Once you get the logistics out of the way (which trails to use, what time of year is best, how to manage the transportation if you don’t do the rim-to-rim double), an experience of a lifetime awaits everyone.  Stacy AuCoin and I started on the South Rim.  While we were on the trail, 3 other Bozemanites (Greg Young, Terry Liest, Carrie Krause) had flown into St. George, rented a car, and were driving down to the North Rim to meet us.
The 1st gift from the Grand Canyon was about 45 minutes into the descent from the Bright Angel Trailhead, leaving at 4:13am by headlamp.   Easing our way down over 100’s of log steps, with eerie echoes off unseen canyon walls all around, we heard little giggling sounds approaching us from behind.  We saw flickering lights way above, and suddenly 3 young girls appeared.  We stepped aside so they could pass (and we thought we were the only ones doing this!)… the one up front stopped right next to me, her headlamp shining in my face, and exclaimed “aren’t you David Summerfield?”  Total disconnect.   Here we were, in a supposed death-defying struggle for survival (all the warning signs on the rim for tourists, urging them NOT to attempt what we were doing)…and suddenly I was back in Bozeman on a trail, in the midst of “our kind”.  She introduced herself, “I’m Emily Allison, daughter of Ridge Runner Mike Allison” – talk about feeling at home in a strange land!   That set the tone for the whole day.  Everyone we met on the trail was on some kind of personal mission, no doubt about it.  All but a few had that “look” in their eyes – some a steely glint, some a fierce determination, some humbled by the pain of knowing they still had many hours of grueling effort to get back on top.  The gift?  No matter who you are, where you are, in some way we are all one.       
The 2nd gift from the GC became apparent an hour later - as we realized we could see a hint of huge buttresses all around us.  The dawn had begun.  Suddenly the world around us became visually magical.  Our legs had been telling us we were going down, down, down.  But visually, nothing was changing.  Then we came upon an oasis called the Indian Gardens, and with colors still pretty grey, we passed a couple deer without realizing what they were – grey on grey.  They were on the trail, and right beside it, and had no intention of budging.  And then the explosion of color happened all around.  I remember asking myself what I would have to do to find this same amazement at the dawn of a new day back in Bozeman.  Every step produced a completely new vista, everything was new and exciting.  Where is the thrill of walking the dog on the same hiking trail morning after morning, with the exact same trees in the exact same location, crossing the road in the exact same place month after month, year after year?  Do we really have to travel 1000 miles just to revel in life again?  I tried to memorize what I was seeing.  I wanted to recreate this same scene whenever life got boring back home.   Then I realized, well – that’s pretty dumb.  Isn’t that what we have minds for?  And, yes, we DO need periodic reminders to stay alive “upstairs”, and perhaps go to great lengths to really shake ourselves awake….like stripping away all the cobwebs, go do something way out-of-the-ordinary….go plunging down into the Grand Canyon, for example.  Every 5 minutes or so, I’d look up from the ground in front of me and have to take in a deep breath as if to say “my God – this is absolutely spectacular.”  The gift?  Spectacular stuff is always around – just look for it.
I’d say the 3rd gift of the GC was on a different level.  Time stood still, even though we had this constant impending deadline of having to be at the North Rim around 5pm (and darkness) if we wanted to get a ride (in an actual motor vehicle, rolling down an actual paved highway) – all facilities were closed on October 15th, and the closest place to stay was 45 miles north of the rim.  Anyway, we went back in time – millions of years, and slowly came back to the present over the course of 13 hours.  Geologic strata after strata – all completely different.  Were we in the dinosaur period now, or the rise of hominids, or was this the time waters covered the land, etc.?  We literally felt in a foreign dimension.  This was the real thing, not a creation of a technological contrivance, aided by computers and the like.  This was raw nature, and we felt miniscule but very much a part of it all.  At one point on a steep stretch hugging the sides of sheer cliffs on a narrow trail – we caught up to a man listening to a handheld radio – blaring outloud.    Eeeeek!!  I could feel the word…. “Disconnect!”  Must….get…away…from …this… aberration… this… freak…. of….nature!!  It took us a ½ hour of powering away from him, but it worked.    Ahhhh.  So what was happening there?  That simple little technological device symbolized a rational, material world that was separate from us.  We’d been living “as one” with the world around us, for over 10 hours straight.  The mere sound of a radio broke the spell.  The cliffs and rocks and vistas suddenly appeared “not part of me” if that makes sense.  Then we got back to being part of the landscape, blending our energies.  Its hard to describe.  Gift?  Occasionally, step away from a mechanistic view of your world, you can do it just by closing your eyes – and so some blending, some filling your soul.  Now, to keep that going!!!          - David Summerfield 

