Fret Not

November 3, 2019

Was at an orchestra concert the other day watching my favorite cellist and noticed that…

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Thirteen

October 24, 2019

Backpack half zipped on the kitchen table,Beat up paperback Fahrenheit 451 in the side pocket,Simpsons…

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Deadicated 6.16.18

June 25, 2018

FADE IN Citi Field.  General Admission. Three rows back from the stage. The crowd dances,…

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Oh, my…

April 15, 2018

Went to Supercuts on Saturday: to the usual one over on 18th and Wilshire.  All…

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Learning to fly

March 18, 2018

  Took flight again today at Pranayama Breathe Class on a Sunday afternoon. I visited…

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Squeak!

February 24, 2018

Squeak. Step. Squeak. Step. Squeak. Pause. Stop. Pause. Step. Squeak. Humph… My favorite shoes are…

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#leftearrightear

February 14, 2018

  FADE IN. EXT: DAD comes into focus, a big guy, burley, mid-thirties, Oklahoma t-shirt,…

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Turn the tables

August 31, 2017

I have a coach that helps me navigate the training regime for all of these…

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Owling

July 24, 2017

Went owling with Vince the other night. We have a big tree in the backyard…

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Coco and Adele

July 23, 2017

One afternoon in the Marais (how cool is that for an opening line?) Teri and…

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Comrades in arms…

July 10, 2017

And legs. And mind, body and spirit. Just whisper “Kowies, Fields, Bothas, Inchanga or Polly…

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Wump-Wump-Wump

July 6, 2017

Thursday afternoon Dad via text: “send a pic people here want to see” Dad’s internal…

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La Decima

July 5, 2017

He’s a god, a modern day god, like Zeus with a tennis racket. And we…

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It is good to be back. This past Saturday I had the privilege to line up with about a hundred other brave souls to tackle the hilly and stunningly beautiful Kaiteriteri half.  The course loops along Tasman bay, up and down several long and seemingly endless hills (mountains in my book) and finishes where it starts, back on the sand at Kaiteriteri beach.  There’s nothing like crossing the line and running right into the ocean for a cool down, does wonders for the legs.

I was a bit nervous, as this was my first foray back into any sort of distance since the LA Marathon, a year and many thousands of miles ago – miles traveled by planes, trains and automobiles, not logged in the running journal. There was no need to be though, once underway the race unfolded and opened up like an old friend, welcoming me back into the fold.

It’s a hometown run without the fanfare of a big city race: no km markets, just a few water stops, roads open to traffic.  There’s the solo bagpiper to greet you at the top of a twenty-minute climb, cars randomly pulled to the side of the road filled with families cheering for loved ones, the familiarity of seeing other running club members that you know and know you, and the always up beat cheers of “Good on ya mate!  Just a wee bit more now!”

I set the internal clock for 2 hours and clocked in at 2:01: respectable for the hills and unknown terrain, plus without km markers I never knew where I was in relation to the finish.  Not that it mattered.  I put my intentions out there and let the fates guide me.  The ability of mind/body to work in tandem and come so close to goal continues to amaze me.

If you find yourself on the top of the South Island of NZ in March you should run this race: it’s well run by the Nelson Events crew, a great course, and full of all the scenic beauty that NZ has to offer.

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