Trail Mix Part 3

Folks in Eastern Jackson County, Missouri are blessed (thanks to Independence City Parks and Recreation and Jackson County Parks and Recreation) with over 28 miles of asphalt and grit trails and walkways. I love running the Little Blue Trace Trail, a fourteen mile grit/gravel trail along the Little Blue River. In addition, Little Blue Parkway, from I-70 to 24 Highway, has an asphalt walkway that is a runner’s dream!

When I get in my groove on these trails, I sometimes lose myself in the tunes, reliving days of my youth, remembering past loves, recalling precious moments of joy and laughter, enjoying memories of friends and family that have filled my life with love and hope! When I know I am alone and a particular jig comes on—yes, I am still conscious and aware that I would not want to unduly embarrass anyone—I will take off my shirt and dance the old geezer hillbilly boob n’ belly jiggle. Not a pretty sight. Sigh. (I would never do this around my children!) In such moments, I experience a freedom and joy that I cannot express in words. My mind is flooded with the assurance that every moment of every day is worth living! My body tingles with energy! My soul shouts to the heavens with joy for all of creation! My heart sings the melody of God’s grace and love, creation’s wonder and majesty, humanity’s potential and promise (sometimes to the tune of “I Thank You”, with ZZ Top—I know, its’ weird!)

I also often find my thoughts flowing around the issues of poverty. My mind is flooded with the images of desolate and desperate children, hard-working mothers and fathers, abandoned and decimated women that have crossed my path in far-flung places in my life’s journey. Just last week, I was in such a spot on the trail. Sarah McLachlan was singing “In My Shoes” and I was remembering a trip years ago with Charles Xue to his home village in rural China. A little girl (about the age of my grand-daughter) filthy, hungry, quiet, alone, crossed a dirt road and hugged me. When she finished, she crossed back across the road and continued on her way –to where, I do not know. On the trail that day, still running, I became aware that I was crying… uncontrollably. I cannot tell you why.

The mystery of life is that in the midst of the most dire of circumstances; filth, disease, hunger, violence, despair and abuse… you will find laughter, joy, smiles, expressions of care and love. I believe this is because, no matter how cruel human beings can be toward one another, all of us have welded into our DNA the presence of God’s grace. We cannot escape it. No matter how desperate times can be, there is always hope. Always joy. Always love. Nothing humanity does to itself or to this world can defeat the potential for good that resides within each of us.  And in the midst of a long run on the trail, I know that you and I can make our world a better place. I dance and cry, often at the same time, for the children of the world.

Trail Mix Part 2

While I shy away from the techno/rap/fast beat stuff my kids like to run to, I noticed some of my friends shared songs that I could snooze to on the trail. That’s ok. (they were being cute… I think.)

A growing body of research on exercise in general and running in particular suggests that “mixing it up” with different tempos while in training is in our body’s best interest and ultimately decreases race times (or increases speed) when it matters. Of course, the professional athlete’s approach is to designate specific runs for the change in tempo, i.e. a “speed run”, a “fartlek (or hill) run, an easy run, etc.

I, on the other hand, contend that when you are naturally as slow as I am, the variety in

every run is the spice of a great run. So, in the Trail Mix there are a wide variety of tempos and melodies. I shuffle the playlist and try to match (in moving my body forward) whatever comes up. This means that for three minutes, I am chugging those spindly legs as fast as I can pedal, and the next three minutes may be dancing to a waltz or pounding to a march or walking to love song, or jogging and singing to an old fav. It’s all good!

The one rule of running that cannot be compromised in training is you cannot substitute speed for distance. You can cheat speed, but you cannot cheat distance. An example of how you can cheat speed is the Trolley Run, a four mile race that follows the trolley trail from 75^th Street and Wornall in Kansas City all the way to the Plaza. It’s all downhill! My BEST racing times for 4 miles are all on that route! BUT, if you do not put in 20-30 miles a week for six-eight weeks prior to running a half marathon, you will either not finish, or you will walk across the finish line.

So, I love the mix while putting in the time and distance. I am enjoying the tunes!

