The Hard Miles

OK - my first week of my last two weeks of hard training is done. In the books. Yesterday and today were tough. I think the hardest part was getting out of bed. And not allowing myself excuses to not do what needed to be done. Perhaps that's the greatest gift of hard training for a race - not so much self discipline as learning to listen to the more subtle voice of delayed gratification. It would have been easy to quit at 15 today instead of going back out to get the 20 that I felt I needed. Physically I'm sure I would have been fine in my conditioning if I had skipped it. I'm in shape and it's doubtful the extra mileage at this point is needed. However - at mile whatever during the race - I'll know I went back out there and ran the hard miles. And that will make all the difference.

Peace,
Eric

Training Update

I'm winding up the first of my last two weeks of hard training for the C&O 100 Mile Endurance Run. I have been training hard and consistently since last November. Yet right now feels like the toughest of all. The volume of miles isn't any more or harder then in the past - I have covered this distance before and have worked close to this level of volume. I think it's the nearness of the race, the little details that have yet to be worked out (like hydration packs and fuel) and the accumulation of miles that have me ready for a break. Normally I loath tapering for a race but now (and this may change) I'm eagerly looking forward to the reduced volume. One more week. Of course the benefits of hard training surface during the taper and actual race - today was a tough day - and everything may feel different tomorrow. That's the beauty of the sport - and the nature of mind and body.

Peace,
Eric

Bhakti Ruinning

At first there is a runner. Alone. Confronting path and breath and all that the run may offer. There is room for failure and fatigue. There's a beginning and an end. It is a run and it is battle. And then - there comes devotion. A surrendering past the breath and beyond the world of emotions. There comes bliss. A joy so full there is no room to a hold the self - only motion. There is no longer a runner - only running. We are carried on the breath and that too is a subtle gift we gladly offer. No beginning. No end. Only movement joined with time. Infinite.
Every run is a prayer.
Devotional.
Offer yourself fully to
each moment.

Peace,
Eric

Raw Till 4

Dietary changes can be difficult - certain foods, processed foods - are addicting. The sodium, fat and other additives keep us coming back for more even as they destroy our health. It's a deadly cycle and even when our health hits a major bump in the road we often refuse to make the necessary changes. For some it's a matter of feeling satisfied, and for others it's a misjudgement or lack of knowledge on nutrition. Regardless of the struggle - a sincere effort will bring major rewards. Here is Fruitarian coach/trainer/activist Freelee laying out a simple, effective action plan. I love this plan as it virtually eliminates the struggle from the day to day process of planning meals and following strict rules of a raw food diet. I'll let Freelee tell the rest:

I have followed a similar plan for sometime now but Freelee clarifies a lot of important issues to really fine tune my own diet. I'm very grateful for the hard work and effort she put into this video and I'm sure that others will be equally appreciative once they view it, apply it and live the benefits.
Thanks Freelee!

Peace,
Eric

Race Prep Update

I'm in my final two weeks of hard training for my first 100 - the C&O Canal Endurance Run. I've put in a lot of miles leading to this point. I basically started training the day after my last 50 mile ultra in November and haven't let up. These last two weeks are as critically mentally as much as they are physically - I have the miles in, my body is capable of this distance - now it's time to string the mental preparation and fueling needs together. The day after the 100? It's CAT training straight to July!

Peace,
Eric

*(Catoctin 50k)

Storm

 

 

Stillness gathers
between
drops.

Listening to the
rain,

I hear the silence of
the storm.

 

 

~

 

 

There is silence everywhere - between the raindrops of a

sudden storm, gathered notes of every song and

between the thoughts that seem to cloud

our minds.

Silence is the patience of the

blue sky and the calmness of the ocean

floor -

always present, forever still...waiting for

our moments pause.

 

Be still and know that I am God.

Psalm - 6:10

 





As Ash

I have surrendered
to your fire,
And burnt -
I come alive as nothing more
than ash.
And scattered by some Holy breeze,
I now reach every
Part
of
You.

 

 

~

 

Surrendered of body...we are more. Through the flesh we warm ourselves to God's fire and yet distant too for the safety of a mundane life. To know God is to burn through the flesh of small desire and come alive in the ash of true existence. We burn from the inside - a fire found only for each other in our true expressions. In time - will surrender to this fire - and join again in holy pleasure.

