The Symbolism of the Track

I found this article in the New York Times this morning. It tells a great story about how a track in Brooklyn that attracts all backgrounds, ages, and people has continued to be a meeting place over the years where lives of diversity cross.

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

"The track is a place of inspiration, blurred boundaries and shared sweat. "


"Stories about withstanding physical pain, fear and embarrassment initiate athletes into an order that age, ethnicity, gender or preferred sport cannot dismiss them from.


"I’ve been here a thousand times,” Galvan said from Lane 9, “but each time is like the first time. I guess I connect with that little kid who was me. He’s here, too, cheering me on.”

Winter Solstice Wish

The sport of running to me has never always been about the moments of winning or losing. It’s been about the people I’ve met, the moments of ecstasy, learning from downright failure, and bettering my perspective with each day and each run.

A moment the defined running for me was Christmas morning of ‘97. I was 10 years old, my dad and I went for a run together. It started to snow by the middle of our run. By the time we reached home to finish - everything was covered in a dazzling layer of white. He said to me, “Listen. It’s absolutely still outside...I will never forget this, thank you for being here with me”. There was not a sound or crackle to be heard, just the sound of snow lofting to the ground and pine trees around us. Our warm breath met the air with that peaceful smoke only seen in 30-degree weather. I was incredibly cozy after breaking up a sweat over our run, and feeling completely at peace, especially in the presence of someone who was close to my heart.  I learned from my father then, that running was about listening. It was about a higher observance and sensitivity to yourself as well as to everything around you - a holy connection. 

I hope that each of you this time of year, you have the chance to step outside whether it’s for a walk or run with a loved one and experience each other’s company, the beauty of the outside, and share in a gratitude for embracing that moment.

Happy Christmas, Hanukkah, Festivus, New Year…. Happy!

How to be an Excellent Physicist

If you run from Cambridge to downtown Boston at an average of 8:45/ mile pace but start your first mile off at 7:30 and end your last mile at 9:00 minute pace what is your rate of deceleration?

I don't know but I know that it feels like shit.


Runners, athletes, and yes, you, can be a great physicist. The understanding of our body's limits under the constrains of time, distance, and space is something that great athletes have mastered.  It's called an internal clock - a precise understanding, based upon a bodily awareness of pace -- what your body and muscles feel, how you're mentally feeling, and what you can expect and visualize happening at any given moment in the future. Checking in, with you.

We can learn what it feels like to cue our bodies to accelerate and decelerate at certain points in time -- in response to a plan devised by our internal clock. Humans can be machines too, just by finding that proper communication between mind and body.

The first way to go about perfecting your internal clock at first is by slowing down. We all don't do this, even on a day- to- day basis. We forget to breath, we forget to keep it all in perspective, we forget to appreciate the details. We forget to smile. Taking a step back, savoring life, is a method of living that people like the Dalai Lama are excellent at. Then, when the moment calls for you to accelerate, you know how to turn it on.

Truly, I mean this in the sense that properly pacing yourself and feeling that pace  will allow you to know what  an internal clock is. So start at a restful state, fully understand that feeling, then midfully working up to a 7:00 pace, or whatever your rock-n-roll pace is that brings that heart rate up, and fully be present in that feeling - it may be pain - but at least you know. This is called body awareness. 

Let's apply this to other parts of your life as a metaphor --  when you're spin instructor  says, this should feel like a "10", and you say "what the f**?" - after practicing body awareness you'll know what a 10 feels like. The next time you freak out when your boss says, "I need this by the end of the day",  start at a relaxed 'pace' (deep breaths and some good music, chipping away steadily), then maybe you have to work a little quicker because it's 3pm and your project isn't done, and then it's the last ten minutes of the day and you realize you have to hammer down to get it done. Well, if you started at a ten, it probably would have been a very stressful experience, working away so quickly that you forget about the quality of your job, and it comes out messy.

Starting at a pace that you know you cannot uphold, only leads to deceleration, which will only lead to a lesser result. It's quality over... ..mis-quantification... 

The lessons of running do apply to the greater universe. Know thyself, know your clock, know what easy and hard means. Slow down, when you get the gut feeling, because it's always nice to thank yourself..

Good Morning Starshine...

The Earth says hello.

 Starting off a morning right can seem out of reach. But what's better? Taking some time for yourself to make sure you've solidified a sunny beginning to your day or rolling out of bed with questionable hygiene? A little preparation with a mind and body connection in your first waking moments for just five minutes can allow your morning's happy release trickle into the rest of your day and evening.

