Always late to the dance.

                                                 My life has been blessed. I have made it to the age of forty seven with little in the way of major problems and my health is the best it has been for years. There are some age related problems that I deal with but all in all, I'm very happy. It never used to be that way. I was a baby born into the change filled days of the mid sixties and remember many of the events from those heady times. Yet, even as I took in all of the happenings around me in southern California and then in other parts of the country, rarely did I ever get to take part in them. I'm not talking about war protests or Woodstock nor free love,etc. I was certainly too young for that even though I remember them quite well. What I'm referring to are the many parts of society I was forbidden to be part of. I was raised from age 6 on as a Jehovah's Witness. And in this very religious organization, I was kept from participating in, listening to and viewing, most forms of entertainment that were available then.

                                                 What did I miss? Wow, where do I start. Other than the usual things JW's were and are still not supposed to do (with no real Biblical reasoning) are holidays, birthdays, school dances and functions such as parties, after school sports and many others. So therefore I didn't get to participate in a LOT of things while growing up. And what about the world around me? This is what I missed...

 Concerts. Especially anything with rock, heavy metal or blues music being played. Not a chance one should be seen at a concert and it had better be classical if there is one. Ok, classical was not all we were allowed to go to. but there would always be SOMETHING wrong with anything in order to keep any of us from attending.
At least if it was due to the cost, I would have understood better.

 Rock music: no way. I lived through a few decades of the best rock guitar music ever played and recorded. I missed out on Hendrix as he left us way too early in death. But oh how I would have loved to go to a concert of his!

Same goes for Led Zeppelin. They were at their height when I was really getting into rock music. I had a few chances I COULD have gone to a concert but admit I was still a bit younger. This rock group along with most others were on the NO list of mine for verboten music. I had to sneak in what I could from the radio and listen that way. Fortunately my parents were not super strict so I did have a bit of leeway there. Some of the groups on the photo there are ones I got away with.

Wow, after looking at that photo of all those groups, I realized how many of them really sucked. :-)

But, even though they sucked, I wanted to be there to listen to them as this was THE music I was attracted to. In addition to classical music, which I still adore. But I had my "tough" side I wanted to show as was rather limited in the way I could show off. What was one way a kid of 12 or 13 could do so and possibly make a future for himself? Guitar lessons! My mother had been taking them for years from various teachers, usually playing folk and pop numbers on her acoustics. Me, hell, I would have none of that nonsense. Rock guitar was where it was all at and my favourite then in 1978 was Eddie Van Halen. Truly, if I had been a "normal" kid growing up in the late 60's and on, my guitar gods would have certainly been Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Carlos Santana and a host of others. Not Van Halen. Don't get me wrong. He is a great guitarist and I love him to death as an artist. But I wanted more blues based music and Hendrix and Page were mine. Yet, I could not listen to them. So, Van Halen it was. And I proceeded to start guitar lessons. I wanted to play NOW. Not two years from now. Yeah, that does not work as expected. I was simply not good at guitar. And I had way too many other interests at that age.
No wait...I was not only bad at the guitar...I was horrid!  So that didn't last long.

Another area we couldn't partake of, was movies. No, not ALL movies. But anything R rated for sure, no way. Even if your parents were there to watch you and get you in. THEY were not supposed to be there either. Yep, adults couldn't watch them .  I missed so many films from those days that I finally sneaked away to rent or see if possible.

Films like Slapshot and others that were not ok to watch but approved for live and in person sporting events. Oh, only as a spectator though. never a participant.. Ugh










Well....like the title says above for the blog post: Always late to the dance. I have felt that through a very large part of my life. I was always the LAST to hear about something, get to see it, do it, enjoy it, etc, etc.Then what happens? Bang, I wake up and all of those things that I had previously been forbidden to do I CAN do. Sure, many of them are way past their time. Always a decade or two late it seems. I didn't get to do most of these things till after 2008, when I left that religious group and became enlightened. My eyes opened to the past. Of course, I was also looking towards the future and most especially, the present. But wow, what did I miss in my years growing up? So much I cannot begin to scratch the surface. After leaving, I started to visit those things. The bands, the music, the films, arts, literature, sports and so much more!!! It was like a rush of blood to the extremities when you are cold and walk into a warm place. That "ahhhh" moment that we all enjoy when life and pleasure flash up to knock us on our asses and say " Here I am you moron! Where have you been?" Yep. I had that moment many times in that delightful year and enjoy such moments every day now.  Life is all there for the taking. Look at what has happened since I was born into this America I love. I'm blessed to be able to live now and even more fully after leaving. I don't feel hatred nor discontent at the past and what I was raised in. I did learn a lot and was well educated enough to, at least, type a blog post up and take care of myself. But eyes wide open, I believe these things:

            
                                              My life is now being lived in the moment. Where everything around me is an incredible experience and some major exploring still needs to be done. I CAN try playing the guitar again if I want to. Listen to what I want and not be told "no". I can go to concerts, watch films and participate in any sport I want. I chose running. Yeah, they probably would have forbid races as too competitive. Ugh again. So the last six years have been a true delight as I explore what I missed.
I might be late to the dance but at least there is some time left in the evening of my life. I hope to live my last half to the best of my ability and to enjoy it all!!!!




                                   

Does a family tree really matter??

                                                   Does knowing your family tree really matter that much? Some I know think it not worth the bother nor all the headache and research that goes into digging up the past family members and what they did or didn't do. As it does not affect me now, why should I? Simply put, I could never understand that thought process. Of course your familial means something! So much about US, about we ourselves can be understood better with some digging into our past. And I started to delve into mine more than a decade ago, when I purchased Family Tree Helper on CD-rom.
Much has changed since then with the Internet and research material becoming so much more readily available. Ancestry.com has been a HUGE help as has Family Search. This, along with the cousins I found online, has increased my family tree by 500 %. Corroboration with European sources has made this fact, not just conjecture.

                                                          These two sites online are a mine and treasure trove of information!!! Family Search does not charge for their services, making it a great resource for us folks with little cash. Ancestry.com is a better resource in many ways and can be accessed free although they can be quirky and delete your info if you don't pay them after a certain length of time. i found this out the hard way. Fortunately, I printed most of my family tree before this and before losing some info during a computer re-build. So, I have some work ahead of me in adding these ancestors to my family tree again. Still, I get reacquainted with those long lost grandparents,uncles and cousins from the Celtic lands in Europe. THAT is worth all the effort one puts into researching!


                                  My family was primarily European. Mother's side from Switzerland and Germany as well as England and father's side from The Celtic lands of England,Wales and Scotland. They moved very little in the 15th to 17th centuries but started to after that, especially during the Highland clearances and when Scotland and Wales were added to be part of the United Kingdom.Some of my family came over from the continent in the early 1720's and were here before the Revolution and Independence. That side came from Germanic and Swiss lands. The Gebhardt family were my kin from then and built up generations here in America, fighting in the Revolutionary and Civil wars here.


                                                      The other side of the family came exclusively from the Isles. I have no history farther back than 1525, with my ancestors living in Wales, Scotland and England. My great uncles are buried in Scotland, near Glasgow and others around the midlands of England and Wales for the most part. None were real city dwellers and most were poorer stock who worked as tradesmen and women. The last of my ancestors came over in the late 19th century with the others in the huge immigrant flood. As far as I see, none came through Ellis Island, arriving before those years. Some landed in Philadelphia and others in New England and New York. They spread out to Pennsylvania, Ohio and then West.  A lot of us ended up in California in the early 20th century and then filtered out from there. So yes, I'm 100 % American by birth, but love my family history and all it entails. Especially my very Scottish name,Ross, and that of my father, and grandfathers before me!!!  I love that Scottish heritage so much I just HAD to look into kilts and more of my family history!!! So I have been wearing those for the last few years and love it.  And I have a full right to with my heritage and family history. Some would say I do not unless a full blood Scotsman and living there. Nonsense. i shall wear it where and when I want.

 Sure, I still get the occasional "Nice skirt" or "I love the dress" comment from the ignorant public. But I don't let it get to me too much. If I can yell back "It's a KILT" then I will have at least done my part in correcting them. Perhaps they will go home and research it a little. Doubtful but, oh well. :-)

Another great thing about family history is medical knowledge and what we might have down the line as far as genetics goes.
Our family is not a very long lived one, usually making it till the upper 70's. but then again, as that is the average, all is well.
What I REALLY enjoy about the research is the distant cousins I have met through this. Some cousins on the east coast and Midwest have provided valuable information regarding the family and I have mined it well.