 

Peace,

Eric

Stance

Sometime in life, somewhere and for something - we have to take a stand. To provide meaning to our lives we have to seek a purpose that's larger then our own basic needs of day to day existence. We have to be larger than our smallest selves. Being a vegan is such a stance. Dedicating ourselves to the diminishment of suffering not just by thoughts and words but by deed and actions. It's nobility on a plate. And leads to a very worthy life.
Thanks for standing by my side.

Peace,
Eric

It's Not All About Health

All arguments against veganism end - for me - with the simple reminder to my friendly (and often not so friendly -people tend to take their meat seriously) debater that first and foremost I am an ethical vegan. I really have no choice - I refuse to eat animals. It's my religion. It's not something I'm passionate about - it's something I live - as simple as breathing and just as natural. The questions thrown at me in debates, such as "would I eat an animal if I was starving?' have no meaning to me. I'm not starving. I refuse to play "what if." Yes, if things were different then I may behave or choose differently. I wish things were different. I wish animals weren't tortured for our appetite and pleasure. Maybe if they weren't I would have dairy, or an egg.
But then again -
They're really not good for you after all.
So maybe not.


Peace,
Eric

Vegan Response

Again I had a friend today tell me that being a vegan just isn't natural - and worse - it's unhealthy. The funny thing is that I was holding a copy of Scott Jurek's paperback Eat And Run in my hands as she said it. For those who may not know Scott Jurek is arguably the greatest ultra runner in history. And he's a vegan. And he became great AFTER he switched his diet to all plant-based.
Here's Scott -

Rich Roll is another ultra endurance athlete who watched his life change as his diet changed. A plant-based diet fueled Rich to some incredible feats of endurance.

I'll add one more here - a personal favorite. Mike Arnstein - The Fruitarian - this man has been non-stop racing for several years now. Back to back ultras and marathons without missing a beat.

Mike is pictured above with Tim Van Orden from Running Raw. Here's Tim -

These guys are well know in the running/ultra/vegan world. Yet there are thousands of vegan athletes out there doing what they love and eating a plant-based diet to fuel their passion.

Of course endurance athlete aren't the only ones. Here's strength athlete (and kettlebell guru) Mike Mahler on his diet and genetics.

So it can be done.
Maybe you don't want to do it - but that's another story.


Peace,
Eric

Reality

There is one ultimate reality - spirit. The realm of the immaterial is the ground of our existence and all things physical spring forth from this fertile ground. We witness this daily and it's a miracle and yet we have taken this for granted to the point that we seldom if ever consider it. Think of this - the essence of an oak tree is contained within an acorn. We can open an acorn and find nothing that resembles the promise of a century old oak tree. Yet it's there -immaterial. Waiting for the right conditions to become a mighty oak. That's reality. And it's our reality. We too have an unseen promise. And the conditions are right for us to blossom. It begins with the thought...I Am.

Peace,
Eric

The Cloak

We dance before the moon.

Naked in all but our
desires -

And these...we use to
cloak ourselves.

~

 

We are carried by

desire -

far and distant from our home or

again a true desire...followed to the

heart of God.

 

Only we may choose.

 

 

Our true desire is to know ourselves as God. To return again as creation to the fingertips of the Creator. To remember we never really left the Garden. Our senses are the gateway - yet not the destination. Enter - yet enter fully. And leave yourself behind.

 

 

Peace,

Eric

Lesson From Talk Radio

 

“I, you, he, she, we
In the garden of mystic lovers,
these are not true distinctions.”
― Rumi

 

 

 

~

I have taken to listening to talk show radio in the afternoons while I'm driving. These are predominately Right Wing programs that are speaking to their audience. They're not looking to convert. Of course I'm not looking to be converted. I'm decidedly not Right Wing. I guess I would be categorized as Left Wing - yet I would prefer to think of myself as without a political label. Or any label for that matter. But I am labeled and I label others. It's how we define our world. But what of we didn't? What if we viewed the world as Rumi did? Is it possible? I noticed as I was listening to a radio pundit and his guest today that they kept referring to Liberals as they, and them, as in  -' the problem with them' and "they just don't understand". And of course I thought - no, it's them that doesn't really get it". And so goes the problem. It's our distinctions that get us into trouble - Right and Left. We are neither. We are Americans. Strip that away - and we are Earthlings. Go farther and we are joined spirit of immaterial light that even the worlds most powerful microscope could not discern a glimpse of separation. We have entered the garden of mystic lovers.

