Butterflies in my hands

I've got butterflies in my hands, or at least that is what I tell myself while practicing chi running. Surprisingly it really feels like there are butterflies in my hands, fluttering around, these thoughts tickle my core, allowing me freedom to fly as I run. I have discovered how wonderful it is to run along the road I live on, a tranquil and serene setting, full of beauty and wonder, just like a butterfly. My favorite part is the curve around Hellroaring Creek. The canopy of the surrounding trees envelope the road and the sound of the cascading water transforms my being into a place of joy. I wonder what it might be like if I were just to run back and forth around that curve instead of continuing on the road. Would the experience lose some of its appeal? Or would it merely transport me to another place such as the Sacred Valley in Peru, as if I am trekking to Macchu Picchu? Hard to say, although I am certain it would make for a laughable sight, none-the-less. The run felt great today, all 4.3 miles, relatively easy. My calves were still speaking to me in ways that informed me they were going to dictate the pace of the run, no matter what the rest of my body had in mind. Finally I feel like I am making progress with chi running. I speak of progress in terms of distance and posture, for speed will be something that may present itself later in this game. It took me 40 minutes to complete the 4 plus miles, yet I found my ability to stay completely relaxed and calm a celebration of my performance.

I arrived home and prepared for my yoga session of the day. I decided to eat an orange in between the running and yoga. I also rested for about a half hour and drank several fluids. And onto yogaglo, on online yoga site that allows you to pick a style, level, and duration of class. Pretty cool stuff, if any of you are interested check it out! So I went for a simple Vinyasa flow (according to class description) with Noah Maze (an anusara instructor). I'm guessing the simple referred to the lack of those hard to understand or emulate postures, because there was nothing easy about this particular flow. I find it truly baffling that I can run 4 miles without breaking a sweat or changing my breath (except for the hills, and even then its a slight variation of breath) and the few minutes I get into this class I am sweating. Beads of sweat forming on my body and falling off like raindrops, as if someone were above me spraying me with a steady mist. My breath was harder to control than a pair of cross country skies going downhill. And we are not talking crazy pretzel like postures dipped in mustard or anything, just a relatively straight forward flow class with a strong emphasis on foundation. How is it that when I run that I feel like a butterfly, yet when I practice yoga I feel like an elephant? Its quite an interesting paradox, really, for I most certainly would think it was the other way around. Sooner or later this elephant in me will be able to feature in a circus, at least that is what I have to look forward to.

Yesterday I managed to find myself in the kayak on Whitefish Lake. A beautiful afternoon highlighted by delightful cloud formations. A storm brewed to the east and as the sun began to slowly set across the sky, my inner rainbow meter showed "very likely". I saw a glimpse of rainbow, as if it was a shadow of a real one, it happened so quickly that if I were not closely looking for the 15 seconds it appeared I would have easily missed it. Still, though, it made my afternoon special, especially since my pants had become wet from the whitecaps on the lake washing over the front of my kayak. I enjoyed the rocking sensation of the waves on the water despite the fact that each time I tried to paddle fast I found out the real temperature of the water. Let's just say its somewhere between cool and chilly.

I know it sounds like I'm not all that busy; however, I can assure you, that I am! I would rather share with you these stories of candor than bore you with all the other things I accomplished today.

As for food and cooking, well, these two fascinating subjects are just waiting to burst out onto this blog. I'm going to hold them back for now, since the Restaurant opens next week and these two features will inevitably surge to the front of the pack, while running and yoga compete to find a place in my life. With a marathon coming this fall, and a commitment to practice yoga daily in June, I think there will be just enough room for this blog to continue without me having to change the title. Especially if I can keep these butterflies in my hands!