What can I do to help? Grow a beard???

                                                                      Over the last few months we've seen a plethora of posts and news stories about the Ice Bucket Challenge and giving for ALS research. Locally, we have runners and others taking up causes for everything from breast cancer research to leukemia and other diseases. For myself, I have tried in the past to raise funds for a few groups I feel strongly about. One is to find a cure for prostate cancer. It is another silent killer and needs to be eradicated. Sure, it is something only men deal with. But ALL of us are affected by it. So we need a cure as well.

                                                                      Last September I had decided to grow a beard for a month in September, to raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer research. The organization I chose was called Septembeard. Men grow beards for the month and the funds raised go to individually selected hospitals and research centers that the one donating picks. I have checked out their past, the totals that go to the centers and this is a legitimate charity group. Sure, many won't donate unless they know where their money goes. I understand that for sure. If you'd like to donate while I grow the beard, it would be helping out for sure. If not, that is fine as well.We only made $25 last year but that helped.

There is NEVER any pressure to donate or to even acknowledge the posts on my blog or the Facebook link that follows the post. And I shall never individually solicit any finds from ANYONE.

but, why not at least take a few seconds and look it over ,if you can, and read about it and at least give it some thought. no matter how small the donation one makes, every bit helps.

I'll make this post short and to the point. Donate if you can and as the month progresses,I shall post totals as well as photos of the beard under construction.

My team will be known as Vancouver USA Bearded runner.   Team #2886  Vancouver USA Bearded Runner.  If anyone joins me, I shall add an "S" to it and make this a real team.

Looking forward to growing out the whiskers starting next Monday, 1st September!!  Come join me and grow or donate to help us all!!

Smiling runners??

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                                                                    Yes!! And no. Both are possible and over the last few years, I have been making mental notes as to what my eyes have witnessed over the last year of running, whether at races or the daily routes I take. And the first thing I look for when I see another runner, other than to check if I know them, is whether they are SMILING. :-)  Yep, I really do look for smiles. It is what makes me happy!

                  There are times when a runner is really happy to be out and imbibing in the elixir of life and enjoying those endorphins. What a grand thing to experience!!!!

             
                  Really? Do we ALL look like that fella there to the right? Um....no. We don't. Not that we don't have our moments of painful runners face or that "I can't wait to get home to the bathroom" look. We most certainly can admit to at least one of those. No, we don't always smile. Not at work, the supermarket or the doctor's office.

 


                 
But most of the time I see smiles on my fellow runners!!  It is something that makes people happy. I mean seriously, look at these folks after having run quite a few miles of the last race I attended. Are these stolid and unhappy looks from runners who were forced to race?? I don't think so! Happy faces, smiles. I LOVE smiles!

They are really having a good time and show it. The few times I have attended racing events that seem to be more thematic or obstacle course style, the participants don't smile near as much. Is it the toughness of the course or event? Are they having "fun" or having FUN!!!!! I cannot judge that nor will I assume anything. But the evidence of smiles does seem to be something to consider. Granted, after a full marathon or Spartacus race, some will NOT be smiling. These are tough events that wear a person down. But still, many love them and are smiling!

                                                  What about your average runner on the street? What do you encounter when you run past another? Do you wave and smile? Or keep your head down low, not wanting to make eye contact for some reason. And when you DO make that contact, are they smiling?  Well???

OK, if they are across the street it can be tough to see if they are smiling.  So, do you wave when you pass them by, or signal to them? Perhaps if they are closer, what about a "Good Morning" or "Good (whatever time of day)"?? That can make all the difference in the world to us as runners. It really can set the tone for the rest of the day or night if we are greeted by another fellow runner, enjoying the same activity. We are on the same wavelength and know what the other is going through when out on the road, injured or not.

                                                    And when we are in a great mood, that can translate to the smile.
That wonderful, delightful and superb way of communicating joy that we are having a good time and feeling the same way!!! Is that infectious? Absolutely!!! Any who agree, raise your hand. Or both!!!

                                                    We might even be so bold as to be close enough to the other runner to indulge in a well known human bit of contact called....

                                                      Yep. the high five. Ah, perhaps we don't go that far when out on the road or trail when getting our miles in for the day. But still, isn't that fun nonetheless!!! Now, we all do that at races and I rarely see some who are so crotchety and mean that they refuse a high five or post race bit of encouragement. That is only part of why we are happy to be runners.  Yet it is one of the best and happiest parts.