 

Peace,

Eric

Contact

This touch...

Air conforming to the
curve of our
existence.

The world breathing slight
against the skin.

And subtle fingers play as the wind...a brush so
slight it lingers as a sigh.

This holy contact.

Space making love to
what it defines.

While receiving what we
offer in return.

 

 

~

 

 

 

There is nothing that's

beyond us.

We touch all that we gaze and beyond in the

infinite reach of imagination.

And this contact - made holy still - by the

world in its caress against us.

 

 

 

Peace,

Eric


To Forget My Name

  I wish to fall asleep
With your name
Hanging from
My lips –

And to wake within an instant
When my own name is
Forgotten.

And the dawn holds only you.

 

~

 

There is power in a name - reality gathers to the

immaterial and forms solid its

illusion.

Once -we were endless in

our reach and then called we became the

gathering of the infinite in a

finite space.

Yet still we are not so far from home.

The infinite calls us by our

true name -

answer. 



Receiving

I come to the page - today, everyday - for the
taste of words given silent to thought and
tongue and left on the empty
grace of a page
receiving

Yoga

Yoga has been a big part of my life for decades now - I have attended classes but consider myself mainly self-taught from books and videos. A few years ago I went to Bikram Yoga (hot yoga) 6-7 days a week for over 5 months straight after my kettlebell workouts and a run. I enjoyed it but as my focus was on kettelbell sport at the time the length of class became an issue and I felt my focus would be better served with returning to home yoga and shorter sessions for overall recovery and health. With the ultra running I'm in the same boat as before - I don't feel that I can shift my focus to longer yoga classes while training for an upcoming 100 mile event. None the less yoga is a mainstay in my training plan and lately I have been exploring a bit more of Ashtanga Yoga also known by some as Power Yoga. My main focus has been on the Sun Salutation for recovery after my workout or run -

 

 

Here is an excellent tutorial for beginning the Sun Salutation. This is a little more "dynamic" then my normal practice of the Sun Salutation but I'm enjoying it and it doesn't seem to be cutting into my recover at all at this time. I plan on expanding  my practice through the upcoming days and perhaps take a class for a little more hands on instruction. I definitely believe that some form of yoga should be included in all athletes training plans and Ashtanga focuses as much on the spiritual as physical bring a much needed balance to an athletes life. It's worth a try.

 

Peace,

Eric



The Way #60 - (And Ultra Running)

With no boundaries...all things
pass -
Un-opposed
Through the spacious nature of
the mind.

 

~

 

Ultra running is the act of finding boundaries and then through a lessening of self and will - becoming boundless. All things have borders and even as infinite energy gathers to their creation they must confine themselves to this existence. Otherwise they become something else - something more. For a tree to continue being a tree it must meet the energetic qualifications of "treeness". And so goes the boundaries of being a tree. Self and will are wonderful tools to push is to the every edge of boundaries - and there - like all things we are met by limitations. In letting go of self we give up all notions of who and what we are - there are no borders to contain us - indeed we will now surrender our "selfness" for a state of selfless motion that continues through all obstacles. Nothing can hold spirit. There is no need for will now - we are beyond the scope of this tool and it has served a noble purpose. It's now time to run pure with spirit.


Thoughts on 100

Less then seven weeks to my first 100 mile race - a mile stone for me at age 48. At this point I know I can do it and I'm not sure I can do it - a lot can go wrong in a 100 miles. Of course a lot can go right too and that is what I'm planning on. Right now the key is holding the mind steady on the outcome I wish for - and backing that up with training, diet and recovery. Diet is a funny thing - I'm careful in my everyday meal planning and yet seem to let my nutritional needs evaporate during my long races. This I can't afford. My plan now is to rely on Dates, some gels, what I can find at aid stations and have my friend who's crewing me bring me vegan broth, miso soup and possibly some vegan sandwiches made special for the day. So I'm just airing out some possibilities now - seeing them on the screen and sharing them for some feedback and opinions. For those who read this - thanks!

