New Year/New Run

Leaving this morning for North Carolina where I will be running out the old year and into the new - Freedoms Park Ultra run offers a perfect metaphor for what I hope to achieve - a sense of seamless transition in each upcoming moment, fully aware, present and excited for what each moment holds. Ultra running itself is a great metaphor as well - not every mile will be smooth and easy yet they can all be logged with patience, care and mindful awareness. I hope this new year brings you peace and pray that you all bring peace to the new year as well.

Eric

Fire

I hope this coming new year brings peace to you...I hope that you bring peace to the new year. One person is a spark and an infinite fire waits for your arrival. Step into the new year aware of your potential. Set the world on fire.

Peace,
Eric

Don't Miss a Single Moment

Let the world speak to you. Both day and night whisper secrets to our hurried ears. We listen to the sounds made by man while nature goes unheard. Learn to know the hush that lies beneath the surface. Learn to listen to the wind and birds and silence of a flowing cloud. Everything speaks to you directly. Don't let a moment go by unnoticed. Some secrets are only told once. Don't miss a single one.

Peace,
Eric

Training Note - Return to Basics

It's a return to basics for me right now - Get ups, Swings, and running. The focus is on whole body strength and prepping for an awesome ultra season in 2014. Basic, heavy lifts done explosively along with some light gym moves for fun and (yes) appearance. With lower overall mileage in my training (for now) I hope that this focus will give me a sustainability and resiliency to stay strong throughout a long race (100 miles) and keep me injury free. It seems often we (me) tend to go over board with cross training for no logical purpose. A stronger runner is indeed a better runner but it has to be applied, useable strength and not vanity strength. A big bench won't get you far in an ultra. I do want a high level of both yet my focus is running - so the goal is to be a strong runner not a strength athlete who runs. It's worth reminding myself of this from time to time. I think this program can help me be a very strong runner - and a very strong person (again). I'm willing to try. For the record this program is laid out and explained by Pavel in his new book  - http://www.amazon.com/Kettlebell-Simple-Sinister-Pavel-Tsatsouline-ebook/dp/B00GF2HP9G

It is definitely worth reading for any athlete looking to improve.

Peace,
Eric

Find The Thing That Does Not Change

A quiet mind is a wonderful retreat and it's a great benefit resulting from meditation - however it isn't always the immediate reception we hope for - in fact sometimes quite the opposite. Meditation is the art of allowing, of simply being present to what is within at any given moment. Often the settling of the mind will kick up some turbulence that will be disturbing. Our job is to learn to be non-reactive to whatever  arrives - to be a passive witness and gently observe, note and then continue our meditation. We soon see that there are many moods to the mind yet none of them are lasting. Everything is impermanent  - an important lesson of meditation and one that set the Buddha free. As moods pass and thoughts float by we are able to catch a glimpse of something beautiful - our essential nature - the quiet mind. In time, this glimpse becomes a steady gaze and we are blessed with long periods of peace, stillness and an unshakable joy that we find is real and indeed lasting. We have found the one thing that does not change - the ground of all reality - God.

Peace,
Eric

Merry Holidays

Happy Holidays. And indeed these are Holy days. Regardless of religious affiliation we have found these days holy in a common bound love and spirit. On this day is the promise of Christ being born within the hearts of all - there is no religion in this potential - only love with no known boundaries. Our greatest gift to give is to see this potential in another - in ourselves- and celebrate its birth onto the world. Merry Christmas my friends.

Peace,
Eric

Training For 2014

The new year will bring some more of the same - and some less of the same. I hope to continue to run strong and healthy and plan on doing so with a somewhat reduced overall volume. I will still ramp up the mileage when called for but I'm hoping that monthly races - long races of 50k or more - will cover the bulk of distance training and I will concentrate on quality runs (repeats, fartlek, tempo) in between. Weekends will still be used for distance but I won't be as obsessive about it. Strength training will continue as always - right now I'm following Pavel's Simple & Sinister program - very basic and hopefully this will fit into my more minimalist approach to training. Stay tuned for results. I have at least two 100 mile races planned and a few times distance events as well - from 12-24 hours. Maybe more. Thanks for reading!