                                                              During the last few years I have inked myself with a few tattoos as regard my heritage and they have been all about celebration of that. Today, I added one that trumps them all in my opinion. This tattoo shows not only the Scottish Ross clan crest and motto, but flags of all the countries my family has hailed from since 1525. This design was partially general knowledge, partially mine and the rest of the best part from my artist, Doug Auld. he has been the only tattoo artist to ink me. Ever. And he is the only one i would ever trust to do this special piece anyway. It is on my right front calf, where any can see it when running or in a kilt. So, here is what was inked today, at The Parlous St Johns in Portland,Oregon:

Yes, this is a great piece of work and I'm so proud to wear it. For the rest of my life.













So, if you haven't researched your family tree....give it a shot and see what you come up with. Could be great fun. One never knows what they will find in the records.







Now, off to do some research and add more names to the family roll books!!!!  Thanks for letting me share all of this!!!

Pain free?

                                         
                                        As June now moves into July, the real meat of summer will arrive.
Hot,sticky and simply miserable weather for this soul. Yet, I will make it as always and struggle through the oppressiveness of the season. A bit weary and tired when September arrives for sure.
But you don't need to read my whining words about the heat. Right?

                                              On the health front, I have "discovered" some wonderful things in my fight against the nastiness of psoriatic arthritis and sciatica.Although both are still ever present in my body and continue their march towards making life uncomfortable, new and enlightening supplements have proved to be powerful in reducing the occurrences of this duo. One of my sweethearts told me about the addition of Tumeric to my diet as a possible helper in this daily struggle as well as the continued use of extra vitamins and additives.


 I started this small bottle about a month and a half ago and while only taking a single pill daily (as opposed to the three daily they suggest), I have noticed a decrease in pain.  Is it really helping, I simply do not know. Could be the weather change in addition too. Could be a few factors. But as this is an inexpensive additive, I will stick with it. It certainly didn't stop the problems nor lessen the pain when they occur but it DID seem to slow them down in frequency.
That to me is enough of a reason. I have always LOVED curry and this plant is the basic part of the delicious Indian spice/herb and is also a great anti-inflammatory . This link sheds a little light on it:

http://www.arthritistoday.org/arthritis-treatment/natural-and-alternative-treatments/supplements-and-herbs/supplement-guide/turmeric.php

I'm willing to try most anything that is not man-made and caustic in order to deal with this. Natural methods and supplements are just fine with me. The earth gives us such a bounty and I shall use what I can from her before what a Dr gives me that has been produced in a lab. Which brings me to the pain management issue.



                                          Since the early days of my arthritis and other issues, I have always been one to take the nasty man made nonsense the Dr prescribes. Few work well for me and the ones that DO seem to have side effects that make the intended results less than stellar.

 As mentioned above, natural is best if possible. Aspirin has always been a good one for me but does not act as fast as it could and ,of course, one cannot take too many due to bleeding potentials in the stomach. Having dealt with ulcers as a teen and in my 20's, I know full well what that is like and don't need it again.Vicodin and other man made pain killers are simply horrible on the liver and other organs. While there might be some natural elements in them, they are still toxic IMHO. My Dr, pharmacist and many others I know and love from the medical field all agree. Yes, it is the best we have in some ways and i understand and respect that. But, plenty of cultures and peoples have used natural and effective ways of dealing with pain for thousands of years. We have them still and so why not use what we can!!!


                                    

There are so many ways! From chakras to acupuncture as well as herbs and plant based methods. The list goes on and on and I'm studying more about these as I age and begin to feel the effects of it.


As a Washingtonian, I voted for the use of THC and cannabis, not as a recreational drug, but for it's pain management options for sufferers of so many a malady. It truly is a miracle for human kind and needs to really be researched a lot more.

                                             
                                                          There are still many people who feel that marijuana is a drug and used as a means to get high only. That a generation of "potheads" and low lifes have been the recipients and users  of this natural plant . That there is NO medicinal value in it and therefore it should be banned no matter what. Yet, in the same breath, it is perfectly OK to use opiate based meds to alleviate pain. Fine, I can see why they want that as a white pill does not have the stigma attached to smoking a joint. Well plenty of folks know full well that prescription abuse is rampant and that those opiates are overused more than ever before. And THC does NOT have to be smoked...thankfully. So, after consulting with my doctors, both of them, about the use of THC in my own pain management, I decided to try a consumable version of this in hopes it would take care of the chronic pain. I do NOT want this THC for any reason other than pain. I have never smoked, will not smoke or vape this plant....EVER. Yet here is an option that truly IS amazing in it's effects on inflammation and pain.

            http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/cannabis/healthprofessional/page4

                                                       Did it work?? Oh my did it ever!!!! One small dose of THC delivered pain stopping accuracy without any other effects to me. And THAT is what it is used for. Not for getting high, loopy or running away from life. Just PAIN and inflammation. And it does indeed work. Now that this is a legal and viable means of pain management in this state, I can use it when needed for this. No, I'm not a pothead nor will ever be. I run, take care of myself and am a healthy individual for the most part. But pain is still there. Fortunately, this does not happen as often as it once did as I have been able to use other means in reducing the effects.

