A "Flood" of Emotions....

We have had a lot of rain this past week, on top of the few feet of snow piled up on the ground. With all the water, rivers have been flooding. I took the following pictures with my mobile phone while I was out running by the DuPage River. As my thoughts turned towards the romance of the year that is almost over. After serious emotional involvements in 2007 and 2008, I am looking forward to next year, when I can accomplish more intellectual work.

Running through the Fog

Today was a very foggy day in Chicagoland...Midway airport was closed in the evening because of poor visibility.
I went out running in the evening, and tried to cut through the junk fogging my brain. Sometimes it is hard to do, when one's feelings are involved. But one needs to keep moving on, and perhaps take a fall or two.

Where are you, when the Sun comes down
So far away from me...

Dire Straits.

Feminine Intuition- Does not make the market go up

In March 2007, I got acquainted with a nice Indian woman from New York. We had a fun, romantic relationship that lasted just three months. Unfortunately we broke up while I was in Hawaii for a conference- needless to say that I did not particularly enjoy the beautiful location.

After my return I was talking to her one day and said that I had shorted the S&P 500. She, being a former CEO and a capitalist who made a ton of money through stock options, warned me to close my position because being short was rather risky and not warranted, according to her. Even though I told her my longstanding views on the market, my short position only confirmed her view that I was a very risky (foolish) person financially.

When I look back today, and see where the market is, I would have to say that my bet and my confidence in myself have been well-justified. Feminine intuition can be wrong, sometimes!

To this friend's credit, she did take me to Central Park so that I could run around the Jacqueline Onassis Reservoir and take in the sights. Thanks!

RND- Running, Nurses and Doctors

Yesterday I had to go to LMC to see an ophthalmologist. The nurse, Sara, was excellent, and in the course of conversation told me she went to NU, which is my Alma Mater too. She is also a runner, and her brother has run 5 marathons. The doctor who eventually saw me, is also a runner, and has run half marathons but not a full one.
It is always a pleasure to meet health professionals who keep fit. Gives one some confidence that the person knows how to take care of his/her body and also the mind.

Memories of an Indecent Education...Brotherhood of Man

I lived in Alakananda hostel in my first year at IIT_Madras. My next four years were in Narmada- known for "high-fliers."
I used to listen to some fabulous music in our "Common Room" while reading the newspaper or some magazines, or playing carroms. Some of the music I listened to...
Brotherhood of Man- Long ago, high on a mountain in Mexico...
Simon and Garfunkel
Saturday Night Fever
AC/DC- Back in Black
Deep Purple- Smoke on the Water
Bread
Lobo
Beatles
Supertramp
Abba
and so on..
The Dark Side of the Moon was the piece de resistance..

I also had the great pleasure of listening to many wonderful compositions of Ilayaraja in Tamil.

Getting Cold Feet...

After a rather sad, bleak and morose stretch, I went out to run this evening as it was snowing. The streets were slushy and wet, and my feet were COLD and wet too. But it was invigorating, and relaxing. Running does clear the head, and helps one focus.
Now, have to grade a bunch of stuff...so better to start running. More productive this way than running after a mirage, which is what my female friend proved to be.

Time - the merciless saw, not the tender healer

My brother, who was visiting us for the holidays, just returned to his home in Canada today. My older sister is flying out tomorrow. My brother, who is extra-ordinarily talented but unbelievably humane and kind, has been a pillar of strength for me over the years, but especially this year. It has been an uneven, up and down year. Started the year with my receiving tenure, a fairly significant milestone. Then I got very attached to a young lady who then led me on a roller-coaster ride for the rest of this year, ending with a Bruce-Lee type kick in my stomach a couple of days ago. While I try to focus on the things at hand, especially my students, my brother has been the glue holding everything together. I have, though, worked hard at providing a number of opportunities for my students. I hope they gain from those experiences- stuff no one did for me in College.

As the anthem-ic Hindi song goes..
Ruk Jana nahin tu kahin haar ke
kanto pe chelke milenge saaye bahaar ke

Began in Summer 2007 to end in November 2008

I met a woman last August, and over the next eight months or so I thought we became close. Today, she put the finishing touches to the end of the relationship. She never did explain why.

It has been a rough two years...

