Running lessons: Wishing don't make it so

Week 2 of my "Return to Running" hasn't gone well. As I hoped when I wrote my last post, I made it out for a longish 7k run last Sunday evening after Husband arrived home - when the rain finally stopped and the sun came out in time for trick-or-treating.  I enjoyed crossing paths with costumed kids wandering the streets - obviously happy the rain had let up in time for Halloween. It was warm enough that they didn't even need a layer of warm clothes under their outfits. 

Unfortunately, running opportunities were few and far between the rest of the week. Monday morning, we loaded the camper for one last adventure and headed up the coast towards Halifax, following the old #3 Highway much of the way, with short detours around the Aspotagan Peninsula and out to Peggy's Cove and back. The weather couldn't have been better for November so we dawdled longer than planned at Peggy's Cove before heading into the city to spend the evening with friends. (The photo above was taken at Peggy's. There will be more images from that outing in a future post.)

After a late breakfast Tuesday morning, we spent a few hours tackling some long overdue shopping before heading home again. In theory, I should have run that evening but it was raining by the time we got back and I was tired from shopping so didn't have the energy.

The next two days were consumed by a visit with old friends, who travelled from Cape Breton to spend some time with us. I should have run Thursday afternoon or Friday, but wimped out again when temperatures dropped and the wind came up.

Finally, I got my butt out the door this afternoon. Then, because I'd run 7k last week, I decided to try running 8-9k - which is when I was reminded that "wishing don't make it so". I wish I was fit enough to run 8k with ease, but the truth is I haven't trained enough. In the end, I covered the distance but it wasn't pretty and I had to take more walk breaks than usual. Discouraging. 

But never mind. The forecast for the week ahead looks perfect for running so I'll have no excuses. I just need to keep putting one foot in front of the other, and trust the process. Before I know it, 8k will feel easy as pie. 

On my run today, I was thinking about how some of my oldest friendships have faded over the years, and how I sometimes wish I was able to revive them. Sadly, wishing don't make that so either. When long friendships end, it's mostly for reasons that can't be wished away. 

In a few cases, the friend and I simply grew in different directions until we were no longer comfortable with one another. In others, stuff happened that was difficult to understand or forgive. In still others, I came to understand we were never really friends in the first place - that my "friend" saw me as little more than a means to an end. 

The last was the hardest. No one likes feeling used. But the truth is there are people in the world who are so deeply narcissistic they only value others for what they can do for them. And, if I'm honest, my own tendency towards co-dependence has too often meant I'm attracted to such people.

I like to think I've finally reached a point in my life where I have the wisdom and self-awareness to mostly avoid such unhealthy relationships. But the truth is, they're not always easy to spot in the beginning, and, once in them, it can be hard to disengage.  

I hasten to add that I'm not saying friendships shouldn't involve work. They nearly always do - especially the ones that last longest. And I'm certainly not saying friends can't have differences. Very often, it's differences that make friendships most worthwhile. I'm only saying that, when a friendship becomes toxic for some reason, wishing it weren't is seldom enough to fix things. Whether it's fixable depends on whether the friends in question are truly interested in working together to put things right. 

In any case, as the philosopher Seneca said, "The comfort of having a friend may be taken away, but not that of having had one." As much as I may wish I hadn't lost some friends over the years, there's comfort in reminding myself that the sadness and loss I feel thinking about them is directly related to the special place they once held in my heart. 

Happy running!

Worth Reading: City of Girls

 

I stayed up way too late finishing Elizabeth Gilbert's City of Girls before I went to sleep last night.

Mulling it over as I climbed the stairs to bed, I realized I found most of the characters and much of the plot completely improbable. Why then did I stay up so late to finish it?

To begin with, because it contains an assortment of wise and insightful passages like this one:

"When we are young, Angela, we may fall victim to the misconception that time will heal all wounds and that eventually everything will shake itself out. But as we get older, we learn this sad truth: some things can never be fixed. Some mistakes can never be put right -- not by the passage of time, and not by our most fervent wishes, either.

