Images of the Mind

Last May as everyone looked skyward towards the Super Moon, we packed some snacks, far too few clothes and headed to Max Patch to take it all in.  We arrived well before sunset and staked out a spot along the Appalachian Trail near the highest point of the bald.  As we shivered and waited for the show to begin, other hikers and outdoor enthusiasts arrived to claim their little piece of Heaven from which to watch.  Several AT through hikers arrived just as the sun began to set.  They shed heavy packs and took in the sunset followed by the moon rise   As the moon began to climb, they quickly put their packs back on and headed North to the next shelter for the night.  As they passed near us, I snapped the photo at the top of this blog.  I don't know who the hikers were or if they stuck it out to see Katahdin in the fall.  To me, they exist only as a single image in a single moment in time.

As I have traveled through time and space, I'm sure I exist in the backgrounds of many pictures.  Computers, photo albums and hard drives all over the country likely feature my blurred image in the background of a group photo or perhaps my image mars the foreground of some grand vista.  I exist in these photos only as a bit of furnishings filling out the scene.  I will likely never be aware of these images, much less see them.  The same is true for most all of us.  

These physical photographs are not the only way that we exist as images outside our possession and awareness.  We leave a similar image in the minds of those we encounter.  As I have made my way through life I have left my memory everywhere I have been.  In most cases I exist as no more than a bit of scenery that the person either didn't notice in the first place or that has been blurred by the passage of time.  But in a few cases I may exist as more.  Some phrase I spoke, some action I took, some feeling I caused likely exists that I am completely unaware of.

As we pass through this world, we have an effect on people that we will likely never be aware of.  Sometimes this is a positive influence, sometimes it is not.  Sometimes we can control this influence, other times we have no control over how someone perceives our actions or words.  In the end, we have no idea how far our actions may travel.  We only have the responsibility to leave the best images that we can in the mind's of those we encounter.

What images did you leave behind today?

Fog

Today as I was leaving for my evening run, I was greeted by this view.  Fog was moving in across the top of Clinch Mountain while a different fog bank filled the valley.

Carl Sandburg described fog in this way:

Fog

THE fog comes

on little cat feet.

It sits looking

over harbor and city

on silent haunches

and then moves on.

To me, the fog looks more like an invading army crashing across the mountain and into the valley.  It engulfs all in its path as it obliterates sight and sound.  It silently stalks as it invades the valley below.

Perhaps its all a matter of perspective.  If you are the field mouse is there a difference between the cat and the invading army?

Running with dogs

Several months ago I started taking our dogs with me when I run.  Both dogs are rescues of questionable heritage.  We think Beau is half Australian Shepherd and half Sheltie.  Aja is anyone’s guess.  She has a caramel colored coat, but if you brush it in the opposite direction of its growth it is cream colored.  She has never barked but talks extensively which leads me to believe there might be some shibu inu in her family tree.  I choose our run route based on where other dogs live and am able to let them run off leash.  I started taking them to let them get some extra exercise, but as I run with them I find that I learn from them. 

Lessons learned:

Appreciate every run.  No matter the weather, the time of day, the day of the week or the number of times we have ran already in a particular week, Aja and Beau are always excited to go for a run.  They eagerly wait at the gate to the backyard and jump in excitement.  They approach each run with an excitement that I aspire to.  Sometimes I approach runs as chores to be completed, when I should take the time to appreciate each run.  There are many people who are unable or unwilling to do what I enjoy but sometimes take for granted.

Be aware of change.  Beau notices any change to anything on our runs.  If someone throws out a beer can, Beau sees it the next day.  If a car is parked in a different spot, Beau notices it.  If it has rained and the creek is higher, Beau notices.  He may be afraid of his own shadow, but he will never be caught unawares by change.  Any major change in our lives is often foreshadowed by smaller changes if only we take the time to notice and be aware.

Be friendly to the neighbors.  Aja has never met a stranger.  Her take on life is that everyone is there to see her and she shall greet them with gusto.  Any person who happens to be outside while we are running is promptly greeted.  Sometimes I get so wrapped up in the day to day that I forget or least don’t take the time to exchange hellos.

Pay no mind to your haters. Along our route we pass one house in particular where another dog lives.  It rarely leaves the yard, but barks everytime we pass.  Aja and Beau pay absolutely no mind to it.  They know he is of no danger to them and treat him accordingly.  Many of us (myself included) would do well to ignore those who bark negatives while we continue to move forward.

