My First Half Marathon Trail Running

 


I ran my first half on the trails.

Well, I was running at the start. Towards the middle it was more of a waddling trot. At the end it was a spirited walk at times. But I completed it. There is not a DNF next to my name on the 2021 Mosaic Trail 13.1 results page. 2 hours, 38 minutes. 12:30 miles, but who's counting? 

My completion is documented, there is historical evidence.


That was Saturday. Today is Monday morning. Yesterday, Sunday, I woke up barely able to hobble around. Knees were sore, hips were shaky. It was nothing a little ibuprofen, aspirin, and rest couldn't fix. I'm 30 now, and yesterday I felt it. But today, I feel strong. So strong I'm encouraging you to exert yourself physically in some way. Running, walking, cycling, swimming. Just some way.

Why do I advocate exercise? I think it makes my brain fire on all cylinders. I'm just a little bit more sharp, more in tune, when I'm consistently running. And, personally, running has drastically influenced my mental health. I'm just happier these days, and I think the 10-20 miles a week of hitting the pavement or the days when I do 100 push-ups at work is a root cause of my joie de vie, as the French would put it. Endorphins are a thing. Not only does it make my body stronger, it's a small positive accomplishment. Each completed run is a victorious battle in the dharma of life, to go all eastern religion on you. We're all just paddling on our yana. Speaking of yana, I'm reminded of a James Taylor interview where he talks about how physical exhaustion and sweating it out from kayaking helped his nervous system recover from his addictions.


I'm also reminded of the time Teddy Roosevelt the sickly boy went off to the mountains and threw some lumber around around. He returned a strong, able-bodied man. It's a forgotten American folk legend at this point. Spectacular moustache.

"I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life, the life of toil and effort, of labor and strife; to preach that highest form of success which comes, not to the man who desires mere easy peace, but to the man who does not shrink from danger, from hardship, or from bitter toil, and who out of these wins the splendid ultimate triumph." 

– Theodore Roosevelt


I digress. You're still here? Go sweat it out!

Next up, my first full marathon. God willing.

Peace out. -W.A.M.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Technology and Remaining Current in the Music Industry

Image
          Building a career path in the music industry as a songwriter and producer may be an arduous task. Remaining current in the field is necessary to survival. In the information age, the artist is given the task of how to interpret and best utilize new technologies. As cynical or skeptical as an artist may be of the internet and technology, understanding new technology is critical to remaining relevant and competitive in the marketplace. This essay will examine how to remain current in the music industry through new emerging social media markets like TikTok and Spotify, controlling artist’s Intellectual Property through blockchain technologies, and being proactive in music organizations and local communities.             Bob Dylan once said, “I find the religiosity and philosophy in the music. I don’t find it anywhere else” (Gates, 1997). Similar to Dylan, music for me is an escape and has the ability to communicate ...
Read more

Mission San Juan Capistrano

Image
Mission San Juan Capistrano was founded in 1731 by the Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan order to convert Native Americans to Christianity. Although this mission was not as successful as other neighboring San Antonio missions, by 1756 there were over 200 neophytes living in Adobe huts at the mission. The original capilla (chapel) w as built from brush and mud. The building you see today was rebuilt in part by a public works project in 1934 and a reconstruction project completed in 1960s. The church is now a part of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park.  Mission San Juan Capistrano was not as successful as other Spanish missions in part because lands allotted to the mission were not sufficient for crops or grazing. The mission was also vulnerable to attacks from nearby competing Native American tribes (mostly Apache and some of those feared horse riding Comanche) and was essentially abandoned from 1820 to 1840. There are still ruins from the other buildings and an unf...
Read more

Tesla Motors

Image
Tesla Motors in 2016: Will Its Strategy Be Defeated by Low Gasoline Prices and Mounting Competition? Evaluate the business processes and strategies of Tesla. Determine which of the five generic competitive strategies best applies to the company. Explain and justify your selection. Tesla Motors is a company that builds luxurious, chic and eco-friendly electric vehicles with innovative technologies. Tesla was incorporated in Silicon Valley in July 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. In February of 2004 entrepreneur and futurist Elon Musk became the company’s majority investor and became chair on the company’s board of directors.   Tesla Motors relies on displaying their Tesla EVs in showrooms for marketing. Tesla Motors has a fairly minimal advertising budget; instead, the company relies on brand loyalty, customers who believe in Musk and the company’s futuristic vision, and word-of-mouth advertising to garner the attention of potential buyers. Tesla sells its vehicles direc...
Read more