Manic Moonlight

Did you see the moon this morning? It was low and full and shrouded in fog and had a surreal feel. Seeing its strange yellow glow made it worth the bike ride.

Shy on taking chances

High on giving up

Sliding down the mountain

Drowning in the mud

Gone or moving faster

Run or walking after

Some kind of fountain of truth

Or let's pretend it's tomorrow

And we borrowed

The life of a perfect spinning circus

In a manic moonlight

Frustrated

June 9, 2005 I was running with Jakeb and I stepped off of the curb and twisted my ankle bad. For some reason I have twisted my ankle quite a few times in my life and this time was probably 2nd worst.

I was off for 16 days and it was one of the most frustrating times in my running life. I had such a desire to run but my ankle would not cooperate. There were a couple of times I attempted a run on my messed up ankle and probably set myself back a couple of days.

Well I’m back in that same place. I want to run. I am jonesing for a run. I need my fix and yet my back will not cooperate. It drives me crazy to know what I want is just out of reach. Arrrrgh …

Was there a lesson I was supposed to learn when I sprained my ankle? And now for missing the point my penance is to go through a similar situation in the same way? I don’t think that’s the way life works but I am frustrated all the same. At least this time I can get on the bike.

Enough about not being able to run … I won’t post about my messed up back anymore. I will only say when it’s fixed.

Another day without running

I tried to run this morning and couldn’t. My back feels fine when I am just living life but when I try to run I have some pain. I probably could run through it but I am scared I will mess something up worse than it already is. I just need patience and things will be back to normal soon.

Since my back wouldn’t let me run a rode my bike. It was good to get my cardio out. Andrea and I are walking together later this morning and that will help me feel as if I did some exercise today.

I miss running. I think I will appreciate it more when I get back to it.

More Gator Gallop stuff

Anna at the Gator Gallop. She is the one with her arms crossed (between #259 and #385) and not in a light blue GG shirt. EQ's daughter Ashton is to her left. Photo by Mrs. EQ (Donna)

Read Jakeb's race report here ...> link

Gator Gallop race report

Anna ran the 600 meter kids run at the Gator Gallop this morning. She is a good runner. Then she got 3 hits and made some great defensive plays as pitcher in her tee-ball game.

Jakeb set a pr in the 5k with a 24:47. He’s ready to run again.

I watched.

EQ was there and seemed disappointed with his mile time. I didn’t talk to him after the 5k. You will have to check out his report. Jason was there too and cruised through a fast 5k. I thought he may catch Edwin but it didn't happen. It was incredibly windy day. I wish I could have run.

Being a spectator stinks

Jakeb is running without me in the morning. He is running the Brazosport College Gator Gallop and I am not. My back is well enough that I was able to run yesterday morning but I am in no shape to run a race.

So I will watch a road race rather than participate in it. I think that will be a first. Sitting on the sidelines is not my gig. But I will be able to cheer Jakeb on, and that will make it worth it.

What a metaphor ... I don't want to be a person who sits around and watches life happen. I want to be the kind of person who assaluts life with everything in me. It is the only way to live.

Nepal

I went to Houston and got a typhoid shot on Monday. On Tuesday our airline tickets were purchased. It looks like I am off to Nepal in May. The trip solidifies and it is no longer and idea but more a reality.

Our team consists of me and four other guys. We are going there on a mission trip and as part of the trip we will be hiking in the Annapurna region of the Himalayas. I am excited about what is ahead.

Here is a link to a web sight with pictures similar to what I will see while there...link

Oh ... my aching back.

On Saturday morning I decide to repair the garage door. One of the pulleys was worn out and the right side of the door would jam and knock the rollers out of their sleeves. I removed to old pulley and set out for Lowes to get a new one.

Before I left, I decided to check some rotting wood on the fascia board on the roof above our front door and see if it was a simple enough repair for me to get the supplies while I was out. As I started poking around I found that there was more water damage than I had imagined. In about 15 minutes I had torn off way more wood than I had intended.

What was going to be a short morning job (changing garage door parts) turning in to an all day carpentry project. I ended the day having repaired the rotten wood but I was sore and sun burnt.

This morning when I went out to feed the dogs I bent over to pick up the dog food and my back wrenched. My lower back hurts now and it will be a day or two before I run again.

It is good to know I finished a job around the house I had been dreading but it came at a high price.

trechoagon

What’s up with the trechoagon in the blog address?

Both trecho and agon are Greek words. I do not really know any Greek except when it comes to ordering food like a “Gyro”. That’s mostly what I know about foreign languages … how to order from their menus, because I like food.

