Patriotic running

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Happy 4th of July! I know some of my non-US readers won’t be celebrating tomorrow, but for most of my readers, tomorrow is all about red, white and blue; hot dogs, watermelon and potato salad; time with family or friends; and fireworks.

For many of you who run, tomorrow is also about racing hard to earn the aforementioned picnic fare without a guilty conscience. I did my “firecracker” race this past weekend, but I know that – at least here in the South – there are any number of July 4 races before the running calendar goes quiet through the worst heat and humidity of summer.

You know who else is racing hard right now? Our US elite runners. The 2013 US Track and Field Championship happened two weeks ago, and we’re in the process of figuring out which of those championship winners and runners-up will represent the United States in Moscow at the World Championships August 10-18.

It’s not a simple road, but for those who earn a spot on the team, it’s an opportunity of a lifetime to do some patriotic running. My husband and I watched a new show called USATF 36, in which gold medalist Sanya Richards-Ross talks about putting on the USATF tee shirt for tough workouts: “It’s my inspiration … this is why I do it.” She works hard to represent our country well, and wearing the USA Track & Field jersey reminds her that the end result of representing our country is worth the pain and effort.

There are two other athletes, though, that I want to focus on in particular this week. The first is Leo Manzano.

Leo Manzano carries the flag after making the 1500m U.S. team to the 2012 Olympics

Leo Manzano carries a US flag after making the 1500m US team to the 2012 Olympics

I became a Leo Manzano fan when I saw him run at the 2008 US Olympic Track & Field trials in Eugene, Ore. He runs with heart and with guts. He’s often the shortest guy on the track, but he doesn’t let that hold him back. I’ve forgotten where I read this, but one writer described him as running with “schoolyard abandon.” I can’t tell you often I think of this phrase as I’m out slogging through a run. That expression always makes me smile and makes me try a little harder in my own run. Continue reading →

Surprises in the garden

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“I grow plants for many reasons: to please my eye or to please my soul, to challenge the elements or to challenge my patience, for novelty or for nostalgia, but mostly for the joy in seeing them grow.” – David Hobson

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I was at the hardware store this past weekend and overheard two men talking. One had come across a snake in his garden and was buying something (poison? trap? I didn’t look at what he was holding) to get rid of the snake. The other told him if it was a black snake, then he should leave it alone. He went on to say,”If you ever see a black snake out along the roadside, put him in the car and take him home with you.” Ugh.

I know he speaks some truth. Black snakes are supposedly your best friend when it comes to keeping poisonous snakes away from your yard. I just … well … I just don’t like snakes at all. I know they exist, but I prefer never to see them in my garden or along my running path or even behind glass in a cage at the nature museum.

My husband and I commented again about the two men’s conversation when we saw a large black snake on the other side of the road as we were out driving a few days later. Our dog was in the back of the car, and we envisioned the total chaos that would have ensued had we stopped and tossed the snake in with the dog to take home. I’m not sure who would have fared worse: the snake, our dog, the car or us. Again, ugh.

So I’m glad that I’ve only had pleasant surprises in my garden this past week, and I wanted to share some of them with you. I promise: there are no scary critters involved.

First was a calla lily in bloom. A dear friend of mine carried a bouquet of orange calla lilies at her wedding, and ever since, I associate these flowers with her. As I was planning out a new backyard garden spot a few years ago, I knew I wanted to put in some calla lilies. I have been disappointed each year as the huge, green leaves came up but never any blooms. And then this, as we officially entered summer:

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I noticed a spot of yellow from my kitchen window and went running outside to see if my eyes were playing tricks on me.

I guess it’s simple things like this that delight my soul. The bloom has lasted for days now, and others have joined it to add beauty to my orange and yellow garden patch.

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A calla lily bloom heralds the start of summer

The second surprise showed up in my front yard at about the same time. A Lady Baltimore hibiscus (one my longtime readers may remember from a post two summers ago) came up this summer as a double stalk instead of just the single one that has been coming up for several years now.  Continue reading →

Lions and otters and bears, oh my!

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My husband and I had a fun opportunity to take a behind-the-scenes tour at Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina recently. There’s an animal preserve on the mountain where animals who might otherwise die go to live out their lives.