Trail Mix 100

A few weeks ago I asked my facebook friends to give me suggestions for a summer running playlist.  I told them: “I decided to put together an old fart’s running playlist for summer jogging. Need your help! What tunes would you suggest? … And remember, I am running at a full old fat guy sprint, so none of this techno-disco rap stuff that will give me a heart attack!” Boy, did they come through! Creative, humbling, funny, fabulous.

A special thanks to George Doug Shipley, Randy Shelton, Scott Sinclair, Penelope Belrose, David Negaard, Jerry van Rossum, Kristina Hiles Carlson, Cynthia Beebe, Michael Martens, Janice Glass Arnold, Nancy Downs Closson, Brian Fey, Lelabon Dyer, Trudi Gunderson, Lynn C. Logan, Paul Bennetts, Gail Overly, and Brenda M. O’Dell.

Some of you know me too well! What was especially fun and meaningful about this list for me is the range of friends: some as far back as elementary school; shirt-tail relations, as well as sis’; cherished co-workers from the past; a college roommate; many from church friends spanning 30+ years; and even a great contribution from a high school friend of my daughter, Kelly. 

THANK YOU to all. (While some of your suggestions did not make the Trail Mix 100, all show up on my “long run 300” –hey, My long runs take most of the day!) Here is the list –way over half from suggestions of friends and family!