If anyone is out there who has weathered the past several articles about changing how you think about your body – to help alter it to be a more useful, healthful body – well, let’s take it one step further.  Hold on!!  I’m asking us (you, me, and anyone open to this) – to take the leap to actually become a supernatural individual, or runner (if that’s the label you prefer for yourself).  If anyone has gone so far as to start reading Joe Dispenza’s book (You Are the Pacebo), this takes place at the end of the whole book.  You’ve gone through many exercises which pretty much prove to yourself how to actually rewrite your genes, which in turn rewrite your genetic code which in turn changes your body.  Too much for you already?  Sigh.  Then read no further! 
I found my heart pounding as I approached the end of the book.   I had long ago stopped arguing with Joe.  Like many “over-the-hill” runners, I’m “sick and tired” (but not tired enough to make myself sick!!) of putting up with the general mind-set of getting old.  The body has long since stopped obeying my commands.  I needed a new method, and this was good enough for me.  Progress is slow.  Painful.  I get discouraged, trying to really change how I view the body.  Its hard.  But every whisper of a breakthrough feels like an organ playing with all the stops out. 
Last weekend, leading up to a mighty challenge of doing the “Rim to Rim” in the Grand Canyon next weekend, Stacy and I decided the time was right to actually do the whole “Back to Bridger” run, all 18.1 (on my car’s odometer) miles.  I’ve run this many times doing 8 minute miles.  I love the route…..the feeling of ending a fun season of running, and thinking of finally being able to ski my workouts until next April!  This one had to be walked.  The mind-set was simple – next week we’ve got to do 24 miles of very rugged terrain (6,000 feet of elevation loss and gain) over rocky paths….and a deadline of hearty Bozemanites waiting for us at the North Rim trailhead at a specific time.  No room for error of judgment.  Oh, I love the challenge.  My mind is already racing just thinking about it.  So, we took off all alone at the Elk’s Club on Haggerty Lane – at first light.  A practice of what would really happen in one week.  Again, no room for error – every challenge had to be met (dehydration, aches and pains, bonking, soreness, you know the routine).  It worked.  Gobs and gobs of energy was consumed just making it happen.  The day after was comical – total sluggishness, mind in a blur, “what were we thinking”, etc.  But we made the decision to actually become supernatural – I’m not talking about becoming superman-superwoman.  Supernatural is just doing what is not natural for humans to do.  That’s all.  We have opportunities to do this everyday.  I’d say, be supernatural as much as you can everyday.  And get in the habit. 
When we got to Bridger Bowl at the foot of the Jim Bridger Lodge, there was a welcoming committee – 5 faithful Winddrinkers who had volunteered to put this on.  They were there welcoming all those who chose to be supernatural that day.  Turns out, only Rob (our new president) and Kyle (a returning Bozemanite – and Bozeman Brewery brewer) were the only other long-haulers.  They RAN it probably twice as fast as we did.  But….their supernatural feats made us feel absolutely supernatural as well.  Just “step into the unknown, and that’s when  the supernatural starts to unfold.” (page 301).  Joe talks about “mirror neurons” in the book, and that’s when you see (witness) someone else doing something so beautifully, you instinctively want to do the same, and in essence, you begin to.  Joe must be a tennis player, because he uses the act of watching Serena Williams hitting a ball – which allows him to hit the ball better than he ever did before.  I’ve got to wrap this up.  This is Joe’s recipe for being supernatural (page 300…and sorry if it sounds a little preachy – it just seems too true to neglect including it) – “We have to begin to do what’s unnatural – that is, to give in the midst of crisis, when everyone is feeling lack and poverty; to love when everyone is angry and judging others;  to demonstrate courage and peace when everyone else is in fear;  to show kindness when others are displaying hostility and aggression;  to surrender to possibility when the rest of the world is aggressively pushing to be first, trying to control outcomes, and fiercely competing in an endless drive to get to the top;  to knowingly smile in the face of adversity;  and to cultivate the feeling of wholeness when we’re diagnosed as sick.”  -  Bon voyage, you supernaturals…..  – David Summerfield

