Pre Race

I have grown more and more relaxed the night before races. There is still a bit of anxiety lingering but not so much as to be an issue. Some of this is expereince of course - I have raced more so far this year then in the previus two years together I believe. But even more so is trusting in my training - have I done all that I could up to this point? Yes, or no the answer is all I have at this moment. There is no going back in time and changing what is now. So I trust my preparation and relax - or I trust that I have the expereince to see things through to the best of my ability with whatever level of training I do have - either way I relax. I meditate, I write, I eat right - all things that bring me to a sense of peace and ease. Tomorrow I race - tonight - I'm writing this. Stay tuned.

Peace,
Eric

My Message

Gandhi once responded to a reporter who asked about his message to the world - his succinct response was "my life is my message" and surely this is true for all of us as well. Yet not all of us are as fortunate enough as the Mahatma to be so clear with the message we send into the world. That's why I feel very fortunate indeed to be a vegan and why it is so vitally important to share this message with others. By the simple means of changing my diet I have eased a possible burden on health care and the economy. I have dramatically decreased my carbon footprint and helped to create a larger food supply for the worlds hungry. No animals must now suffer for my pleasure. My life has become my message - and it's one I am proud to spread.

To Run With And Not Against

Why race? I had this discussion with a friend today and we both admitted that it can be a real ego boost - and mostly not in a positive way. The ego is great at giving itself a boost (and very often tearing others down in the process) but the price we pay for this boost weighs heavy on the spirit. Racing often becomes a game of separation - us against them, me versus you, and even ourselves pitted against ourselves. It is a game where for every winner there has to be a loser. That's the ego's game and to be honest I find it less in running than in other sports. Running is a more insular activity but the inner competition we place upon ourselves can be just as fierce - maybe even more so. Again it becomes ego driven- only it's our selves we're tearing down in the name of setting a personal record, of being faster today then we were just yesterday. There is another way - and it still allows for the healthier aspects of competition. It was this alternative way that caused me to fall in love with ultra running - where you very often find the race leader pause and help another runner after a fall, or smile and give encouragement to the last place runner as he/she loops them for the second (or third) time. That's running with spirit - it's running as the best version of our self. It only takes a gentle shift in perspective to achieve this - a single intent to run with instead of against. Run with the trail, or road, run with others (be it fast or slow) and run with the grace, speed and power that we find ourselves blessed with on race day. Run for the sheer joy of motion and company of others. Run with and not against. We will cross the finish together - no matter the distance between us.

Peace,
Eric

Eating Out

I have to say that I mainly eat out now for the company and social outing. Taste wise and over all general feeling I'm better off cooking simple, vegan fare at home. I have more control over what I'm putting in my body and it suits my taste more so now then fancier fare at vegan restaurants. Occasionally I will find a dish that's very appealing but for the most part even vegan restaurant offerings are overly processed and leave me feeling less then my best afterwards. Eating whole foods, fresh and simply prepared are the best way to go in my opinion and my performance in training and racing seem to bare this out as well. Food for though...literally.

Peace,
Eric

A Passage From St. Teresa of Avila

Here is another prayer I have used and found to be trans- formative when used in Passage Meditation -

Let nothing disturb you;
Let nothing frighten you,
All things pass away.
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
He who has God,
finds he lacks nothing.
God alone suffices.

St. Teresa of Avila

St. Teresa was a Christian mystic and contemporary of St. John of The Cross (another poet who has written timeless pieces for meditation) This little prayer has an almost Buddhist or Advaita feel to it - a non duality recognition that in the passing of all things that are not real - only the real remains. St. Teresa could have been an early channel for A Course in Miracles with these words. What brings me comfort is her gentle encouragement to look away from the things of the world that are not lasting but to search within for the real and ever lasting world of God. That's the peace that we can bring outward and offer to others in all of life's distressing arenas, that's that joy that we can bring to the world - the joy of knowing our timeless nature in a world of constant change. It's a beautiful prayer to meditate on.

Peace,
Eric

The Prayer of Sain Francis

I love the prayer of Saint Francis - it's a concise guide for  peaceful life. I first learned of and memorized this prayer after reading Eknath Easwaran's guide to passage meditation. In this book - Meditation (now titled Passage Meditation) Easwaran outlines his preferred method of meditation - namely to memorize a prayer or inspirational passage of timeless wisdom. He recommends beginning with the Prayer of Saint Francis not only for it's beauty but for its transformational powers. Easwaran states that we become what we meditate upon and what better to become then an instrument of peace? The act of passage meditation itself is to slowly, internally recite the prayer with each words falling inwards into a still pool of consciousness. And that's where the transformation occurs.
Here's the prayer -

The prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Even reading softly to ourselves, or simply glancing at it and allowing the words to find us has power and magic. It's a wonderful prayer to keep near by - especially when in need of comfort. Through the years I have used passages and prayers from the Buddha, Jewish Sages and Sufi masters - yet I always return to this simple, beautiful little prayer. It's changed by life and its power will do the same for you as well.

Peace,
Eric

A Little Note on Hope

In his famous prayer St. Francis asks that he be given hope in the face of despair. On the surface this could seem to be a shallow gift against the ocean of despair we are often confranted with. Even the currents of everyday life can often carry us to these waters. Yet St. Francis is not asking for the hope of better days - he is asking for hope to be a better man, a man to brave the storm with courage, compassion and above all love for those who suffer beside him. That's the nature of hope - that our true essence will emerge in troubled times and guide others to edge of hope - to edge - and back again to offer more.