I’m questioning my level of sanity.

The gauntlet has been thrown down, the biggest challenge of my athletic career has arrived. I just registered for the Stump Jump 50k, a (roughly) 32 mile trail race through the mountains, rocks and creeks of Chattanooga, TN.

My buddy Daniel has been like a little devil in my ear for a couple years now… talking up the race (misery loves company, right?), tempting me with tales of fabulous swag, great people, beautiful scenery and the utmost running accomplishment. With 3 road marathons under my belt, and a 4th on the way before 2009 flickers out, I figured it was time to up the anty. And I do love good swag.*

So my training schedule for the remainder of 2009 has just changed from a weekly dosage of “tough” to “hardcore badassness.” Let’s just hope I can keep up.

And why the hell am I doing this? Darn good question my friends. So of course, I turn to quotes.

“For us runners, the question of “why” is pretty moot. Not because it may not be interesting, or important, but because we’ve left the question of the meaning of running behind. After all the questions have been asked, and all the answers given, in spite of the disagreement on essences, physiology, rationales, training strategies, trail running, road racing, i-pod wearing, mid-foot striking, turnover cadences, arm carriages, Jack Daniels, Arthur Lydiard, 20 miles a week or 100, 5k or the 50k, whether it’s really the Miles of Trials or the Trial of Miles, after all the words have been spoken and keyboards have been pounded, meanings given and ideologies subverted… After all this, we runners bend down and tighten the laces, open the door, brace for the cold and are renewed: another godawful, glorious, and meaningless 8 miler. Answer enough. I don’t know why I run. I don’t know why I race. I don’t know why I compete. I don’t need to know. Because running means more to me than curiosity. It goes deeper than knowledge. I run. I compete. I move on down the line. I’m a runner.”
…Jeff Edmonds (Rock/Creek Race Team) 

At some point we have no more answers, because there are no more questions. We cease asking ourselves “why.” We just do, because we know we must. Jack London articulates this need for me…

 ”I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.” 

And that my friends, is the best way to experience life.

 

*For those of you not in the know, the definition of swag is: awesome. Free stuff you get when doing races, or just when companies are doing some marketing. Most races I’ve done, swag is limited to stickers, gels, mini bars, coupons and other sundry lame giveaways. The 2009 Stump Jump boasts a Marmot gender-specific fit tech tee, Smartwool socks (best socks ever) and a North Face bag. Not to mention the free post-race food. Boo-ya.

You all know I’m slightly obsessed with music – the whole cliche of living via lyrics and creating a living soundtrack. And I’ve found the next best thing.

Dawn Mitschele (pronounced Mitchell-y) is a young woman I discovered sometime last summer thanks to Jason Mraz’s blog. She’s a singer/songwriter, yet unsigned, doing her thing in California. Very Norah Jones meets Ingrid Michaelson meets a female version of Amos Lee. Add a pound of sugar and a pound of butter to those voices, and you end up with a smooth, sweet, humble, yet majestic sound that resembles a sunrise sneaking over a mountain vista.

Back in aught-seven (2007, for those numerically inclined) she released a six track EP entitled Town of Trees. The EP was my first introduction to a set of vocals that literally are so beautiful they could bring me weeping to my knees. Definitely moreso for those that appreciate folksy feminine sounds.

But back to the “next best thing.” Dawn’s finally released her first full-length album – In the Moonlight. Check it here.

I can’t imagine that someone with talent of her magnitude, with sound that overflows with such beauty and grace, could remain unsigned and unknown for much longer. In support of all things music and art and life, I hope you’ll check her out, perhaps be moved to buy her album, and send a deserving young artist towards the success that is so hard to obtain in the music business.

I mean, come on… if Young Jeezy can make millions, why shouldn’t Dawn be able to.

Jump on the bandwagon my friends. Get with the program. Live in the now. Whatever it is you call it… roll on over to www.sporcle.com and be prepared to have your mind sufficiently blown.

Thanks to little brah Kevin I’ve found the greatest new timewaster. Sporcle is a site full of games – mentally stimulating ways to avoid work. They are basically lists and question/answer games based around a specific theme… with one caviat – you have a time limit in which to fill in the answers. From the 5th grade throwbacks (name all the states or all the US presidents) to the difficult (fill in the periodic table… seriously… Adamantium anyone?). Or even for the sports enthusiast (name home run leaders from A-Z) or the beer connaisseur (Sam Adams brews). It’s the type of fun and entertainment that makes you feel less guilty for wasting time, and more edumucated.

I mean really… can you name all the 3-letter body parts in 2 minutes or less?

Go ahead… Sporcle it up. You know you want to.

Many people in my life think I’m nutty for having two jobs. And while I do hang out at REI in an attempt to pay down my credit card debt and for the great discounts (those seem mutually exclusive don’t they??), there is another reason why I love REI so much that I choose to spend my free time working there.

They are an amazing organization. One of the world’s most successful co-operatives (yeah… NOT a corporation). They continually find ways to support the outdoors as well as people’s original source of joy – playing outside and enjoying God’s kingdom/our natural environment. So with a touch on a soap box, I thoroughly enjoyed the email I just received from them. Here is the text of their headline and subhead. Brilliant.

DOES NATURE HAVE A STATUS UPDATE?

Remember when social networking meant hangin’ out with real people? Kick it old school this summer with an impromptu picnic. Just grab some friends and go.

Here’s to everyone celebrating our nation’s birthday old school – outside, with friends, without computers. More starlight than TV light. More bird sounds than online tweets. More face time with loved ones that time on facebook.