​The thread for this column fell right into my lap.  After the August column about using quantum physics to carefully re-work your body, sub-atomic particle by sub-atomic particle – I wasn’t sure where to go next.  Stacy and I drove to my 60th Reunion at the Adventure Unlimited Ranches in Buena Vista, Colorado.  And yes, I have participated at this youth ranch in all of the last 6 decades.  Its my home if ever there was one.  We climbed several 14,000’ peaks, which prompted me to find out that our own Rob Maher has summitted all 54 of them.  Now I want to go back and finish off my final 14.  I digress.
While hiking with what we called our “mountain family” – on our way to Lake Ann – a jewel at the base of a cirque at 12,000’-- an old friend found out about my wanting to re-work my body, and said I have to read “You are the Placebo – making your mind matter” by Dr. Joe Dispenza.   He gave me his copy (he was reading it at the time) to read in the car on the way back to the ranches.  Trying her best to read while on a very bumpy dirt/rocky road, Stacy read the Preface outloud to everyone in the car.  Joe was the perfect example of someone real, doing just what I was trying to imagine.  So, here’s my best attempt at digesting Joe’s own experience of doing just what I want to do.
Joe was a new chiropractor, in his early 20’s.   The story starts out this way:  “On a beautiful Southern California day in April, I had the privilege of being run over by an SUV in a Palm Springs trialthlon.”  Does that give you a hint of what’s to come?  As he admitted, “Maybe I was just young and bold at that time in my life, but I decided against the medical model.”  His medical background made it easy for him to understand exactly what had happened.  He sustained serious injuries to his spinal column & vertebrae.  This is normally taken care of by multiple surgeries, the fusing of this and that, inserting rods and hardware, and so on, and doubts of ever walking again.     He decided against all that, asking instead to be taken to the home of a friend, much to the consternation of the medical establishment.  He was totally immobilized – laying flat on his stomach.
Joe was very vivid about his thought process at the time.  He wanted to go within himself and connect (have a relationship) with what he refers to as “…an intelligence, an invisible consciousness…that supports, maintains, protects, and heals us every moment.  It creates almost 100 trillion specialized cells (starting from 2), it keeps our hearts beating a little more than a 100,000 times per day, and it can organize hundreds of thousands of chemical reactions in a single cell in every second – among many other amazing functions.” 
So, here comes the application of quantum physics (in my humble non-professional opinion).  There he was, lying face-down, motionless, seemingly paralyzed.  Can you put yourself into that circumstance?  You’ve really got nothing to lose…..try something unusual…. “First, every day I would put all of my conscious attention on this intelligence within me and give it a plan, a template, a vision, with very specific orders….And second, I wouldn’t let any thought slip by my awareness that I didn’t want to experience.”  That’s it.  Intention, pure and simple.  Lying facedown – there’s not a whole lot else to do but work with the mind.  And he did, and finding it very, very challenging.  The mind wanders – a lot!!  He 1st wanted to spend several hours twice a day on his plan.  Specifically, he saw the reconstruction of his spine… “…vertebra by vertebra, and I would show this consciousness, if it was paying attention to my efforts, what I wanted.”  It took many weeks to go through this reconstruction process without interruption.  If he caught his mind wandering (thinking about what would happen if it didn’t work, etc.), he would start all over again.  He demanded of himself the utmost one point focus – the most difficult thing he had ever done. 
Try it yourself.  I have.  It’s HARD.  The mind wants to think what it wants to think, when it wants to think it.  He had to take control, absolute control.  It took 6 weeks of a constant battle with his mind to do his bidding.  Finally, he broke through the barrier, and did one whole reconstruction program without having to begin it all over again.  “It was like hitting the tennis ball on the sweet spot….It clicked.  I clicked.  And I felt complete, satisfied, and whole.  For the 1st time I was truly relaxed and present – in mind and body.”  And the next step was equally important.  With additional time on his hands, he started visualizing what he would do with his new body – what he called his “future potentials” that existed in the quantum field.  He put his emotion into it.  It almost sounded like an equation:  take one part “Intentional Future”, add it to an “Elevated Emotion” and that equals the body believing it was actually in this future vision.  Or, IF + EE = FVR (future vision realized).  Joe actually said that as he did this, his cells were reorganizing themselves – which he describes later on as signaling new genes, or what’s called “epigenetics” (see page 92) – “the control of genes not from within the DNA itself but from messages coming from outside the cell.” 
Now the main problem I see here, is that none of us are paralyzed, lying on our stomachs, with nothing to do except breathe and “think”, and most probably agonize about our dire predicament.  I know Bob Wade had to go through a bunch of “reconstruction” after his accident on a bike, but he was mobile, and generally taken care of….(yes, Kathy, you did a lot of the taking care of!)…  So the question becomes:  how badly off do we have to get to do this kind of stuff?  How many of us want the “privilege” of being run over by a large, heavy vehicle?  Yes, here’s an invitation to process this idea, maybe even read the book, and see what you can come up with.  I know I’m balking at doing it – I only last about 10 seconds, and BINGO! I’m distracted and on to something else….I think I need another doughnut, or something.  The only way I can leave this is to say:  “have fun with it, and see what happens!” (Oh, by the way, Joe has gone on to a normal life of traveling all over the world, holding workshops, and is functioning quite normally)                              
​ - David Summerfield