I thought you might like to come along for a virtual journey through the preserve.

The weather was beautiful, and we were excited to start out with our guides. While the behind-the-scenes tour will take up to six guests, my husband and I were the only two for that day’s tour.

It was such a treat to escape the crowds and get to see the animals more up close than we would have otherwise. We had to promise to stay at least three feet from the fences, an easy thing to do when it came to the mountain lions and bears!

Our first stop was the new eagle enclosure: Continue reading →

Remembering Boston

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Almost two months have passed since the bombings at the Boston Marathon. To some of you, it may feel just like yesterday. To others, it may be just another example of a world gone tragically mad that is quickly fading into memory.

For runners, the bombings in Boston have become woven into the fabric of our running tapestry. For those fast enough, there are marathons to run to get a Boston qualifier for next year’s marathon. The print publication cycle has caught up, and I can’t pick up a running magazine without reading yet another runner’s account of this year’s Boston. The qualifying attempts and the runners’ stories serve as memorials of a sort, but there’s something in human grief that wants a more tangible memorial. And as a result, Boylston Street is filling with trinkets/treasures/trash.

I was in Boston recently and wanted to go to Boylston Street to see the finish line and the areas affected by the bombings. Yes, I was being a tourist, but I also wanted to offer a prayer there for those still recovering from their injuries and for those who will never get over the loved ones they lost that day.

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My husband and I were on our way to the airport for a flight, and so he dropped me off and circled a few blocks while I walked around, puzzled by how little I actually saw left behind:

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At first, just this small tree covered with bracelets and beads and shirts

I was expecting race bibs and signs and finishers’ medals and old shoes and flowers.

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Flowers and stuffed animals and American flags sprinkle the ground near the blast sites.

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More beads and bracelets left behind in Boston

What I didn’t realize until later – when I got home and Googled images for Boston bombing memorials – was that the clutter had become so overwhelming that someone (city officials?) decided to move the memorial area to a square nearby.

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I took this photo, not realizing that the people and stuff were not some sort of street fair but rather the memorial area where people could congregate and leave behind mementos.

The square is past the finish line, and therefore beyond the bombing sites, and so maybe that’s why I didn’t think to look there. Continue reading →

Lessons from my first Bar Mitzvah

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My husband and I attended our first Bar Mitzvah this weekend, for the son of dear friends. This was only my second time stepping foot in a temple, and I was nervous about feeling out of place or not understanding what was happening. I left the temple with a much greater appreciation for and understanding of the beautiful tradition of Bar Mitzvah. And I found myself wishing that Christian churches had a similar ceremony to accompany confirmation or other membership rites.

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A detail of “Israel and the Law,” a study John Singer Sargent created for a mural in the Boston Public Library. In this image, Jehovah is instructing the boy Israel in reading the Torah.

The first time I was in a temple, I was probably in eighth or ninth grade. My church youth group took a field trip to visit a nearby temple, and the place seemed dark and foreboding to me. I don’t remember much from that trip, although I was pleased – and a bit surprised – to be allowed in. Maybe this is how non-Christians feel when they enter a Christian church?

The temple where the Bar Mitzvah was held this past weekend was bright and lovely and filled with gentle sunlight filtering in from the hot day outside. As we entered to take our seats, I noticed a mezuzah attached to one of the doors. Because I knew exactly what this was and exactly what it was for, I took a deep breath of relief: something I recognized. Something that made me feel less out of place.

The cantor for the ceremony (akin to a liturgist in the Christian church) made us feel welcome, too, inviting us to sing a wordless song along with her. Her beautiful voice and encouraging demeanor made it impossible not to try, and she ushered us into the start of the Bar Mitzvah ceremony.

One of my favorite parts happened next, when the rabbi welcomed us to the temple and said it was a time to celebrate and worship without cell phones and all the distracting techonologies that vie for attention in the outside world. I thought it was a lovely way to remind people, “Turn off your cell phones!” But he really meant it. Later on, he kindly asked that those who were taking photographs stop and put down the cameras and the phones. He truly wanted us to savor this ceremony in its moment.  Continue reading →