  Would it be a good idea to once a year go on a “modern media hiatus”, even if it was only for a week.  I think that it would be even hard to do for a day?  Or you could spend a significant sum on a Zen retreat where all form of electronic communication is forbidden?  I have not tried either yet but maybe that is the next step?  Well just some thoughts running around in my “Monkey Brain.”

The reposed and relaxed goal to shoot for.  If Home can do it so can you!!  Lol

Well on the above note, I am thinking that will be all for me this week.  Hope to see you out there on the trails!!  Adios amigos!!

 

 

 

Colorado, Exercise, Psychology, Run Rabbit Run, Trail Running

MUSINGS FOR SUNDAY 16th, SEPTEMBER 2018

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“Run for 20 minutes and will feel better, run another 20 and you might tire, add on 3 hours and you’ll hurt, but keep going and you’ll see and smell and hear and taste the world with vividness that will make your former life pale.”     Scott Jurek

“It hurst up to a point and then it doesn’t get any worse.”    Ann Trason

Life is good and I cannot complain too much at the moment!!  Ed B.

Really love that quote.  It is my own, but I am not partial.  Just that, it is my reality.  As I have gotten older everyday that I wake up and become mindful of taking a breath…well that is a good day.

Looking West towards Cameron Pass

I have been in Steamboat Springs since Tuesday Night.  Nice place to just hang out.  The drive from Fort Collins to Steamboat was beautiful.  The Aspens are in their “changing color” mode and the views were a little extra special around Cameron Pass.   Really hard to do it justice with the pictures.

Steamboat itself is an interesting place.  After multi visits here over the years,  you start to appreciate the “mountain towns” that were actually a thriving community before they became ski area destinations.  There is a little more of a solid feel to them than just a tourist trap so to speak.   It  has the feel of a much bigger town in some respects but still, I think, maintains the small town atmosphere.  By 8pm at night, most shops have closed up,  except the bars.  Which can be an inconvenience or depending on how you see it, refreshing. Even in summer it is a bustling place.  Just the amount of traffic on highway 40 (Main Street in town) can be  daunghting.

From the base of the ski area

From mid way up Mount Werner

Main Street in Steamboat looking East

Yampa River in Steamboat looking West

Well the Run Rabbit Run 100 went pretty well.  We had great weather.  A little hot at times, but clear skis for the start of the race.   Not like last year with the smoke from surrounding wildfires.  The Silver Creek fire did flare up again but luckily the winds were in the right direction to keep the smoke south of Steamboat this year for the 100 mile race.

Looking South from I-40/Hwy 14

From the bike trail in Steamboat

This year, the race for me ended at the 50 mile mark.  I timed out.  But even with this, it was a great race.  This is only the second attempt for me of 100 miles.  I timed out 2 years ago at the Leadville 100, again at the 50 mile mark.   I learned a lot this weekend.  Simple things like running through the woods in the night,  staying warm after running 35 miles, what you can eat and not eat, and the proper utilization of drop bags.  All of these things sound simple enough but when you are in the thick of things they can all add up to mean the difference from a “death march” type race, to one that is a lot more enjoyable.   I have to say I felt pretty good after running the 50 miles.  Sure I was sore but I did not feel like I needed the ER.  Lol

Before picture!

After 50 miles and 18 hours of running!

I have now done the 50 mile distance 6 times in the last 5 years.  4 times for an actual race finish and twice while attempting 100s.   I guess the 100 mile will have to wait another year.   My wife Janet is always good to remind me that 50 miles is nothing to put down.  As she has reminded me more than once.  50 miles is still 50 miles.

Looking down from Fish Creek Falls Trail during the run

Long Lake, second aid station on the run

This race is consider a “hard” 100 miler and I do believe that it lived up to its reputation.  The added Fish Creek Falls Trail section was beautiful, especially the downhill section until the relization hits you that you have to turn around at the bottom and run/walk back up, add in alot of heat for the day and well… you get the picture.  I believe I consumed about 10 liters of water for the day.  During the night when the temps dropped into the 40s, the aid stations at Summit Lake and Billy’s Rabbit Hole were outstanding.  Well organized and very helpful with a palpable energy from the volunteers.  I can tell you they truly made a difference in my race.  The “potato soup” at both stations was fantastic.  All and all the race was what I expected it to be.  A class act when you consider that  it is all volunteers that are making this happen.   I hope to be back next year.

