State of the Blog 2009

“I want to run – I want to hide –
I want to tear down the walls that hold me inside … ”
- U2, “Where the Streets Have No Name”

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I’ve had some time to settle into the new page design, so it’s only hospitable to give you a tour of my humble cyber-abode.

It also seems like a good time to talk about potential substantive changes to this blog in addition to the cosmetic ones in the upcoming year – but I’m getting a bit ahead of myself. Let’s just start the tour:

1. Three (or four) is the magic number

Like just about everybody else who uses Blogger, I was long frustrated with the vertical page layout of most templates – more specifically, with the difficulty in expanding the width of the page to keep more information “above the fold,” in newspaper speak. In fact, that’s the most common remark I’ve received about the current layout – how it uses the width of the page much more effectively.

As much as I’d like to, I can’t take credit for the makeover. If you scroll all the way down to the bottom of this page, you’ll see acknowledgement to Our Blogger Templates, who have several 3- or 4-column templates compatible with Blogger. Best of all, they’re free. So if you’re shopping for a new template, go check them out – especially since the link I just included saves you the trouble of scrolling down my page.

(The transition hasn’t been flawless, though. More on that in a minute.)

2. Where’s Weezer?

One keepsake that didn’t make the move with me is the sidebar video I updated on a regular basis. That section, most recently occupied by Weezer’s “Troublemaker”, held a place of high regard - both in my heart and on the webpage.

However, I realized that videos tend to be popping up more and more frequently in my regular posts lately. It’s a direction I’d like to keep traveling, especially since 1) multimedia becomes more easily accessible every day, and 2) it’s much more effective for me to just show you a video that I’m referring to rather than take 1,000 words to explain it. Trust me - the less I write, the better off we’ll all be.

(And just to make sure you believe me, there’s a new video at the end of this post. Think of it as your reward for making it to the end.)

One more thing on this subject: about three months ago, I started adding labels to each of my posts, which are listed in a sidebar at right. As you can see, the most prevalent label is “music” – even more than running, swimming, or the Western States 100. (I mean ... it's kind of too late for me to change the blog title, right?) I guess what I’m saying is - music’s just a huge part of me, so I’ve decided to embrace it.

3. Dancing with the devil

Yes, there are ads here. Yes, it’s an awkward situation to put myself in.

If it’s any consolation, my mind isn’t completely made up on this subject. I wouldn’t say that my marriage with advertisers is a happy one; I don’t feel satisfied, and I’m often frustrated, and most days I wonder if I’d just be better off without them. On other days, I think that maybe things will work out nicely if I just hang in there a while longer.

Basically, I can’t make up my stinking mind. Have I mentioned before that I'm an idiot?

4. This space for rent

While hosting ads is a moral dilemma of sorts, I have no qualms whatsoever about doing product reviews, which remain on the right sidebar. It’s good for me to test out gear that I wouldn’t otherwise try, good for you to learn whether they’re worth spending money on, and good for the companies who get promoted (assuming, that is, that their products don’t suck). It’s a win-win-win for everybody involved.

Of course, in order for the reviews to be helpful, I have to actually, you know … write them. On that note, I have three different products that I’ll be telling you about in the weeks ahead. Stay tuned for details.

5. Look both ways

See those cool sidebars on either side of the blog? This was where I ran into some trouble installing the new template. Many of the link lists were lost in transition - and what’s more, my blogroll wouldn’t import from Google reader properly.

I ended up putting in the links by hand, which means it’s probably rife with error. If you’re normally on my list, take a look to the left and see if you’re still there, and if the link actually works. If not, let me know.

Heck, as long as we’re at it – let’s go ahead and open this up to anyone who asks. Want a link? Just contact me.

One final sidebar note that’s always worth a reminder: subscription information (e-mail or reader) is at upper right. And if you act within the next five minutes, I’ll even throw in free shipping.

(That’s enough administrative notes for one post, don’t you think? Let’s get on with the fun stuff …)

6. Where the blog has no name

We’ve reached the video portion of the post, which actually ties in rather nicely with the new blog theme. It’s also a continuation of my recent adulation of the greatest band of our (or possibly any – that’s up for debate) generation.