In my experience, this is the hardest lesson of them all.

After a certain age, we are all walking around this world in bodies made of secrets and shame and sorrow and old, unhealed injuries. Our hearts grow sore and misshapen around all this pain -- yet somehow, still, we carry on."

And this:

"This is what I've found about life, as I've gotten older: you start to lose people, Angela. It's not that there is ever a shortage of people -- oh, heavens, no. It is merely that -- as the years pass -- there comes to be a terrible shortage of your people. The ones you loved. The ones who knew the people that you both loved. The ones who know your whole history."

And I couldn't help but fall in love with the main characters, who, despite their many flaws -- or perhaps because of them -- radiated love and compassion for those around them. It seemed to me the story was one long lesson in the giving and receiving of grace - something the world could surely use more of.

Of course, since it's a Liz Gilbert book, all the earnest stuff is packaged in a rollicking good story, set in a intriguing time and place, lyrically told, which makes it perfect reading for a long winter's night by the fire, or lazy day on the beach. Highly recommended.

Creative November Challenge Day #15: Past imperfect

I was too tired to write when I got home from work last night. Four day weeks often feel hard because I end up trying to cram five days' worth work into them, and I headed home later than usual because of a late afternoon meeting. Fortunately, I had my camera with me so I was at least able to capture a few image.

I prefer the colours and composition of the image above, but the image below is the more evocative for me. I took it while walking from my meeting to the ferry. Normally, I prefer to walk outside along the waterfront boardwalk, but it was cold and windy enough that I opted to take the pedway that connects Purdy's Wharf to the Marriott Hotel, then make my way through the hotel to Historic Properties instead.

It amazes me how memories come flooding back when I visit places I haven't been in awhile. The Marriott is such a place. Over the years, I've attended numerous conferences and special events there, including a memorable black tie fundraising dinner as the guest of an old friend, but I rarely have reason to go there now. Walking through the foyer last night, I found myself remembering that dinner and how much fun I had. I so enjoyed getting dressed up, chatting with our fellow attendees, and going dancing after. The memory still makes me smile, though that particular friendship hasn't withstood the test of time.

It's interesting to think about which memories get stored and why. There was nothing especially remarkable about that dinner - other than that I attended it with a friend who's no longer a friend. How can I have almost no memories of some people and events and such poignant memories of others? Why it is so challenging to recall the details of a deceased loved one's face, yet so difficult to erase memories I'd as soon forget?

I think I'd like the power to edit my memories - to decide which to preserve and for how long. My perceptions of the past would be no less imperfect, of course, but at least they'd be imperfect in ways of my choosing.

Lots of sightseeing...with a little running now and again

It's been a busy couple of weeks since my last post. The daughter of one of my oldest friends, Ruth, came for a visit from the UK, as did a couple of old friends from Calgary, Carolyn and George. We had a great time hanging out and sightseeing with them but there wasn't much time for running amidst all the other activities. 

Ruth arrived late on a Tuesday night and Carolyn and George arrived on the Thursday. Since Thursday was cool and rainy, we ate supper indoors and built a small fire to take the dampness out of the air, then spent the evening talking and making music by the fire.  

Friday, we headed to Risser's beach for a walk...

...then took the ferry to the east side of the LaHave and made our way to Lunenburg for lunch. If you look carefully, you can pick out the iconic Bluenose. She was pulling away from the dock just as we arrived. 

After lunch, it was on to Hirtle's Beach, where most of us completed a brisk 6k hike along the beach and around Gaff Point. Though the weather was cool and breezy, we older folks enjoyed the chance to get moving - not to mention the gorgeous views - while Ruth stayed in the car, which was parked next to the beach, to nap for a bit.  

After another great evening of good food and music, Carolyn and George hit the road Saturday morning, and Ruth, Husband and I headed back to the city, where we were hosting a neighbourhood BBQ. We managed to cook the meal and eat outdoors but the cool temperatures eventually forced the party inside, where we stayed up laughing and talking until nearly midnight. 