Run-down but up on running

After a few weeks of laziness, I returned to running yesterday. I had gone on a bus ride to Minneapolis/St.Paul and found that my fitness had slipped. So back to running. It feels good and contrary to logic, I eat less when I run.
On the flip side, I am trying to deal with the realization that a woman I had met over a year ago and had been communicating with since (and who I thought was the woman of my dreams) is not interested in sharing her life with me. Hard part is that I cannot fathom the reason why. I expect this is another of life's interesting twists.

Reflections....and Oases

The day after...

Obama has run a smart campaign, focusing on the Iraq war during the primaries and shifting to the economy as the summer rolled on. Now, he has to be smart in selecting his team, and be tactical in dealing with the current crises.

While the Obaminauguration show goes on, the business of business also goes on.

Obama has emphasized fair and free trade, which is causing nervousness among many countries.

In an article titled "Obama Victory Provokes Trade Worries In Asia" Tina Wang writes that "Asian countries are bracing themselves for the impact on trade policy of Barack Obama's victory in the U.S. presidential election Tuesday. Obama's win could delay a major trade pact with South Korea and could intensify pressure on China on the related issues of its currency valuation and the U.S. trade deficit.In the weeks leading up to this election, Obama has voiced a tougher stance on trade negotiations with South Korea and China than has his Republican rival, John McCain. In particular, Obama has suggested he would push for a revision of the terms of a historic free trade agreement signed in 2007 by South Korea and the United States, after nearly a year of tough talks, and yet to be ratified by the two countries. The FTA would abolish most tariffs on goods traded between the two countries and would add tens of billions of dollars to bilateral trade.

"Koreans are all worrying about the FTA," said Dong Hyu Yang, an economist at Seoul National University. "Mr. Obama would like to renegotiate the agreement, but I wonder if this is possible from this side." The South Korean government may not be ready to renegotiate, but "it all depends on how tough Mr. Obama will get about this issue," he added.

......One major question will be how President-elect Obama responds to a protectionist-leaning Congress, which Tuesday turned over more Republican seats for Democratic gains. Some Senate Democrats have been vocal critics of China's currency controls and called for stepping up duties on Chinese imports.

Obama said in September that he was concerned about Chinese textile imports and would consider levying restrictions on Chinese goods, as well as promising to exert greater pressure on Beijing to allow the yuan more leeway to appreciate in order to narrow the $260 billion U.S. trade deficit with China. A China Daily editorial Wednesday analyzing the U.S. presidential election outcome responded to some of the concerns of U.S. trade critics: "As a growing market with 1.3 billion people, China is going to consume more goods made in America, creating job opportunities for the US."

According to Bloomberg, Luxury retailers may suffer the industry's biggest reversal of fortune during the holidays as the global financial crisis dents the wealth of the richest Americans.

The Institute for Supply Management's non-manufacturing index, which covers almost 90 percent of the economy, fell to 44.4, below economists' forecasts and the worst result since records began in 1997. A private survey indicated that companies axed 157,000 workers last month.

A Nice November Surprise

Today, November 2nd, happened to be a really nice day. After moving the clock backwards in the morning, I worked on a power outlet that had stopped working. After removing the outlet and putting everything back, I found that the outlet now works just fine. I have no clue what the problem had been in the first place.
Then I looked up the NYT and saw that Paula Radcliffe had won the Marathon. Ever since her phenomenal time of 2 hrs 15 minutes 25 seconds, she has not quite lived up to her billing, but apparently ran a strong race today.
It was a partly sunny, cool but not cold, windy morning in Chicago, with temperature around 62 degrees, when I put on my shorts and my Tellabs T-shirt and went out for a run. I felt great and my legs felt strong- something I have not experienced in a long time. I went for a long run and ran eight plus miles at an under seven minute mile pace. When the body works like a well-tuned violin the music of running is just intoxicating. The mind focuses on positive thoughts, and the energy is infectious.
Came back, showered, ate lunch, and then did come clean-up around the house.
Thanks, nature, for a wonderful day.

Lunch with GG

Today I went to downtown Chicago to meet a friend I had not seen in a few years. GG and I did our graduate studies at NU at the same time. We had a nice lunch at Khyber Pass, shared stories about the people we had shared cubicles with for many a year. All of us have other interests now, and it is always fascinating to hear the progression in our friends' lives. On the other side, age is taking its pound of flesh, and we seem to suffer from a variety of ailments.
GG, thanks for the great times at NU, and thanks for the lunch.

