Caught in the Tides

The other day I was taking a break from kayaking, just hanging-out on the beach when I spotted a tennis ball in the breaking waves. The waves would rocket the ball onto the beach at every break and then capture it in the receding water and pull it back to sea. The ball could never quite get a hold on the beach and was being forever tossed and turned in the surf. In fact the waves were slowly directing the ball from one end of the beach to the other end. I know it sounds a little simplistic and corny but sometimes, or at least lately, I feel like that ball being tossed one way or the other, never quite free to make my own path and never quite able to grasp onto something solid. Then again there is something to be said for just enjoying the ride. Or in this case, just surfing the wave! Who knows maybe that ball will end it's journey on the other side of the Pacific!

A True Patriot

I read today about a U.S. soldier wounded in Iraq and his refusal to meet President Bush, Vice-President Cheney and Secretary of State Rice. As far as I can tell from reading the news piece this soldier, Mr. Terry Rodgers, is a true American Patriot of the first order. Just like so many others, he chose to serve his country by taking a job in defense of our country which could very well kill him and actually did severely injure him. At least based upon the article it appears that he didn't join the military in response to the politics of the time. He went for much more rational and realistic reasons:

"It was something I always wanted to do," he says. "I thought it looked fun. I just wanted to get out on my own for a while. I got kind of bored being around here. I wanted to try something new."

Mr. Rodgers was severely injured a few months ago as a result of an improvised explosive device. While recovering in the hospital he was visited by a few celebrities. But he refused to meet with the President when the President came by the hospital for another photo opportunity. This soldier did the right thing by not allowing our President to use his sacrifice for political aims. Considering that our President still has not produced a true and reasonable explanation for why Americans need die in Iraq, I can only speculate that the reason we are there is for purely political reasons. There was no threat. And isn't the threat of attack or the actual attack the only justifiable reason for sending our soldiers to die??

So thank goodness for patriots like Mr. Rodgers who could so easily accept the role of wounded soldier being comforted by a grateful president. Instead he chose to speak out by not allowing his presence with the president to further a cause which he no longer supports.

Mr. Rodger's comments on the future of the war are extremely disheartening and at the same time they sound like they could have come from a soldier stuck in another truly political war, Vietnam:

"It's gonna go on as long as we're there," he says. "There's always gonna be insurgents trying to blow us up. There's just too many of 'em that are willing to do it. You're never gonna catch all of 'em. And it seems like they have unlimited amounts of ammunition. So I don't think it's ever gonna end."

When will all Americans stand up and refuse to let our leaders send Americans to their deaths for something (who knows what the reason is this week) far less important than the defense of our country and our freedom?

Leaky Toes and Frankensteinien Walk

I did it. I completed my first 50 mile trail race in a relaxing 9 hours and 21 minutes. It has now been over three days since the run and my body is still recovering. Although I had a serious frankenstienien like walk and whole body tiredness the day after the run, I felt like I might be able to start running again within a day or two. Then I went to cut my toenails. Immediately after cutting my two large toenails, blood and fluid seeped out from under the nails. Three days later my toes are still in pretty bad shape! I hope my body starts healing quickly. I want to get out and go running!

The race was amazing (and hard). Everything was going well up until mile 18 or so. The sky was a brilliant blue and Mt. Rainier was watching over as we climbed to Corral Pass and then turned around and began descending from the ridge. It was at the first steep descent where I tripped and fell face forward, sliding at least 10 feet down the trail. Another runner was nearly to me before I got up. He made some comment about the joys of trail running and continued down the trail. I got up and found that my race number was torn off and my entire front torso and legs were caked in dirt. What was worse was that my handheld water bottles were covered in dirt. I was so angry about falling that I just re-attached my race bib and started back down the trail.

Within a few miles of my fall I started to suffer from acid reflux. I think it was the GU2O drink which caused my stomach to go on the fritz, but I don't really know. The reflux continued throughout the remainder of the race. It was really annoying and definitely slowed me down, but fortunately it did not keep me from finishing the race. To be honest, the reflux and the slow recovery are dampening my enthusiasm to run another 50 plus miles, but I am starting to think about trying the Western States 100 mile next summer!!

I met some great people at the race finish, including David Horton who is currently attempting a new speed record for the Pacific Crest Trail. Although running ultra-distances seems relatively normal to me, what Mr. Horton is attempting seems downright crazy. He is on schedule to complete the entire PCT, all 2650 miles of it, in under 63 days!! He run/hikes on average 40 miles a day! for weeks! He says that he plans on being done, at the Canadian border, by August 9. Good luck and god-speed (or should I say bear-speed)!