And here’s to the end of my 18 day-in-a-row work stretch. After 5pm today I am OFF WORK for 3 WHOLE DAYS. Cycling, running, pooling, Peachtree Road Racing, lunching, reading, sleeping in, fireworks-ing, churching, real social networking, and of course cold beersing. Cheers to that!

Simultaneously your saving grace, and your damndest enemy.

One day, your breath of fresh air. The next, the vaccuum stealing the wind from your lungs and the oxygen from your legs.

Loneliness. For miles. Upon miles.

There are days when you seek solace in the silence created by one pair of legs pounding the earth. Then there are days the silence steals your soul… leaving you questioning your athleticism in the void of morale. Yet you are driven towards the task at hand… without it your legs would be flimsy; your mind, dull; your identity of runner, false.

You must become a well of strength, drawing upon it stride after stride, shunning the screams resonating in your legs and head that demand you to quit.

You must love the silence that overpowers the music in your headphones.

You must meet exhaustion, pain and boredom head on.

You must be willing to admit that mileage is merely a petty measurement, because sometimes 4 is as hard as 24.

You must push for one more lap… despite the number of happy hour possibilities.

But more importantly… you will exalt in self-awareness.

You will breathe in a strength different from any other.

You will miss your training partner, but with the knowledge they would want you no where but where you currently are.

You will find loneliness makes you a better training partner.

You will put one foot in front of the other.

You will know the beauty of silence broken only by your own breath, your own feet.

You will cross the finish line – whether it be loudly amidst throngs of peers with a medal slung ’round your neck; or quietly, at a trail head, drenched in the sweat of a summer evening.

You will thrive.

And you will continue on – as a long distance runner – as naturally as when you first, accidentally, became one.

I had plans of writing silly sarcastic thoughts today. However that has since become incredibly inappropriate. An Athens icon has left us. Hopefully temporarily, but we’ve lost it nonetheless.

At 7am this morning, the Georgia Theatre, an iconic venue began as a YMCA in the 19th century, turned Cinema, living as music center of one of the nation’s greatest music towns… has burned. The roof has collapsed, and with it my heart.

The articulation of my college social scene. Athens is known for giving birth to historic acts – the likes of REM, the B-52s, Widespread Panic and Jennifer Nettles. But even more specifically the Georgia Theatre is also known for giving the necessary career jumpstart to all kinds of well known musicians from all over – Dave Matthews being the obvious one I will mention.

I’ve marked time with Blues Traveler, The Samples, Pat McGee Band, John Mayer, Better Than Ezra, Sister Hazel, and countless other examples of rock, folk, punk, jam and cover band forms. Watching the Wizard of Oz/Dark Side of the Moon phenomenon. Some of my favorite memories from college arise from the Theatre. Surely they will raise it once again, but it definitely adds a touch of sadness to my day.

They don’t make em like they used to. I hope this Phoenix will make its way upward again soon.

I learned many a valuable lesson today:

1) Staying in bed instead of going to work is sometimes a good idea. Because when you go to work, you could end up in a huge mess of a traffic jam on normally fluid highways, causing you to be an hour late anyway. Thankfully I work for people that don’t care that I am late. Correction… they would care if they knew, but thankfully they are always a lot later than I. SAFE. Also on the upside, said traffic jam was caused by a stalled bus… full of prisoners. The real lesson today? –> There is nothing as entertaining in the morning as seeing 20 policemen on the highway with sniper rifles.

2) After accidentally eating it 3 times this week, Firehouse Subs is officially the bomb-dot-com. So much so, that if it were around back in the 90s I can fairly say Monica Lewinsky would have made a different decision about what to put in her mouth. [Too far?]

3) Dave Daniels rocks. A friend passed his cd along to me. I love it. Good ole Georgia boy singing about southern blues, whiskey, pretty girls, GA red clay and other things that fill the southern senses. Check it or… not. I’m really digging “Belly of the Beast.”

4) The jar of peanut M&Ms in my mom… er… boss’ office will be the death of me. Especially now that I don’t have the addiction of facebook to turn to when trying to avoid stressful work. Enter stress eating as a diversion tactic.  Wonder what Dr. Phil would say about that? Hmmm… “Girl gets fat from quitting facebook.” I could make headlines everywhere.

5) The lady that walks up and down the street in front of our office building has a great story. Adam and I decided that today. We’re not sure that talking to her would be the best way to learn said story, so we’re going to create it for her. “Her” who shall hereafter be known as “Boobina” due to her incredibly large boobinas. Adam thinks her chest is so large because she used to be a pole dancer. I think it’s a husband’s lottery winnings decision gone awry. More on this some other day…

6) Magnolias are the best tree ever. They are blooming everywhere around Georgia right now. Not only are they gorgeous, but they kick ass in a “I’m the epitome of southern charm, grace and poise” kind of way. And the “I will seduce you with my southern drawl then punch your lights out for being a dirtbag” kind of way. In a weird way, I find magnolias sexy. Surely Georgia O’Keefe and Freud would have plenty to say about that. [O'Keefe... who painted flowers and magnolia blossoms that oddly resembled (ahem... what's the opposite of phallic... bathing suit parts-ish?) female body parts.] In my next life, I want to come back as a magnolia. Or a cat. Because spending your life napping and being pet probably rocks too.

Ok enough randomness. It’s time to go home. I’ve worked entirely too long today. LD out.