What is romance without running?

Romance and Running are inter-twined. One cannot appreciate romance unless one appreciates movement.
As I was out running today I thought about some of the interesting ladies I have met over the years, and the romances that might have blossomed...

As John Cougar once sang..
Life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone...

or as the Boss sang,

Someday girl I don't know when were gonna get to that place
Where we really want to go and well walk in the sun
But till then tramps like us baby we were born to run

Chicago Marathon tomorrow

The Chicago Marathon is on again tomorrow. I am hoping that I can train and perhaps run a half marathon next year, and then consider running a marathon again.
After running a marathon, the whole body could be in pain, but the mind and soul are ecstatic. One feels a great sense of spanning a vast distance. Quite different from the sensation one gets when a romance goes awry- a sensation of a gulf that spans a vast distance, a mind and soul in pain. Perhaps it is just two sides of the same coin....

Hail to HAILE GEBRSELASSIE

Gebrselassie performed a remarkable feat of endurance and speed on Sunday 9/28. He ran the marathon in 2:03:59..the first one to break the 2:04 barrier.

Details about his splits can be found here. His pace over the second half of the race was amazing.

Hats off to the Ethiopian! Haile expects the 2 hr speed limit to be broken too, though perhaps not by him.

The music of Lakshmikant-Pyarelal (LP)

As one interested in running and in romance, I love some of the great romantic tunes created by the major music composers of the 70s and 80s, LP. I have been listening to the tunes in Prem Geet, and also songs like mere naseeb mein aye dost. While LP composed too many songs, and consequently too many junk songs, they did have their beautiful compositions. Their first movie, Parasmani, had some wonderful songs, like Hasta hua noorani chehra and salaamat raho.
Thanks LP for many many hours of entertainment.

Flooded streets + lazy mind = no running

On a day like today, when one is forced to do work indoors, music is one's salvation. Two of my favorites, both by Dylan..

CONGRATULATIONS
(The Traveling Wilburys)
Congratulations for breaking my heart
Congratulations for tearing it all apart
Congratulations you finally did succeed
Congratulations for leaving me in need

This morning I looked out my window and found
A bluebird singing but there was no one around
At night I lay alone in my bed
With an image of you goin' around in my head

Congratulations for bringing me down
Congratulations now I'm sorrow bound
Congratulations you got a good deal
Congratulations how good you must feel

I guess that I must have loved you more than I ever knew
My world is empty now cause it don't have you
And if I had just one more chance to win your heart again
I would do things differently but what's the use to pretend

Congratulations for making me wait
Congratulations now it's too late
Congratulations you came out on top
Congratulations you never did know when to stop

Congratulations
***********
Positively 4th Street


You got a lotta nerve
To say you are my friend
When I was down
You just stood there grinning

You got a lotta nerve
To say you gotta helping hand to lend
You just want to be on
The side that's winning

You say I let you down
You know it's not like that
If you're so hurt
Why then don't you show it

You say you lost your faith
But that's not where it's at
You had no faith to lose
And you know it

I know the reason
That you talk behind my back
I used to be among the crowd
You're in with

Do you take me for such a fool
To think I'd make contact
With the one who tries to hide
What he don't know to begin with

You see me on the street
You always act surprised
You say, "how are you? " "good luck"
But you don't mean it

When you know as well as me
You'd rather see me paralyzed
Why don't you just come out once
And scream it

No, I do not feel that good
When I see the heartbreaks you embrace
If I was a master thief
Perhaps I'd rob them

And now I know you're dissatisfied
With your position and your place
Don't you understand
It's not my problem

I wish that for just one time
You could stand inside my shoes
And just for that one moment
I could be you

Yes, I wish that for just one time
You could stand inside my shoes
You'd know what a drag it is
To see you

RunUp & Rundown

I have not run in a few days, as a number of unexpected events have taken control of my schedule. The run-up, term used often in cricket, is quite critical to the success of the bowler. For the runner the run-up is essential, otherwise the run-down phase takes over.

