Ebb and Flow

"Keep the earth below my feet

From my sweat, my blood runs weak

Let me learn from where I have been

Keep my eyes to serve, my hands to learn."

-Mumford and Sons- "Below My Feet"

There was a huge storm this morning in Arcata. I woke up around 7am to rain hitting my window. I usually don't hear the rain that much because of my thick walls and my air purifier. Waking to hail-sounding raindrops and 50+mph winds was quite a way to wake up.

About an hour or so later, it regressed and calmed for the time being. It reminded me of the ebb and flow of life, the changes that we undergo as human beings. People come into our lives for a reason, sometimes they stay for a little while...other times longer. I've experienced this dramatic ebb and flow the last few months.

So I went running this morning after the rain had graciously passed and continued it's journey. The ground was still wet with many puddles guiding my path to the Arcata Marsh. Once my shoes crossed the path from the pavement to the slightly muddy earth I felt a great change. There is really nothing like running on the earth, it makes you feel free! After doing my circle of the marsh I found myself in front of a bench. I sat down and reflected of an event that happened about 2-ish months ago, a time when I experienced an ebb and flow. I was sitting down after a run then as well, when I was approached by a man with a broken leg. He asked if he could reach under the bench. Such a curious question--I had to know what he was doing! He was holding a rose and a letter. I asked him who the rose was for. He said he was doing a scavenger hunt for his girlfriend, eventually leading her to where he would propose. When he said these words, he had this spark in his eyes when he spoke. For me, I was experiencing the complete opposite. I was completely over a scavenger hunt and ready to focus on myself. After that day, I wonder what has become of this man in love with his girlfriend. I am almost positive she said yes :). Today, when I was sitting on that bench, I thought about how I've come so far from where I was at that moment in time. I have experienced an ebb and flow that has brought somebody special into my life. I'm excited for where our future shall lead us :)

Shaking with the Earthquake

Sometimes you just need something to shake you, rattle you, and just make you realize you are on this great train of life. No matter what you do, it's going to keep chugging a long until it reaches the next stop. You might be unaware of it's real speed, but every now and then you look out the window and you realize by looking at the beauty that lies outside. Since I was a child, I would never take my eyes off the window. I loved looking out the window when I was on trains, it was an adventure! I was seeing new places and LIVING. Throughout the last few years it has felt as if I have taken my eyes away from that window and have been distracted from the beauty that surrounds me.

So, great life events are inevitable. Whatever they may be and they can occur at any time. My world has been shaken up a bit, almost like an earthquake shaking that train. Although it is frightening/scary/uncertain right now...it is ultimately for the best. For it balances the pressures and allows for homeostasis really. Living in California...I should know earthquakes. I have hidden, protected myself in some occasions, and others I would just go with the sway of the earthquake. This time, it's felt like I went with the sway, only for it to be a 10.0 magnitude. Maybe not the best way to get through this.


Now is the time to shake the dust. In the words of one of my favorite poets, Anis Mogjani,  "shake the dust."



It's time to pick myself off the ground and shake the dust. Evaluate any injuries, treat the wounds, and heal. Eventually I will, and will be stronger because of it. It's time to keep running and hop back on the train of life. For if I wait too long it will go on without me. The train slowly starts moving and I need to run back on. Run back on and greet the many sights and wonders that lie ahead of me. The many gifts of life that are yet to come.

A bike ride with some really old trees!

So today was an adventure. Something I've been wanting to do for awhile, bike ride in Prairie Creek State Park. There are these absolutely HUGE old growth redwoods that are up there. So, early this morning we packed up the car:

And we set out on the hour or so drive up to Prairie Creek. Although it's pretty close, it's amazing that a trip has not been made yet! It was on the to-do list and we set out to make it happen today. Sun was forcasted, so that was definitely a bonus. We were greeted by trees like these, hundreds of feet tall into the sky: 

Got onto the trail, and they were pretty smooth at first. Then we hit some root trails (which was most of the day's riding): 

They were an adventure in-themselves. You must imagine that the root systems of these trees must be vast and just expansive! I wonder how much water these roots get each day! So we rode around for a few miles, and then we got onto another trail. We were greeted to this: 

An amazing sight of the reflection of the sun and the changing colors of the trees. There were many many leaves on the ground: 

The trail was just absolutely covered in leaves. They were falling every second! 