1.   I'm On Fire                            2:39  Bruce Springsteen               
2.   On the Road Again               5:01  Canned Heat     
3.   Walking In A Hurricane         3:41  John Fogerty     
4.   We Will Rock You                 2:02  Queen      
5.   Running Scared                    2:12  Roy Orbison      
6.   Magic Carpet Ride                4:28  Steppenwolf       
7.   Lowside Of The Road           2:59  Tom Waits
8.   Walking On Sunshine           3:54  Aly and AJ             
9.   Walking the Dog                   3:41  Fun         
10. Running                                3:17  Goapele                      
11. We Run the Night                 3:48  Havana Brown            
12. Running On Empty               4:58  Jackson Browne 
13. Racing to the Red Light        5:21  James McMurtry 
14. Night Train to Memphis         2:09  Jerry Lee Lewis           
15. Take Another Road              3:41  Jimmy Buffett              
16. I'm Walking                           1:41  Ricky Nelson Rock and Roll     
17. Walk Around Time                4:20  The Robert Cray Band                 
18. Walking the Plank                 2:15  Rocket to Memphis              
19. Celebrate Good Times          2:58  Rudy Giovannini and Strato-Vani
20. In Your Shoes                       3:53  Sarah McLachlan        
21. Walking Down the Right Path4:19 Slav'in David and Loose Gravel
22. Wipe Out                              2:13  The Surfaris       
23. Cakewalk Into Town              2:34  Taj Mahal  
24. San Antonio Stroll                 2:51  Tanya Tucker    
25. I Walk the Line                      2:47  Johnny Cash               
26. One Toke Over the Line       3:19  Brewer and Shipley                 
27. Tropical Legs                        5:35  Earl Klugh 
28. Run-Around                          4:40  Blues Traveler   
29. Born to Run                          4:30  Bruce Springsteen               
30. The Stroll                              2:30  The Diamonds   
31. Walk of Life                           4:09  Dire Straits         
32. I'm Walking                            5:19  Donnie McClurkin                
33. I Just Wanna Run                 3:20  The Downtown Fiction         
34. My Walking Shoes                3:18  Memphis Slim     
35. The Pascagoula Run            3:19  Jimmy Buffett              
36. Walking On Air                      3:42  Katy Perry 
37. My Walking Stick                   3:42  Leon Redbone            
38. Highway to Hell                     3:20  AC/DC        
39. Pomp and Circumstance       4:30  London Symphony Orchestra
40. Good Vibrations                    3:38  Beach Boys                
41. Gonna Fly Now                     2:48  Bill Conti   
42. Freedom Road                     3:37  Blind Boys of Alabama
43. You Gotta Move                    2:15  Bluegrass Revival                
44. Old Time Rock and Roll        3:15  Bob Seger and Silver Bullet Band
45. Livin' On a Prayer                 4:11  Bon Jovi    
46. Road's My Middle Name       3:32  Bonnie Raitt       
47. Long Sermon                        3:19  Brad Paisley      
48. Thrift Shop                            3:55  (Clean Radio Version)
49. Jump                                     3:41  Countdown Singers    
50. Rattlesnake Highway            4:17  John Fogerty              
51. Rock On                               3:24  David Essex       
52. Flashdance                           2:05  DJ Sweat   
53. Life In The Fast Lane            6:01  The Eagles        
54. Brazilian Stomp                     5:36  Earl Klugh, George Benson        
55. Traveling Riverside Blues     4:30  Eric Clapton       
56. Rollin' & Tumblin'         4:12  Eric Clapton       
57. All About That Bass             4:29  Megan Trainer
58. Road to Istanbul                   5:06  Govi 
59. Boom Boom                         3:37  Big Head Todd  
60. Slow Train                            6:37  Joe Bonamassa 
61. Never Been to Spain             3:44  Three Dog Night
62. Down On The Corner           2:58  John Fogerty     
63. Don't Stop Believin'               4:09  Journey     
64. Follow Your Arrow                 3:21  Kacey Musgraves       
65. I Shall Be Free                      6:13  Kid Beyond        
66. Fanfare for Common Man     3:18  London Symphony Orchestra
67. Sweet Home Alabama           4:45  Lynyrd Skynyrd  
68. In the Summertime                3:33  Mungo Jerry       
69. Spirit In the Sky                     4:02  Norman Greenbaum   
70. Happy                                   3:53  Pharrell Williams
71. Travelin' Band                      2:54  John Fogerty     
72. Another One Bites the Dust  3:36  Queen      
73. When I'm 64                         2:38 The Beatles 
74. Down the Road                     3:17  Stephen Stills     
75. Rockin' All Over The World   3:32  John Fogerty     
76. Born to Be Wild                     3:31  Steppenwolf       
77. Eye of the Tiger                    4:04  Survivor    
78. Get Down                              4:55  Tagada     
79. Eli's Coming                          2:47  Three Dog Night
80. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da             3:09  The Beatles
81. Joy to the World                    3:18  Three Dog Night
82. Get Behind The Mule            6:52  Tom Waits
83. Wild Thing                            2:38  The Troggs                 
84. I Gotta Feelin' /                     6:38  Black Eyed Peas      
85. Island In the Sun                   3:20  Weezer     
86. La Grange                            3:53  ZZ Top      
87. I Think We're Alone Now      2:12  Tommy James and The Shondells
88. Jerk Ribs                               4:13  Kelis          
89. Turn Blue                              3:43  The Black Keys  
90. Twist and Shout                    2:33  The Beatles       
91. Stayin' Alive                          1:31  Bee Gees 
92. I Love a Rainy Night              3:11  Eddie Rabbitt              
93. Walking On a Dream            3:18  Empire of the Sun                
94. Walk Away Renee                 2:46  The Four Tops  
95. Living In America                    4:43  James Brown              
96. Walking Stick                        7:56  Little Tragedies  
97. Running                                7:06  Moby Play
98. The Thunderer                     2:58  Sousa: Marches                   
99. Kryptonite                             3:46  Pickin' On Series
100. I Thank You                         3:24  ZZ Top       

Running the Hospital Hill

This year’s hospital hill run was a slog through the rain. I admit it: I am a wimp. I hate running in the rain. Slogging through 13 miles of downpour to support any and all efforts to end poverty, however, is worth it! I ran to support Outreach International, a wonderful group of folks fighting the root causes of poverty throughout the world.

I invited folks on facebook to view my pathetic face in a garbage bag running in the rain, in the hope it would bring a smile. I invited friends to donate $13.20 to Outreach. All to raise awareness for one of the critical, yet achievable challenges, of our day.

You see, there are so many places in our world where water is NOT abundant. Because of drought, politics, violence, hatred and prejudice, lack of transportation, lack of engineering, lack of resources … people, especially women and children, die of dehydration and starvation because of a lack of H²O. And there is no excuse other that human greed, human power, human will that sets priorities to reward the few at the expense of the many.

I thank God for blessing my life in such a way that I can run! That I can share my resources with others! That I can raise awareness of the those less fortunate than myself. Thank YOU for sharing with me in my passion to find ways to make this a better world for every child!