Not 'Run of the Mill' Music

Thanks to my incredible brother, I am listening to some wonderful music from my school and college years...
* Woh bhooli Dastaan lo phir yaad agaae..
* kabhi kisi ko mukammal jahan nahin milta
kahin zameen to kahin aasman nahin milta
jisay bhi dekhiyay woh apnay aap mein goum hai
zuban mili hai magar hum zuban nahin milta
*ek din bik jayega
* tere hamsafar geet hai tere
* seene mein jalan
* tu ne kahin aur mein ne maani, o dilber jani

And of course
* Dark side of the moon
* Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits
* Come September(Billy Vaughn)

Noteworthy Olympic Run

For the first time in Olympic history, a Nigerian has won the gold in the marathon.

According to the BBC, "Sammy Wanjiru won Kenya's first ever gold in the men's marathon, breaking the Olympic record despite the soaring heat in Beijing. Wanjiru, who was among the leading pack which set the fast early pace, pulled away in the final kilometres to win in 2 hours six minutes and 32 seconds."

This got me thinking about the great Irish marathoner Steve Jones, who set a course record in running a spectacular marathon in Chicago in 1985.

Outrun and Out-pun

Trying to outrun the ghosts that are chasing me- not an easy task for the thoughtful.

Purposeful Running-

I have been thinking about running to work from home, a distance of about 18 miles each way. In that context I read an interesting article in the WSJ on people running to work, especially in California.

Going the Distance to 'Save Gas' Extreme Runners Commute by Sneaker, Pushed by Pump Prices -- and a Bit of Fanaticism

Given the right conditions, running is the fun way to commute. I happen to observe and note so many things when I am out running.

Running "Sole"fully

In Chicagoland, the organization SCARCE enables folks to donate their used gym shoes for recycling. It is a great effort and something I personally take advantage of.

Running On Treadmills..not ROT.

The vice president of marketing for a leading fitness equipment manufacturer graciously does a guest lecture in my marketing class whenever I ask him- such people are a rarity these days! Thanks B.

Last time B. was in my class, he talked about the current innovations in treadmills, including integration with anything 'Apple'- like the iPods and iPhones and iTunes. Soon to come would be iShoes. While the integration delivers value and makes running on a treadmill less monotonous, it is not for me. The whole reason for my running is to be outdoors and experience the wind and the other natural elements. For those who 'tread' alone and on a lonely path...

Running past Mediocrity

One great benefit of long distance running is that it gives the runner the time to reflect. I was doing precisely that today, as I passed by a bridge that was reconstructed and the Mayor was performing the opening.
Mediocrity is all around us. The media does a great job of demonstrating it. A good runner know to push the body beyond the normal limits, and doing something useful for society.

Running In Rhythm

It is fairly common to see folks running with their iPods and headsets. I don't run with any of these attachments as I take my running rather seriously. But the music keeps on playing inside my head, and it amazes me that the body synchronizes with the music that I choose to play in my mind. Today I was playing the songs of U2 from the Joshua Tree. They are perfect for a runner.

Childhood Romance

After quite a few years, I finally ran in Denada forest preserve, and logged more than 8 miles. This area has some beautiful running trails. I went to the horse farm at one end of the trail and came back.
Running in this preserve reminds of my grandfather's farm and the great fun I used to have when we visited our grandparents every summer. We would be wandering in the farms and we would get any melon or coconut or other fruits that we wanted. But what I remember the most is the vast expanse of greenery. The current Denada area distinctly has the same quality. Through supporting the local and county government through taxes and having my own prairie, I have contributed to the long term prospects for this preserve.

Picking up the Pace

Of late, I have observed that it is easy for me to fall into a rhythm when running and not push myself. No reason to push, just enjoy the moment, is what I say to myself.
As one of my students told me, in a different context, unless I pick up the pace, I will be left behind even if I am doing well.
Pushing oneself hard but intelligently enough to finish strongly- that is the Challenge.

Ob(ama)esity

Read an interesting story in the WSJ online edition.
Sen. Obama comes across as a fit individual, both physically and mentally.
The Rupert Murdoch sham paper tries to spin even this perception negatively-

"Too Fit to Be President? Facing an Overweight Electorate, Barack Obama Might Find Low Body Fat a Drawback"

According to this article, "in a nation in which 66% of the voting-age population is overweight and 32% is obese, could Sen. Obama's skinniness be a liability? Despite his visits to waffle houses, ice-cream parlors and greasy-spoon diners around the country, his slim physique just might have some Americans wondering whether he is truly like them."

