Michael: Give Em an Inch...

She rapidly taps
Her nails and wags her stubbed tail
Every morning.

Thursday, April 27, 2017

While we’re talking about animals and anthropomorphism…our new dog seems to be exhibiting the very human characteristic of getting a small taste of the better life and wanting a further step up.

Before we took her in she was an outdoor dog sleeping on a cement garage floor at night. We’ve let her sleep inside on a mat, which I would think would be considered a very comfortable step up. But instead of bowing then licking our hand every morning in appreciation, she’s been sneaking up on one of the sofas in the middle of the night and sleeping on them.

We’ve taken to barricading the sofas at night to train her to sleep on her designated mat in the corner. This seems to be working.

And the good thing is she’s at least not snarling at us in the morning for excluding her from the unused couches at night like some people would.

Michael: Why Do They Do It In the Road?

Rocks and waterfalls
Tumble into tranquil pools
Of dappled sunlight.

Monday, April 24, 2017

Today I learned that we are not the only creatures that are poor multi-taskers.

On my bike ride today I ran into a large group of cattle that were being herded down the road. While they were trotting along a few of the male cows were trying to jog and mount some female cows at the same time. I had no idea that for cows, Monday was hump day.

Since I was stuck behind these cows for nearly 10 minutes, I would say from my amateur bovine observations that the boys weren’t having very much success. And, given the comical appearance of their attempts, I hope I never come across any riders, runners or drivers attempting this twofer.

Michael: B Races

Lazy animals
Lying in the living room
Watching nature shows.

Saturday, April 22, 2017

Next Sunday will be one of the rare opportunities to run a local trail race. In Los Angeles races are expensive and I’m not rich, so if I signed up for a race I never approached it as a B race. Here, races are cheap so using one as a training session seems reasonable, but the paradox is that here I can actually win money and come out substantially ahead, again making it difficult to sign up for an event just as a B race.

Fortunately, next Sunday’s race is only a 10k so won’t require much in the way of a taper and I can work it into my training schedule as a long tempo run. But if there’s money and/or prestige on the line my mindset is to compete.

I will use  this race as a test of my training, but what race isn’t? I suppose my mindset, given that I’m not going to change my workouts much this week, ought to somehow be different, but that’s not the way I’m geared. I don’t get B races yet. They sound worthwhile, but when people with numbers start gathering, I still feel like a little kid and want to try my best to touch the fence first and get back across the line before anybody else.

Michael: Fatigue

So lonely and bright,
Venus is the dying light
After the sunrise.

Thursday, April 20, 2017

With a surprise tax refund eminent and my birthday right around the corner it’s feels like a good time to scout out what my next trail shoes should be.

My prerequisites are pretty much like everyone else’s; light but cushioned, able to tackle all types of terrain, durable, affordable, and aesthetic. Unfortunately, I’m not seeing that all that’s available in one shoe so compromises are going to have to be weighed.

First off is price. I’ve vowed not to go over $100. That leaves out almost all of the new models except the New Balance Vazee Summit 2 and the Inov 8 Trail Talon 250s-if I factor in the 10% discount from Running Warehouse.

There are a few of last year’s models on sale that come close to meeting all my criteria, like the Nike Terra Kiger 3, but I get the feeling that my size will all be gone by the time I’m ready to hit the complete purchase key.

It’s been a very long time since I’ve worn any of those brands of shoes, and I’m a bit leery of all of them since many of the reviews talk about some of these shoes causing foot fatigue over long distances and I haven‘t worn Nikes in over 30 years.

Foot fatigue is an interesting concept, along with a few others, that have crept into runners’ concerns about shoes recently. Response, ground feel, fatigue…they all sound like synonyms for pain to me, and pain is something I’d like to avoid whether in my feet or elsewhere.

Though I do feel it’s a bit of misnomer to call it foot fatigue. I’ve always felt it more directly relates to brain fatigue. Even shoes that are amazingly light because they have no cushioning might be comfortable and fun for a while as you gleefully tip toe around sharp rocks, but all that pirouetting starts to take a toll after a few hours and then the hell with it, it’s a pain in the but descending on a rocky trail in minimal shoes. Damned, at that point I want mattresses on my feet so I don’t have to think about foot placement.

So those are the trade offs I’m considering. Aesthetically, I find the yellow and black of the Inov 8 250s very appealing. And the weight is perfect. But without a rock plate I’m not sure my brain wants that tip toeing burden after a few hours of trying to speed along. The N.B.s are heavier and don’t come in as flashy of a color scheme as the Inov 8s, but they do have a rock plate.


