The great convenience about where I live is the fact that I can walk out my apartment door and run for an hour without touching the same road twice. There are, however, a few cautions to be advised: first, armadillos. They may look cute in a prehistoric "I-can-withstand-a-bomb-blast" way, but don't let these armour-cladden rodents fool you. Legend has it these varmints first carried and spread leprosy. I was running through my barrio the other day when I saw one, and I immediately ran from a smooth heart rate to 200+ beats per minute as I wanted to be no where near this miscreant.
Second: alligators. I know the wildlife quite well surrounding all the ponds/lakes in my neighborhood, and I even have a few "friends" I see on a regular basis. This one day last week was an exception; about 60yds away I spot an odd looking little lizard, which in fact was not little nor was it a lizard, but rather a 3ft+ alligator ready to chomp on my leg. Okay, it wasn't going to chomp on my leg, but it could have, but I did not give it the opportunity as I yet again went from my steady pace running to terminal velocity in less than one second. Additionally, I thought to myself, "This must be a baby gator, which means it probably has a mommy and daddy and a big brother somewhere close." Next time I'm jogging through my 'hood, I shall bring my bayou knife (I just have to buy one first).
Third: I can't really think of anything else, but I did see a raccoon running across the entrance to my neighborhood, and let me tell you, these creatures need some serious work on their running technique. If you've never witnessed these masked bandits running, they look like an obese cat with a shaved tail and a pointy face running with their dairy aires stuck up in the "I just got kicked in the butt" position. Graphic, I know.
Moral of the story is: when you go apartment hunting, make it a point to check the creatures indigenous to your area, especially if you are going to be exposed to them on a daily basis with nothing between you and them except skimpy synthetic fibre running shorts and running shoes.
As for me, life is grand. My training is going splendidly (no details given unless requested). Work is going swimmingly, and my short game is improving due to all the putting and chipping I am doing in the grass next to my apartment.
post scriptum - Let me know if you would like for me to include anything in my writing about my life/training down here in Orlando. I am open to suggestions! I'll be here all week. Don't try the meatloaf...
22 June 2008
08 June 2008
"Om Namah Shivaya"
In the immortal words of John Lennon and the Beatle's song "Across the Universe", "Jai guru deva om. Nothing's gonna change my world..." I am enjoying my Sunday morning.
I was sitting at my lab station last week at work, having a frustrating evening, when I thought of the first time my yoga instructor played the song which is the title of this blog. For no good reason but my own doing, I was in a not-so-chipper mood. I began to chant an internal (A-U-M). The word "Om" has meanings far too numerous to list, but the purpose of my internal chanting was to remove worldly thoughts. For some reason on that particular day, I was the only one and catalyst in my own negative energy. There was nobody else responsible for my thoughts. That being said, the only things with which we can ever have any certainty are our thoughts, words and actions. I am writing this blog on the eve of a previous blog, which I deleted. My dad made me realize I wrote the blog in a reactive manner, and he is right. I accomplished nothing by writing the negative blog other than making my shoulders tense.
Where am I going with this? I just wanted to get some thoughts on paper, rather, a pixelated computer screen, to recharge my thoughts and reset my physical status. Our mental state can have a great impact on our physical lives, and we need to make sure that both attributes are living comfortably and healthy with the other.
Changing topics, I am quite happy with where my training is at the moment. My coach and I have a great game plan for the rest of the season, and I am eager to show you the fruits of our labor on July 13th at the Chattanooga Waterfront Triathlon, in Chattanooga, TN. The fire is burnin' baby.
In closing, I want to again mention my friends at Pedro's. They sent me a tool kit (to say the least) and quite a few bottles of Green lubes, cleaners and other fluids which I have used to fuel one of my passions, which is bike maintenance. My coach has picked up a new client, a promising youngster fresh out of high school, and I used Pedro's gear to overhaul his new bike. I am a big fan of supporting your local bike shop, but a company like Pedro's not only enables you to get your hands dirty by learning how to fix your machine, but saves you a few dollars in repairs costs, labor and fuels costs of driving to your LBS. Thanks guys,
post scriptum - Get yours hands dirty and learn how to tune-up and clean your bicycle. Don't let outside forces out of your control affect your mental state. Listen to "Across the Universe."
I was sitting at my lab station last week at work, having a frustrating evening, when I thought of the first time my yoga instructor played the song which is the title of this blog. For no good reason but my own doing, I was in a not-so-chipper mood. I began to chant an internal (A-U-M). The word "Om" has meanings far too numerous to list, but the purpose of my internal chanting was to remove worldly thoughts. For some reason on that particular day, I was the only one and catalyst in my own negative energy. There was nobody else responsible for my thoughts. That being said, the only things with which we can ever have any certainty are our thoughts, words and actions. I am writing this blog on the eve of a previous blog, which I deleted. My dad made me realize I wrote the blog in a reactive manner, and he is right. I accomplished nothing by writing the negative blog other than making my shoulders tense.
Where am I going with this? I just wanted to get some thoughts on paper, rather, a pixelated computer screen, to recharge my thoughts and reset my physical status. Our mental state can have a great impact on our physical lives, and we need to make sure that both attributes are living comfortably and healthy with the other.
Changing topics, I am quite happy with where my training is at the moment. My coach and I have a great game plan for the rest of the season, and I am eager to show you the fruits of our labor on July 13th at the Chattanooga Waterfront Triathlon, in Chattanooga, TN. The fire is burnin' baby.
In closing, I want to again mention my friends at Pedro's. They sent me a tool kit (to say the least) and quite a few bottles of Green lubes, cleaners and other fluids which I have used to fuel one of my passions, which is bike maintenance. My coach has picked up a new client, a promising youngster fresh out of high school, and I used Pedro's gear to overhaul his new bike. I am a big fan of supporting your local bike shop, but a company like Pedro's not only enables you to get your hands dirty by learning how to fix your machine, but saves you a few dollars in repairs costs, labor and fuels costs of driving to your LBS. Thanks guys,
post scriptum - Get yours hands dirty and learn how to tune-up and clean your bicycle. Don't let outside forces out of your control affect your mental state. Listen to "Across the Universe."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