So, the public wants to elect someone who is truly like them? Like George Bush?

It appears that there is no floor to the level to which the Murdoch gang will stoop to.

I, for one, will only go to a doctor who is fitter than I am. That is the only way I can get better.

Running Interest in Music

An article in the NYT titled "India’s New Partnership: Bollywood and Hip-Hop" describes Snoop Dogg's guest appearance on an upcoming Bollywood movie, “Singh Is Kinng.”
Music is a big part of Indian movies- good music can generate big audiences even for movies that are lousy otherwise.
Trying to guess the lyricist or the composer or the singers of a tune is one of my favorite pastimes- also happens to be a favorite pastime of many an Indian.

Chasing a genius

I just finished chatting with my brother in Google Chat. His knowledge of music, especially in Hindi, Telugu, Kannada and Tamil, is the greatest I have seen or heard or read about. He remembers even the obscure but wonderful songs.

Losing 'sight' of the goal

Today, I had a 11:20 appointment to see an optometrist for a new pair of glasses.
I went out running at 9:30, and in order not to be late, I put in a really fast run. I came home at 10:40 and had time to shower and go to the doctor. The downside was that I was sluggish the whole day.
Better to pace oneself.

Keeping Cool when the Running gets Hot

These days the temperature and humidity are fairly high even in early morning, so the runner has to innovate to keep cool. Dousing oneself with water, sharing the misery with others, etc. are some examples.

Running On FEAR

Sen. McCain has been jumping on Sen. Obama because the latter does not seem to appreciate how much McCain's vote for the 'Surge' changed the situation in Iraq. This coming on top of McCain's chief strategist, Charlie Black saying that another terrorist attack on U.S. soil " would be a big advantage to him" i.e. Sen. McCain.

Sen. McCain is sticking to the 'FHUD' script Karl Rove developed for George Bush and running on FEAR, spreading 'us versus them' mentality based on religion, i.e. promoting Hatred, and creating Uncertainty and Doubt. He might win the election... in which case I will have to keep experiencing "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner," a wonderful story by Alan Sillitoe.

A Runner's Optimism Run Amok

Runners tend to be optimistic- one HAS to be, to do something that is monotonous on a daily basis. I try to be optimistic about the potential for solutions to all the social problems facing the country. I enough creative minds work on the problems, they can be addressed. But at the core, the fundamental principle of caring for others needs to be established.

Habit or Addiction

Addictions are NOT good, according to the medical community. But good habits are supposed to be good.... The line between a habit and an addiction is fine.
I have been running every day for quite a while now, so not going for a run feels very hard, almost akin to withdrawal symptoms. I have not run for two days in a row now. While the body feels sluggish, it sends a reminder that running is not an addiction, just a good habit.

Walk, Don't Run

A confluence of circumstances prevented me from running today, so I went walking to the grocery store this evening to pick up a few groceries.
One gets to observe a lot more during a walk than during a run; on the other hand a run provides a much better feeling of movement than a walk.

Running is still the best leisure activity there is.

A Running Friendship

A good friend of mine JZ visited me yesterday. Beginning in 1983 or 84, he has run many marathons, in very good times, and has been the inspiration behind my pursuit of running and racing. While we both used to do 20 mile runs in the eighties, we have cut down our mileage substantially- we do a few miles every day and perhaps an eight miler over the weekend.

Distance And Dedication- what I learned from my DAD

Run

Running in the hot and humid weather today took its toll- I started counting hyphenated words that started with 'run' and got only four...

Down
Out
In
Off

A Marathon Mind

Today I met one of my students, MS. She intends to do a summer research Project.
She told me that one of her room mates did a marathon in 3:05 or under.'
Would be really interesting to run a marathon again.

A Musical Run

Out running this morning I was reminiscing about my recent affaire du coeur and my thoughts turned to music..some wonderful hindi songs from yesteryears with exquisite lyrics.

चोधो सनम काहे का गम
हँसते रहो खिलते रहो

and

रुक जाना नहीं तू कहीं हार के,
काँटों पे चल के मिलिंगे साए बहार के
ओराही.. ओ राही..

and

तेरे हम सफर गीत हैं तेरे
गीत ही तो जीवन मीत हैं तेरे

My eternal gratitude to my father for developing a love of music in all of us. He had the most amazing music collection of all the people I have ever known!