Peace,
Eric

Running

 

 

Running is a sacred act - it's giving ourselves to motion while a stillness grows within -two opposing forces that co-incide in a holy union. It's not that one force overcomes another - motion doesn't gain to the loss of stillness yet gives itself wholly to become even more in its caress against the stilled center of our being. It's a whisper in a quiet room - born from silence to a given meaning and again to silence in it's passing - yet the meaning lives on. We are at once the stillness within and the force that moves through all things. We are the whisper and the quiet room. We are the meaning. And something more - we are runners given to a sacred act.

Fabric

The desire of
a touch -
is to simply lose
itself

in the fabric of your skin.

I brush your cheek,

And
fall

Lost within a touch.

 ~
It's holy contact - a moment so steeped in the
 silent language of love that it may only be
expressed in a touch or gesture
Such moments are rare...yet not because they                            
 come so seldom - but that they are forgotten so
quickly and again we caught in the
ordinary world.

Magic is fleeting only for those who forget. It's a new day...a new moment...remember.



Today

Spring - technically not yet - but it sure felt like it this morning. A beautiful time to run. The air is still crisp with a tender bite to it and yet there is no need to add bundles of layers to keep warm. It's the type of morning to make a runner feel free. And for over 10 miles this morning I did - I ran free, I ran strong and I ran without care of thoughts or burdens. Winter may come back and the summer heat is not too far. Today was perfect.

Peace,
Eric

Last Post on Simplicity of Diet (For Now)

One last post on simplicity and diet (I think) - and here's the most important point: don't sweat it. As Running Raw guru Tim Van Orden likes to say - aim for the bulls eye, with luck and some proper planning you'll hit it or come near most every time. If not, chances are you'll still hit the target. And that's doing pretty well. If all there's time for is a vegan micro wave dish - then go for it. It's not the best option but it is an option and a better one then ANY fast food place. Just don't punish yourself over what you ate or what you feel you should have ate. It's just a meal. Next one will be better.

Peace,
Eric

Simplify - Again

We don't live in a complicated world - but we do lead complicated lives. Some things in life we should just allow to be - such as diet - which I wrote of on yesterday's blog. Re-reading the blog I wanted to stress two issues: Just eat food. Real food. And just as importantly - relax. Eating out, dinning with friends, trying a new recipe or dish is no reason to be of any great concern. It's one meal -it won't break us. Especially when we are mindful of what we consume and make conscious, cruelty free choices. A piece of vegan "cheese" cake is not something to become stressed over - nor is it something to make a habit of. It's a desert. Simple as that.


Peace,
Eric

Zen Eating

The essence of Zen is simplicity. The complications of our minds keep us distant from reality. If stripped bare of thought our mind expands in infinite direction and expression - pure consciousness. That's reality - a truth nearer than our own fingerprints. And yet we miss it. No greater example of this is shown by the food we eat - we have complicated our diets beyond recognition from what even a generation ago would know as food. We eat ingredients that belong in labs and not on kitchen tables. Our sense of taste has been distorted to tell us lies instead of wholesome nourishment. It's far from reality. And our bodies know it. It rebels in inflammation and distress. Yet we are so far in thought(s) from reality that even this we deny and continue with our slow death of poison. It's time to simplify. To strip bare our cupboards, tables and minds. Recognize food. Real food. A meal can be made from just fruit. Or vegetables. Herbs and spices provide flavor - made up condiments and sauces don't - they complicate. Strip the thought of processed meat and animal products from the mind - eat local. Find a farm that provides honest cruelty free animal products (if meat is a must) and eat in the manner of our distant tribesmen ancestors when meat was hard to come by - use it sparingly, for flavor. Many Asian cultures continue to eat this way. A very simple diet. No complications. Healthy. Enjoy.






Peace,
Eric

Doubt

Today - on a 6 miles snow run - I had my first doubts about the upcoming 100. No real reason for it - I'm coming off of three 50k races in a four week block. Feeling strong and recovering well. Yet the doubt hit me none the less. I have a choice. Let the doubt consume me and give less than my best effort race day and in training. Or - use the doubt to fuel both training and race day performance. In essence doubt is just a thought - no real meaning behind it until we assign our own personal baggage to it. And we all have baggage. And we all allow it to take control of our thoughts at times. It's natural. Yet we can just as easily cut the cords to this baggage and allow it to once more be a thought that passes. No need to add the weight of our anxiety to a thought - or at the very least keep it weighed down. We cut the cord with the knife of awareness. Nothing more. Just by simply observing the thought, noting the thought and even noting the baggage attached is enough to set us free. Awareness brings choice. And it's choice - and the wisdom gained - that equals true freedom.