                    So there you have it. While medications and other forms of relief are there for the taking, one of the best ways to combat pain can also be attitude.

                                                 

                                                                   Oh for sure, pain is a very real thing and NOT in our heads as some folks seem to think. I actually have had some people say that my arthritis and sciatica are in my head and that it is all imaginary. Yes, there are still folks like that out there. But as I travel this path of life and open my mind and eyes to alternative methods of doing things, a new world appears. It makes the journey that much better and the outlook very bright!!!! I'm not constrained and forced into a traditional and conservative, narrow minded way of thinking that once held me in it's grips.


                                Life is simply fabulous right now for me and my family!!!! At the age of forty seven years old, I have never been happier. Even WITH the pain issues and problems the body gives me. We all want to be happy, right?? For me, this is where I want to be. Well....minus the heat of the summer. I can do without that and look forward to autumn and it's colours and cool down.

Vancouver USA Marathon and Half Weekend!

                                    My running year consists of so much activity I never know where to start . While I still make my weekly mile totals from January to March, the actual racing season starts for me in that month with the Ft Vancouver 15K and then proceeds from there. It culminates in the Vancouver Marathon, or the Half for myself, each June Father's Day weekend. This is a major highlight of my running year and what really begins my summer. So, that being noted, Friday night of this last weekend started it off with a pre-race carb loading dinner with my running family. We met at a fun Italian restaurant in downtown Vancouver called Little Italy. Some great food, wine and even better, social time with our running peeps!!

Bart Yasso, runner extraordinaire, VUM emcee and all around great guy, was supposed to make it for dinner but couldn't due to airport arrival times. So we went it alone and had a great time!!





Below are a few photos from that dinner. Thanks to Rolf and Elba for the shots!!!

                       The next morning, Saturday, was the Freedom 5K and Kid's Race. I was not able to attend these  due to scheduling conflicts but it looks like all went very well and that the weather and race were perfect!!  This time of year is really always a risky one as June can be gloriously beautiful and in the 70°'s or raining like crazy.


                         Sunday, the day arrived for the fourth annual Vancouver Marathon and Half. Up at 5am and ready to head out the door and get a parking spot early, as they fill up fast. This beautiful course winds through a large cross section of Vancouver and past historic buildings and the Columbia River, ending in Esther Short Park downtown.


 We met up with our friend Jules and headed to Starbucks for a shot of caffeine and some chat. Just enough time to catch an interview with the CVTV camera man and get to the start for the full marathon.





                          The half marathon start was at 9 AM and so that gave us some time to shoot a few pics and meet up with running pals. Also, to scout the park and see what was new for this years event.
A friend was gracious enough to shoot a photo of Ann and myself at the clock tower as we awaited the start. I decided on a Sport Kilt this year and found it to be very comfortable. What would it be like after 13.1 miles of running?  I would find out very soon.

 Then we entered the corral for the start of this delightful race! I always get giddy and so excited when racing and go out super fast, tiring myself out by mile five or six. But I have been slowly getting better at NOT doing this and was determined to slow it down to 8:30 or 9:00 per mile paces. When my Garmin battery died before the race, I had no choice but to go it without that information, the first race I have done like this.


 Before you know it, we were off and running. I maintained my pace internally and am usually pretty good at knowing where I am at with that. As I ran past the court house, another running friend who couldn't make it this year due to work, shot this photo, Thanks Charlie and also to Laura for her mile 12 photo!!!!

Running in the kilt was fun and I appreciated most of the comments from the fans and fellow runners. Only two sideline supporters yelled out "I like the skirt", only to have myself and another runner next to me retort "It is a KILT! ". Surprising in this day that more don't know what a kilt is or the difference. Oh well. Maybe they know now. :-)





After mile six, I we all had the hill ahead on Evergreen and 5th to look forward to. This is not a horrible hill and the incline is lower but the distance is longer at close to a mile. The weather was holding out very nicely at around 60° and perfect. Then the downhill stride to the Columbia River and back towards downtown Vancouver. I started to feel my joints ache at mile eight and that is when I slowed down even more. By mile nine, the hips and knees were screaming at me, although not so much I had to walk. I kept what I thought was a 9:15 or so pace at mile twelve, the location Laura shot the pic above with me in the yellow circle. Thanks to her and Richard for the support there as well as the great photos!