Ruth's dad is Scottish and we wanted to make sure she got a taste of Nova Scotia's celtic culture while she was with us so on Sunday we made a beeline for Antigonish to take in the last of this year's Highland Games. The Antigonish games are the oldest outside Scotland, having begun as a fund raiser for the local parish in 1863. We arrived in time to catch the challenge round of the Caber Toss, the men's and women's tug-of-war finals, and the last of the pipe and drum competition. Fortunately, the rain held off until the outdoor events were mostly finished and we were tucked inside the big tent enjoying some local music. 

Monday was low key since we were all tired from our busy weekend but I squeezed in a short run before supper and then we all wandered up the lake to grab icecream and watch the sun set.

  

Tuesday was Ruth's last day with us and the weather was spectacular so we jumped in the car after dinner (a fantastic Indian feast cooked by Husband) and drove the 45 minutes to Peggy's Cove. Husband and I hadn't been there in decades and, to be honest, we'd almost forgotten how special it is - particularly in ideal weather - so we all enjoyed spending an hour and a half or so clambering over the rocks, savouring the sultry air and spectacular views. 

Ruth and I both brought our cameras and spent much of our time snapping photos. The light was perfect! Unfortunately, I forgot to check my camera settings when we arrived so took mostly lousy pictures. Once I realized what I'd done, I adjusted the settings and managed to get a few images I like okay - but I'm itching to get back to Peggy's Cove soon so I can take another crack at it with my big lense. 

These two are my favourites from the outing. Though they're by  no means technically perfect, I like the mood they capture.

Ruth headed on to Montreal Wednesday morning and I spent the rest of the week getting back into my routines. Thursday evening, Husband and I did a quick 5k around the lake, then got cleaned up and headed out to a wonderful gallery and restaurant nearby to have supper and attend the opening of a new exhibit.

This weekend, I've managed two runs - a brisk 5k yesterday morning before we headed to the beach for the day, and a slow 17k this morning. Neither felt especially easy on account of the heat and humidity but I was glad to get them done. If I'm serious about running the Valley Harvest Marathon in mid-October, I need to start training a lot more consistently than I have been. From what I hear, VHM is a hilly course so my plan is to do my weekend runs on hilly routes whenever possible. Fortunately, the road to Risser's is perfect for that!

Speaking of Risser's, here are a couple of photos from yesterday. It was stinky hot in town so the beach was far more crowded than usual. Nevertheless, Husband and I spent a very pleasant few hours camped out at the far end of the beach reading and napping before making our way home for supper in the gazebo.

So, friends, that's the news from here. Sometime this week, I'll draw up a detailed marathon training plan and post it here to help keep me honest in the weeks and months ahead.

Until then, happy running and writing!

Farewell to Facebook (for February anyway)

I’ve been so busy lately, I haven’t had time to write a post about my word for 2016, which I finally decided a few weeks ago would be “farewell”.

Farewell as in "so long" to the things, activities and relationships that no longer serve a positive purpose in my life. And farewell as in “good wishes on the journey” to the people I expect to see less often, and to myself as I put my 2016 intentions into action.

Reviewing my priorities for 2015, I was happy to realize I'd made good progress in respect to many of them. I didn’t read a book a week but finished 27 in all – which was a big improvement over the previous year.

I also dealt with a fair bit of clutter – though the job’s a long way from done. I wasn’t able to "run more" due to injury and illness but certainly "trained smarter", which included taking time off to recover when I needed to.

I made the most progress in respect to diet, thanks largely to Husband who did a wonderful job of ensuring we ate more fruits and veggies and reduced grains, cheese and sugars. I also made good progress on putting “first things first” – prioritizing the things that really matter to me over the things others think should matter.

My intentions for 2016 aren't very different from those I set for 2015.