Peace,
Eric

My New Year Under the Bodhi Tree

The upcoming new year will be my year under the Bodhi tree. As the Buddha sat in calm abiding while besieged by illusions sent by Mara - I will sit in faith while anger, impatience and unloving thoughts pass without response. I will be quick to forgive - myself and others. As Buddha touched the earth and bore witness to his enlightenment - I too will touch the earth in recognition that my highest possible self is always present and always whispers guidance in my ear. I pray that I may always listen. I will race for the sake of running. I will write in hope that beauty may follow. I will live for the simple act of being. This year will be my Bodhi tree.

Peace,
Eric

Solstice

It's the longest night of
the year -
a time for hushed tones and
reverences.
Tonight...there are secrets whispered
through the air.
Listen.


Peace,
Eric

The End of Your Reach

 I belong to the end of
your reach.

An extension of your touch...that has slipped
the edge of territories -
And continued on its way.

I am filled to the point of holding
only you.

Yet still I pray for more.


`

 

Every prayer is a vessel between worlds and as words reach to God we find distance now gone - finite and infinite being equal and a whispered heard by the ears of God and His reply a quite peace within the heart. Pray not for things my friends  - yet pray to be the very reach of God. And all things will be delivered in our arms.

 

Peace,

Eric



With Spirit

Running becomes spiritual when we simply realize that every moment of our lives is infused with spirit - running is just the opportunity to express our spirituality through motion. My goal with running has been to locate and then merge with the still point that remains untouched by motion, It's this center - the silent witness - where spirit - our true identity - resides. Distance brings me closer to this goal as does speed under the right circumstances. Yet speed can't be retained for long and distance gives hours of polishing spirit under the pressure of miles and the clock. With another 24 hour race fast approaching my only real goal it to come to this center wholly ready to receive what is offered - to run from a place where giving and receiving are one and to be this expression of non-duality - for however long the moment lasts.

Peace,
Eric

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.

`

 

To truly love we must become less - anything more is ego and marked by passions that rise and fall to the tides of whim and fancy. Love burns only the self and leaves alive the reach of spirit that soars past known borders once held between two. Love doesn't hurt - it destroys- and those not ready to perish in the flame of devotion play only on the edge of this great fire.

 

 

Peace,

Eric

Another 24 Hours

It looks like one more big race for the year - Freedoms Run 24 Hour event in North Carolina. Actually it will be last event of this year and first of next years as it's a New Years race. It will be the first time I make it to midnight in quite a few years! 80 miles is the goal and that will get me to a PR for the year and set me up nicely for what I hope is to come for 2014. Regardless I will run the race I want and settle in for the challenges of a long day and night.

Peace,
Eric

Ahimsa

Ahimsa - the practice of non-harming in thought and deed. Gandhi not only toppled an empire with this practice he accomplished a much greater feat by far - he conquered the self and became the Mahatma or great soul. In truth we are all great souls and capable of the same transformation as Gandhi. Ahimsa is the means to make this inner journey. Ahimsa is not a passive practice - it takes courage and action to abstain from harming others. It also takes mindfulness and patience. Often neglected is the kindness it bestows upon ourselves when we extend this practice inwards to include ourselves as well as others. Imagine the transformation of the world if this practice was taught and encouraged in schools from the earliest age? The every day violence we see and take for granted would be reduced perhaps to the point of non-existence. Yes, there are people who seek to harm others and violence cannot always be avoided - non harm included protecting ourselves and coming to the aid of others. Again Ahimsa is action not the avoidance of life and all of its messy problems. It's a practice and in light of today's headlines - its a practice that is much needed.

Peace,
Eric

It's A Cold Night

Something about the coldness of a winter night that leaves me with a sense of loneliness - a sense of being far off from a home I no longer even know. It's a feeling that tells me that I will not be able to tolerate the wind and cold for long - and further still I will not be long for the world at large. Not in an immediate sense - no feeling of harm - yet a deep knowing that nights such as this are numbered. A cold breeze is an awakening. It's the warmth that often leads towards the comfort of a dream. The night sends icy fingers to caress my soul. I am awake now  - and seek not comfort but more of the unknown. With hours left until morning - perhaps this loneliness will lead me home.

Peace,
Eric

Snow Tips

Another snow run today - just over 11 miles. A challenging run. Snow is so beautiful on the ground and trees and brings a stillness to the air not otherwise found. Yet a runner really has to respect the conditions presented by winter weather - take nothing for granted. No not skip hydration, dress in layers and avoid over heating as the sweat may later cause chills. As always keep a sharp eye for black ice and be wary of snow patches that may contain ice beneath. Cross bridges with care. Hope these tips help.

