CAT-TYME

Once again it's almost time for the Catoctin 50K; with conditions looking quite favorable I will be assisting instead of participating. Honestly, I am disappointed ................. yet looking forward to my role at the aid station.

Except for yesterday things have been looking up.

My round of Golf Saturday went well, Sunday morning I managed the five mile loop with little difficulty with my Achilles. Monday morning I opted to ride the bike but Tuesday I walked four and a half miles with Sue and then ran four more late in the day. Wednesday, oh Wednesday now that was a different story.

The day seemed to start off well and I was feeling like I could walk in the morning and run in the afternoon. The morning was spectacular as cool dry air moved into the area. Sue and I started our walk, three quarters of a mile later my walk morphed into a brush jumping sprint to the woods. I was ready for one trip , but not for a second, then third. Those sprints required good vision and coordination to break off a Tulip Tree Branch branch while on the run. (Leaves of Choice)

Returning home would provide no relief, the pump was primed and by afternoon it felt like I had been beaten with a broom stick. That stress rallied my hands and feet to sing their misery and by mid afternoon it was time for a pain pill.

Today I am relieved; my body has done almost a complete about face. Another fantastic morning, almost cold as Larry and I headed out to mark a new section of trail for the Catoctin 50K. It would have been a shame to have missed it.

Mike

Wineberries

There are only a handful of days or nights a year that I truly regret not having air conditioning in my home; last night was one of them.

When I woke; the sun, still low on the horizon was itching to heat the already hot humid air to a “Heat Indexed” one hundred eight degrees. A shower, a cool shower would be a great start to my day.

Showered and in my bath towel I headed to the back yard to pick Wineberries. A Wineberry is a type of Raspberry originally from northern China, Japan and Korea. I'm not sure if this is an “Invasive Species” but if they are it's one of the few that have worked out.

Within ten minutes I had picked a mid size bowl and eaten plenty to boot. Two cups of Wineberries accompanied me as I headed down the Mountain for Reiki; a small thank you for the gift I would receive.

Leaving Reiki, I felt Physically and Mentally better than I have for months. I'm not about to say that I have turned the corner but perhaps the corner is in sight.

Tomorrow I will be playing golf and on Sunday I am hoping to run four miles with my running group. This schedule seems to trigger memories of a more carefree time ….......... it is good.

Mike

Patience a Virtue ?

Patience is a Virtue is a proverbial phrase referring to one of the seven heavenly virtues typically said to date back to "Psychomachia," an epic poem written in the fifth century.

The Psychomachia (Battle for Man's soul) by the Late Antique Latin poet Prudentius is probably the first and most influential "pure" medieval allegory, the first in a long tradition of works as diverse as the Romance of the Rose, Everyman, and Piers Plowman.
In slightly less than a thousand lines, the poem describes the conflict of vices and virtues as a battle in the style of Virgil's Aeneid. Christian faith is attacked by and defeats pagan idolatry to be cheered by a thousand Christian martyrs.

• Chastity is assaulted by Lust, but cuts down her enemy with a sword.
• Anger attacks Patience, is unable to defeat her and destroys herself instead.
• Greed is portrayed against Love, but is unable to obtain what it cannot coexist with.
• In a similar manner, various vices fight corresponding virtues and are always defeated. Biblical figures that exemplify these virtues also appear (e.g. Job as an example of patience).
  

Despite the fact that seven virtues defeat seven vices, these are not the canonical seven deadly sins, nor the three theological and four cardinal virtues.


Patience:

Forbearance and endurance through moderation. Resolving conflicts and injustice peacefully, as opposed to resorting to violence. Accepting the grace to forgive;[3] to show mercy to sinners. Creating a sense of peaceful stability and community rather than suffering, hostility, and antagonism.

Once again something I thought would be “simple” turns out to be much more then I could have imagined. I have often thought of that phase “Patience is a Virtue” but have never understood where this originated from or what it meant in totality. Not sure I fully understand it now but I'm trying.

I have admitted in past posts that I am addicted to running, what I did not realize was that running was my “Drug of Choice”, a good drug to be sure but one never the less.Now that I am unable to run I experience physical and physiological issues I would not have imagined even through the worst of my cancer treatments. There is much research that points to the bodies natural ability to produce pain reducing endorphins during exercise. Without my “Running Fix” for almost two months I have found myself using more pain medication in the form of prescription medication and favorite beers. For the past few nights I have elected to bypass any pain medication even if it means I won't sleep. Somehow when I lie down in bed it's my hands and feet seem obligated to start “singing” which  makes sleep difficult to come by.

Physiologically; take away the “Junkies” drug and see what happens. In my case I think it goes even further since running transcends just the physical. Running has become my identity, a huge part of my social life and optimism.

How damn shallow is that I need to ask myself? If I could not run another step would that make me less of a human being ? …....... Hell no.............. But what replaces running to make myself feel well …. Right now, I simply do not know.

Cancer this time is not to blame, it's a stupid running injury for which I have no Patience.

Stay Happy …. Stay Patient in your life .... I'm Trying …... Mike

*definitions from Wikipedia

Nothing Great

I imagine I should fill in a lot of detail since my last post but right now I'm in no mood. 

Returning home from the U.P.  I was looking forward to lacing up my shoes for a short two and a half mile trail run. I did and was shocked when two hours afterwards I was gimping around with a bad Achilles tendon. I had truly thought I was over that. 

Right now, I sit here drinking a glass of red wine while my son Kevin cuts off all his beautiful curly hair.My vacation to Michigan makes me wonder if a few hours on a couch would not serve some good and I look forward to going to bed so I can just forget and get away from the discomfort I'm having all over my body.

Each day starts a new adventure and I keep trying to tell myself that tomorrow, tomorrow will be different, it will be better. 

I am fighting a low .... I will get over it.

Mike