READ EVEN MORE! – I’ve loved reading more and have especially enjoyed books suggested by Husband. Our tastes are somewhat different but that just means I'm challenged to read stuff I wouldn’t otherwise and I've liked the books he recommended more than I expected.

EAT EVEN BETTER – We’ve made good progress increasing our intake of fruit, veggies and nuts and reducing the grains, legumes, cheeses and sugars in our diet but we’re keen to do more. The older we get, the more important it is to fuel our bodies well. We’re also experimenting with intermittent fasting to enhance brain health. More on that when we have a better sense of whether or not it’s working.

RUN MORE – My training plans for 2015 were frustrated by nagging hip flexor issues. Now that those are resolved, I hope to return to training in earnest for another marathon. I’m off to a somewhat slow start but there's still time to prepare for at least one 42.2k this year. My first choice is the Calgary Marathon since it would be a good excuse to visit family and friends who live there but that might change if the winter turns nasty. I won't attempt a spring marathon unless I'm sure I'm ready for it. (Fortunately, this weekend was terrific for running so I did an 8k with Husband on Saturday and a 14k run with my buddy David at Second Peninsula today. As you can probably tell from the photo at the top of the post and this one, the scenery was awful and we had a terrible time. ;-) )

CROSS-TRAIN MORE – This is really about training smarter. Since New Year’s, I’ve been doing more stretching and yoga to increase flexibility and core strength but I know I'd benefit from other activities like swimming, snowshoeing and weight training too. 

MINIMIZE MY STUFF – I made great progress banishing the clutter at home and at the office 2015 but I'll need cull even more stuff when and if the country house sells. In preparation, I plan to continue disposing of possessions and – just as importantly – accumulate as little new stuff as possible. One day, I'd like to get the point where we could live comfortably in a tiny, environmentally sustainable house.

FIRST THINGS FIRST – Once again, this is my most important intention. I still spend far too much time on things that, in the big picture, don’t matter very much, and Facebook tops the list. Given that, I'm taking a Facebook vacation for the month of February and plan to minimize the time I spend on it for the rest of 2016. Though I confess I'm experiencing some withdrawal, I'm not missing it as much as I thought I would - in part because family and friends already spend less time on Facebook than they used to. 

"First things first" applies to more than just Facebook. One of the things I've struggled with in recent months is finding the time and energy to maintain all our social connections. On the one hand, I'm grateful for our large extended families and the many friends Husband and I have made over the years. On the other, it's difficult and tiring to nurture so many relationships. Like it or not, we need to make tough choices and say a quiet "fare thee well" to some of them. Hopefully, we can manage it without hurt feelings.

So what about you? What are your intentions for 2016? How are you doing so far? Are you training for anything special? What are you running plans for 2016?

Running lessons: Running "naked" may be a good thing

It's been a good couple of weeks.

Last weekend, I did a run on Saturday morning with my buddy, David. It was pouring rain when we met up near the Blockhouse post office to head down the trail towards Mahone Bay but temperatures were mild and we hadn't seen one another since his daughter was born four months ago so there was no way we were going to let a little rain stop us. We covered 10 kms in a little over an hour, talking non-stop in an effort to catch up on one another's news. Our lives are so busy it's hard to find time to run together these days but, my goodness, I enjoy it when we do.  David's terrific company and we've known one another nearly 15 years now so it's comfortable hanging out together. We're hoping to squeeze in a 7k trail run out near Hirtle's Beach before Christmas but a lot will depend on what kind of weather we get in the next few weeks.

On Sunday, the weather improved enough that I was able to take Patti out for one more spin before putting her away for the winter. I didn't go far - just down to Peace Park, where I was hoping to take a few nature photos. My friend Renee has been encouraging me to work harder on my technique by shooting in manual mode. As it turned out, I wasn't happy with any of the nature photos I took, but quite like the portrait I snapped of Patti before leaving the park. Be sure to check out the link above to see samples of Renee's work. I think she's wonderfully talented so really appreciate her coaching.

