And so much can happen in the course of a couple short weeks.
A lot of good things on the horizon. It looks like I may be involved with starting a vegetarian running group here in Virginia Beach based on an initiative through blogger and author Matt Frazier of the No Meat Athlete. I'm interested to see how this project flies... I hope lots of good, positive relationships will form out of this that benefits everyone. I've needed some motivation and a project to keep my momentum pushing forward. Already I did a long run with a girl I met who is in on this with me, and it was great. I could really us the support for my chosen diet and lifestyle. More on that later.
I've also been asked by a friend to participate as an "ambassador" of sorts in a project she calls "90 Days of Mindfulness." This is a social, public positive change project where you choose any goal that is a change for good in your life, and interact with others in the project to help motivate that change over the course of 90 days (and hopefully… beyond). This is actually the second round of this; I participated in the first, and it was a good experience. She wants to take it to the next level and get a broader following. I don't know how much I will influence any additional takers, but I think it's been a good thing for me personally, so I'm in. I just need to stay motivated and keep busy.
Also participating in a fun Instagram challenge called "SilhouetteYogis." My sister found this challenge for me and it is so up my alley it's ridiculous. Each day you perform an assigned pose in silhouette. I love photography, and of course my most recent passion is yoga. This challenge fuses my interests, and combines them into something completely fun and motivating for me. If nothing else, this forces me to go into the great outdoors, observe and appreciate the beauty and serenity of nature's most exquisite backdrops, and do some yoga. What's not to love…
So last Sunday I returned from an interesting trip, and one I won't soon forget. Years and years ago (over ten by now) I was filling out the family tree in my children's baby books. Had a lot of blanks on my husband's father's side of the family, and no one could help me fill them. I went on a mission to find out names. So I ended up on some genealogical websites, and ended up connecting with a woman in southeastern Alabama who was related to my father-in-law. Turned out she was a wealth of information, and we have been in touch ever since.
Now my father-in-law is absorbed by the mission I started, and proposed we go down and visit his cousin. In Alabama.
So we did.
This seems like it would have NOTHING to do with a running blog, but the point is, I got some training in a new place and I just LOVE THAT. Exploring a new terrain on foot.
But running here in southeastern Alabama was quite the eye opening experience to say the least.
I will start off by saying that although I have lived in Virginia (technically the "South") for most of my life, you would definitely characterize me as a complete and total Yankee if you lived in Alabama. Worse yet, you might characterize me as a hippie vegan runner yogi freak, which just doesn't sound right in this culture. And I learned it is a culture. Not necessarily in a negative way… it just is.
After arriving in Ozark I mentioned to our most awesome and amazing hosts that I'd like to run in the morning, preferably earlier the better. They looked at me perplexed (I must have sprouted two heads) and asked me if I meant on the road? In the dark? For several miles?
Unfortunately, they informed me that this environment may not be really conducive to running for the following reasons:
1. There are hoodlums and creepy people in these parts. Known druggies, drug dealers and a possible meth lab. With shotguns. And oh-by-the-way two teenage girls were murdered down the road and found in a trunk of a car and the murderer was never found.
2. Rattlesnakes. They like to slither out on the road.
3. Coyotes. And crazy dogs on the loose.
4. 'Skeeters and biting deer flies.
5. Were the crazy people mentioned?
Sometimes I can be stubborn, and well, I promised myself that I would get my running in. So before the sun rose, I parked the car, got out and started running solo down this dark and spooky country road with numerous hills.
I have to admit I was scared. I listened to Coldplay. For some reason it helped calm me a bit.
The running was sooooo hard. The hill climbing, the thick humid air, my upset stomach, the nerves. Each stride was a major effort. As I made my turn to head back to the car, the sun emerged on the horizon, and it was like all the fears, toils and yuckiness just disappeared with the dark.
I stopped to snap a picture:
And then, as I sat there admiring nature's amazing light show, I felt a sudden burning stinging sensation up my ankle. I looked down.
FIRE ANTS.
I stepped on a hole. They attacked. I furiously swatted them off, peeling off my sock and shoe, and flung them off as they were making their way up my leg and into my shorts!
Just then a sheriff in a pick up truck rolls by. Turns on his blue lights. Pulls over. Did he need to turn the lights on?
I guess I must have looked like a crazed madwoman pulling off my footwear on the side of the road at dawn, in a complete frenzy, hitting and swatting myself. I could be one of those druggies in search of another score at the meth lab.
He noticed right away I wasn't from "these parts." I told him my fire ant story. He asked if I needed a ride? No. I'm running back. He just drove away shaking his head.
Maaaaaaan did my ankle and foot sting and itch on that last bit.
@#$%ing FIRE ANTS.
The next day I didn't run. I was a genealogical researcher in courthouses, libraries, and graveyards.
But I might have done some yoga in front of a cool old building.
On Friday evening we attended a "pickin"… not a pig pickin'… like you would think. But a guitar pickin'. Several of our host's friends play in a southern gospel band and they meet up every weekend to entertain the locals. Everyone brings food… lots of greasy stuff, lots of canned stuff, lots of stuff with sugar and salt and butter in it… so in other words a vegan is destined for starvation at one of these.