Here are several of the more memorable essays written by those wanting to run the Ridge Run. I’ve tried to get a sampling of all types – from serious, to humorous, to slightly weird. Here we go!

Why should you let me in? You shouldn't! I told my wife the whole entry process is fixed and bet her I would never get in. If I lose I may have to complete the race in a thong. You don't want that. Neither do I. Don't let me in!

July 29: I cannot walk. Two weeks later: I run. On the ridge, there is only the present moment. But that moment takes years, or lifetimes to understand. Past and future fall away like East and West. So point your toes South and hang on. In the span of twelve months I traded the mountains of Bozeman for the “mountains” of NYC. I was 19 and with that trade I lost part of myself. Now 34, I’m trying to find me again.

The BRR is a milestone in the path back to my roots. This most spirit-lifting of events is an annual contest to see if I can get it together one more time – “Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will – To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.” (Tennyson’s Ulysses) Oh yes!

I'm 65 w/recent aggressive prostate cancer diagnosis; not looking for pity but BRR's on bucket list. Old but strong, slow but steady. Love goat trails. Pics of BRR turn me on. Career in trail maint and constr, Glacier NP, Bitterroots, N. Idaho.

I would like to prove to all those sniveling men out there that didn't get into last year's race or won't get into this year's race that I, as a woman, will be treated with favortism.

I had to pull out last year due to a synovial cyst which pinched off 75% of my spinal canal. The only thing that gets me through my daily physical therapy and rehab is the thought of again being able to participate in the Ridge Run.

Running my a** off in the mountains is my therapeutic remedy for maintaining sanity in a world of solo parenting, a challenging career and shifting sands. If you’re looking for folks who appreciate the gift that comes with this challenge, choose me.

Native Bozemanite-a farm girl. Will represent! Mother lost leg impacting ability to engage in our love of the Bridgers. Lost a cousin and his passion was the Bridgers. Bridgers are my home and I love hiking, playing, viewing and caring for them!!

I run all my races for my brother and running buddy who spends most of his time in Afghanistan. He lives vicariously through my running life. It's the least I can do for him, knowing all that he does for us. It’s as simple as that!

PICK ME! Last year I watched my sister in law complete the run. It changed her life and motivated me to change mine. My brother and I are trying to run together this year...great time for us to reconnect. I love mountains! PLEASE PICK ME!

As a kid I was forbidden to play sports due to the competitive nature fostered by such activities. Having overcome the spiritual destruction of such a religion, running has given me access to peace, gratefulness, and resilience of mind.

My daughter was born with a serious heart condition that resulted in me developing postpartum depression. Running is the one thing that has helped me overcome this. The RidgeRun is my greatest running goal.

My favorite quote, "All anyone really needs is twenty seconds of bravery and something great will happen". I know twenty miles of the Bridger Ridge Run will accomplish something great!

My Therapy, My Brother Mowbray was killed by a Drunk Driver 3 years ago, this turned my life upside down, sense Mowbs passing the only thing that keeps me sane is running, I run for my brother when I am in my Pain Cave I feel the closest to Mowbs.

Sacagawea - Then along the rocky spine - To the 'M'-- Sublime! (A Haiku)  My in-laws are visiting that week from out of state. They won't be impressed by my poetry skills, so I actually have to run the ridge. Please help!

I wanted to run last year but felt intimidated. Now I have spent three months hiking in Nepal and a month at EVerest base camp. I am ready to run in the footsteps of my father Alex, my stepfather Conrad, my mom, Jennifer and my brother Sam.

We only have one life to live; may as well fill it with adventure and success. Since having 3 small children, I struggle to make time for myself. The run will allow time to focus & be part of an elite athletes and community members.

 "Pain's a fire which incinerates Karma and fuels evolutionary change"-L.Jarret

8 BRR's, smitten! Romantic training runs with my girlfriend. Electric atmoshpere at Fairy Lake. Connection with other runners. Doing what others won't. Max is running because it's better than therapy. ("Take that, ex-wife, I got in to the Bridger Ridge Run! All you got was the house. Loser.").