“Trecho” is a Greek word where the English word “trek” is derived. Trek is a bike, it is also a long walk, or a journey on foot.

“Agon” is the Greek word from which the English word “agony” comes. It is translated “race” in the New Testament of the Bible. There is a verse that says “Let us run (trecho) with endurance the race (agon) marked out especially for us …” My last marathon included some agony so I think it fits.

These two words are what this blog is about. Running the race both figuratively and literally. Running the race of life, running the race every morning to get out of bed and cover a couple of miles. Running the race is what my life is about.

Trecho agon …

Running, Rockets and a picture

I’m still running. Over the last four days I have put in 19 miles. Nothing spectacular to report except that Jakeb has run with me some.

Due to the overwhelming generosity of a good friend, Jakeb and I got to go to the Rockets Cavaliers game on Sunday. The seats were incredible. The rockets lost in overtime but it was a good game. We got to see Yao and Lebron. Tracy McGrady didn’t play. Vince Young was sitting courtside and Jakeb was geeked because he is a huge Longhorns fan.

Below is a picture of Tori and me at Herman Park after lunch on the field trip Thursday. The look on my face betrays my true emotions. I was having fun.

Body Worlds 3

Thursday I was a chaperone for my oldest daughter Tori and her biology class’ field to the Houston Museum of Natural Science to see the exhibition call BODY WORLDS 3: The Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies.

The exhibition is quite controversial. Here is some of what the HMNS web sight says about the exhibit:

Created by Dr. Gunther von Hagens, BODY WORLDS 3 is the culmination of the German scientist and physician’s 30-year career in anatomy. Like its predecessors, BODY WORLDS 3 presents more than 200 authentic specimens, including organs and whole body specimens, that have undergone Plastination—von Hagens’ groundbreaking method of halting decomposition and preserving the body after death for medical study, which he invented in 1977. But von Hagens says the Houston exhibit captures the evolution and refinement of his invention to its outer limits.

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole trip. It was good to hang out with Tori and her friends. I was fascinated by Body Worlds. The first time I heard about it was when I read Phillip Yancey’s book Rumors of Another World. I am glad I went.

Weekend Road Trips

As of Saturday there are two teenagers in the Stunz house. Jakeb, our son turned thirteen. For his birthday he wanted to go to Cabellas in Buda Texas. So he picked five friends and we woke up early Saturday morning and took the first of three Texas road trips.

We got to Buda at about 9:30 a.m. and spent the day exploring the huge outdoor store. The boys went to workshops on fly casting, flounder fishing, and archery. About mid-day we ate lunch in the Cabellas restaurant. Some of the boys ate venison brat and bison brat. I’m sure it made them feel more manly. After lunch Andrea parked in a booth in the restaurant with a lap top to get some work done and rest her feet while everyone else continued to explore the store.

For his birthday Jakeb got money, which I assumed he would spend while we were at Cabellas, but he only spent about $25. Before lunch over the intercom a voice said “Jakeb Stunz please come to the customer service counter.” Jakeb assumed they had done something wrong and he was scared to go. But he went anyway and found that his aunt Edie had phoned in a Cabellas gift card for him. That was the $25 he spent. He has decided that he wants to save for a kayak.

I bought a backpack for my Nepal trip in May. Overall it was a good day. We left at about 4:30 p.m.

On Sunday I preached for my friend Danny at The Way Fellowship Church in Spring. Phillip and Jenny lead music along with Andrea (my wife ) and my daughter Tori.

Yesterday Andrea and I went to Clear Lake and ate a late lunch or early dinner at Pei Wei and finished the day at Jakeb’s track meet in Santa Fe, TX.

This weekend has been full of driving. I think I spend a billion dollars on gas but it was all worth it.

Picture from the LSTR

A bit of a blur but that's because I was moving so fast (ha). My feet and my left hamstring hurt just looking at it.

25K

I ran the Lone Star Trail run today. I was not fully prepared for what I would find there. It was a smaller race (a couple hundred people) it felt like everyone knew everyone; although I only knew the guys I rode with.

Trail runners are a prepared lot. I had a belt with some ibuprofen and a couple of gels. But the experienced trail runners had water bottles with hand grips, impressive fuel belts and camel backs with special pockets that could hold a steak and baked potato for race fuel (okay not the part about steak and baked potato). And the aid stations had M&M’s crackers, cookies, banana’s, peanuts, oranges, water and Gatorade. I felt like I needed to order and then sit for lunch. The race organizers knew what they were doing.

Footing was precarious at times so I had to watch closely where my shoe landed. I almost crashed once. I had to restep many times so I would not twist my ankle.