I've also been asked by a friend to participate as an "ambassador" of sorts in a project she calls "90 Days of Mindfulness." This is a social, public positive change project where you choose any goal that is a change for good in your life, and interact with others in the project to help motivate that change over the course of 90 days (and hopefully… beyond). This is actually the second round of this; I participated in the first, and it was a good experience. She wants to take it to the next level and get a broader following. I don't know how much I will influence any additional takers, but I think it's been a good thing for me personally, so I'm in. I just need to stay motivated and keep busy.
Also participating in a fun Instagram challenge called "SilhouetteYogis." My sister found this challenge for me and it is so up my alley it's ridiculous. Each day you perform an assigned pose in silhouette. I love photography, and of course my most recent passion is yoga. This challenge fuses my interests, and combines them into something completely fun and motivating for me. If nothing else, this forces me to go into the great outdoors, observe and appreciate the beauty and serenity of nature's most exquisite backdrops, and do some yoga. What's not to love…
So last Sunday I returned from an interesting trip, and one I won't soon forget. Years and years ago (over ten by now) I was filling out the family tree in my children's baby books. Had a lot of blanks on my husband's father's side of the family, and no one could help me fill them. I went on a mission to find out names. So I ended up on some genealogical websites, and ended up connecting with a woman in southeastern Alabama who was related to my father-in-law. Turned out she was a wealth of information, and we have been in touch ever since.
Now my father-in-law is absorbed by the mission I started, and proposed we go down and visit his cousin. In Alabama.
So we did.
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| Alabama, aerial view. |
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But running here in southeastern Alabama was quite the eye opening experience to say the least.
I will start off by saying that although I have lived in Virginia (technically the "South") for most of my life, you would definitely characterize me as a complete and total Yankee if you lived in Alabama. Worse yet, you might characterize me as a hippie vegan runner yogi freak, which just doesn't sound right in this culture. And I learned it is a culture. Not necessarily in a negative way… it just is.
After arriving in Ozark I mentioned to our most awesome and amazing hosts that I'd like to run in the morning, preferably earlier the better. They looked at me perplexed (I must have sprouted two heads) and asked me if I meant on the road? In the dark? For several miles?
Unfortunately, they informed me that this environment may not be really conducive to running for the following reasons:
1. There are hoodlums and creepy people in these parts. Known druggies, drug dealers and a possible meth lab. With shotguns. And oh-by-the-way two teenage girls were murdered down the road and found in a trunk of a car and the murderer was never found.
2. Rattlesnakes. They like to slither out on the road.
3. Coyotes. And crazy dogs on the loose.
4. 'Skeeters and biting deer flies.
5. Were the crazy people mentioned?
Sometimes I can be stubborn, and well, I promised myself that I would get my running in. So before the sun rose, I parked the car, got out and started running solo down this dark and spooky country road with numerous hills.
I have to admit I was scared. I listened to Coldplay. For some reason it helped calm me a bit.
The running was sooooo hard. The hill climbing, the thick humid air, my upset stomach, the nerves. Each stride was a major effort. As I made my turn to head back to the car, the sun emerged on the horizon, and it was like all the fears, toils and yuckiness just disappeared with the dark.
I stopped to snap a picture:
 |
 |
FIRE ANTS.
I stepped on a hole. They attacked. I furiously swatted them off, peeling off my sock and shoe, and flung them off as they were making their way up my leg and into my shorts!
Just then a sheriff in a pick up truck rolls by. Turns on his blue lights. Pulls over. Did he need to turn the lights on?
I guess I must have looked like a crazed madwoman pulling off my footwear on the side of the road at dawn, in a complete frenzy, hitting and swatting myself. I could be one of those druggies in search of another score at the meth lab.
He noticed right away I wasn't from "these parts." I told him my fire ant story. He asked if I needed a ride? No. I'm running back. He just drove away shaking his head.
Maaaaaaan did my ankle and foot sting and itch on that last bit.
@#$%ing FIRE ANTS.
The next day I didn't run. I was a genealogical researcher in courthouses, libraries, and graveyards.
But I might have done some yoga in front of a cool old building.
 |
| Some old auditorium in the middle of nowhere... |
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| Clayton, AL |
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| Boll Weevil Monument in Enterprise, AL |
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| The Boll Weevil was eradicated. Triumph over the bug commemorated here. |
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| An evening summer storm rolls in downtown Ozark. |
The music was amazing. Not my genre at all, but it doesn't mean I couldn't appreciate it. The people were salt of the earth. I stuck out like a sore thumb, but everyone was friendly and wonderful. What an experience.
On Saturday morning I ran about 12 miles starting out on that same country road again, but this time after the sun came up. It was just as hard as the first time. Just longer. No fire ants this time, and no cops. A few stares and a few comments by locals in pick up trucks. But I survived.
Back in Virginia Beach now, trying to find my running mojo. Monday was okay. The weather is cooling down.
The fire ant bites are healing and it's back to business.
I would have stayed locked up in my room at the first mention of "rattlesnakes"!
ReplyDeleteI am a genealogy fanatic! It's been years since I've done any active searching, but before my son was born a fellow co-worker and I spent many, many, many hours in courthouses, cemeteries, on the road....you name it, we did it! Now, it's easy doing most of it on-line via "Ancestry.com" .....but, doing the actual "footwork" is way more fun than sitting on a computer! My opinion!
One rule of thumb in doing family research......NEVER, NEVER, NEVER believe everything you read! Especially names and how they are spelled. Back in the day, most couldn't read or write, so they just "sounded" out the name and hoped for the best! I have my family traced back to the 1700's! Fun stuff!