                                                       So, when you are out for a run on the road or trail, SMILE.
Make eye contact and  say hello to that fellow runner, walker or non creepy stalker type of citizen.
Sure, they are out there too. We all have to be on guard. but the majority are not the aforementioned weirdos. and imagine how your smile and attitude can set the tone for not only their day and run, but your own!!Then we ALL end up smiling like these folks!!!! Not a frown around!!!

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Running in a new direction.

                                                              The last few months of running have left me in a state of disagreement. On the one level I want to keep up my exercise and getting to to socialize with my running family. On the other, I have been at warfare over getting out the door and really ENJOYING the run. Yes, I did type that. We all go through challenges in our routine and the love we once had for something in particular can fade if not fed, cherished and changed now and then. It needs to be kept fresh and something that we really want to do. After the Rum Run 10K in May, I had so much going on in life that my desire to run simply vacated my passion oriented brain and heart. I didn't stop running but the addition of more pain from the arthritis and sciatica made getting out that much more difficult and a non essential thing. Mileage dropped, fun levels did as well.

So the moniker at left is one I thought would help. I figured I had excuses and that I still needed to run. That is true in part, although my problem was not the ability to run. I could do that, just in pain or at super slow paces.


No, I was simply unhappy with the way my running was going. The Vancouver Marathon half then came up and although it was a great race and my time was decent, I still seemed to be a wee bit on the depressed side for my racing and in general. Not a depression of life or circumstances, but in my abilities. They had disappeared from the last year. I was simply going through the motions.

And it was getting tougher to maintain the distances I had been running the last few years. Ugh. What now? Why now?

        Was I just waiting for the doldrums to disappear or was I simply not being proactive in tackling the reasons as to WHY I was unhappy with my running? Time to sit down and reflect on all I had done over the last six years of my very short running life.


       As I didn't start to run seriously until 2008, much had passed me by the previous decades. Sure, as a teenager in high school I would run and race a little. I managed to complete Bloomsday in Spokane twice and enjoyed that. Same with some small 5k races in my area. But running in the late 70's and early 80's still didn't have the appeal nor the support it does now. Not even close. I never did run much at all until 2008, when at the age of forty two, I lost my father. That got me thinking about my own state of health and inactivity. I was overweight, had high cholesterol and was going to eventually be a diabetic if I didn't do something  about it. So, that September day, I talked to my doctor and agreed to start working out. As I really disliked weight training, and still do, I needed a sport or activity I would enjoy. While biking was fun, I needed a place to store it and always has issues with something breaking on it. More money spent on repairs. Ugh. Biking was really great fun and good for me but I liked the simplicity of running as all I needed was a pair of shoes, shorts and shirt and off I could go, no matter what part of the world. I could run anywhere!!

       Before checking out the local running community I started where I shouldn't have: the local gym/fitness place. Ugh. That meant....treadmills. Major dislike. Immediately I hated the feel, the bounce and the thought of others watching this amateur run on that contraption. Granted, I sure liked to watch OTHER runners on the treadmill. I'm not dead. :-P But oh, how I loathed those machines.


No, it wasn't only the fact that others were watching me. It was that I felt trapped, like a mouse in a wheel. I couldn't breathe. All around me were sounds of grunting people, scents of sweating bodies and wet towels. These dynamics sent me out to find a different path. Also, one I didn't have to pay for monthly, especially one that seemed to go up in price constantly. Paying to run on a treadmill? How crazy was that.

Brainstorm. Why not buy a watch, go outside and do this for ...nothing. Sure, initial outlay. but after that, what monthly payment was there? And the scenery was so much better outside. Clean air.