I only managed one run during the week because I was super busy at work and we had a fair bit of nasty weather, but it was a solid 6k, followed by 5 or 6 strides, which felt really good. I can finally sense my muscles getting "juicy" - as if my training is starting to pay off.

This weekend's runs were terrific too. I headed out on my own yesterday morning and did an easy 13k run to the Cookville Bridge and back. The weather was a bit dreary but temperatures were mild and my legs felt reasonably good - despite a long week at the office. High points included getting beeped at by Santa Claus (maybe because I looked like an elf in my matching green jacket and running cap?), spotting an impressively large eagle in the tree near the bridge and discovering a couple of old wrecked cars just off the trail. I can't believe I hadn't noticed the cars before given that I've run past them hundreds of times in the past five years. I suppose, the underbrush hides them for much of the year but still... It's interesting to think about how they ended up there. From their position, it looks as if they were left to rust away after an accident but it's odd they weren't hauled out and sold for scrap at some point.

Our old friends, Gail and Marcus, came up from the valley for a visit last night. Since we stayed up late talking, Husband and I were slow getting out the door for our planned 8k run today. I was worried I might be too pooped to enjoy another run so soon but, as it turned out, I felt fine. In fact, I had to keep reminding myself to slow down. By the time we started the run, temperatures had dipped to 2C and I was wishing we'd started earlier - until we reached our turnaround point, that is. The setting sun was largely hidden from view but its light created a wonderful "cotton candy" effect that made the return journey especially lovely.

I can't say how fast my runs were this week because I'm running "naked" these days - by which I mean "without my Garmin". It's an old 305 I stopped wearing a few months ago when the battery started acting up. I keep thinking I should replace it but, for the moment, I'm enjoying the freedom of being without it. On shorter runs, I push myself to run a pace that feels "comfortably hard". On weekends, it's all about running slowly enough to feel good at the end. Listening to my body - instead of watching the clock - seems to be paying off. I can definitely sense that I'm getting stronger and faster, and I felt something very like a runner's high a few times lately. Here's hoping the progress continues. Maybe running naked is what I needed to get back in the groove. It would be nice to start marathon training from a solid base in the new year.

Hope you're enjoying the fall running season too!

Just for fun, here's a photo I took of Nemmie "Black Friday" night...you know, because every blog needs some cat photos. lol!

Hazy, busy days of summer

Wow, it's been a busy few weeks. There's lots going on here with work, visitors and various summertime activities. 

To begin with, there was Canada Day - one of my favourite holidays. Husband and I started the day off right with a lovely 12k run to Shubie Park and back. En route, we passed massive banks of blooming salt water roses. Their scent was glorious!  (The photo above is a salt water rose in our garden last weekend.) 

Back home, we did a little gardening, then showered and cleaned up before heading downtown for a mellow lunch on a patio, where we spent a very pleasant couple of hours watching the crowds on the street below, then hopped the ferry to Halifax to check out Canada Day activities there. We ran into my lovely niece Sheena at the beer tent and Husband grabbed this pic of me on the way home. By the looks of it, I was feeling a little sleepy after all the beer, fresh air and exercise. LOL! 

Sad, dark days ahead

It will have to be a short post tonight. I'm too tired and emotionally drained to write much.

Husband's sister Maryanne is slipping away quickly so life feels unsteady. It's as if we're standing on the upper deck of a ship desperately clinging to ropes to keep from being tossed overboard and watching long dark waves roll towards us. There's no way to avoid what's coming. The best we can hope for is to survive the storm, knowing nothing will ever be the same.

This past weekend, we began preparing for Christmas. Maryanne has always loved Christmas so we want to honour her by making the best of it, difficult as that will be. We didn't decorate a tree because we don't know where we'll be for the holidays, but we unpacked an assortment of ornaments, listened to Christmas music and drank our first glasses of eggnog.