How to start...

1. A glass of water or two. Your body has been dormant for a solid amount of time. Like a plant, our muscles and system need the most basic necessities upon waking. Pouring yourself a cold glass will wake it up and hydrate all those parched internal 'roots' .  Be aware of the feeling, as practicing mindful food and drink consumption can go a long way throughout your day.

2. Open up the curtains. Natural light is our best coffee. Checking out the scene outside gets me excited for a world beyond my room. If you need coffee, start off with a cup that has purpose (if you want to really get at it). Equal Exchange not only tastes rich and smooth, but it helps small farmer co-ops all over the world, in places where the infrastructure needs our help most. But let's be real, sometimes, the only coffee I can grab is on the go, and at the mercy of one of these lovely peeps.  Dammit.




3. A soundtrack and your mat. Gather up some tunes that allow you to slowly sink in to your day and breathe deeply. This morning I started off with Bodies of Water, RZA ("Grits"), Lady of the Sunshine, and Bonobo. I grab my foam roller and sometimes a tennis ball --  rolling my back, my illotibial band (the tendon that extends from the side of your knee to your hip), my quads, and underneath my shoulders. When you reach a spot that feels tight stop and roll very slightly. Deep breaths when stretching and practicing self massage allow our red-blood cells and oxygen to fill and feed the space that need it most, so focus on the audibility of your breath (from your belly up).


4. Create a stretching 'playlist'. Have some favorite stretches? Go through a song who's inherent musical cues, cue you to stretch and play with what you're hearing. It's a great sense- meets- body practice and will leave you feeling limber for your day. Some examples are a downward dog, a split (at your own level), some lunge/ warrior ones (what would Mick Jagger do?), child's pose, and shoulder stretching (again, at your own level).


5.  The day's at your feet. Grab some breakfast and perhaps read up on what's going on in the world beyond you.

Your body is a metaphorical plant, so drink up!

Have an awesome one and I'll see you out there!

Well, How About That

It's been a year since I last laced my obnoxiously orange running shoes. 14 years of competitive running. 23 years of living overall, and man, I still love this sport.

Age 8 - really bad form, but a mean ponytail.

True love never dies, it evolves. This personal love of mine has evolved into "Runnin' Child" - a blog that will serve as a resource for runners of all levels, a public diary of my own journey within it, and a place to discuss and how to make this sport belong to you. And potentially the pros and cons of spandex.

 I've promised myself to pick it up, at the most basic level, tabula rasa. With little steps and precision, I hope my story will inspire you to pick up some running shoes, explore your surroundings, and breathe deeply. Winter air has the best, crisp quality - I'd do arctic yoga if I could.

My shoes are old though, my patellar tendonosis aches are yet to be resolved, and I'm craving flexibility.  Respectively, I need to hit up South End Athletic Company for some fast snazzies, call up my chiropractor, and probably join in yoga sessions with OmGal. But we'll save those trips for another post....

But I'm game, and here to teach you how to go about the sport start to finish, and all over again.

 Tonight. Day uno. Channeling the running gods. After 5 months of physical therapy, I was told I could run but thought it was too premature of a call. Two months later, I pick the coldest day of our primavera- Boston- winter. But the cold air, the holiday lights, and  a little voice inside my head conspired to bring about the perfect beginning.
I start from my gym at Copley to the edge of the Boston Common at Arlington and Commonwealth Avenue. Let's just say my first half mile was taken cautiously, yet felt invigorating. A shock of the cold air kept me bouncy. And the kind "Children International" representative yelled, "I believe in you!", as if he knew it was my first one, five minutes in.

My first mile, calculated from Arlington to the top of Mass Ave - just fine at 7:45 pace checking my watch. I run back to where I started, chipping off a 2.5 mile run around 22 minutes. Patient and gentle - a mantra to be had at any first run, and dare I say first endeavor all together. With a steady and rhythmic breath, any run can be our own and in control.  We each have our own breath, just individual as a fingerprint.

My favorite part of inagural run? Beyond the glimmering holiday lights that canopied Comm. Ave, the homeless woman on Newbury Street made my interaction with the roads extra special. Our eyes met for just a second, and as I strode right in front of her, she exclaimed said, "Well, how about that!" Was she speaking to me? Either way, I took it for an encouraging, humorous gesture. I couldn't help but smile.

Interpreting and finding positive details in your every day is what makes it all worth the while. So guys, "how about that..."?! Get out there, have some fun, and leave your questions and stories below.... I can't wait to hear them.