                                                                            Now that I am running, reading magazines and books, working out ....what next? I became part of the running community in my town. My wife joined me in this and within a few months I was racing again. The mileage built up, I was losing weight, feeling good. All of the parts of the puzzle were beginning to come together and I was really enjoying life. A lot!!! Within a few years I had run marathons, half marathons and most distances in between. My local race director, Brian, and his company Energy Events, had become a major source for my racing. I learned so much about running from others in that first year and really found this a calling for me. The last few years, though, have seen a steady decline in my racing totals as far as speed and distances go. This year, for sure. As my arthritis and sciatica went up, my running totals went down. And I'm not getting any younger. Nobody does.
Pain management has helped and this is a good thing. So, with that in place the last few months, why the unhappy feeling with my running?
                                                                              Finally, I think I know. Pressure. My OWN pressure to perform. To be out there, no matter how bad I felt. I watched others do it...why couldn't I do the same? It's only seven miles a day. Three to four times a week. It's only a fifteen miler this Saturday. That was where I was wrong. We each have our own way of training, of running. I was doing it for others AND myself. That was part of my problem. I was running too much, too far and too often. It was making me feel like I had an agenda, a quota I had to make. Like the goals we always read about and set HAD to be met or I would be a failure. After a lot of thinking, pondering and really discerning where I was at, I came to a few conclusions:

   1---I was running too often. Yes, sounds crazy. But I was running when I thought I HAD to instead of when I WANTED to. My legs and feet hurt as well as my hips and knees.

   2---I have been running too many miles. Not in totals, but in daily distance. I found that running seven or more miles too often was really making me tired, sore and not happy.

   3---I was running in the same locations, areas and needed to change that. Drive a bit if necessary.

   4---Races. I was running too many, too often. Also sounds crazy, but they are expensive and take time away from family and other things. I actually slowed down a lot this year, so this one is not new.

   5---And finally, distances. What makes this man happy is running for fun, enjoyment and the feeling I get being with family and friends. Not for the bling, the medal nor for being a certain place in my age group. Those are great but certainly not worth it if I become unhappy with the running or the training.

                                                                   What all of the above gobbledygook says to me, and hopefully to you the reader, is that I need to slow down. It means appreciating and enjoying the running itself and all that goes with it, not the means to the end. It signifies that this runner is going to change directions with regard to his running journey.

  1---After the upcoming North County Wine half marathon, I shall be concentrating on shorter distance races. That means anything under a half marathon. The only exception will be the Vancouver Half, next June.

  2---When I go running for my daily or every other day workout, it shall be with the intent of enjoyment and how I feel. NOT for a distance I must achieve. If not, I come home feeling disappointed, with a broken spirit in that I have failed and am not worthy to be called a runner.

  3--- Distances will be what I feel I can do. No pushing to make seven or eight when I know It makes me feel crummy afterwards. Why do that? Sure, some will give me reasons like "You need to push all your limits", or "No pain, no gain", even "Run outside your comfort zone". Not this runner. No more. I want to feel GOOD about myself and not be in pain. And the other side of comfort is being uncomfortable. Not sure about you, but I dislike uncomfortable. So, three to six milers, perhaps an odd seven.

  4---And most of all....spending time with my running family and friends!!! Some running pals of mine have always stuck to this as one of the most important aspects to their own running lives. They might not be fast, win medals, have low per mile numbers nor run marathons all the time. But they have FUN! Like the photo below... smiles,joy and good times!!  This might not be the most popular view among my running friends and family, but it is what works for me.

                                                   THAT is what it is all about!! Happiness!!!

                                                                   
                                                                     
                                                                  

Summer doldrums.

                                             The hot, dusty and ugly dog days of summer have arrived in my hometown. These last two weeks of August are the least liked of the entire year as far as weather goes. Now, I DO have some positive aspects that make them tolerable. One, that the kids roaming the streets causing mayhem will be going back to school soon. Two, that football season is here and autumn is not too far behind. And three, that the harvest time has arrived, making our farmer's markets even better!! Unfortunately, visiting them in the heat is not my idea of a good time. But we have a great little market in Vancouver that is fun to visit and has many shade trees to take shelter under at Esther Short Park, a classic American park that is such a pleasure to visit.

There are a great many farmer's markets in this Portland metro area and we are really blessed to have them almost year round. Our climate is perfect for them!!!! I hope your own markets are thriving and that we don't all depend on the chain grocery stores.

                                              Speaking of autumn and the changing of the seasons, running will only get better as these dog days die what I hope to be a quick death. While I only have two races coming up , the biggie being the North County Wine Half Marathon, I relish the idea of running in the cool and temperate days of late September and all of October and November. It simply is the best season of the year for me and I will drink in every moment I possibly can this year. Scenes like these below fill me with joy and completeness as the colour spectrum of nature really shows us the range of beauty it can produce. I could stare at these photos all day long!!!!