I am a cop in Jackson, WY and just finished 5 days of anti-abortion protests with vivid pix, vile blather, ignorant counter protesters and getting yelled at by both sides. I need to clear my head.

Help.... I'm a police officer's wife, and I need to clear my head, too. (Maybe you heard from him, already!) Please pick us. We haven't even been on a date for over a year. Thanks. P.S. His name is Frederic O'Connor. Thanks.

My wife says we can't have our second baby until we both do the ridge run. She calls it "Ridge Run Family Planning." Please help us out and be a part of our family history! Train. Run. Make baby.

Please let me run for Caden Shrauger, age 3 battling Neuroblastoma Cancer. Bozeman Fire Chief's son, my daughter's best friend and the boy I helped raise since he was 3 months, Caden is fighting for his life. This race is for you Caden!

Ridge Runner Donald Tucker and I became close friends and in 1997 he was killed in a car accident. Stashed away in my treasures I have a hand written note from him asking me to join him in this "epic adventure". In memory of Donald Tucker.

Transitioning from life in Special Forces is more challenging than my husband thought. But its easier when your wife will sort out shit on a run with you. We want to tackle this beast as individuals, but really we want to tackle it together.

In honor of MY Special Olympian, told he’d never walk, BRR is the ultimate in proving doubters wrong, especially ourselves. NEVER an athlete, down 70 lbs & at the proverbial hill of 40, BRR is my final proof, mind over matter wins. I’m an athlete!

I am not dying, blind, one-legged, or running the ridge barefoot. I am a mom and a physician who wants to lead by example...I preach health and wellness AND loving the place we love.

I ran the BRR in 2005 (maiden name is Swogger) and finished in 3rd. My husband claims when I finished I said "don't let me do that again". I don't remember saying this and I'd like to show him he’s wrong!

My name is Cooper. I am Niki's dog. I am entering her in this race. It would mean many trail runs for training and we always get icecream for recovery. Please consider the dog, don't make me beg...or stare at you for a long time.

Coast to prairies to mountains to fireflies in night, Beckoning to rise from sea to summit, Light falls,Breath rises,Life at your feet,Gather the senses and melt the lies beneath seasons,Run with me...........

-David Summerfield 

While watching a live feed of the Boston Marathon today (April 20), it was impossible not to re-live the former “glory days” which all mature runners have tucked neatly away somewhere in their souls.  Watching the 1000’s of runners crossing the finish line around the 3 hour mark – all looking so smooth, effortless, and strong….well, I was transported into a different dimension of reality.  Suddenly, I was there (consciously I knew it was 30 years ago, but time had obviously stopped).  And I really mean “I was there”.  I was in the middle of the crowd of 3 hour finishers, floating along, looking to my right and left, seeing the runners in front of me that I would have to get by, looking down at my watch, “yep, I can still make it under 3:00”.  Then I started hearing music, but not the kind of music I’m accustomed to at finish lines.  This was no adrenalin-infused victory scene.  It was utterly peaceful music, ethereal music – flutes, violins, and a low throbbing heartbeat-like rhythm.  The drone of runners’ footsteps all around me had  faded away.  All the cheering was gone.   “Hey, what’s going on around here?” I yelled.  The runner to my left told me to shut up and listen, because the Coach was about to speak.  Now this was all too weird. 

The guy to my right had a vague familiarity to him.  I took another closer look, and saw his eyes, and it was my Coach.  Well, now I was confused.  It wasn’t really MY coach – I had never really liked my running coach – he had had no faith in me, and kept asking me to quit the team – I was so slow.  But this was somehow my real Coach, or someone I wanted to be my coach.  All I knew was that I admired him – I always had.  Oh, maybe he was at one of those coaches’ conferences I used to attend where famous runners give out coaching tips.  Out of the corner of my eye, the runner on my right glanced over at me, and had this knowing smile on his face.  All of a sudden, he started speaking to me.  No!  I thought.  Not right in the middle of the home stretch of the Boston Marathon for heaven’s sake!  But he said very calmly, David, I’m here to remind you of your greatness, and to help you with your next step.  I glanced around and realized that everyone around me was not only moving in slow motion, but they were basically motionless.  It had been raining the whole run, I knew that.  But the raindrops were suspended in air.  There was no breeze.  Mentally I felt like I was still building up to that last big surge to the finish line, but it didn’t seem to matter any more.  The music stopped, and there was nothing but an inexpressible silence all around me.  After what seemed like an eternity, I realized I could care less about whatever it was I had been doing.  Time had vanished.  There was no urgency.  All that mattered was what had just been spoken by someone with such an amazing eye contact.  The Coach gently said:  I’ve been told you are wanting more out of life, and want to really wake-up and start doing something more satisfying than trying to hold onto past glories.  I thought:  How did you know?  It doesn’t matter how I know…you just get going now.  And, don’t forget!

