“ Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.
— Arnold Bennett
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Creativity with Rosemary
“ Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.
— Arnold Bennett
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Quote of the day...
Your life is a work of art, and in the end, the underlying theme of great art is bravery and hope and love. -- Garrison Keillor
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Foxcatcher: RED RIPE TOMATOES - RED MEANS RIGHT WHITE MEANS TURN LEFT
My report starts with a car ride courtesy of Chipper & Spuds, yep, I got the princess treatment both directions enjoying the entire back seat, all to myself. Of course this meant a whole lot more on the ride home due to stiff & sore legs. On the way out Shelly Girl & Lefty kept in touch with what to expect at the race and were generously offering to check in for us all while running on part of the course and providing us with information about what to expect there. The biggest shock was the text sent reporting that this would be a VERY RELAXED RACE environment as there were merely 25 runners signed up. I think I can speak for Chipper as well here in that we panicked a little to think we might be the very last runners to finish - that is if we were fortunate enough TO finish. Then the Bimbler’s minds (described as delicate at best!) started to really burn up with thoughts about how we might be able to win in every age division. Top 25 guarantee... It was determined the ladies had a shot, except for me, of course Guthrie is in my division, but then that we figured if she could win overall - oh the possibilities.... Spuds thought it might be so relaxed that we wouldn’t need bibs - we could all just shout out a number at the start in a countdown of sorts and that would be that. We were way out numbered by the horses and they were BEAUTIFUL to see and run with throughout the day. Some of the Riders were very encouraging and friendly and some seemed not to know why we were there and at 1 aid station said “They must be part of some other event” about me and Chipper. It was clear this race was ALL about the Horses and runners were a little side show & that was just fine, in fact I liked it that way.
After watching the horses start and a race briefing, we sort of assembled for a group photo, and then people started running - no starting guns fired at horse events - Lefty figured that one out. It was really hot and there wasn’t much shade. Chipper and I were really hoping to be able to stick together as we moved through the course trying to pace ourselves wisely. The Annapolis boys were ahead of us and we could keep them in sight watching them as their pacing was good, they were walking the big up hills - we thought “smart!” At the first aid station (mile 8ish) we refueled and ate - I had brought an extra bottle with me since it was so hot and was drinking as much as possible - but after aid station 1 and half of a PBJ the stomach was not right. For the rest of the race I really only had fluids and E caps battling bouts of nausea unfortunately. It was difficult to manage the hot sun and heat for me but Chipper kept me going occasionally offering suggestions and flexing her muscles prompting us to nickname ourselves Hanz & Franz for the duration. She refused to leave me behind and claimed a finish-line photo op was her motivation. Thanks Chipper - YOU ARE TOUGH! We did get to see and run with lots and lots of horses and riders sometimes producing an adrenaline rush as the riders said “Hold your line” me in front of Chipper and riders on horseback came around of ON BOTH SIDES all the while cheering us on and enveloping us at an arms length... WOW!!
I think we pulled each-other though peaks and valleys spiritually and physically. The best high came when we got to mile 25 aid station - back at the start/finish area.... Noway, Dan and the cutest puppy EVER were such an uplift for us. Chipper seemed to really come alive here as we rushed off into the woods for another 7ish miles. I personally was surprised the fast runners were not there yet, selfishly relieved too cuz that meant we were moving quickly - but oh no - did that mean that last loop was longer or tougher than expected - oh the mind is a crazy place after many miles and too much sunshine!! Somewhere in the middle of the race we passed the Annapolis crew and then web got passed by Cee a nice runner girl who offered smiles and more E caps to us for our fingers were turning into sausages! I had a great time through out the race as the scenery was changing frequently and the river crossings were the sort of Master Po’s wildest dreams - you think of ALL your running buddies out there and the kinds of conversations you’d be having together if they were with you at that moment - Ultra would have loved running into all those fields and Allstate and Oddjob would have loved all of the mica - - sparkling gold dust EVERYWHERE. In my mind Madonna was leaving me a trail of sparkles to follow in gold...? She is such a good dog at an Ultra! We missed having you along Ticket - maybe next year though!!!I tried my best, I tried to be a good running partner and kept “my heart forward”. Congrats to Jerry - geez who knows how many miles he actually ran - chased down by car by the director.... the stuff of legend and myth. Congrats to Kerry, Shelly Girl, Lefty, Spuds, and Chipper too. I am so grateful to have friends to do this fun stuff with!!!!! Gratitude to the Foxcatcher Organization Paul and Phillip seemed to put this together all on their own - the course was VERY well marked - Chipper and I got off course once mainly due to following a loud speaker - and seeing a photographer out in the field...which landed us in the middle of a Horse Jumping Competition - completely unrelated to our event - we must have looked crazy running into and then out of the middle of that scene....