I’m hoping that the Hoka Speed Instincts will go on sale in a month for under $100 so I can throw them into the decision mix.  I’ve tried them on and they fit. I’ve used Hoka’s for a few years now and am generally happy with their performance though I do feel their fit and durability are still a bit problematic. But ahhh… that cushioning in a reasonably light weight package…

In a month with Uncle Sam’s cooperation, I’ll make a decision and hopefully head out on the trails in a shoe that’s coming a bit closer to hitting all the boxes in what’s desired in a trail shoe.

Michael: A Small Death

The morning chatter
Of the birds, roosters and cows
Are sounds of comfort.

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Every morning I inundate myself with the tragedies of the world. It concerns me but doesn’t stop me from going about my business, or from even cheerfully greeting my wife and new dog every day.

So it seems odd to me that this morning why, discovering a pinkie sized almost featherless chick struggling to stay alive while ants tried to consume it, struck me so emotionally.

I know that doesn’t make me odd or insensitive. I also know that there’s all kinds of explanations for why helpless deaths of tiny creatures right under our feet effect us more than all those distant human sufferings, but that doesn’t stop me from questioning myself or wondering why the world works the way it does.

Michael: Water, Water and Not a Drop to Flush

The little brown bear
Sleeping, curled up in a ball,
Looks just like our dog.

Saturday, April 15, 2017

Here’s kind of an amusing paradox. When we left L.A. a couple of years ago the region, despite being in the middle of a drought, had great water pressure. And here, despite being surrounded by rivers, streams and springs, during the dry season, our tap often runs dry.

We’re fortunate in that we have a pressure pump so, unlike many Panamanians, we can expect to have reliable water pressure any time we choose, except for the occasional power outage, then we’re screwed just like everybody else.

I haven’t asked our landlord/neighbor how she, and the other three adults living with her, cope during the long daylight hours when their water dries up. I’m not sure I really want to know all the gory details.

And I do feel bad that during the day the noise of our pump announces loud and clear that we’re showering, washing, and most importantly flushing, with seemingly disregard for our neighbor’s plight. But that’s not the case. I do try to keep the use of our pump to a minimum during the day and turn it off at night and just live with the often trickle of water that comes from the tap.

This is just another one of those puzzles where I’m not sure which system is better; the California way where many agencies and people wait until the last minute to prioritize water usage, or the Panamanian way of flowing with the seasons.

Michael: Broken Pledges

The fall of darkness
Moves slowly through the window
And over my eyes.

Friday, April 14, 2017

The ying and yang. Just while I was deciding on rededicating myself to 1,000 days of exercise, I was reflecting on not beating myself up too much for falling off my pledge to only buy two new pairs of shoes this year.

Two pairs? What was I thinking? That would’ve been almost as naïve as pledging to only eating two Ritter bars or not drinking coffee for a year.

Given that I’ve already passed the two mark last month by purchasing a new pair of road trainers last month, the Saucony Breakthrough 2’s for only $45 at RunningWarehouse, hell, why not give in again by tapping the Complete Order pill in that nice shade of blue again?

Do I need another pair of shoes this year? No. But they’re always discounting so many pairs of shoes that I’ve never tried, as they come out with this year’s updates, it’s just about impossible for me to restrain myself.

So I’m not going to. I’m not even going to pledge to keep it down to 4 like I did last year, though I’m really going to have to do some fancy circuitous debates with myself to get past 4.

I suppose we all have our demons. In high school I was the nerd that passed along the doobie without taking a hit. I’ve still never taken any recreational drug outside of alcohol, and at that, since high school I’ve only imbibed a bit of wine at the rare social gathering to be polite.

But put a light weight shoe with the right color scheme in front of me and I’m intoxicated. It’s an urge I feel I’m constantly fighting and on that rare, but more than necessary occasion, very gratifyingly giving in to.

Michael: 1,000 Days Again a Week Ago

Solitary star
Washes away at sunrise
Like a slow tear drop.

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Last week Kimme reminded me that April 6 was a good time to start a 1,000 day commitment because, if successful, the commitment would be complete on January 1, 2020.

I’d gotten a little head start by already beginning this year with at least 30 minutes of exercise every day, but I wasn’t sure I was going to again commit to string it out to 1,000 days. I’ve tried this several times since we’ve been together and the best I’ve done has been over 800 days.

After that last attempt I thought why not just commit to training wisely and staying healthy, which may require a day off here or there, or would be a more forgiving goal given how life’s circumstances can make it difficult or even counter-productive to forge ahead with this kind of commitment.

But, hell, it’s hard not to see the poetry in ending a 1,000 day commitment on the New Year of 2020, so here we go again.

Michael: Let Go Lightly

Orange chested bird
Effortlessly cheers me up
Just by existing.

Sunday, April 9, 2017

One of my favorite movies is The Croupier; if only I could be so casually charismatic to believe in a line like, “Hold on tightly; let go lightly.”

But I can’t. I suppose that’s one of the reasons I like that line so much. Heck, I don’t feel I’ve ever completely let go of any relationship I’ve been in. Even one with pets.