FTO - Faster Than Oprah

On my short run this morning, I remembered coming into my office in 1994 the day after running the Chicago Marathon. My good friend and former manager Bob had written FTO on the whiteboard in my office, with the sub-title "Faster Than Oprah." It cracked me up then, and I still smile when I remember that incident.

Running on Empty

It was one of those hot and humid mornings, and while I was running decently, three young high school runners passed me- something that would have been unlikely ten years ago. While I am a good runner, my friends put me down as one of those talented people who never realize their full potential. Reminded me of Christine Lahti in Running on Empty. One of the best actresses of the past twenty years in one of the greatest movies of all time.

A year ago....

I was running in the morning along the Kona coast on the Big Island in Hawaii. I had gone there to attend a conference. Also happened to sight some dolphins.

Ah...Hawaii...the home of the running gods!

A Runner's Heaven

While out running late this morning I reflected on my recent romances and the attendant issues. Then my thoughts turned to two lovely movies based on running and life.

Chariots of Fire- especially notable for an excellent Vangelis score, and

Bacheha-Ye aseman or Children of Heaven- a top-notch Iranian movie.

As Eric Liddell says "Then where does the power come from, to see the race to its end? From within."

Run down!

This morning I had a good easy run and wondered about all the time spent in running.

A LONG RUN- From St. Paul's to St. Paul...

I could not run this morning as I got up quite late and had to hurry to meet a student working on a research project. Consequently I went running in the evening, in the hot and humid air. As my legs propelled me forward my thoughts ran backwards to the first time I ever 'ran' in a race. I was a student at St. Paul's High School, and I was in the seventh grade, I think (circa 1973). The gym teacher organized heats for a 100 metre dash. I decided to run and qualified in the first two rounds but could not make the top three in the third round. After that race, I never paid much attention to running and never raced until I started running seriously in 1985. I have to thank my great friend and motivator Jim for pushing me to run seriously.

While I have run in many places around the world, I have yet to visit (and run in) St. Paul in Minnesota. When I do, it will be a LONG RUN, indeed!

Familiar Faces

Running had had an interesting effect one. Over the years I have come to recognize and acknowledge many runners. Some of them run on the same path I do, and roughly at the same times. We never exchange names, but recognize and acknowledge the other. It's a silent, anonymous friendship.

**My motto: Ask questions. **

Running Slow to Run Fast

When I went on my short run today I met two boys, probably high school kinds, at the water fountain. I asked them what distance they were doing and one of them replied 20 miles.I asked if they were preparing for the marathon and apparently one of them was.
It reminded me of my first marathon. I had trained very hard to run my first marathon in 1988 (Chicago marathon), but the marathon was canceled that year and I ran the half marathon that was organized that year. The following year, 1989, I ran my first marathon. I consciously ran a 'slow' first half because I wanted to be sure I had 'enough' left in the tank to finish. I did hit the wall, but survived and finished the marathon in 3:23 or so.
It does help to run a slower pace in the beginning when the temptation is to run fast. One can put on a stronger second half and pass many people. A similar example holds for life in general- it helps to slow down in order to go fast.

Running and Music

There are some folks who run (or jog) with their portable music player, often an iPod. I like to run without any wires or devices. However I do have music playing in my head, from memory. Occasionally passers-by will notice me smiling because I happened to remember a scene in a movie which featured a song. Music, the 'soulful' gift from the Running Goddess!

Making a Run at it....

While I was out running this morning, I thought about the various ways the word "run" has been used. Some of my recollections:

• Baby we were Born to Run.....The Boss.
• Run, in Sports- Cricket, Baseball, Football
• Running away together...an OLD song by Brotherhood of Man (popular in the 70s)
• Running on Empty...one of my Favorite movies
• Run-down places
• Running down somebody
• Running into somebody
• Running out of steam

More to be added later.

Undulations

Runners are a non-homogeneous, weird bunch. There are some who are obsessed with their 'times' and their PRs (personal best times) for various distances. Then there are others who run for fun and don't keep a log of their daily distances or times.
Many in the former group prefer flat terrains so that they can record good times. While I do pay attention to my times when I am competing, I prefer an undulating hilly terrain for my runs. Running is a rather boring sport, and hills and mountains provide some excitement, the joy of discovering something 'beyond.'
I have run in many places- my favorite ones are as follows:

1. Kauai
   
2. Hilo
3. Vancouver
4. La Jolla
5. Portland

Just as in running, romance and life are more enjoyable if they are undulating, have peaks and valleys and unfold mysteries beyond what the senses can perceive.

