During my most recent weekend of teacher training, I
discovered muscles I didn’t know I had.
Not only did we learn the specific names for our forearm muscles
(Extensor Mr. Ouchiness, was the scientific name, I believe), we spent hour
upon hour in poses feeling, using, and exhausting those muscles. Let’s not even mention the
shoulders! Sufficed to say,
soaking in Epsom salts has been my saving grace. So what did I do after 16 hours of teacher training over the
weekend? Got up at 5 am on Monday
to teach Yoga on the Run! Can you
say Yoga Overdose?! Maybe a little, but I am having so much fun with this
journey!
So there is lots of yoga in my life, but I am still making
time for my love of running as well.
Recently my running buddy and I discussed the joys of
running outside. I have never done
much time on a treadmill. Living
in a mild climate in the winter and being willing to run in predawn hours
during the summer, I have never had much need. I remember running on the treadmill once in June Lake over
Thanksgiving Break at the Double Eagle Spa to get in some miles on a snowy day
and it was pure torture. The only
distraction was watching Paula Deen stuff a turkey on the screen display. Watching the Food Network while running
on the treadmill may be a distraction, but I cannot remember ever feeling
hungrier on a run!
One of the things I love about running on the trail near my
home is the people watching and yes, I have my favorites. I don’t know these people; they are
strangers. Yet I am so fond of
seeing them; they seem to be friends in a way. Thus. I consider them strange friends. Part of my running entertainment is
giving these folks amusing and endearing names and imagining their life
stories.
First and foremost, there is Sarong Sage. This lovely lady
is always wrapped in a colorful tapestry, looking very exotic except for her
circa 1980s white Reeboks and tube socks.
Happy wrinkles are carved on her tan face and I am guessing this grandma
is in her 90s. She strolls the
stretch slow and steady. I see her
almost every time I am on the trail, regardless of day of the week or time but
especially early mornings. I like
to pretend, she rolls out of bed butt-naked at the crack of dawn, wraps herself
in the nearest colorful embroidered sheet from a collection she has amassed
through a lifetime of travel, puts on her tennis shoes and walks back and forth
on that trail all day as a meditation on life. That is exactly what I hope to do when I’m retired!
Then there is No-sun Nellie, who I totally empathize with
because before I hit the trail, I slather on copious amounts of sunblock,
shades, and a cap. But Nellie is
out there running with a full brimmed sun hat, a kerchief that is pinned to her
hat covering all of her face but her eyes (I imagine her breathing must create
her own little sauna, hot and steamy), and she wears gloves even when the
weather is the 80s. You go Nellie,
skin cancer can’t touch your speedy self! You’ll outlive us all!
Finally, a recent favorite is The Birdman Biker. He is not actually a biker but the fact
that he ALWAYS wears a black leather vest puts me in mind of a biker. This fellow has a tough look but his
gentle character is exposed as he pitches peanuts out of his pockets to Blue
Jays in the bushes. I can only
imagine the inside pockets of that leather vest, like the floor of the Northwood’s
Inn or a BBQ joint with sawdust floors, due to all the crushed up peanut shells
he’s toting around. I imagine he
hangs the vest on a coat rack when he gets home and meticulous reloads his
pockets knowing an exact number of peanuts he will need to feed his regular
feathered friends on the trail each day.
One of the joys of running for me is interacting with
others. Whether just through a
friendly and knowing nod from a fellow jogger or a heartfelt hello with one of
my regulars, I love being out in
the world, soaking up the beauty of nature and reveling in its peace with
like-minded souls.
I love how you imagine others!
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