Yesterday a friend lost her father to cancer, my sympathies for her loss were touched by feelings I experienced when my own Dad passed after a long illness. Even though the event was anticipated, I don’t think you can fully prepare yourself for the emotions you experience when it finally happens. I hope the initial sense of loss is soon replaced by memories of happier times they shared together.

There is a TV commercial that seems to be on most mornings that ends with the line;

..life is too precious not to protect.

The context is of course in reference to protecting those left behind rather than the life in question, but each day the media pushes an article on studies linking diet and exercise to longevity. Moderate alcohol consumption is suggested to lower the risk of heart disease and strokes, even if you’re a couch potato! Ninety minutes gentle walking each week is supposed to have a similar effect. I wonder if the benefits are exponential for people who walk to a bar to consume their medicinal tipple!

To many, running may seem an extreme way to a healthier life, a perception that must increase as mileage distances get longer. For people who take up running, what often starts as an incentive to enhance physical health, at some point changes to a more holistic experience that encompasses the spirit as well as the body. Is this heavy stuff, or the rantings of a lunatic (or both)?

For me, being able to experience wild open spaces exposed to the elements, sights and sounds that surround me completely overshadows the grind of early morning training runs (and the odd glass of wine!). The weather forecast at breakfast time predicted strong winds and rain by the middle of the day, what more incentive do you need to plan a lunchtime run along a beach?

There is no such thing as bad weather; just inappropriate clothing!

Yesterday I was invited out to lunch.

Nothing too exciting about that you might think, but this invitation had a little more meaning. While driving home from running last Saturday my friend Master Po called, “Was I available for lunch on Monday?”, “Sure” I said, not too clear why he asked as I knew he was due to be heading to Europe on business that day. “The Peanut wants to ask you a question”, he continued. Peanut is the running name for Master Po’s son. He is actually the younger of 2 sons (the other being The Puppy) who have both developed an enjoyment of running. Master Po is an accomplished runner, who maybe not as quick as he used to be (his marathon PR was around 2:45), but despite a few extra pounds and an arthritic knee, still runs and guides many others with his ‘cunning’ marathon training plans. Peanut, despite being in his early teens, regularly runs with us at weekends and being ‘a chip off the old block’ is happiest when the stream crossings are deep and the mud is thick. His lunch invitation was a school function where pupils invite someone who they see has inspired and motivated them. It was an honor to have been invited and it was fun to spend time chatting with Peanut in a different environment (and not be out of breath!).

Thank you, Peanut.

Nearly all 100 mile ultra races have an entry requirements. Besides evidence of the runner’s ability and experience to run such an event, they often require entrants to have volunteered at an ultra event or completed 8 hours or more trail maintenance work. Initially, I thought this was an imposition but after doing both, I’ve changed my opinion of this stipulation.

Two years ago I assisted with time keeping duties at a 50k road race on Long Island, the course was a short loop that had to be completed 11 times. Each timer was given 8 runners to monitor and record their splits, and my last runner finished in around 7:45 hours. I remember it being a bitterly cold windy day and we sat in a tent with a clear plastic panel that allowed a view of the runners but also provided some protection from the elements. Despite regular supplies of warm drinks, it was still a long cold experience, but without the support of helpers, that event couldn’t have taken place and it was an eye opener to see just how many people gave their time to help out.

Over the years I’ve competed in many races and you realize just how big an impact good organization has to make an event memorable for the competitors. The shoreline of Connecticut has few competitive trail races so last year I decided to try and direct my own. Out of that ambition, the Bimbler’s Bash was formed. The race supports the work of the Guilford Land Conservation Trust which acquires and protects open spaces in and around Guilford, CT. The area of land where the Bash takes place is called Westwoods, so through the race I became involved with the group that helps maintain these woods and most Sunday mornings a small working party will spend a couple of hours clearing trails, repairing footbridges or steps. The other volunteers are not runners but their enthusiasm for the environment has spilled over into the Bash. As evidence of their commitment, a few hours before last years race some of them were out removing a fallen tree that had blown down a day or so before. Some of them have even expressed an interest to run the Bash, while running friends have asked how they can get involved in maintenance projects. As a race director, I now have first hand experience (and appreciation) for how much races and the open spaces they take place in depend on voluntary support.

This morning our Sunday run followed the Bash course and afterwards I joined volunteers of the Westwoods Committee to cut and clear dead hemlocks that may be at risk of falling onto the trails. I’ve been dog sitting this weekend, so Ellie came too. We were out for over 4 hours, as I write this post, she is curled at my feet sleeping off a well earned late breakfast!

For a different perspective on today’s run, check out Shaggy and Scoobie’s blog (yes, that’s right Shaggy of tree hugger fame!). They are an amazing couple; Scoobie runs marathons and competes in triathlons, Shaggy is her number one fan, ‘manager’ and devoted husband. Last year he decided that as he couldn’t beat her, he’d join her and took up running.

Last night I watched the movie Spirit of the Marathon which followed six athletes as they trained and ran the Chicago Marathon. The runners were professional athletes such as Deena Kastor, and first timer marathoners. Each runner had very different objectives in their motivation to take on the event yet their pride at its completion had many similarities, even though Deena won the ladies race and the slowest finisher in the group took over five and a half hours. Last weekend the winner of the Frozen Otter Ultra Trek at Dundee, WI saw just one finisher. It is a 64 mile course that competitors run or hike within a 24 hour time limit. This year most of the field dropped out after 8 to 16 miles as  temperatures dropped to nearly 15 below zero. The winner was awarded a victory package that included energy drinks, gel flasks, Moosejaw adventure gear and a subscription to “Trail Runner” magazine. While Deena was probably paid handsomely for her win; a few days after the Frozen Otter, the winner was having 2 frost bitten toes removed!