I would run this race again, for sure! FIVE STARS
IGGY tied for 11th place 6.52
Monday, April 20, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Quote...
“I wanted a perfect ending. Now I’ve learned, the hard way, that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next.”
Gilda Radner
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
The Boston Marathon & history
PHOTOS: Jock Semple attempts to push Kathrine Switzer off the course of the 1967 Boston Marathon (photo - public domain)
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
A SOCIAL EXPERIMENT
Tweenbots are human-dependent robots that navigate the city with the help of pedestrians they encounter. Rolling at a constant speed, in a straight line, Tweenbots have a destination displayed on a flag, and rely on people they meet to read this flag and to aim them in the right direction to reach their goal.
Advertising
“An elegant shot of the queen’s granddaughter pictured staring into the camera in a long mud-splattered Roberto Cavalli dress with a plunging neckline under the headline “Beautifully Poised” - First Aired: 13-12-2006″ - via BrandRepublic.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Photo of the day ... found...
A Chinese State Circus performer was propped up on spears at Alexandra Palace in London Wednesday. (Toby Melville/Reuters)
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
BallDroppings
http://balldroppings.com/js/
A Chrome experiment..... turn your sound up enjoy the music.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
taper chatter
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
— Oliver Wendell Holmes
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Quote of the week
“Researchers have known for years about the harmful effects of negative emotion on thinking and decision making. More recent evidence has shown that positive emotion has the opposite effect—when we are in a good mood, we think better. We consider more possibilities; we’re open to considerations that would otherwise not occur to us; we see subtle connections between pieces of information that we might otherwise miss.”
Barry Schwartz, in The Paradox of Choice
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Quote of the day...
"Don't short change the future because of fear in the present." President Obama 4-1-2008 Summit
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Empathy, tolerance, understanding, pushing oneself & fun!! Ride & Tie
Ride & Tie - Two People, A Horse and an Exhilarating Race
Although the sport of Ride & Tie has been in existence since 1971, it is a relatively unknown sport that combines trail running, endurance riding, and most of all, strategy. The object is to get all three team members (two humans and one horse) across a 20-100 mile cross-country course by alternating riding and running. Sounds simple enough. One team member starts out running, the other starts on the horse and rides down the trail as far as they think their partner can run (or walk) and still keep up a decent pace. At that strategic point the rider stops, dismounts, ties the horse to a tree or fence post, and continues down the trail on foot. The team member who started on foot gets to the horse, unties it, mounts, and rides to catch their partner up ahead. When they get to their running team member they can either stop and exchange, or ride further up the trail and tie the horse and then continue running. When, where, and how a team exchanges is up to them, and this is where the strategy lies. Every trail runner has their strengths and weaknesses, and the same is true for horses. Factor all the strengths and weaknesses of two runners and one horse, along with weather conditions and the topography of the course, and you can understand why Ride & Tie is as much mental as physical. This is why such a growing number of runners and riders are joining the sport of Ride & Tie. It's fun!
Trail runners find the sport exhilarating. The horse adds an interesting and at times an unpredictable element. It has a mind of its' own. It thinks and reacts, but not necessarily how you think it should. One cannot be a mere passenger, nor can one treat a horse as though it were a machine. It is flesh, blood, and spirit. It is a herd animal, and you and your partner are the herd. It is competitive, and remarkably aware of how the "game" works. Its' camaraderie and willingness to compete along side its' human partners as a team is amazing. It can pick you out of a crowd and identify you from a distance. It acknowledges your arrival by whinnying and is ready to do its' job as soon as you get a foot in a stirrup. Experiencing a horse giving you all his power, agility, and heart so willingly is truly inspiring.