So also on the trail were huge mushrooms: 

As well as large bridges: 

Lunch was had on a fallen tree, on a makeshift bench that was carved into it: 

Later on another trail, there was this section where two trees almost came together. I was able to fit into that space. It was incredible just being in that space and feeling a connection with these massive redwoods and looking up hundreds of feet to seeing these great beasts that they are! Quite amazing.

Afraid of the outdoors?

So, there have been a recent tragedy that has been heavy on my mind. There was a group of three runners that were running between Arcata and Eureka the other day. It was early in the morning, around 6am. Well, they were all three hit by a hit-and-run driver. Two are in critical condition and one died. This hits close to home because it was an HSU professor that died. It was also a fellow runner that runs the same roads that I do. It could have been me. That is what I think about when I see something happen like this. There was also someone that died in June or July on PCH in Sunset Beach that got hit by a car at 11 in the morning. That could have been me too. I ride that same stretch when I am down in Southern California. It's easy to place blame on the victims because they are easy targets...like they should have been out of the lane, or wearing reflective gear, or anything like that. Well in these two cases, the blame can clearly be put on the drivers. One driver was drunk and the other was intoxicated on some drug. (I'm sure).

I'm not going to let these two tragedies keep me from being outside. I'm going to keep doing what I do. But with more caution, much more. It's really sad when great people die, especially if you were close to them. Incidents like these make you want to keep looking behind your back and looking forward too. People's attention is becoming much more divided. It's wise to be completely aware of what is going on around you. If you're getting outside, great! It seems as if there are some people that are afraid of the outdoors and prefer to be inside. Not me. I NEED to be outside. Hey, we were meant to be outside...not in some cubicle, office, or cement shelter. That makes me think about diet too...we were meant to eat more caveman style. Don't be afraid to eat a plant you find. There was a small kid the other day that was really shocked when he saw me picking blackberries and eating them. I told him it was my meal, and he said he thought food only comes from the grocery store. Sadly, many people think the same way!!

This site is amazing. Mark does a really good job of putting together an abundance of information to make us think, act, and eat more caveman:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

All for now.
Ciao.

The Boxer

I am listening to the new Mumford and Sons album, being entranced by the song "The Boxer." This song is a cover of a Paul Simon song. It's pure brilliance. This is an excerpt that is heavy on my mind:  

In the clearing stands a boxer, 
And a fighter by his trade 
And he carries the reminders 
Of ev'ry glove that laid him down 
Or cut him till he cried out 
In his anger and his shame, 
"I am leaving, I am leaving." 
But the fighter still remains 

This song really resonates with me because there is a sense of deep purpose ingrained in the message. Although people come and go, there is something (deep) that resonates and remains. There is something deeper than just the personal experience of one, there is a collective experience. 

So it is late September, and there is much to look forward to. I'm going to use this blog to help get out some of the ideas that are going on in my mind and to bring clarity.

I have been running A LOT. Maybe too much. I am getting ready to run 50 miles. It's a little unsettling to think about this race because it is 50 MILES!! What I am learning to do is just break it down by mile. Each mile will be a new experience, like a new day. I will be on a rollercoaster hitting great highs and lows along the way. It's kinda exciting to just contemplate this race every day. And with each day, another step closer to feel ready. 

That's it for now. 

Ciao.  

One year later. Pushed back ultramarathon

So it's been about a year since I've wrote a blog here. I want to change that.

So, I've been preparing to race a 50-mile ultra-marathon. I was *supposed* to do it last year, but spraining my ankle on my mountain bike threw off my training.

Training has started. I imagine myself crossing that finish line every day--which is essentially my daily motivation. Before about two years ago, I've never heard about anybody running over a marathon. My perspective on running changed with one of my friends introducing me to ultramarathons (and pacing him--or him pacing me!) and meeting Dean Karnazes, who is one of the celebrities of the sport.

I've been changing around my diet to accomodate for a race of this distance. I am slowly moving toward a Paleo/Primal way of eating. This is essentially cutting out carbs/sugar and eating the way *we were supposed to.* Our modern lifestyle is pretty unsustainable. By this I mean our sedentary lives and the crap that we eat. It's not really anybody's fault--it's the way our society has become.

So I've been trying to eat about 50-60% of my calories from fat. These calories are mainly coming from coconut oil and olive oil. I usually make some veggies and just lather them up with the stuff. I just bought a gallon of coconut oil--let's see how long that lasts me! Then I have about 20% of my calories from protein--about 60-100g a day. This is in the form of Raw Protein powder by Garden of Life. That stuff is incredible--about the best protein powder on the market. For more fat/protein, I usually have some walnuts/almonds during the day.