I asked:  Don’t forget what?  But when I glanced up into that serene face, the face was gone.  And not only gone, but the runners behind me were yelling to watch out so they didn’t trample over me.  There was no problem stepping on the gas – and I exploded past the row of runners in front of me, and then realized the finish line was a distant memory and there I was all alone, on my normal, boring route I usually go on every morning.  First chance I had, I stopped on someone’s lawn, and just sat down.  What had just happened?  I closed my eyes, and could hear my heart pounding.  I could feel the welling up of tears.  Everything that had just happened seemed eerily familiar, though other-worldly.  When I opened my eyes again, there I was in my chair, in front of my computer, and the live feed was still going on, the elapsed time was now around 3:25, with that endless crowd of runners bearing down on the finish line.  The look in their eyes seemed strangely different this time.  They looked bored, hanging onto life, plodding along, with the announcer at the finish line, in a monotone voice, saying over and over again on the loudspeakers:  Let’s give a big hand to all the runners….you’re looking great….you’re looking great….let’s give a big hand to all the runners….you’re looking great…you’re looking great.  But wait a minute….what was I supposed to remember?                - David Summerfield

FYI:  (referring to the picture below)  “Meb” is probably the most famous current American marathoner – he won the Boston Marathon last year – 1st time an American has won it since 1983!!  And this year, nearing the finish line – and out of contention to win (he was only a few minutes back) – he drew alongside this “elite” woman runner (the women were given a 25 minute head start, so some of them could finish with the “elite” men), grabbed her hand, and they crossed together, instead of dashing past her at the finish.

       Hilary must have been channeling her inner mature runner the entire race!


Meb Keflezighi and Hilary Dionne cross the 2015 Boston Marathon finish line together (Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports)

From what I’ve read, (okay, I googled it…) those of us in the “second half of life”, or approaching it (and I can’t decide exactly where I am – but I MUST be approaching it pretty soon, I think I found a grey hair…) – we often rearrange our priorities (stop working so much, perhaps be less involved in family, start doing what one really wants). And this opens up opportunities for more creative endeavors…like George Bush taking up painting portraits of world leaders (such as Putin), or Grandma Moses taking up painting at age 78 (yes, look her up – she’s still an inspiration to me), or Laura Ingalls Wilder publishing “Little House on the Prairie” books starting at age 64. Unable to figure out how to create an article for this month’s newsletter, I went for it and googled “I need inspiration for writing articles for runners” – hoping to finally stump Mr. Google. No way. The 1st web result was a gold mine. And that made me wonder about AI (artificial intelligence) – which is a hot topic among scientists. If this article I’m about to quote was already in a robot’s “mind” (which it would be, right?) - then it would know what to do for an article in a nanosecond. Suddenly, I feel quite inferior!