Then on to the final mile, over the land bridge and past Fort Vancouver. This last mile has a rather steep hill that lasts a few long blocks but is a bit trying after a long race. The home stretch is always great fun when the crowds really cheer runners on. As I raced down the last hundred yards I did hear a lot of the word "kilt" and was happy for that. Showing that Scottish Pride I have for my ancestry is something I really enjoy when wearing my kilt!!!! As I passed the mats at the finish, I forgot to see what my time was and didn't find out till six hours later. An average 9:15/ mile pace. Not too bad as I was not intending on running this race fast nor competitive.

Energy Events and the staff who put on this race are to be commended over and over for the success it has in the last four years. Brian and his team have really made this event a special one for so many and it just keeps getting better!!!! Now to look forward to next years race and all of the other races in between!! 

After the finish, it was a trek to the car for the Nikon and some pics to be taken. The following are some of the photos of my running family. What joy and pride I have for this circle of family and friends!!!
  

                               

    So ends my first half of the 2014 racing season. And what a great way to do so!!!! This does not mean I'm ceasing running at all, but that I will not have another race till the North County Wine Half marathon in September. As most know, I do not like to run in the heat of the summer and try to get morning or late evening running in, usually 20-30 miles a week if I can manage it. I take my summers off in a way for writing, photography and hope to get back to Welsh and flute playing. One thing I look forward to though, is taking more photos at running events for my running family. I might not be running in those events but I just might be there taking photos.

                 Many thanks to all my running friends and family for a wonderful first half of 2014!!!!

Photographic Evolution.

                                                     In the early 1980's, I was a devotee of the photographic arts. In high school my primary focus (yeah, I know...horrible pun) was photography and in learning all I could about it. For four years I progressed from a simple pinhole camera made from black art paper and some Kodak matte photo paper in the back, to a Pentax K1000 35mm camera, which was an expensive piece of equipment for my poor parents.

  These older cameras didn't need the battery power the new digital models do. Great cameras and fun to shoot with. As I could develop my own film and use enlargers to make black and white as well as colour prints, I was on my way.
I later upgraded to a Pentax P3..

And then to a Minolta X370 and then X570

I loved shooting with these models and knew eventually I would upgrade to my favourite brand, Nikon. That would be in the form of the N70 and also a back up body of the FG, the one below these words. I still own this camera as well as the upgrade to the Nikon N70, the N80.

Both had their time with me and in my own freelance years as a photographer. I owned a business named Infinity Images and I shot architectural and business photos. Nope, never made much money but had a lot of fun. Did weddings too.




Then digital became the new format. I was resistant to this change and held out for a few years but KNEW it was the future in photography. So I saved the dollars and bought a Nikon D50.

 

This I bought in 2006 for a higher price of $650 and it was a HUGE 6.1 megapixel CCD.

Of course, we have  moved way ahead of that and now the digital cameras are amazing in all details.

Now the 36 MP + range has been reached and the details are as good as film was. yep, I had to accept that film was dead. And that the means to print and transport photos over the Internet and on CD roms,etc had now become the industry standard. I decided to leave the business and concentrate on other pursuits. I did NOT , however, stop using my D50. Up until yesterday, I estimate that I have run 200,000 photos through that camera. It certainly had been worth the investment in 2006.

But, the D50 was getting old. It needed a major cleaning, better glass for the lenses and to be upgraded. So, yesterday i decided it was time for a new model to step up if I wanted to be more competitive with others in the future for stock pics and for shooting photos of my running pals at races and events. Here she is...voila!! The Nikon D3200.

 This beauty of a body has 24.2 MP and a host of other features the D50 never had. I also have new glass that makes my older lenses seem like kids toys. I'm back in the game again!!

Wonder if i should dig up my press passes from the past and get them re-laminated?? Nah, not a chance. But I admit that this new lease on my love of photography is making me really look at more nature photos as well as using this beauty as much as possible. Watch out world, James is back in the game of shooting photos!!!!

Running older....and wiser??

                                          Over the last six years I have been very blessed with decent health and the ability to run when I want and get out there to races and events. Last year in 2013 I started to notice signs of slowing down. Not just speed but in most aspects.