Peace,
Eric

Failure

What if we couldn't fail? What would be possible and what would we try? Here's the truth - there is no failure, only results. How we label those results is entirely up to us. Don't let others - or even our own sense of ego and worth define our results. Be free. And accomplish what we once thought of as impossible.

Peace,
Eric

Snow

Snow gets old fast. In Maryland it's the constant thawing and refreezing that presents danger to runners - a single snow fall of even a few inches can derail training plans for weeks at a time. The treadmill is always an option and a careful outside run is as well - although it does present dangers. Black ice and put a runner out of commission for an entire season or long. Be careful if you choose this option. And there's always an option - the point is to get out and move regardless of weather. Find a way. It's that important.

Peace,
Eric

Only A Touch

It was only a touch.

No less a prayer than winds that brush
devout in their passing.

Listen to the earth sigh its holy
pleasure to the night.

It was only a touch.

And yet my world still trembles.

 

`

 

Satori - instant awakening - simply from a touch. Don't question the presence of God wherever He may find you. Our worship belongs solely to these moments.

 

Peace,

Eric

First Snow

First snow fall of the season. There seems to be an ancestral longing to burrow close with things needed in warmth and comfort while the storm passes. Snow storms always leave me feeling just a little bit lonely - as if I'm missing on some deep connection with nature. I'm less tolerant of snow now with age and the wisdom that it's better to be warm and dry then to spend any length of time fighting through the snow. Yet still I get out there - I run my miles regardless of wind chill and falling flakes. It brings me closer to that primordial connection with nature.  And later while I burrow with books, warmth and comfort and occasionally glance through the window - I understand a little better the mystery of that ancient longing.

Peace,
Eric

Beyond What We Eat

Only a few days after Jay-Z and Beyoncé announced their 22 day vegan cleanse (spiritual and physical) Beyoncé has been spotted wearing fur in several vegan establishments. Of course in the vegan world this has generated quite a controversy. The Vegan Society offers a defense for Beyoncé in that a focus on the negative would discourage her and others who may follow her into this lifestyle from sticking with it. To an extent I agree. To a further extent I find the act thoughtless and self-absorbed.

It is important to encourage people towards a vegan life style and offering criticism and discouragement is certainly not helpful. However Beyoncé would have had to spent the past several decades living in a cave to not know the controversy of wearing fur let alone wearing it in a vegan establishment. It was a move with thought or care towards others let alone the animals that were destroyed. If indeed this 22 days of veganism is a spiritual cleanse as well is physical (as claimed by Jay Z) then perhaps Beyoncé should add a 22 day mediation program on awareness and compassion - a positive change in diet and spirit will definitely emerge from that. Being a celebrity is no excuse for being thoughtless and I applaud both Beyoncé and Jay Z for their steps towards a more thoughtful, less cruel and yes, a less self absorbed way of life. Giving up the furs would be an excellent first step.

It's Own Perfection

Snow falls
Lightly –
Yet branches soon bend to the
Weight of storm and time.
In my warmth…I watch,
Grateful for the strength of branches, for the
Lightness and easy fall of snow, and
Even for the weight of time.

Soon the storm will pass…and perhaps
Grown heavy with the grace of their
Burden – branches will snap.
Every moment holds its own perfection.

 

 

~

 

 

and right now....perfection waits for recognition and once remembered we are as born again in every moment offered.

 

 

Peace,

Eric

Nelson Madela

I'm very much surprised to see some of the replies on Facebook by the followers of leading conservatives and their remarks on the passing of Nelson Mandela. The majority were actually angry that these leaders had kind words to say about the former South African leader. We are quick to forgive our soldiers for what they may have done in the name of war and well we should - no one should be faced with the horrors of war and what a man does to survive, what he does for his comrades and for his country are a personal matter and not really open to judgment. Of course this is different with war crimes where the military will judge to the standards they hold. Mandela sought to liberate his country and for a number of years used violent means to do so - this was after many years of seeking non-violent ways. He thought of himself as a liberator, a soldier and a patriot. There are things in his past I'm sure he regretted. When I read statements condemning Mandela I am reminded of Saul of Damascus and his transformation. Of Francisco the soldier who wounded and tired of war became transformed into a beloved saint. Of Tibetan Saint Milarepa who was a criminal and mass murder who later cleansed his mind through meditation and renunciation. I am not declaring Mandela a saint - yet he was a man transformed by his experiences and he emerged through the silence of his cell with forgiveness and insight uncommon to all but a few. If we judge then lets judge him for this remarkable act and forgive the past as we too might wish to be forgiven.
Just my thoughts.