Back to creativity. Haruki Murakami is a very creative writer. He’s also a runner, and wrote a beautiful piece about how running has made him the writer he is. So, take note, dear runner. And, naturally, he came into his creative own later in life. He gave up a career as a successful jazz bar owner in Tokyo – and just wanted to be more creative. For Haruki, this creative process has become a sport, and he laid out a 3-step process. You 1st have to have talent. I wanted to quickly move on to #2, figuring this talent thing has been eluding me. His analogy helped – you can have the most phenomenal car in the world, but it won’t run unless you put fuel into it. The fuel here is talent, and I intellectualized enough to figure I have plenty of fuel (how else can one get up day after day and put in the endless miles?). #2 is focus. Now, that’s what I was waiting for. Most of us committed (asylum?) runners run/walk/ski/ bike/etc. because of our need to focus for several hours a day – focus on something more interesting than earning a living, the daily grind, etc. And the stronger the focus, the more you can compensate for meager talent. Whew! #3 is endurance. Ah, I can already feel it, I’m destined to be a great writer J Haruki said “focus and endurance—are different from talent, since they can be acquired and sharpened through training. You’ll naturally learn both concentration and endurance when you sit down every day at your desk and train yourself to focus on one point.” So, dear endurance runner, you can approach any task at hand, and apply all those years of running/exercising and master whatever endeavor you wish. The next step for Haruki is to create a life that places “the highest priority on the sort of life that lets me focus on writing.” Watch out – now this is getting serious! It means taking the discipline you’ve developed over years and apply it to something creative, and that will require you to carve out the time every day (as you do for running) to hone a new skill. But you know how to do it already. As Jocelyn Glie wrote (she’s the editor of this website “99u.com” I’m reading, which is called “Insights On Making Ideas Happen”): “To say YES to one thing, we always have to say NO to some others. Sometimes we forget we can only juggle so many things these days…” In daydreaming about my super- competitive days of running (and actually it still happens every time I rehearse for a concert or opera, and finally get to step out on stage and actually do it), I really connected to this comment by Andy Stuart: “Practice is where you do the work, so when it comes time to perform, performance becomes play.” So, here I am playing at my computer, which Dee Metrick makes me do once every month (at least). And my historical fiction novel just sits in bits and pieces scattered around my hard drive, waiting for a more disciplined (all right, daily) practice. So, go for it. Stop waiting for it to just happen. I expect big, creative things from the Big Sky Wind Drinkers!! Oh, and I just have to quote Rainer Maria Rilke (long distance runners hone this to perfection): “What is necessary, after all, is only this: solitude. To walk inside yourself and meet no one for hours – that is what you must be able to attain.” “Always trust yourself and your own feeling…Allow your judgments their own silent, undisturbed development, which, like all progress, must come from deep within and cannot be forced or hastened.” - David Summerfield 

Here’s a topic I never thought would come up in an article for runners.  The other day I was feeling a little “moody” (I remember calling it “low energy”).  Then the thought came – do men have the equivalent of “menopause”?  So, of course I googled it.  Having no medical training, don’t believe a word I say, but you could also google it yourself! (or, as all the articles mention, consult your medical professional before doing anything about it….:-)  Men go through slightly similar conditions as women – as the body slows down its production of (women) estrogen, and (men) testosterone.  For some reason the medical community prefers calling the male hormone “androgen”, so what guys go through is called “andropause”.  I will quickly point out that what men “go through” is not at all like what women go through  (again, this is just personal observation)!  The initial symptoms are similar – moodiness, loss of libido (who, me?), fatigue, weight gain (right!), depression, decreased muscle mass and bone loss.  But it stops there.  Men can continue fathering children, and nowhere in the material I read did it include “hot flashes”.  So, we guys have it easy.

The only mention of a cure (or a way to alleviate the symptoms) was through “exercise, better diet, and a decrease in alcohol consumption”.  That’s it.  So, it’s easy to see why I witnessed a doubling of effort to keep an intense physical routine going these past 15 years.  It does take a chunk out of the day (an hour or 2 here or there, everyday).  But I also have experienced a normal flow of energy, and a very rare spate of moodiness.  Actually, I don’t think that’s the correct word.  I just call it “low energy” – where I don’t feel like doing much of anything.   I sat in front of my computer wanting to write this article yesterday, and NOTHING came out.  I just sat there, and actually fell asleep staring at the computer screen.  At first I attributed it all to my lack of desire to confront this topic, but – no – it was just me “falling asleep at the wheel” from several intense cross-country ski workouts in a row.  

What else can one do, besides hours on the road/on the skis/on the bike/on the trail?  I can’t say how much I have enjoyed the prospect of “growing mature” (I did NOT say “growing old” – okay?).  My only regret so far is that my hair hasn’t started turning white yet.  I want that ultimate sign of wisdom.  (hmmm, that implies I know I really am NOT wise, but just want the symbol to suggest it might be true!) Turning 50, and then 60, and soon 70 – I’ve waited for these years as a chance to finally do what I really have always wanted to do.  I call it following “noble pursuits” – being more involved in community events, being kind to animals, helping old ladies cross the street – you know the schtick…and basically not having to work to earn a living!   I’m talking about doing something that really makes a difference… (I know, I know, our everyday work is supposed to be productive AND constructive, but sometimes the routine makes it all seem a bit blah.).   (….lapse of time…) Oh dear, I just fell asleep again at the computer.  Andropause, my foot!  Actually, many medical professionals do not subscribe to the existence of such a phenomenon,  so I’m probably off the hook anyway.  I’m not about to take supplements since I don’t really think its real (in my case of course), and besides, the downside to supplements are pretty heavy.