                                                                           Age? Possibly.

So as many who read this blog know, I went to the doctor and have had a battery of tests completed.
Found out I have psoriatic arthritis with cartilage degeneration in my joints as well as sciatica that simply cripples me sometimes. Yeah, yeah...everyone knows as I whine a lot about it. I'm trying not to do that as much any longer. But it is still there and I fall into the trap now and then. And if someone asks about it, I won't lie and play it down. It hurts. It is painful and it affects my daily life now with not much to cure things other than a regiment of vitamins, better eating and less activity.
This does not sit well with me. I should be able to do more at this age.


This graph below shows how children are affected by psoriatic arthritis. Not as many as the others and this is what I have lived with for most of my life now.

This has followed me to adulthood and beyond.
Now, as I approach the half century mark in a few years, it is making itself known every day.
The Rum Run on Sunday spoke loudly to me about the progression of this on my body and now what I must do in order to combat it, other than the taking of extra vitamins,etc.

     SLOW DOWN!!!!!


Seriously. I have been running way too fast as of late. Sure, I was able to run faster a few years ago and can still maintain a 7:00/mile pace on a 10K and even half if I really wanted to. But the resulting week and longer of joint and sciatic pain are simply not worth it. OK, I'm stubborn. I run faster than I should and pay for it. Sunday taught me a LOT about my body and that it is getting older. it is breaking down. No, I'm not decrepit and on the verge of being hobbled. No, I'm NOT giving up running. But I will admit that I just will have to slow down and not run as fast. Not as far. Perhaps, not even as often, if it is going to do this to my joints. It is not an easy pill to swallow. Especially when I see others older than myself running not only faster speeds, but full marathons AT those speeds. It makes me sad that at age 47 I cannot compete any longer without being in pain.


                                                     Slogans like this really irritate me....

                     Really? Seriously??  What do I gain by running in pain? Another medal that hangs on my wall for my age group? I only have a few and treasure them but they just hang there. What do I gain by running 26.2  or 13.1 miles and then becoming incapacitated for weeks afterwards? Nothing. I have to go to work like others and hence one more reason I cannot and will not run full marathons any more

This is not a put down to anyone running them nor to those running in pain to accomplish said races. I respect and admire those who can do such things. I just no longer see myself running such distance or speeds. Therefore, the rest of this year is devoted to running  

                                            SLOWER. 
                                                                    Yes, slower.

  Am I a weakling due to slowing down? Some may think so. I know some who might say I'm not training enough, or I'm not mentally up to the challenge. That I need to see this therapist or that trainer. (actually, I HAVE seen therapists and doctors a plenty). Or the kicker...that I'm not really a runner unless I do X amount of miles or sessions a week. (Yes, there are a few who think that, unfortunately) Well....in the past I would have used a few choice words with that but it does not good and that is the old James. I'm different now. So they can think what they like.



The last two races I'm signed up for are half marathons. Sure, I'll be running them. But NOT at higher speeds. I'm going to enjoy them at a pace that will allow me to function afterwards and to be a human being without pain. 

                    It truly is necessary for me do so and to focus on the enjoyment of the running, the health benefits of it as well as the wonderful social interaction I receive when getting together with my friends and family for such events. THIS is one aspect I shall cherish and treasure: the social parts.

From now on I will try my best to run slower and to keep these joints and body parts from hurting so much. 

         To enjoy the run, the afterglow of the run and the fellowship I have with my running family.
         To enjoy the healthy aspects of running and what it brings me in the way of endorphins,etc.
         To use running as a meditation and mini vacation from the world to look at my inner self.


Getting older is not always a bad thing. Some folks make it seem like that though and I refuse to be one of those. But, I'm also a realist in many ways and that keeps me grounded mentally and physically. The pain is real, not imaginary. I won't take man made meds for it unless the pain is so intense I cannot function. And that does happen sometimes. I try to focus on the POSITIVE aspects
of everything I can and to make it work for ME. 

As for my running friends and family....go out and do what you can and enjoy it!!!!! I love how all of my running peeps are progressing so well in their racing and training. it makes me smile to see them doing well and enjoying the life that is running. May they prosper even more as time goes on. :-)


                                                             As I age, I enjoy life more and more. Every day is a blessing for me and I cherish the time I have had and that in front of me. Hopefully many more years of running as well as pain free days.This is a quote I have always found appropriate...