So by eating more fat, I am training my body not to have to store fat because it is plentiful. I have seen a dramatic result in my physique. Definitely more leaner/more muscle mass. Way more energy!!! I will post more on my food experimentations in future blogposts.

So going back to my ultramarathon, I am building up my distance days. I am starting to do back to back distance days. Usually a long run/long bike or a double run. I'm doing about 10 miles right now...and am working myself up to 22 miles. So running 22 miles on two back to back days will give me 44 miles...which is pretty close to 50 miles. Doing this on two days will  be less strenuous and will give me solid training for the 50.

I'm doing some altitude training in Lake Tahoe right now. Probably one of the best places in the world. I'm off to swim in the lake!

Family Is Where the Home Is

Moving takes your life and shakes it around. It jumbles around the pieces inside until you are left lost and confused with how things have ended up. I had some moments where I was just confused towards the beginning of the month, especially around 4th of July where I just realized that I would miss holidays away from my friends and family in Long Beach. I had an amazing holiday spent with new friends from Arcata, but it was just not the same.

I booked a flight home for a one-way trip from San Francisco to Long Beach. I bought the ticket a couple days prior to leave me enough time to figure out how I would get to SF. I could get a direct flight from Arcata...but it is pretty pricey. I could drive to SF...but I didn't really want to. I found this girl Erin through Craigslist that was offering a ride through "rideshare." Its pretty much a part of the craigslist site where you can post if you are going somewhere and if you have a couple extra spots in your car to take people along. Call it modern-day hitch-hiking (which was my second option). We agreed I would pay her $40 for gas from Arcata to SF....so that part was set.

My flight was at 6:30PM on a Wednesday evening, so I had the whole day to get to the airport. Erin picked me up at my house @ 5am. She is also an HSU student and was pretty easy to converse with. She made me grab her itinerary paper which had a list of people she was picking up. She was driving down to Palm Springs and picking up more people. I saw her next stop was in Berkeley, so I told her she could drop me off there.

I LOVE the city of Berkeley. It is pretty much Arcata on a wider scale. I've always had this idea to crash a class...so I looked up what classes were happening at UC Berkeley. I decided on this Psychology of Sleep class, which was holding its second meet day and which was in a big lecture hall. I was trying to do my best not to stand out. Then again, I look like just another student.

I settle into a chair in this lecture hall, and I am intrigued by the very first word from this professor. UC Berkeley is known for using student teachers, and she was one. Even so, she knew how to teach. I was grasping onto every word...and would take that class in a heartbeat.

After about twenty minutes, all the sleep terms were starting to get to me. I didn't want to talk about sleep...I wanted to sleep! I stormed out of the class and walked onto this grassy quad area and found a tree to sleep under. I got a good thirty minute nap in. After that, I explored downtown and the areas around Berkeley. I got a wheatgrass shot and a veggie juice at this juice shop. I kept exploring and decided to get onto the BART.

I got off at the Embarcadero and explored. I walked around and just took everything in. I found a pizza shop and got a slice of cheese pizza and just sat and watched the world unravel before my eyes.

About thirty minutes or so, I make the decision to head to the airport via the nearby BART station. As I was at the airport and on the flight home, all I kept thinking about was what it was going to feel like once I walked back inside my "home."

A short ten minute drive later, we arrive at the front steps. I open up the door and walked inside. Something was different. It did not feel the same. It did not feel like home anymore. It just seemed like just another place...but it was not home. Well... "it was" home.

After spending a couple days back in Long Beach meeting up with friends and family...it started to feel like home. That's when I realized that home is not in any particular place. It is comprised of the people that are in your life. Family and friends are where "the home is."

Where you live will change multiple times throughout your life. You can make where you live very very comfortable to the point where you consider it as "home"....but really it is not what makes it up. It is the people that are in and around your home.

My new home is tucked away in a less-traveled part of Arcata that is a short walk away from Humboldt State. It is home because I have my friends and family supporting me every step of the way.

First of July...and The Last Full Month Before Grad School :D

The first day of July has been a day of new beginnings. A new group to cycle with, and new friends---with one of them being 3 1/2!


My day started out with a glass of fresh juice from five organic carrots and one organic apple. After I had that for breakfast I suited up in my CSULB Triathlon kit to go for a bike ride with Adventure's Edge:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Adventures-Edge/114978086582

Adventure's Edge is the main outdoor/cycling shop in my beautiful city of Arcata, CA. They have daily bike rides leaving the shop, with each day being either a road bike ride or mountain bike ride.