I also went for a long, slow run up the river on Sunday, and spent the time remembering all the adventures we've shared with Maryanne and her partner Dick over the years - hiking, snowshoeing, bird-watching and canoeing. Their enthusiasm for the outdoors is infectious. A visit with Maryanne and Dick always involved plenty of fresh air and exercise, not to mention fabulous food, wine and conversation.

Tonight, as I sit by the fire writing this, it seems surreal that, just a few months ago, the four of us sat on Maryanne and Dick's back deck savouring a warm summer's night, sipping wine and talking of future adventures together, blissfully unaware of the sad, dark days ahead. How can so much have changed so quickly?

I comfort myself by remembering something my friend Annette told me shortly before she died of breast cancer. She said she believed death would feel like stepping outside into a cool, clear, starlit night after being stuck too long in a hot, smokey room. I hope she was right about that. Given everything Maryanne's been through, death should feel worth dying for.

With "real life" taking up so much of my time and attention at the moment, I don't plan to write much in the next few weeks. Hopefully, by the time January rolls around I'll feel ready to pick up a pen again.

Until then, happy running and writing, friends.

Blogging buddies

Janet, Keith and me

One of the best things about blogging is meeting new people who share your interests. And one of the people I've most enjoyed getting to know in the past year is Keith Cartmell. (See his blog here.) Keith's posts often make me smile so I was excited to learn he and his wife would be visiting Nova Scotia this month. I got to know Keith through my friend Janet, who I also met through blogging. (Her blog is here.) It turns out we all like to like to write, cook, drink wine and stay active (running, cycling, whatever) so we have tonnes to talk about.

We three along with our spouses met up for supper last night at Janet's house. What a terrific evening! Janet and her husband prepared a fabulous dinner of scallops (to start) and salmon on the BBQ. Husband and I contributed an arugula salad with pears, walnuts and blue cheese and a decadent rum-soaked cake with whipped cream. Needless to say, we ate very well indeed. And talk - my goodness, did we talk - like long lost friends - about running, writing, food, politics - essentially, all the things we blog about. It was great fun.

We got together again this morning at Crescent Beach for a mellow 5k run/walk. I forgot to take my phone with me so you'll just have to take my word for it when I say it was lovely, despite being cool and misty. Here's an picture of Crescent Beach from a couple of years ago to give you the idea. It's a truly spectacular place to run.

I spent the rest of the weekend doing a 16k long run, cooking, shopping for shoes (I got some fun little booties for walking to work), riding my motorcycle, and taking a few photos. The theme for my photo group this week was black & white photography. Here are some of the shots I took over the past couple of days:

In short, it was a mellow weekend - which is a good thing because life has been just a tad stressful lately. Once again, I find myself puzzling over what I want to be when I grow up. (Will I ever figure it out? I'm 52, after all!) And Husband and I have been struggling with whether or not to put the country house on the market this fall. We love the house, but it seems downright silly to spend so much of our income maintaining two properties. On the other hand, neither one of us wants to give up the country life. Hopefully, things will become clearer over the winter. In the meantime, I plan to nestle in and savour whatever time we have left here.

Speaking of savouring, I had a pretty decent long run yesterday. My legs felt a bit tight from hill training Wednesday evening so I opted for an easy route along the river to Peace Park, then upriver to the footbridge and back. It felt great visiting the Park since it's one of my favourite places and I hadn't been there in months. As I was leaving, I ran into a couple of friends from community theatre days - almost 30 years ago!! (Yikes! Where has the time gone?) Seeing them reminded me of all the fun we had together. Community theatre is something I'd like to do again one day.

It's time now to sign off and get ready for the long week ahead. There's a fire in the fireplace to ward off the autumn chill in the air tonight. I'm disappointed summer is over so soon but the cooler temperatures should make it easier to tackle projects. For starters, I have to get my Rum Runners Relay team organized since the race is only three weeks away. After that, there's the little matter of prepping for a fall half marathon (What?!?!) More on that next time... :-)

Happy running and writing friends!