And now for the first time in twenty years it looks like I’ll have a female of the non-human persuasion back in my life; Luna, the part pit bull part who knows what.

I’m not a dog whisperer but she seems to be far more suited to the philosophy of the croupier than I. The first day her master left she whimpered a bit, and that’s been about it. She seems to have almost overnight transferred her need for a pack to me.

And I know it’s not because I’m special. I’m just here and compassionate enough.

I once was foolish enough to say that at an interview when I was asked what I thought were the important qualities of being a teacher. I know saying being compassionate and being there consistently probably didn’t go over very well, but I still feel it’s true, particularly for a profession like teaching elementary school.

At least it seems dogs get it. But damned, my life would’ve been a lot more chipper if I could’ve ever got that “Let go lightly” part of the equation down.

Michael: A Quake, a Shock, and a Dog

Our heat dissipates
Into the cool mountain air
Like an opaque dream.

Friday, April 7, 2017

My return to Panama was far more eventful than I had anticipated.

Earthquakes have been in the news of late but I wasn’t expecting a decent jolt here. I had been reading that what scientists thought were a string of small faults off of the coast of S. California are in fact one big fault that could produce a sizeable quake. That’s where my family and friends live. So what happens on my first Sunday back in Panama? We have a 5.2 quake centered less than 25 miles from Volcan. The following day we had a decent sized aftershock.

And on Tuesday came the big shocker. After I returned from my bike ride my landlord/neighbor greeted me with a leash in her hand and told me she was going to pick up our new adoptive dog. That was just about as unexpected as any quake I’ve been through.

More than a month ago she had asked us if we would like to adopt the sister of her dog whose owner was returning to Norway. After visiting the dog we agreed but deferred taking the dog home until we returned from the states.

The following day our neighbor was reconsidering because she was understandably worried that her dog and the sister dog might not get along. She also wasn’t sure she wanted to commit to taking care of the dog while we were traveling. So we decided to let the owner know that he should look for another home for the dog.

So why was she holding a leash in her hand that’s about to be around Luna, our new dog? Because she tells me the owner couldn’t find anyone else and pleaded with her to reconsider. I suppose I could’ve said no and let her deal with it, but I figured we’d give it a go so long as she understood she’d have to take care of her when we go to the states this summer.

So far earthquakes have rolled through my life and shaken me up for a few moments. But someone dumps a dog in my lap and I feel my life may have profoundly been changed.

Michael: Fastpacking at the Airport

Water in the stream;
Unseen for years of the drought
Submerges pebbles.

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Sleeping while moving isn’t something I’ve figured out yet. To try and work around that I thought I’d test out my ultra-light Klymit X-Lite sleeping mat on my long overnight layover at the San Jose airport.

The pad is so small and light it was really a no-brainer. And it did exactly what I wanted it to do; kept me comfortably off the cold airport floor. My  only gripe is that lying on my back, my elbows contacted the floor but that was remedied by using my shoes as elbow cushions.

Unfortunately my sleep was still fitful due to those loud and frequently repeated airport security announcements. If I could’ve found a suggestion box I would’ve requested that those announcements should be less frequent and at a much lower volume during the pre-dawn hours. Naturally I’d expect a nurse Ratchet bureaucratic response, but dammit, at least I could say I had tried, just like my hero, McMurphy.

But the pad idea is a winner. It’s a small tight fist of packable comfort. I may even get to enjoy it out in the more tranquil wilds of the forest one of these days.

Michael: An Hour to Kill

Yellow, orange, blue,
Violet and white; the hills are
Bursting with colors.

Thursday, March 30, 20`7

This is the limbo part of travel in between the purgatories of a long plane flight and a long bus ride.

I have a little over an hour to stretch, snack, watch and write a little before resuming my penance in another recliner of slow pain. At least it’s a fairly timely purging of sins. The plane departed and arrived on schedule. The bus and taxi were right on cue. There’s a little gap in movement now while I wait at the downtown San Jose Tracopa bus station before heading to the border of Panama. But actually I appreciate it.

Before departing L.A. I also hit what should by now be a familiar snag. Costa Rica requires some type of proof of departure before you can be checked in on a flight into their country. Panama has the same requirement but I’d forgotten about it since we now have our residency status and no longer have to go through the goofy hoop of buying a plane ticket that I was going to immediately cancel as soon as I was cleared to go by the ticketing agent. When I got to the counter that’s what I was prepared to do but was pleasantly surprised when the agent was kind enough to just make a note of my status as a Panamanian resident in transit through Costa Rica.

Of course that hassle, along with the long bus ride to the border, could be avoided by just flying into Panama, but it’s so much less expensive to fly through Costa Rica. Whether the trade-off is worth it or not, I can’t say just yet. I’m only halfway through my time on an upholstered rack.