                                                                      On the computer front...my Dell monitor died last week and I was without said essential for longer than expected. My brother came to the rescue and now i can blog again as well as carry on my always fun chatting on Facebook, Hangouts and other online places. It's amazing how much we depend on various electronic devices. I could let them all go, sure. but I admit I do enjoy them and the connection I have to people. It makes my days fun and filled with love and joy. Sure, I'm a total chatterbox and never feel I get enough for chat time with my friends. People are busy, have families, etc. I don't expect to do it all day long. But that is part of the extrovert in me. I like communication and always will. So after this short blog, back I go to the social sites!

Cymraeg (Welsh) progress. Ugh.

                                        Back in January, which seems so long ago, I proclaimed my desire to concentrate on running and Welsh during this year of twenty fourteen. Most of the time, New Year's Resolutions don't last very long for me although admittedly, this proclamation was more serious than that. It was a true desire that I had to do well with both and succeed. Well, the running did reasonably well for me until just after the Vancouver Half marathon in mid June. My running has taken a bit of a downturn as arthritis and sciatica have taken their toll. Add summer heat and a super busy schedule and it has been less than stellar. But...I knew summer would be a slow season, so that was to be expected while typing in this blog post. I tend to lay low during the summer, sweating it out till fall.

So sure, my running has been less than stellar. As soon as school starts and the temps drop a bit, barring injury, I will be back on schedule and getting my miles in each week.







                                              Now, with the running out of the way and all good there....

                               

                                                My Welsh studies and lessons were really moving along well from January until April. Say something in Welsh course lessons were moving well, I was learning at a reasonable level and satisfied with my progress. For the most part. After starting a Welsh speakers group for the Portland/Vancouver area on Facebook, I was able to learn even more and attune my ear to Cymraeg and pick things up on radio, video and in person with my fellow speakers here locally.
What happened? I lost track of time. Schedules, life, family, other issues...all rushed in to block my time for study. I was weak. And I started to lose some of the words I had remembered, making it necessary to go back and re-listen to previous courses when I should have been moving on. And, my brain simply does retain languages as well as it did twenty five years ago.

So...May, June and July have been a complete waste of time as far as my Welsh goes. And there is nobody more frustrated than myself. I seriously wanted to be done with Course 1 and have completed all 25 lessons. Nope. Didn't even get close. Ugh. Damn. Argghhh. #@!%$&*

                          Yep. That has been ME over the last few months. Yet I didn't do as much about it as I COULD and SHOULD have. I coasted, listening to my lessons for five to ten minutes a day and not getting enough time in. Sure, I learned some new words that have stayed in my brain. But progress: not a chance. I know my sub-conscious will have remembered some of it and that is fine. but I NEED to get working at this and set aside all other hobbies, passions and distractions. This includes all other twelve books I wanted to read this summer. A change of direction is needed for this student and now.

                                                                                       First up: get rid of the disappointment.
 Water under the bridge. it has disappeared and cannot really do much damage any longer, so why hold on to it. That's where I shall start.



      Therefore, I now will start a new schedule for Welsh studies. It will entail an hour a day of study. Minimum. My phone will now have alarms going off when I'm supposed to hit the books, audio lessons or YouTube video study.  First of all, I shall go back to the first lessons and listen to them ALL this week, getting my brain and ears wrapped around the sounds and words again. My hopes are that after this week of back pedaling, I will be up to where I left off by Saturday. It is going to be tough but I shall do my best and succeed.

As I type this, I'm surrounded by books about Welsh, in Welsh and defining Cymraeg words. There is no shortage of books available to me and I'm blessed to have such an expansive library, acquired over the last year.

 Now that I have made a public statement AGAIN as to my studies, I shall begin anew. As the year is not over and quite a bit remains, I still have time to get through course 1 by the end of the year!!! I will no matter what!!! That does not mean I will remember EVERY word from the course nor be the best at my grammar, but that I will have a C average minimum when I end my studies on 31 December. Over the next five months I will be immersing myself again and posting may Welsh related topics and even some Cymraeg language. Bear with me as I do so. I'm sure many will not want to constantly read about Welsh as it is not interesting to them. Totally understandable. And not every blog post will be about this topic. I promise.

                                                             And now...off I go to set alarms!