Today was going to be my first ride with this group. I've heard a lot about them...but haven't waked up early enough to go out. I woke up early this morning...so decided to go.

The ride left the shop at 9:30AM and was a group of eight other guys and two women. One of the guys from the ride was from the HSU Cycling Team (which I will be a part of in August), so we talked about the team. I found out as we went along that I inquired about his spare room in his house a couple weeks back. Of course, it was one of the unsuccessful attempts. Small world, especially up here. I have an AMAZING roommate that I'm living with that is also part of the cycling team.

Anyways, we rode up to Trinidad (about 15-18 miles north from Arcata).

It was mixture of bumpy road, single track, and HWY 101. I've never been on such a bouncy ride on my road bike. The ride was great...got some sprints in--and got to show off my power on the hills. Overall it was a mellow ride that was pretty much a social event. I was friends with everyone by the end of it. One of the girls that was riding with the group works at the shop Adventure's Edge...and gave me a FREE cycling kit! Free cycling jersey, wind jacket, and a pair of bib shorts (gotta wait on them...till they get my size). I haven't experienced such generosity from people I just met like that. It shows how amazing the community is up here!

After that fantastic workout and meeting new friends, I got back and did some stock trading. A little later I decide to bring a book over to Redwood Park. As I was about to head out, I get a text from a friend of mine who wants to join me. So we head over to the park and have an amazing time.  

After that we went to pick up her daughter, who is ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE! I hung out with my friend and her daughter at the downtown plaza and we had so much fun. After that we went back to my place and we made dinner. While the food was cooking--I pretty much became a kid being around her. I was having so much fun playing. Here (in this Harry Potter-ish resembling picture)---she was trying my glasses on while writing on my Buddha Board!

The Quest for the Elusive Perfect Sand Dollar

Today, I decided to embark on an adventure. It was going to be an adventure day! I had quite a few ideas percolating in my mind. Last night my friend talked about her experiences of collecting sand dollars on the beach. That idea stuck out to me, so I went for it.  

I thought about what to wear to this sand dollar collecting adventure, and went for a t-shirt and a pair of running shorts. I laced up my shoes...and quickly realized I didn't need my shoes as I would be walking on the sand. The idea came into my mind to run barefoot while looking for sand dollars..so I put on my rainbow sandals and I was good to go. 

I got in my car and drove over to the beach, a 4-5 mile drive from home. It was a scenic drive, filled with views of farmland, grazing cows, and passing cyclists on the road. I got to the beach and parked Marco. I put my wallet + phone in my glove compartment. I slipped off my rainbows and threw them in the back seat. I got out and started walking on the amazing black sand. Each time you take a step in it, it's as if your foot is pressing into memory foam. 

I got to the tide's edge and touched the water. Nor Cal beaches are COLD!! I felt my foot getting numb from the water---similar to all ocean triathlons I have done. I put one foot in front of the other and started trudging along. I got about 30 feet before I saw this shell that looked amazing. I decided to grab it, so I drew a big circle around it with a piece of nearby driftwood. I kept going and found a 1/4 of a sand dollar...I liked this also so I also drew a circle around it. I kept going, and kept up a good pace. 

I looked around and saw a lady walking her dog, as well as a fisherman probably hunting for a crab. Aside from them, the vast beach was all mine. 

I kept walking along and noticed quite a few exoskeletons of crabs, such as these: 

I was focused on the sand. It was neat seeing a mix of rocks, drift wood, beach glass, sand dollars, and exoskeletons along the beach. It made it almost a game to look through everything to find a sand dollar. I kept running along the beach.

The sand dollars that I found were partial ones. They had been broken off by the waves or from their adventures in the ocean. 

In my mind, I compared the partial sand dollars to goals that we set for ourselves. There are many goals/plans that we have in our lives. Our dedication to that goal shows the fullness of that goal. Most goals we do not have our whole heart in, they are not what we focus on 100%. The few that we do focus completely on...are full. 

I also compared the sand dollars to people in our lives. True friends are hard to come by, much like a complete sand dollar. There are many friends...many sand dollars out there. There are only a select few that can be considered true. 

After these thoughts came to me, I decided I was going to embark on a quest to find "the elusive perfect sand dollar"!!! It was at this point (after 3 miles of running up the beach) where I focused intently and slowed down my pace so that I could focus better. It was at this point where I enjoyed myself so much more--because I slowed down to take everything in. If you let it happen, our lives will pretty much go on auto-pilot. We look for the quickest way to do things without really getting maximum enjoyment out of it. This is where I turned off my switch and actually lived in the moment. 