I have heard some people in my age bracket who occasionally take stock of their lives, and wonder if their lives have been, what?  Worthwhile, productive, did they make a difference, the whole legacy-thing – what am I leaving behind that matters?  That has never bothered me much, since I’m too busy gearing up for the next workout (… or falling asleep at the computer!).  But now that I bring it all up, yes, I think I should start spending more time/energy on weighing in on the “worthwhile” factor of things as I choose what to do each day.  There.  Its done, and now I can go take a nap, or go skiing, or any other worthwhile activity!!          - David Summerfield

Now What Do I Do - Since The Earth Will Soon Vanish?

This is a follow-up to last month’s article about the fact that the Earth will eventually disintegrate and so we have little reason to “sweat the small stuff”.  That’s my take on Vlad’s comments as an astrophysicist.  I realized I might sound awfully nihilistic.  (I am NOT a nihilist, by the way!)  So where to go from here?   Knowing that the current civilizations on Earth will be gone long before we can have contact from other intelligent life-forms from somewhere else in the universe, well…..how does one go about a “normal” life with any meaning?  I must admit that for awhile, I started questioning why I should go “work-out” at all!  Or, why go to work?  Why earn a living and go through all those all-too-familiar gyrations everyday?  Why not speed up the current gradual physical decline a lot of us notice?  I mean, stop brushing teeth….stop taking showers….eat junk food (well, at least lots of chocolate – like me stuffing as many M&M’s in my mouth before starting this essay because – well – they taste good, and I received a momentary good feeling all around!)  So, in case some of you dear Wind Drinkers were tempted to do something drastic too, here’s my story:

I figure there must be some kind of built-in safety switch inside me somewhere.  If  I contemplate the notion of  “oh, what’s the use?” – I don’t last too long in that dark place.  To not brush teeth just one day, and I can’t live with myself (please notice the irony of that last phrase!).  Not showering, and the same thing happens.  Even if I were told that the Earth would disintegrate next week, I know I’d take my beloved shower every night, I’d go out neat and clean and having just had the best workout of the week.  Why on Earth would I do that?  Seems pretty comical.  I’ve tried going without some kind of a decent workout for one week, and life is just too blah.  Taking a day-off after a killer workout (or 2, heaven forbid) and I can’t stand the feeling.  The feeling of what?  Frankly, the body demands me to keep it in the best shape possible, and that requires constant working at it.

Last week while skate skiing up that 1st mile hill on Sourdough, I passed a couple guys talking.  They pulled over to give me more room, and as I was passing the first one, I heard “There goes another one – gliding up the hill as if it weren’t there – how does he do it?”  I didn’t have time to say anything more than “It’s fun” – but I was thinking – “I work at this every day all winter long so I can actually DO this!”  The result is “freedom from the restraints of the body” – plain and simple.  That must be why I have to brush teeth, take showers, eat, work, etc. – so I can enjoy what freedoms I can – freedom from being trapped inside a body.  And, if I get too consumed by some little activity (like having to keep track of miles – which, by the way, stopped about 7 months ago – whew!!) – then that’s the result of Vlad’s revelations:  the Earth is a very temporary celestial body, and that we will probably never communicate with another intelligent alien civilization since the distances between us is too many millions of light years!! And, assuming we all have an inherent built-in safety mechanism that drives us all to keep our lives and bodies and beings integrated, then – enjoy it to the fullest.  And, if someone doesn’t seem to have this kind of integrated being, I would encourage them to start skiing or running – some activity that gets them outside (no matter the weather) and gets their heart-rate up, and produces sweat and makes them hungry for (good?) food afterwards, and gives them solid sleep – and gets them ready to start it all over again the next day. 

And this thinking about personal freedom made me look up what Jean-Paul Sartre said about freedom.  I started wondering if this quest for freedom would be the same if I were the only one on earth.  I found this quote of Sartre:  (you must indulge the philosophy-major I was)  “We will freedom for freedom’s sake, in and through particular circumstances.  And in thus willing freedom, we discover that it depends entirely upon the freedom of others and that the freedom of others depends upon our own.  Obviously, freedom as the definition of a man does not depend upon others, but as soon as there is a commitment, I am obliged to will the liberty of others at the same time as my own.  I cannot make liberty my aim unless I make that of others equally my aim.”  So, there you have it.  This is why I write these little essays – my freedoms depend on you and your freedoms, and this must be the reason the wise ones always say “We Are All One”.  I need you to be free (or whatever) for me to be free.  I need you to be loose, supple, strong – for me to be the same.  HA!  And you thought Vlad the Astrophysicist went off the deep end!  I followed right along……                                         -  David Summerfield