What an incredible morning. Up before the sun, just dues to the great beyond the beyond and the dog and I went for a run.
I have never "gone for a run." When I think of running I think of sweaty, sinewy people wearing numbers. People with less body fat than a late-winter squirrel. I think short shorts with to-the-waist-line splits up the very short sides, silly sunglasses and gasping faces covered in splotch. Running, even more so than dancing is something we do for ourselves and not because we look good doing it.
When I was a child I had this book that my mom gave me that was chalked full of prompts to help me record and remember that time in my life; boxes for favorite activities, foods, friends, school stuff, yearbook picture, etc. When I was 8 my favorite things were macaroni and cheese and running. By the time I was a tween, you'd never have guessed. I wouldn't have guessed. In fact when I was seventeen and I looked through it for the first time in years I was shocked to read it. I still loved Mac'Cheese but running?
"I believe it's jogging or yogging. It might be a soft 'J'." - RB
I did some sprinting in Junior High Track, but I was mostly a field athlete, I loathed training with the Cross Country team twice a week; though I liked the trail-running, the pace was too intense for me. I played some football, I was on the Defensive Line. I hated running laps. I felt the same in PE.
I'm not opposed to activity, I'm just a little lazy and I don't like being pushed, punished or forced to run at a pace that isn't my own speed. I like hiking, and I rode my bike a lot during my high-school years. I like riding a bicycle and still do it regularly in three seasons. I'm not completely unfit - though I am pretty out of shape.
I'm a year free from a decade of smoking cigarettes. I'm at least ten pounds heavier than I want to be (for being 30, for having well used knees, for being comfortable in some of my favorite shirts). I've talked about trying to run regularly for about two years, and thought about it for five.
This past Thursday night I read an article about these friends who live in an NYC apartment and are working on a more natural lifestyle based on the entirety of human existence - not just the past 10,000 years of agriculture based society.
Ideas like fasting, followed by exercise followed by a meal focused on fresh/lightly cooked fruits and vegetables and meat. Focusing the majority of intake on fresh fruits and vegetables and some nuts. Is it healthy? it can't be worse for me than fast food and it feels really natural. Also, I find staying out of gyms and shedding the "Zoo human" persona the modern world so easily guides us towards really appealing. As a student of comparative religion, I find the primitive very appealing.
The concept is this: Human beings had certain skill and attribute sets that allowed us the prominence we so easily take for granted today. By taking this prominence for granted we are losing sight of an aspect of what makes us what we are and we're tending towards a water-softness that the fremen despise. Though our society is very intellectual in its pursuits, using a computer or a smart phone is far easier than inventing one and don't help you get away from zombies or apocalypses.
Basically, I feel like a societal slave without much freedom - and I know that I have more freedom than many, daresay even most I know. However, I also have numerous advantages over my ancient human ancestors thanks to the marvels of the modern world. Access to grocery stores, libraries and of course plenty of work to do. There was a time in my life when I spent my free hours running and playing, now I spend my free time with my head in a computer, my body otherwise at rest.
I've never been good at scheduling a work-out time. I understand the importance of routine but I also feel that routines are habits and habits are prisons and I am addicted to freedom. What if I can capitalize on this, what if I can work out AS a use of all my time, not just try to schedule it into my free hours...
So thursday night I read about this stuff. I read about Vibram Five Fingers (It sounds like a kung-fu style but they're actually just shoes). Friday afternoon I tried them on, Friday evening I came home with two pair, KSO TREK and Classic. Upside here is that I was also able to take care of an ulterior agenda, participation on the 3/50 project. I know I didn't do it quite right but its a start.
So this morning I took it easy and slow. I'm still getting over the last legs of what was a very slow brewing, low grade, sinus-focused, head-cold that is lingering longer than I'd like to admit. But, when I strapped on my new foot protection and snapped the collar on Lt. Uhura, I knew we were going for more than just a pooh-walk.
As we turned the Apartment complex corner the wind blew my light thermal hood off my head and I knew this was either going to be a very short, cold walk or we were going to have find a way to stay warm. Lt. Uhura and I have never really done any kind of organized running before. She walks like a champ but she's young and excitable. Once she found the right stride to keep up and not get ahead we settled right in - and then I ran out of breath.
So we walked until I got my breath back, and then we ran again. We made it to some trails back behind a frozen pond and we ran some more, back and forth along the western edge of Stricker's pond. I started thinking about breakfast. I started thinking about how if I were one of my ancient ancestors, I wouldn't be able to open my refrigerator and grab up some eggs and quickly cook them up. I started imagining a life where my dog and I were foraging for eggs in the brush. I hardly even realized I was sweating until we got inside. I'd be lying if I said I ran the whole time but I only walked until I caught my breath.
By the time I was cooking up breakfast, I figured we could have grabbed up some veggies too - a carrot, an onion and some lettuce. I utilized some of the awesomeness of my modern life and heated some olive oil on the stove along with the eggs. Gave the onion and the carrot to the oil to knock some flavor into the carrot and some onion off the onion, and then used the whole mess to spice up a lettuce and raisin salad. Nestled the eggs onto the plate, sprinkled some fresh dill and a little paprika over the whole ordeal and voila - the healthiest morning I've had in years, and the best breakfast since my uber-healthy suhoor's from first week of Ramadan.
As a child I was barefoot. At home, at play, in the yard, in the 'hood, at the beach, camping, in the mountains when it wasn't too cold, and any other time I could get away with it (social norms be damned)! I loved playing and I loved running, why did I ever stop these things? These shoes give me the feeling that I've got my bare feet back, and my attitude since discovering them has been filled with random runs and a new way of looking at every material thing I come in contact with.
I cannot express the incredible feelings collected by my entire body while experiencing something very close to running barefoot over fresh snow - without freezing my toezies off, not even the little useless nub-of-a-one on the outside.
Crazy, this is the second time in less than year that my life has been changed for the better in a flash and a moment from something amazing that is emanating from NY. G-d willing, I'll get there myself soon enough to actually be a part of these things but for now, Madison, WI, I am still in love with you and I would love to have the best of both worlds.
"Be the change you want to see in the world." - MG
Erwan LeCorre, John Durant, and everyone else who's involved though their names don't seem to be catching as much popular notice - reading about what you're doing is inspiring on many levels. Time to put a little Northwoods into this movement, Wisco style.
Also, I love having killer calves.
This is why I love you. Mommo
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