I ran the out too fast so the back was tough. I finshed in 2:31:52 (9:47 pace) according to my watch. Race organizers are supposed to post official results by Monday evening.

My marathons have been an accomplishment but this was just plain fun. It was incredible, running through the woods.

Now it’s time to tone down the distance some and start running to run – not run to prepare for a race.

Lone Star Trail Run

As usual I have found other things to do besides blog. No excuses just life.

In my last post I said I would start writing about stuff that had nothing to do with running, and I will, but not this time.

This weekend is the 25k trail run and I’m excited about running it. My training for it has been a disaster. I got sick and missed a week and when I started running again I had no energy for it. So I hadn’t run longer than 12 miles since February 4th.

Last week I started panicking. I don’t care if I run this race fast, but I at least want to be able to finish. So Monday morning I ran 12. It wasn’t a pretty 12 miles, but it was 12 and I felt like I could have plodded out four more if I had to.

So I think it will be cool to run in the woods.

My trip to Nepal in May is becoming more of a reality. I’ll talk more about that soon. Also there is weirdness going on in my world ... good weirdness, but weirdness none the less.

Run hard …

bloghonesty

I am having a hard time writing here. It’s not that I haven’t been running – I have. But I don’t really feel like writing about my running. There is more to who I am than just a runner. Running consumed me at the end of the year because I was training for a marathon but right now it is not consuming me as much.

This is my second blog. The reason I quit writing on my first blog is I felt as if I had to write for a specific audience and increasingly felt like I couldn’t be me. I've considered going back and posting on that blog because most of its readership is gone, but that would be crazy for a multitude of reasons.

So starting soon the subject matter will expand somewhat. I’ll still write about running, but there will be other stuff too.

Neglect

This morning my daughter told me, “You haven’t posted in a while dad.” It’s pretty bad when she is giving me a hard time about not tending to my blog so here it is … a new post.

My sick stuff started going away on Tuesday so I ran 3 on the treadmill. The next day I did some speedwork on the treadmill to King’s X. Born to be Loved and Over My Head are two of the best "run fast" songs ever.

Wednesday I ran 4 outside and felt like a had no power in my legs. It’s the treadmill’s fault. And then yesterday I did some tempo stuff.

I am bummed that it’s going to get cold again. I hate cold weather. Have I ever told you that Tori?

Later …

Ehh ...

I hate cold weather and I feel kinda nasty so I blew running off this morning.



Yesterday I went to the track for intervals. 200X4, 400X2, and 800. I was supposed to finish with a 1mile repeat but I stopped short. I finished with four miles total.

I’m ready to feel better and for the weather to be warm.

"Crazy stinkin runner"

I ran 12 miles this morning (9:05 pace average). I run two four-mile loops back-to-back and then run the first four-mile loop backwards. Make sense? At the end of eight miles I have a water bottle and a Gu hidden in a hollow at the bottom of Mr. Porter’s oak tree. I’ve never asked him if I could put it there, I just do.

As I finish my eighth mile this morning I looked up ahead at the oak tree and who was there? You guessed it … Mr. Porter; shoveling dirt out of the back of his truck to fill in low spots in his yard around the base his oak tree. For a second I thought about running on and just waving hi. But I was thirsty so I slowed to a walk and waved. I don’t think Mr. Porter really even knows who I am.

I stopped and said, “I hope you don’t mind but I hid my water bottle in your tree.”

He gave me a funny look and as I picked up the bottle and Gu I could see that the light went on and he said, “Oh … that’s okay.”

And I said, “Thanks for the good hiding place.”

He said, “You’re welcome.” And as I ran on he gave me that “crazy stinkin runner” look.

Treadmill in the afternoon

Andrea had outpatient surgery today on her foot to remove a neuroma. She is doing well and hopefully this will fix the pain she has had in her foot. She is stuck with the pain in her neck though (me).

Because of the surgery I changed my running around today. I ran in the afternoon since her surgery was in the morning. And I ran on the treadmill so I could be here at home if she needed me. I rarely run anytime other than in the morning and I don’t like to run on the treadmill much. But today neither was all that bad.

A friend of mine gave me the training schedule he used to run a 3:09 marathon at Houston and qualify for Boston. I adapted it to where I am and did some speed work today. I warmed-up with an easy 800, then ran a hard mile (hard for me any way) with 400 recovery. After that 800 with 400 recovery. 400x2 with 400 recovery. 200x4 with 200 recovery and finally 800 cool down for five miles total.

I liked running on the treadmill because I had no choice but to run a consistent pace.

“I liked running on the treadmill” … did I just type that?

Tomorrow it's back outside where I was meant to run.