Before I go I would like to give a big thank you to the Race Committee, and all the volunteers.  Without you this type of event would not be possible.  THANK YOU!!

And a reminder that without the support of the sponsors this event would not be possible.  Thank you to:  Altra, Honey Stinger, Black Diamond, IceSpike, Smartwool, Wyndham Vacation Rentals, Tailwind, Ultimate Direction.

Well that is about it for me this week.  Hope to see you out there on the trails!!  Adios amigos!!

 

Art, Dogs, Exercise, Psychology, Run Rabbit Run

MUSINGS FOR SUNDAY 9th, SEPTEMBER 2018

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“Once you realize that the road is the goal and the that you are always on the road, not to reach a goal, but to enjoy its beauty and its wisdom, life ceases to be a task and becomes natural and simple, in itself an ecstasy.”     By Nisargadatta

 “The goal is the road and the road is the goal.” – My understanding of Nisargadatta!

 “The pessimist is not guaranteed a tomorrow.  And, if tomorrow does come, the pessimist does not expect to feel better at the same point in the race…. indeed, it might feel even worse.  So, the pessimist plugs on and accomplishes their goals today.  And today is the only day that counts.” – Gary Cantrell

 

Well this week has been a better week.  Compared to last week things are much better.  Losing a furry family member was hard.  Especially one like “dog-girl.”  It is hard to put into words what she meant to Janet and I.  I tried last week to do that with the blog post.  Rereading that post this week, still does not seem like I did her justice.  But not wanting to dwell on this issue in this weeks post I will move on.  Of course, I cannot guarantee that it will not come up from time to time.  Coming to grips with change (loss), any kind of change is hard.

Meeker and Longs from the West Side of Fort Collins

Tall Aspens off of Highway 14 in the Poudre Canyon

It has been nice running this week.  Good to get out and clear my head after last week.  The smoke from the wildfires in West has cleared somewhat and the running has been good.   I am trying to get in as much trail running as I can before the Run Rabbit Run.  Still shooting for that 100-mile distance.  Not sure if I can do it but I plan to try.

I know the old Yoda Saying… “Do or do not, there is not try”.  But I am still not that confident that I can do it.  I really believe that I can get in a 50 miler this year but how much further can I get – can I do the whole 100?  That is the thing that I want to see if I can do.  I am anxious just thinking about it.  Sooooo, to get myself to the starting line, I have told myself to look at it as “let’s just see how far you can get”, “run at your pace”, “enjoy the experience”, and “see where it will take you.”

Resident Deer on the Poudre River Trail in Fort Collins

I never thought of being “pessimistic” as a good thing.  But when you see it in the light of the quote above by Gary Cantrell, it takes on a little different meaning.  A little touch of “Pessimism” is really helpful in getting motivated to do things.  Especially hard things.  How many days have I just wanted to stay in bed because the day had something that might be consider tough to do?  Way too many.  The old saying “put it off tomorrow.”  Just let it go.  But the next day things actually might be worse.  So, the idea is to buck it up and do it.  Just like the Nike slogan of “Just Do It.”  Get it done.  I am still not very good at this but I hope that I am getting better.

Blooming Creosote Bushes in Fort Collins

On a different note, towards the end of August I finished a couple of new pieces of art work.  I started to draw anatomical hearts after my son in-law suggested that my oldest daughter liked them.  And he wanted me to do a few for her.  So, I did.  I might have to continue along this line for a while and see where it takes me.  If you do a quick google search you will find all kinds of anatomical heart drawings and paintings.

Pen and ink – size is 11 x 14 inches

Pen and ink – size is 11 x 14 inches

Pen and ink – size is 7 x 10 inches

Well I think that is about it for me this week.  I will let you know how the Run Rabbit Run goes in the next post.  Take care my friends, maybe I will see you out on the trails.  Remember winter is coming and ski season is just around the corner!!  Adios amigos!!