Peace,
Eric

Barren

Trees now
barren -

Bloom promise in
my mind.
                                                                                       

~
Everything holds promise - winter the
blurred edge of spring and
again to new seasons.
And so to are lines to hard realities...in
time another season
falls.

Race Review - Seneca Creek - Greenway 50k 2013

This years Seneca Creek - Greenway 50k and Marathon can best be summed up in one word - long. Or two words - really long. Of course if I want to add in some words I would choose - fun, scenic, runnable and awesome. With cheerful and helpful volunteers thrown in as well. Seneca Creek is not quite a Fat Ass and not yet a full blown "event" although I can certainly see it heading in that direction. Race chips and a little higher donation request for the first time - I see tech shirts in its future. We'll see.
Also for the first time (that I'm aware) the course was run in reverse of it's original, regular route. This was due to increase of runners and limited space at Riley's Lock for the after party. I liked it this way - there is a section on the trail that is just mud infested no matter what. It could rain three weeks before and not a drop since and it would be mud filled. Usually we hit this section on tired legs. This year, almost right off the bat and feeling fresh - I loved it! Either way the route ends up hill - getting the mud run out of the way first did seem to make a difference. The extra miles may have even things out a bit though. My Garmin Fennix - battery life 20-50 hours - conked out (again) around the 3 hour mark. I have no idea of the actual distance. Race Director Harvey Sugar says 34+ for the 50k and 30 for the marathon. Talking to runners with working watches at the end of the race and they reported anywhere from 35 to 37 for the 50k . So we know it was long. Really long. But as mentioned - very runnable. Plenty of hills but no real soul crushers until the very end. And it was pretty and a great day to be running - so extra miles equal extra time doing what we love. Maybe I did grumble a little though - but only to myself (I don't think anyone heard me)
This was Harvey Sugar's first time out as RD and he was taking over for the legendary Ed Shultze. Big shoes to fill and Harvey did an excellent job. Thanks for your hard work and effort Harvey - it definitely paid off in a quality day. As always I'm amazed that people volunteer their time and effort on a cold (or wet, hot, windy....) day to feed, hydrate and save runners from traffic hazards. Yet they do and they do it all with grace and a smile. Thank you! That's the one part of a race that never goes wrong. Unlike my Garmin Fennix which has failed the ultra test for the 4th time this year. However I am still a big fan of Garmin and hopeful for the Fennix - and better yet REI (who hands down has the single best return policy in the business) is exchanging it for a new watch. Here's a plug for REI - if you're looking to gear up for your next adventure - they're the place to go.
So another great race. I run this every year on tired legs from previous 50k's in a four week span. This year was a little tough as I kept a full training schedule to prep for the C&O 100 in April. Next year I may skip a race and see what I can do on this course alone. I hate skipping races though...

Thanks for reading!

Peace,
Eric

Spring

It's almost Spring. An exciting time. We set out new goals and resolutions in Winter - yet it is Spring that's the time of renewal and rebirth. Let the past remain in the Winter of our lives -your Spring is now and it's time for you to become - the person you were always meant to be.

Peace,
Eric

Trails

and trails...still never

ending -

 

yet now only in

my dreams.






`

Tomorrow's Run

Tomorrow is the Seneca Creek 50k and the last in a series of winter races that began in the first weekend of January. From this point my focus will be 100% on the C&O 100 on April 27th-28th. It was a fun, tough winter and puts in a great position of recovery from 3 50ks in less then 3 weeks and upping my training mileage through the rest of March and early April. I hope to break new ground volume wise. We'll see. With new mileage also comes new ground in recovery and self-belief. More than ever I will need to use all the tools in the recovery toolbox as well as principles of meditation and awareness to maintain the needed focus. It's an exciting time. A scary time. And a time to give my best.

Peace,
Eric