Koyaanisqatsi

This word is Hopi for "Unbalanced Life".


It can mean you have too much of any one thing in your life. Too much work, too much stress, too much exercise, too much alcohol. It especially can mean too much mental processing on one topic or another (money for example). Paradoxically, sometimes we need to unplug to re-charge.

Right now for me "Balance" has meant more down time, not so much 'body in motion', but more importantly, dropping the sense of urgency to do do do go go go.

So I have had a few weeks off of running and traveling. Just running when I feel like it, and not having to travel too much for work has certainly helped too.

Next week I leave for San Fransisco, and some deep woods walking in the John Muir woods, and the Point Reyes National Sea Shore.

Will I RUN? Maybe.

More importantly, this trip is about being there. Seeing the giant redwoods, and the pacific ocean. I really am enjoying the calmness right now, and I'd like to keep that sense on this trip.

How much balance do you have in your life?

Subjective Experience

A car accident happens. In an instant, less than a second, events start to unfold: Metal is twisted, glass is shattered, brakes are engaged and tires are skidding and squealing.

Everything finally comes to rest. Cell phones call 911.

The police arrive. Witnesses are called upon. The people involved with the accident are always questioned, but their testimony is often tainted, subjective, emotional. In fact, even the so-called 'objective' witnesses many times see the situation from a different angles, and with different cognition.

Everyone experienced something in those moments, sometimes traumatic, sometimes life-changing.

Authorities can many times re-create the facts, based on the final positions and conditions of the cars, but without that how often do we ever get to the truth of what really happened?


How many of our life experiences (both those we witness as external events, and more importantly those that are products of our perceptions and emotions) are colored by both our cognitive and emotional biases and our lack of understanding of the physical world?


Memories. As time goes on, memories of an event change. In fact, as we recall a memory, we are not even recalling the original event. We are recalling the last memory we had of the event. A memory of a memory of a memory.

What does time and replaying do to that?

The Big Three Questions

At the bottom of it all, I have three BIG questions.

1) Why are we here?

2) Who is God?

3) What am I having for Lunch?

The first two are easy to understand, and seemingly universal. The third is a joke of course, but if you think about it, humour has bits and pieces of truth layered in its DNA.

GK Chesterton once said:

"all the jokes about men sitting down on their hats are really theological jokes; they are concerned with the Dual Nature of Man. They refer to the primary paradox that man is superior to all things around him and yet is at their mercy".

So often I find that the AHA! lies in the HAHA!

Crap I Find

The one thing I can say for religion is most of the time, it seems to lack a sense of humor. So for today, lets lighten up a little bit.

I would give credit to the original author, but as far as I know its unknown.

Heart and Mind

One of the loneliest things to be is without a peer group. Without support, without understanding, without friendship.

One of the issues I face with this blog, and some of its contents is that much of it at times feels like, well, verbal masturbation. It has no rebuttal, it has no dialog, it has no support. Recently, I found an on-line group where many share my thoughts, feelings, questions, etc. There, I hope to continue not only my own self-education in critical secular thinking, but with a gentler approach to those who still follow a theistic view. I want to understand, I want to approach it with an open mind and heart, in safe discussion with those who do think differently than I. If the result is a changing of some of their views, or a better understanding of mine, so much the better.

The Group is called "Project Reason" and I believe it was started by Sam Harris. I started with Sam Harris' blog, and I have Brothergrub to thank for that.

I trust that my running friends and family weren't not offended by whatever I have written. It certainly was never my intention. I know that asserting anything against someone's deeply held beliefs is no way to get them to see things differently; all I have to do is consider how I feel when a fundamentalist approaches me with fire and brim stone. This kind of attack is met with resistance and much opposition. Might is met with might, fire with fire. It has a galvanizing affect on both parties. Please, lets not have oppression in any form, from either you, or I.

Our hearts and minds are built for each other, and without each other, we are nothing. Lastly today, I leave you with a quote from Bart Ehrman, writing in the Humanist. It succinctly makes my heart yearn for such a world:

....When someone leaves the womb of the church, they need to have somewhere else to go. They need warm, loving, welcoming, safe communities of like-minded people where they can establish social networks and find fellowship with people who share their world views, their loves, hates, concerns, passions, and obsessions. They need context within which they can discuss the big issues of life, not just politics but also life-and-death issues. They need places where they can celebrate what is good in life and where they can work to overcome what is bad.

New 2012 Plans

Jan 14 : 5 day CC ski trip, Ski race in Iron Mtn MI

Feb 4: John Dick 50K

Feb 5: Backpack trip to Superstition Wilderness, AZ
Feb 25: Birkebiener 50K Classic Ski Race, Hayward WI

Mar 31: Clinton Lake 50K

Apr 28: Chippewa Moraine 50K

Apr 29: Sedona and Grand Canyon Hiking Trip

May 12: Ice Age 50 Mile

June 2: Kettle. Not sure what yet, 100 Mile or K? Or just pace?

June 16: PIE Ride 100K or 100 Mile

July 6: Kickapoo kayak trip

July 14: Dances With Dirt 50 Mile

July 23: 7 day Backpack trip to Superior Trail

August 18: Marquette (MI) 50K

Sept: Superior Trail races? Date?

Oct 14: Glacial 50K -OR- Wild Duluth 100K

Nov 3: Ozark 100 (tentative)

Dec 1: Pine Mountain 40 (tentative)

Fueling The Machine

As Athletes, how often do we think about our recovery?

Does pH give a good indication of our recovery process? (A pH of 7.0 is considered Neutral, but a body pH of 7.5 is more in line with optimal health and performance). I think it might be a good measurement (my recent pH measurement was a dismal 6 -6.5. A good indicator of a system under stress?).

What am I willing to give up or change for better recovery? Coffee, alcohol, meat products, dairy products are all acidifers. So are many simple sugars we consume during our events or long training runs.

Are there replacements for these simple sugar intakes? Or if not, are there things we can do post-recovery to speed the process and re-balance our system so it can heal and recover?

After my recent experiences with sub-optimal performance (and health), I am much more interested in how diet can affect my performance.

Training I understand. Diet? Recovery? Not so much. For the past six months of so, I have broken the circle of TRAIN > STRESS > REST> RECOVER > REPEAT. Too much 'train' and too much 'stress' without recovery leads to breakdown; along with too much of the wrong things going into my machine. Garbage in > Garbage Out.

Right now, All I have are questions, but for now I am going on a coffee hiatus (OK, 5 out 7 days), alcohol hiatus, red meat hiatus, and I am looking for a good pinole recipe.