Running Lessons: The magic of new shoes, running with a friend and Christmas cheer

A grey misty day on the river

Running felt hard for most of last week. With some encouragement from husband, I managed to do 5k on Tuesday but couldn't get motivated to run again until the weekend. Even then, it took Husband's gentle prodding to get me to lace up my shoes and head out the door Saturday morning.

It was a drizzly, grey day so there wasn't much worth photographing en route - though the weather made for a marvelously solitary and peaceful run. I didn't cross paths with another runner or walker the whole time I was out. And, as so often happens, once I got going I actually enjoyed myself. My new Aasics felt good and my legs had plenty of juice after a few days off.  Because I was breaking in new shoes, I kept the run relatively short - returning home after only 13.5 kms - but that worked out well too since it meant I had the energy to do another 12 kms with my friend David yesterday morning.

The weather was much improved by then with bright sunshine and mild temperatures so we had a fabulous run along the river trail - laughing and talking the whole way. Later in the day, Husband and I took in our first Christmas concert of the season and picked out a Christmas tree and I made yummy veggie crepes for supper. By the time I tumbled into bed last night, I was pleasantly tired and relaxed, and woke up this morning looking forward to my next run.

Which just goes to show that sometimes all it takes to cure the running blahs is a new pair of shoes, a run with a good friend and a little Christmas cheer. Reading a good running book helps too, but more on that tomorrow.

So tell me, friends, how do you cure the running blahs?

Belizean Celebrations

As I wrote in January, my word for 2012 is “Celebration” – of life, self and, most importantly, family and friends. Recently, Husband and I returned from a short trip to Belize which was a celebration of all those things.

We travelled with 11 others – 7 old friends (four of my college roommates and their significant others) and 4 new friends from Finland (who accompanied one of the roomies). It was a good thing the company was terrific because, as it turned, the weather wasn’t. We had only six full days in Belize and it rained mercilessly for the better part of five of them. Fortunately, everyone  in the group kept their sense of humour so we still managed to have a good time.

Our base for the trip was the small village of Hopkins (population: 1200) located on the coast several hours’ drive south of Belize City. We made the trip aboard small Cessna “hoppers” operated by Tropic Air.  (A quick aside here to note that we were very impressed with this small local carrier which offers reliable, friendly, flexible service. We’d certainly recommend Tropic Air to anyone visiting the country.)

 

Here’s my favourite shot from our flight to Dangriga, from where we travelled to Hopkins by taxi.  

First winter run

Winter was a long time coming this year but, when it arrived, it came with a vengeance.  The scene above awaited me as I stepped off the ferry last night.  By morning, things had improved considerably but roads and sidewalks remained treacherous. Fortunately, warmer temperatures cleaned up the worst of the mess by this afternoon so I looked forward to joining my friend Sue for a mellow 10km run home this evening.

As it turned out, it was a lovely first run of the winter season.  Temperatures dropped quickly as darkness fell but the skies were clear and there was little wind. We ran a long loop into the south end of the city before turning to head towards Dartmouth and across the old MacDonald Bridge - swapping stories, laughing and offering advice and support the whole way.

I'm very grateful to have Sue in my life. She's a wonderfully kind and gentle person, full of good humour, wisdom and common sense. Born and raised in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, she's worked incredibly hard her whole life and raised two great kids pretty much on her own. Best of all, she's at least as passionate about running as I am - passionate enough to run no matter how tired she feels or how bad the weather.

Over the years, we've completed some tough training runs together - through sleet and freezing rain, on ice-covered sidewalks, over waist-high snowbanks, and against miserable northeast winds that threatened to blow us off our feet. Fortunately, tonight's run wasn't one of those.

Tonight was crisp and starry-skied. The roads and sidewalks were mostly clear and dry. And the fresh snow shone brightly making the world feel new and everything seem possible.

 

Sue is headed for Las Vegas next week to run another marathon which she hopes to complete in a "personal best" time of just under 4:30. I feel sure she's up to the challenge. After training hard all year and completing several half marathons, she tackled the many hills on our route home tonight with ease and was still fresh and energetic as we said goodnight.