Running in the Past

The following image is taken from
http://www.justaminute.com.au/squiggles/popup.cfm?page_id=28498&section_id=154929

I have this picture in a large frame hanging in my office.

The Essence Of Survival
Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed...every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle...when the sun comes up, you'd better be running.

While I was running this morning I happened to recollect the happy days of the early 80s when I was at Northwestern and I ran by the lake. I used to run early in the morning and I often saw a young Indian woman running along the same path and the same distance. One day I happened to catch up with her and introduce myself. She was working for the American Medical Association then.
Last year I ran in Central Park for the first time. That was an interesting event too.

Couple of my favorite movies:
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, and
Running on Empty

Good old days

When I was out running a couple of days ago, I was thinking about my experiences with romantic relationships and about the good old days. The wonderful song by Billy Joel, Keeping the Faith, came to mind..

"You know the good ole days weren't always good
And tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems

....
Oh, I'm going to listen to my 45's
Ain't it wonderful to be alive
When the rock 'n' roll plays, yeah
When the memory stays, yeah
I'm keeping the faith"

This morning, as I was out running, a number of high school kids were engaged in the same pursuit. I was able to keep up and then go past them.....yes, I am keeping the faith!

Back in the 80s one evening I was out running on Sheridan Road by the Baha'i temple and a young woman simply ran by me as if I was stationary. I tried hard to catch up with her, and I did after a few miles and then collapsed while she kept on going. Found out later that she had qualified for the US Olympic team. ...Good old days!

Running Past Banality and into Giving and Receiving

As I was running this morning, I was contemplating two excellent articles I had read in yesterday's Financial Times.

Susie Boyt, in her piece "I saw the world in a new light" writes "Very early on in life I planted the idea in myself that only the things I achieve without help count. Inner resources and self-reliance are to me as cigarettes and alcohol are to others. I’ve always done everything possible to avoid putting my hopes or happiness in anyone else’s hands. Yet, as I clung to this kind stranger, wholly undefended, my sense of wellbeing soared. It seemed to me suddenly that help and love are the same. The feelings I had nursed earlier of being hurt and at a loss subsided under this superhuman concern. The whole episode was very moving."

Harry Eyres, in 'The dangers of banality' writes "The danger of banality is an insidious one. Banality weakens our intellectual, spiritual and ethical muscles, rendering us flabby thinkers, unable or unwilling to chew over the difficult matter of experience and make it part of us. The connection between the banality of evil and the evil of banality is the danger of a surrender of our human powers of discrimination. We always need to be discriminating, and we always need to be working on refining our powers of discrimination, or one day we might find we can no longer distinguish between a human being and a widget."

Running, both the physical and the mental aspects, can truly become banal without a conscious effort at recognition and discrimination. In a broader sense of life, providing and receiving help can elevate one above a mere banal existence and open one's mind to possibilities, a de'light'ful experience.

Thanks, Ms. Boyt and Mr. Eyres, for a good education.

Running into a Dead End

One great perk of my current job is that I get to run at my preferred time, i.e. late morning, every day in the summer. This lets me observe a greater cross-section of people. During my daily runs over the past few years, I have had the pleasure of greeting (or being greeted by) a gentleman who lives a few blocks down the street. I would see this gentleman either working in the yard with his dog or walking his dog. Once I saw him with two dogs and asked him about the addition. He said that it was his daughter's and he was taking care of it for her. Exchanging only greetings but never names, we recognized and appreciated each other.

Today I saw this gentleman for the first time this summer. He hailed me from across the street. He was working in the yard as I was running. I waited for the traffic to clear and crossed the street to say hello. I asked him about the dog. I sensed the emotion in his voice when he said he had the dog put down last year because of the pain and suffering the dog was going through. I mumbled something about there being no other alternative sometimes. He added that losing the dog was sometimes a lot more than losing a family member. He remembered that the dog would always accompany him when he went to bed.

All relationships, including those between humans, animals, and plants, involve love and death and are 'moving' experiences. Thus one needs to "keep running." Stagnation is not a choice for the human 'race.'