It was SO FUN!! There were sand dunes on the beach that I was navigating, I was jumping over driftwood. I felt like a kid playing at the beach! I ran along looking for the the better of the three deposits of assorted beach items. There was one deposit that was closest to the water, another one a little bit further up, and one way up on the beach. I would go back and forth looking for which one had the most white (shells and sand dollars). I collected about 7 sand dollars and found a big shell to put them in. I got about 5 more after and found a bigger shell to put them all in. I was like a hermit looking for a bigger home. 

After about 15 partial sand dollars I picked up what looked like another partial. When I picked it up, part of it was covered with sand and a perfect full sand dollar appeared in front of my eyes. I was really excited. I found a place for it amongst my other sand dollars. Upon closer inspection, I saw a small hole on the front. IT WAS NOT PERFECT!! It was almost perfect, but not quite. I decided this was the best I was going to do for today, and headed back. I found two other sand dollars on the way back that also had small holes. But they were perfect in my eyes. Perhaps perfection is merely an illusion? Maybe there really is no such thing as "perfect."

I walked along the water, thoroughly enjoying my time on this beautiful beach. I stumbled upon a piece of driftwood that would be perfect for a game of "catch." My neighbor's dog loves to play catch with me...probably because I have more patience than his owner does. Animals really intrigue me, especially dogs who get so much enjoyment out of a game of catch. I picked up the driftwood, and added it to my growing pile:

I got back to my car and put my sand dollars, shells and piece of driftwood inside. I decided it would be a shame to leave yet...so I decided to take it all in again. 

I walked back to the beach and just watched the waves crash along the beach. I watched the owners and dogs that had arrived to walk. I admired the sky--which was cloudy. It was cloudy all along the coast except for a mile out. All along the coast the sun was shining...but not on the land. Looking at the sky it was a great mix of turquoise, sky blue, white, and just about every shade of blue and white you can imagine. I was truly happy to be alive at that moment. Sometimes you get caught up in everything you have to do...that you don't really stop to admire, experience, and be motivated by what is in front of you.

I started to walk back when I stumbled upon this:

At first, I thought it might be a whale bone or another sea creature. I examined it for a couple minutes..and came to the conclusion it must be a cow bone. There are many farms around the beach, so maybe a farmer got really attached to a cow and decided to leave this here. Who knows?

I got back home and there was my neighbor's dog! He was playing catch with a tennis ball that a passer-by HSU girl threw at him a couple times. I threw him the piece of driftwood and he left the tennis ball and ran with all he could toward the driftwood. He LOVED it! I was out there for about 20 minutes with him playing catch---enjoying it too! 

On my quest for "the elusive perfect sand dollar" I never really found a "perfect one". I ultimately found one that I deemed to be perfect. I found the below piece of artwork as I walked back to my car. In the many that have tried, I wonder how many have found a true "perfect" sand dollar.  

Perhaps we will be looking forever? Or for "infinity" as the above symbol made up of partial sand dollars suggests?

Rainy Day Man #1

Today marks the first day of rain in this city...the first that I have experienced in my close to two weeks here. This city fits me perfectly. It is a city of redwoods that is right on the beach. I live in between them!

Deciding upon a future graduate school was no easy task. I applied to over 20 schools!! It was a lengthy process--taking (& studying for) the GRE, filling out application after application, finding ways to articulate my life in short Statement of Purposes, asking professors for letters of recommendation, and so on. I am glad the process is over, yet I'm sure I will be doing the same two years from now. HSU will be a gateway for me. A gateway to a greater future. I'm considering Law School or perhaps another Masters after my experiences in Arcata.

It's difficult to pick up everything and move to "the unknown." I know only a handful of people in this city (one of which is traveling via bike across the country!!) This girl is absolutely amazing! In these last few weeks, I have established myself within the city, and have been welcomed by its great people. I have met many GREAT people along this journey to my new home. I have also explored many of the trails that are in my backyard. 

I have visited this area many times before. This may have influenced my decision to move here. I loved every visit I had here. My family used to camp in the redwoods, typically Richardson's Grove State Park. Those experiences I treasure. 

This blog will bring insight as to my life in this secluded city. I will blog about my dilemma from moving from a big city to a small one, my experiences in graduate school, and my summer of FUN! :D

I am rainy day man, about to go get wet in this rain. I'm off for a run!