June 6, 2007

Finishing What You

(Nancy, here's your pic. I am a runner, and runner's do not have bulging thighs like bodybuilders, most are very slendor)

Running isn't a religion, but it can feel like one sometimes, and only runners can know what I mean. The late great running philosopher George Sheehan M.D., author of "Running & Being",once said that his wife tells people "My husband used to be a Methodist. Now he's a runner". Running is a place to get away from your worries and crises. A place to commune with nature, with the universe and yourself, a place for psychological and spiritual renewal.

A church is not defined by a building and "God" is not defined by words in books. "Church" is a place where people of shared beliefs gather to connect with themselves, those around them, and give thanks for the blessings the universe is sharing with them. It is the fellowship which is important, not the sermon, or the religious observance. The roads and trails are my church, sometimes the church is full, sometimes I'm the only one in attendance, it doesn't matter. I reflect, I dream, I meditate, and I give thanks.

To paraphrase George Sheehan, "(This) glimpse of heaven is available to anyone, anywhere, anytime."

28 comments:

Angry Ballerina said...

Nice set of pegs.

Anonymous said...

The fact that you are a runner tells me that you live a very healthy lifestyle. ;-)

The way you explain church is exactly how I felt when I used to go. Getting to together with my family and being thankful for our blessings. Do you think I'd listen to the sermon? I'd sit there yakking with my aunt and I'd get "the look" from grandma! ;-)

oohhh la la! I see that you're living it up today by revealing to us your rock hard thighs.. wink! Thank you for going with my request!

Love you!!!
XOXOXOXOX

Blueberry said...

If running is a religion, then may you run with Dog.

Pam said...

Hubba Hubba!

I'd like slender legs like that, but I still only run when being chased ;-).

Angry Ballerina said...

Pam, would you be interested in the Angry Ballerina Diet? I can assure you your legs will be slender in a matter of mere weeks. Actually, everything will be.

Pam said...

AB - Is that the anorexia diet you had on your blog? I love food too much. I tried to be a bulimic once in college, but I hated puking so I gave that up after one try. Oh, I guess I did go about 4 hours without eating once, while awake. I got dizzy. Does that count?

azgoddess said...

sounds like your running is akin to my walking...i go out in the desert and talk to the plants and animals....in my brain

it's my time to working out problems in my head..and sometimes just cry and let stuff go...

bottom line -- it's my time..

nice pic!

Angry Ballerina said...

PAM- It's a nice blend of both, I tried to sell the idea to Dcup, but she didnt seem to keen on it, it's pretty much just binge, purge, brush and floss.

Peacechick Mary said...

I can relate to what you are saying. I used to be a long distance swimmer and the repetitive motion along with the cyclic sound was highly meditative. It was just me and the water and nothing else existed.

Anonymous said...

This started off with runner's rock hard thighs and somewhere along the way it ended up with puking... hummmmm

Wonderful....

Pam said...

AB - well, dcup would lose those dcups if she did that diet ;-).

Pam said...

Nancy - no one said "rock hard". Where is your mind??

hehehehehehehe!!

Anonymous said...

Yeah well Pam you know what would happen to the dcups if she lost all those pounds...

Sagging down to her knees.. ;-)

Angry Ballerina said...

Nice image Nancy. Nice.

BadTux said...

Actually, sprinters do have the bulging thighs. The longer distance the runner, the skinnier. Sprinters look like freak body builders. Marathon runners look like emaciated freaks. Somewhere in the middle are the "normal" runners. All of them, assuming they're serious about their running, have about as much fat on them as an asparagus stalk.

-Badtux the Former Runner Penguin
(Bad knees, alas, ended that).

FreakyNick said...

Look how you talk when I'm away.

Nancy, Pam, Angry. How did the conversation go from "rock hard" to "sagging". Yeah, side effects from unhealthy dieting are not good.

az and peacechick stayed on the topic of the post, not like others who went off in weird tangents, not that I mind.

Blueberry, I tried running with my golden once. He was good for about a mile, then I was pulling him. (yes, I do know you were talking about Dog in the spiritual sense.)

FreakyNick said...

badtux - I have been called an emaciated freak by some of the heavier BBQ lovin' locals, who think it's crazy to abuse my body like I do. I think the same about them.

I run intervals once or twice a week, but the long runs I enjoy on the weekends eat up any "bulging" the sprints might produce. I have been blessed with being small and underweight, so I have no knee problems (knocking on my desk).

BBC said...

Churches are buildings full of lost and seeking souls.

And my 63 year old biking legs still look pretty damn good also.

Can't go fast, but I can go and go and go, I'm a power stroker. Slow and easy, stroke, stroke, stroke.

Up and down, in and out, up and down, in and out.

*chuckles*

Mary said...

Umm...I have big thighs and I run. I am not one of those slender runners but of course my brother is. And my sister. I just have big thighs.

Mary said...

But I agree. Running is a perfect form of meditation and one that agrees w/me more than trying to sit still.

Me said...

You're right. Every serious runner I've ever seen is wiry.

mad said...

Amen, brother, except when you stumble on a rock, fall down and go boom. Then it kind of hurts.

FreakyNick said...

mary - I run with women who claim they have big thighs, but they don't, so I bet you have slender legs, too. I'm very hyper also, cannot sit still.

hill - Not wiry! emanciated freak is what badtux called it.

mad - I once fell down on a trail run in NM, right on top of a cactus. (the alternative was falling down on top of the girl in front of me, then both of us would of gone down the side of the hill the fast way, rolling on the rocks and desert plants. Ah, going downhill in the desert, loose dirt on top of rocks and lots of cacti, make the trails runs nice and bloody. The mountains have elft their marks on me. It do hurt.

BadTux said...

Nick, you shoulda fell down on top of the girl in front of you. Woulda probably improved your sex life 1000%. Or at least your sexual fantasy life, anyhow :).

- Badtux the Regretful Penguin

Angry Ballerina said...

You will NOT use my name and the word 'sagging' in the same sentence. Ever.

FreakyNick said...

BT - As it all happened in slo-mo, like I had plenty of time to think what to do as I was falling, the sex fantasy thoughts were very far from my mind. I guess I just have to think quicker next time.

Angry - Is the word "drooping" a any better?

Maybe you would prefer "skeletal".

Anonymous said...

nah FAB will start using the saggy words when she reaches our age...

Her time will come soon enough! Leave her be.. wink

Skeletal was never part of my vocab..that's for sure! LOL

Angry Ballerina said...

NO! It's NOT. Nancy, I will NOT allow myself to "droop" "sag" or whatever. I will get nip/tucked all the way to hell and back if need be.