Peace,
Eric

The Way #60

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

 

`

 

Meditation isn't the absence of thought - it's the absence of attachment to thoughts that are occurring. When strong attachments gather to specific thoughts they form beliefs. Some beliefs may serve. Others may not. A spacious mind s a free mind and beliefs may be discarded when they no longer serve. Observe thoughts - find the space between them. Rest in this silence. The rest is just details. Happy meditation my friends.

 

 

Peace,

Eric

Beautiful Day

It was a beautiful day to run - high 50's and after the past few weeks of very cold temperatures it felt wonderful to be out and putting in the hard miles. Winter is fast approaching and days like these may be hard to find - it's important to not just take advantage of them but too truly appreciate them. All things in life serve some purpose if we recognize and allow them too. If enduring ill weather serves only to remind us that beautiful, warm days are always ahead then that alone may be enough. Better yet - find beauty (and warmth) wherever we may find ourselves. It's worth a try.

Peace,
Eric

Sway

So much unnoticed - as if our eyes were meant to
view the world but not the secrets of its
gifts.
Yet grace appears in the faith beyond
our senses...it's the sway of leaves
dancing in an unseen breeze.

There's a holy breeze constant in its giving...close your
eyes and sway

 

 

~

 

When the Buddha was quizzed on his status of a deity his denial was followed by the simple answer of who he truly was - "I am awake"

 

We too can awaken - in a single moment. It's the grace that nature offers in the bounty of her gifts. feel the breeze and accept the rain. Invite the sun to warm our bones and tress to give us shade. Be appreciative. Notice. Awaken.

 

Peace,

Eric

5:2 Diet

For a few years I practiced intermittent fasting (IF) and enjoyed it for it's various heath benefits and it kept me pretty lean. When I began ultra running though it became difficult to maintain as my mileage increased and soon after I began distance running I became a vegan (from a vegetarian) and felt that it was harder to get in the quality calories I needed as most vegan fare is low calorie. However recently I have been reading of the 5:2 approach to IF - basically it's fasting for two days out of the week (hence the 5:2) and maintaining a normal diet for the remaining days. This easily fits into a vegan lifestyle especially as on the fasting days 500 to 600 calories are permitted. A large salad and baked potato would cover that nicely. Weight is not an issue but the many health benefits of IF are attractive  -especially reduction of inflammation. So this is where my thoughts are leaving me and it may be worth a try again. I'll keep you posted!

Peace,
Eric

Holy Days

With Christmas season beginning I hope the foremost thought we have is the true purpose of the season. It seems it's become somewhat of a cliche to point this out (year after year) and yet we never seem to quite grasp the holiness of these coming days. Look at the recent Black Friday events that have made the news - people were hurt in an attempt to buy gifts in the spirit of honoring a man crowned the King of Peace - it's beyond ironic - it's sad. These are indeed holy days approaching - regardless of faith and religion and the debatable date of the birth of Christ - they are holy because generations of people have made them holy with their gathered thoughts of what this season means. It's no wonder that these are called the Holidays (Holy days) and not only Christmas. There is a sacred tradition of this time of year from all cultures. If we're still - even for a few moments removed from the bustle of consumerism - we'll fill this holiness. Try it. Perhaps if in tune even slightly to the sacred undertone that fills these days are shopping will be a little less frantic, maybe have a little less importance and our connections to each other, and the earth itself will shine a little brighter. It might be worth a try.

Peace,
Eric

Running - Not This, Nor That

Running doesn't make one spiritual - that's beyond the scope of any activity. Running can strip away our non-essential layers and reveal the aspect of Self we've always been - spirit. It's a meditation of the body - as pain and fatigue set in we discover an ability to keep moving with a faith that we are beyond the experience of any given moment. We are not legs, nor heart, nor lungs or bones - we are not the will which drives us only to a certain point - we are spirit which moves us beyond the point of mind and body to a realm that's seldom known. Running becomes our "Neti, Neti" meditation - an ancient meditation method described in the Upanishads. Neti, Neti means "not this, nor that" it's chief aim being to negate all that is not the Self. In distant running we dismiss all that is not motion and all that does not drive our motion forward - we move beyond the point cramping legs, burning lungs and weakened will - we are only what keeps us moving - spirit.

Peace,
Eric