Enjoy the wildlife.  On any given day we may see deer, coyote, fox, owl, hawk, heron, kingfisher, groundhog, possum, squirrel, raccoon, or any number of smaller birds or mammals.  I sometimes take it for granted.  The dogs never do.  Ever.  Nothing is more exciting than a squirrel sighting.  Beau transforms from a slightly paranoid bundle of nerves into a squirrel hunting machine.  He fox hops his way through the trees chasing his quarry.  I’m not sure what he will do if he ever catches one, but he certainly enjoys the chase.

There is always an energy reserve.  Ten miles into any run the dogs have slowed their pace.  They stay on the road and stay by my side.  Until they see a squirrel.  Then any tiredness is forgotten.  They bolt like it is their first step of the day.  I need to remember that no matter how tired I may think I am, it is only my mind telling my body lies.  My legs aren’t going to fall off, my lungs aren’t going to explode and I’m not going to pass out.  Keep pushing!

The more I run with the dogs the more lessons I learn, if only I take the time.

Past, Present, Future

In Charles Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol”, Ebeneezer Scrooge is visited by three spirits.  He is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, Present and Future.  In the same way we all exist in three forms at any given moment.  There is the me that WAS, the me that IS and the me that WILL BE.  

The me that WAS may seem like a dead, static and unchanging entity but that is not an entirely true perception.  As time moves forward the lenses through which we view our past selves are constantly changing.  What were once intense emotions become much more muted feelings.  Seemingly unconnected events become clearer as interconnected, interwoven webs.  Actions by others (and ourselves) that we once could not fathom, much less understand, become clearer as we can see the circumstances surrounding them.  Time and distance provide a clarity that proximity clouds.

The me that IS is the only person that I have control over.  While I can’t always control the circumstances that surround me, I do always have control over how I choose to react to them.  The me that IS can also effect the me that WAS.  I can’t change actions that I have taken or events that occurred, but I can choose how I view those occurrences.  I can choose to view them as things that happened to me or as things that happened because of me.  I can choose to take responsibility or I can choose to point a finger of blame and excuse.  It is the choice that the me that IS makes that determines the perception.  The me that IS also influences the me that WILL BE.  

Every choice that I make today affects the me that WILL BE.  I can’t always see how the influence will play out, I can only make the best choices that I can with the information that I have.  It can be a paralyzing thought to ponder how much we don’t have control over in our lives.  On the other side of the coin, it is cowardly to not take responsibility for the person that we will be in the future.  The best we can do is to plan for the future that we hope to see while remaining flexible to the ebb and flow of life.  

These three entities, the me that WAS, the me that IS and the me that WILL BE combine to create this person known as Dallas.  The same applies to you.  Be the best trio that you can be.  It’s the least that any of us can do for all of us.

Sand Cave and White Rocks Revisted

To end 2012 we took another hike to Sand Cave and White Rocks.  This was my third trip and J's second trip.  It was a cool 26 degrees when we parked the car and headed up the trail.  When we made it about one mile we started seeing snow along the trail.  By the time we were two miles into the hike the trail was completely covered in snow.  Luckily there was only 2-3 inches of snow.

The greatest treat of hiking in the snow is the multitude of animal tracks that you see.  We saw coyote, fox, and deer tracks.  We also saw what we are both convinced were bear tracks.

 Standing inside the cave and looking out at the waterfall is a great treat.

Even after three hikes to the cave, I'm still amazed by the scale.

Looking out from the back of the cave is always a beautiful sight.  This trip it was made all the better by the ice and snow covering all the trees.

When we made it to White Rocks we quickly discovered that the trail between the rocks was impassable or at least very unsafe because of ice.  It was like trying to climb a frozen waterfall.

Luckily I remembered seeing hikers taking a different route to the top on a previous trip.  After a minor scramble through a rhododendron thicket we were greeted by a beautiful view.  There was fog visible between the mountains off in the distance.

I love hiking new trails, but sometimes hiking a trail I have hiked before in a different season can be just as exciting.

Happy New Year: 2013 Goals

Happy New Year!

With the success of last year's goal setting process, I decided to continue the process and build on it for 2013.  In order to keep my goals in front of me, I did a goal board for 2012.  I wrote each goal on a piece of paper and posted it on a bulletin board in the hallway where I would see it everyday.  For the monthly goals I wrote each month on the paper and then updated my progress on the last day of each month.  I also added a calendar to the board where I recorded all of my runs and workouts for an additional check-in.

For 2013 I made a new goal board with one small change.  This year J set goals as well so we have a color coded board.  Blue goals are mine, green goals are J's and orange goals are mutual goals.  I put the goals on the board this morning to kick off 2013.  Once again I wanted all of the goals to be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-sensitive).  General statements of goals just do not work for me.