Thank you, Sue - for sharing the first run of this winter season with me, and for being such a terrific friend and running companion over the years.  And good luck in Vegas! I look forward to hearing all about it when you get back.

 

Friendships lost and found

I had a strange dream last night. I was in conversation via teleconference with an old friend and a young person I didn't recognize. The three of us were in different locations discussing some deeply technological and philosophical book. The dream made me sad because my friend and I had a falling out some time ago and I doubt we'll talk together like that anytime soon - although I suppose one never knows for sure. 

One Minute Writing: One way I haven't changed since I was 13

One of the blogs I follow is called The One Minute Writer. It challenges me to take one minute a day to try to write creatively. Today's prompt: "One way you haven't changed since you were 13."  Sometimes I don't have anything to say on a topic. Not so today.

Despite all the education and experience, all the reading and thinking, all the life lessons that should have taught me a thing or two, I'm still a total sucker for a sad story, just as I was at 13.

My mom tells me that, from the time I was a little girl, I was constantly dragging home "birds with broken wings" - both literally and figuratively - and that, no matter how lost the cause, I'd throw myself into trying to heal them and consider it a personal failure when I couldn't.

On the whole, I don't think it's a bad thing to be such a soft touch, but there are times when you just need to recognise that a cause is hopeless and move on to using your time and energy more productively. Goodness knows, there's no shortage of people who need love and support. And, sadly, some kinds of brokenness can't be mended by anyone except the person who's broken.

Paying tribute to old friends

It's been a sad day. News arrived early this morning that a former classmate had passed away. It had been decades since I'd seen him, but I remember him as a kind and generous man of great faith and enthusiasm for life, so I spent a good part of the day in tears thinking about him and his family. Then, late this afternoon, I received word that an old family friend has just been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease and won't likely be with us much longer either. Needless to say, it was with a heavy heart that I trudged towards the ferry tonight planning to spend the evening going for short run, doing chores and wallowing in my sadness. But that's not how the evening unfolded.

Telling unwelcome truths

I grew up as the eldest of five children - a fact that's had a major impact on the way I approach life.

Like many first borns, I have a tendency to take life a little too seriously, to worry more than I should and to try to control things. In particular, I'm inclined to want to intervene when I see someone I care about making mistakes that are likely to have serious negative consequences for themselves or others.

The difficulty is that very often such interventions aren't appreciated by the intended beneficiaries of my wisdom and advice. Most people prefer to make their own mistakes and learn things the hard way it seems. Go figure.

Happy Love Day!

Okay, I know I'm a day late but, personally, I think Valentine's Day celebrations are worth extending a day or two. Not the cheesy hallmark celebrations. The other kind - the ones that celebrate love in all its beautiful and varied expressions.

The truth is we never know when and where love is going to come from - which is one of the very best things about it.
 
For example, in my current job I work with an fabulous group of women who, despite being incredibly busy all day every day, still find time to care for and support one another. And they have effortlessly (it seems) offered me that same caring and support. It's wonderful knowing I have that kind of "love" waiting for me at the office every morning.  

For another example, a friend who had been home sick with a stomach flu for two days called last evening to see how I was doing because she was worried I might be lonely and missing my husband. (I did miss him but we celebrated early so I was fine with being on my own last night.)

Then, this morning I received an incredibly thoughtful, wise, funny and compassionate message from a dear friend I haven't seen in more than 20 years. It was so perfectly what I needed today that it made me cry - and reminded me yet again of how many really good people there are in the world, and how lucky I am to call so many friends.

And, then, there are all those unexpected and unnecessary acts of generosity and kindness that occur in our day-to-day interactions with people - on the bus, at the auto repair shop, in the library.  On Valentine's Day and every day, I want to make a point of noticing and celebrating those as expressions of love as well.

Love really is all around us it seems. All we have to do is pay attention.