Endurance riders find Ride & Tie challenging. They have asked their horses to carry them for countless miles over rough terrain. They have asked their horses to be tough and continue on in spite of minor aches, pain or swelling, in heat, humidity, cold, rain, snow, wind, and darkness. They have asked their horses to travel miles without eating and sometimes drinking. Now they are the ones on foot, experiencing just a little of what they have asked their horses to do all along. The result�empathy, appreciation, and an entirely new respect gained for one's horse. The endurance riding motto is "to finish is to win", and Ride & Ties are the epitome of this thought. Why run when you can ride? Because one day you may have to and it will help your horse perform better. If a rider is out of shape, the horse must work harder. Riders seem to need motivation to get themselves in shape and having an upcoming Ride & Tie as a goal seems to help. The thought of their horse and a good friend depending on them to do their part is enough to motivate any rider. The real reward, though, is the sense of accomplishment when you finish a Ride & Tie. In spite of your self doubts, you endured. You are tired, sore, and probably a little dehydrated, but the only thing that matters is that you finished�and that feels GREAT!
Beyond the physical challenge and mental strategy of Ride & Tie is the out and out "rush" of a Ride & Tie start. Picture an open meadow with as many as 100 horses, riders, and runners warming up, stretching, waiting anxiously for the shotgun start. The electricity of anticipation in the air is the unmistakable excited and nervous anticipation in horses and humans alike. Both participants and spectators will admit to goose bumps and butterflies as the warning, "one minute to start", is announced. When the "Ready, set, GO" command is given, the butterflies are immediately replaced with a adrenaline rush as the herd of horses, once standing 15-20 wide, and 5-6 deep, flood across the meadow at a flat out gallop. "Riiide & Tiiiie!" is heard over the thundering hooves and a "YeeHaa!" is almost impossible to resist.
All teams have the same strategy for the "start". It is simply to survive it. Riderless horses at times can be seen racing to catch-up to the galloping herd while their dumped riders run after them. Although serious injuries are rare, the majority of mishaps occur within the first 1/2 to 3 miles. A well-known truth to veteran Ride & Tie pariticipants is you won't win a race in the first three miles, but you can definitely loose it. This sobering fact keeps the majority of teams "bridled".
With limited visibility from the haze of dust, the runners quickly maneuver the meadow in hot pursuit of their mounts. Most are well prepared, with bandannas covering their noses and mouths, and glasses to protect their eyes from dust and flying rocks from the speeding horses in front.
As the trail narrows into the woods, horses tied to stout trees dot the sides of the trail. Decorated with brightly colored ribbons or strange or unusual grease pencil markings to distinguish them from other horses, they wait, standing in a cloud of steam from their own body heat. Their flanks rapidly pumping air through their flared nostrils acting as a radiator to help cool them, their eyes are wide with excitement as they search down the trail for their human partner.
For the first couple of miles, the trail is crowded with runners and horses each dodging the other. The unspoken rule of the road is to pass on the left, so runners try to keep to the right, leaving as much room as possible for upcoming horses. Some horses are tied, some are being ridden, and some�are loose. "Loose Horse" is the call for anyone and everyone to look out, not just the runners but the riders too. A loose horse usually settles down after a bit, and is easily caught. Usually.
At about mile five, the crowd begins to thin. Horses settle as their team gets into a riding and tying rhythm. With the worst miles behind (or the best depending on how you look at it) but many more in front, it is time to put their race strategy to work. There is only one constant in Ride & Tie, and that is that nothing is ever constant. Every mile and every tie has another set of circumstances to deal with. A team must be focused, recalling many details from the maps, rider meeting, and pre-riding the course to anticipate what lies ahead, and quickly make adjustments to their strategy to maximize all three team members to the team's advantage. Although every team has a different strategy, all have the same goal in their minds�get to, and especially out of, the vet check.
Midway in the race is a mandatory check point called a vet check. Every Ride & Tie has at least one vet check, and usually two or three. It's purpose is to protect the horses from being abused in any way. The horse must meet a predetermined pulse and respiration criteria, then be examined by veterinarians for signs of fatigue, sickness, dehydration, and lameness. Any horse in question will not be allowed to continue.
The last part of a Ride & Tie, is more like multiple mini-races within a race. Equally matched teams will tend to group and spread out from other groups of equally matched teams, creating competitive skirmishes amongst the four or five teams in the group. Although the competition is great, all know that the real competition is the course itself and the weather. Both can be amenable, or relentless, and both must be considered in combination.
Finishing a Ride & Tie is both humbling and gratifying. You are not there by your own efforts, but by the efforts of all three team members. Your partners, one two-legged and one four-legged, have given to you as much as you have given to them�everything. To most participants, a Ride & Tie is not won by the fastest team. It is won by those who have the will and fortitude just to finish.
Ride & Tie: two people, a horse and an exhilarating race! Go Ride & Tie!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
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