Dallas' 2013 Personal Goals

Goal 1: Complete Covenant Health Marathon.
The Marathon is April 7th.  I am following Hal Higdon's Novice 2 plan.  I did two half marathons last year so a full marathon just seems like the next logical step.

Goal 2: Hike 150 new Smokies trail miles.
My eventual goal is to hike all the trails in the Smokies.  As I complete miles, it gets harder to complete new miles without repeating segments and without long drives.  With that in mind I scaled back this year's goal from the 200 miles I attempted last year.  I'll post my new miles on the goal board to help keep me motivated and accountable.

Goal 3: Post a 5k time under 20 minutes.
My best 5k time so far is 21:44.  I won't start seriously working on this goal until after the marathon.  I don't want to risk an injury doing speedwork until after the marathon is past.

Goal 4: Maintain weight under 200 lbs.
Training for the marathon should help me with this one.  I will weigh myself each week and record the results on the goal board to keep track on my progress.

Goal 5: Run 1300 miles.
Last year I ran 1169 miles.  In order to run 1300 miles I will have to average 25 miles per week.  I will record my mileage at the end of each month on the goal board to stay on track and stay motivated.

Goal 6: Lift weights 3 times per week.
I'll mark each workout on the goal board to stay on track.  I forsee this being the hardest goal for me to stick to.  I HATE to lift weights.

Goal 7: Blog 2 times per week.
In order to improve my writing skills and my creativity I am going to blog more often.  Topics will vary from my marathon training, hiking reports, travel notes, and whatever happens to be on my mind.  I'll mark the blogs each week on the goal board to be sure I am staying on track.

Goal 8: Read ten books.
I tend to spend way too much of my downtime mindlessly surfing the internet when I could be reading something of substance.  I'll record each book read on the goal board and may post book reviews on this blog.

Mutual goals

Goal 1: Keep credit cards paid off monthly.
We'll check off each month on the goal board.

Goal 2: Have 2X in savings.
Continuing to direct deposit money into the savings account should allow us to double the amount we have in savings by the end of the year.  We'll write the savings balance on the goal board at the end of each month.

Goal 3: Try 5 new fruits.
Last year we tried 5 new vegetables, this year we will try 5 new fruits.

Goal 4: Visit one new place each month.
We tend to get stuck in a rut.  We go the same restaurants, we go to the same events, we take the same drives.  To blast out of the rut we are going to do one thing each month that we have never done before.  This should be an interesting goal.

365 days to meet 12 goals.  Time to get to work!  Best of luck on your goals for 2013.

Reviewing 2012 Goals

Instead of making New Year's resolutions for 2012, I decided to set goals.  I wanted the goals to be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-specific).  I set 12 goals for the year in various areas of my life.  Some were yearlong goals that would need to be evaluated monthly and some were goals that referenced one time events.  To end 2012 and get ready to kick off 2013 I need to review the goals.

Goal 1: Maintain a weight under 210 pounds.
Success!  I had a little weight creep during the holidays, but managed to keep it under the magic number.

Goal 2: Visit three new states.
Success!  Our trip to the Northwest in June included Washington, Oregon and Alaska.

Goal 3: Complete the Covenant Health Half Marathon.
Success!  I finished the half marathon in 1:49:40.

Goal 4: Participate in four additional races.
Success! I ended up running in 9 additional races.  Six 5k, two 10k and another half marathon.

Goal 5: Complete 200 new miles of Smokies trails.
Close, but no cigar.  I completed 182.4 new miles of trail on 15 separate hikes.  I completed 91% of the goal.

Goal 6: Try five new vegatables.
Success!  I sampled brussel sprouts, fennel, swiss chard, parsnips and bok choy for the first time this year,

Goal 7: Pay off our credit cards at the end of each month.
Success!  Well, mostly.  0 balance to end the year at least.

Goal 8: Have $X in savings.
Success!  Setting up a direct deposit into a savings account was key.  If it never hit the checking account, it was like we didn't have it to spend.

Goal 9: Pay off the Civic.
Success!

Goal 10:  Post a 5k time of under 25 minutes.
Success!  My best time for the year was 21:44.

Goal 11: Run 1000 miles.
Success!  My total for the year was 1169 miles.

Goal 12: Read at least 10 new books.
Success!

Having goals that were specific worked much better for me than a general resolution (lose weight, etc.).  I'm looking forward to getting to work on my 2013 goals!