There’s an old saying in Northern Ireland that it’s possible to determine someone’s religion based on the street in Belfast he lives on. You can also guess the person’s salary from his address on that same street (the higher income homes are further up the hill).

Bono took this notion and crafted a song envisioning an area where people aren’t judged by the part of town they inhabit, or the house that they live in, or their chosen manner of worship. A place where nobody is confined to other people’s values or expectations; where anyone can move and act in any way the spirit leads him.

And this is kind of a stretch, but … that’s kind of how I’m feeling about this blog nowadays. It’s always been ostensibly about running – but I often want to spread my wings a bit and try some other topics without having to relate them to my training regime. I enjoy writing about music, my family, my hometown, my favorite books and authors, or whatever current events happen to inspire me in some unexpected way.

For the next six months, there’s no question that my thoughts and writings will focus on the Western States 100 – honestly, there’s really no way they couldn’t. Beyond that, however, I’m reserving the right to tear down the walls of this blog a bit, and explore some new avenues that I haven’t journeyed down before.

Certainly, when I do, you’ll all be welcome to come along with me. In the meantime, here’s “Where the Streets Have No Name”, U2’s opening anthem from The Joshua Tree. The song's idealistic yearning, soaring passion, and infectious rhythm make it one of my favorites that they've ever made:



(I've actually got one more cool story about this video ... but I've held you long enough already. It will have to wait for another day.)

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The Year of Running Perfectly (Well ... Sort Of)

Sometimes these parallels are right under my nose, and I still manage to miss them.

It didn’t occur to me until after I posted our New Year’s article - and remembered another one we had previously written - just how closely the sometimes fickle dedication of runners mirrors the seemingly capricious devotion of religious disciples all over the world. More specifically, I didn’t realize how much the sport of running is like The Year of Living Biblically.

AJ Jacobs’ fascinating book (subtitled One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible) describes – in both hilarious and insightful fashion – how he spent a year trying to follow every one of the Bible’s instructions for daily living. Not just the easy ones (for example, Don’t marry your wife’s sister) or the famous ones (Thou shalt not steal), but also the ones that are frightening (like handling serpents) or inconvenient (leaving your beard untrimmed) or ridiculous (stealing the egg of a mother bird). He wore clothes of unmixed fibers. He took part in an animal sacrifice. He even stoned an adulterer, in a fairly comical way.

Jacobs ultimately reaches the conclusion that no matter how hard someone tries, it’s impossible to follow an absolutely literal interpretation of the Bible even for one day, let alone for a year. Some of the standards are unattainable (try to make it through a day without coveting something), while others are conflicting (should you take an eye for an eye, or turn the other cheek?). It’s simply beyond our human capacities to follow every rule we’re supposed to.

Instead, each of us – either through our own interpretations, or those identified by religious leaders – selects a particular set of rules that we try to follow as closely as possible. We assign a certain hierarchy to those we feel are most crucial (pretty much everyone agrees that murder is wrong), and disregard those of seemingly lesser importance (is it really a crime to plant a garden of two different seeds?)

Shortly after finishing the book, I recalled a Monterey Herald article we wrote two years ago, facetiously instructing runners how to have the perfect day. It was a list of rules culled from all the usual suspects: fitness magazines, health studies, self-help gurus, and conventional wisdom.

The point of the first article was this: obviously, nobody will ever have a perfect day. You pick the rules that are most important to you – those that will have the most impact on your life - and do the best you can to live by them as frequently as possible. Last week’s article was another reminder that just because you let some of those rules slide, it doesn’t mean you should give up trying.

Running isn’t a religion; then again, in some ways, maybe it is. Either way, one thing is certain: between now and the end of June, I need to start following a lot more rules than I have been lately. I know I won’t be perfect – but from this point forward, I vow to remain dedicated to doing the best I can.

Truthfully, that’s all that any of us can pledge to do.

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You Can't Be Perfect

For as much as I love running, I’ve never been very good at encouraging others to get started. Rather, I’m often the first to admit that it might not be the right activity for everybody.

This pet philosophy of mine leads to some differences of opinion with my friend Mike, who also happens to be my fellow Monterey Herald columnist. Mike believes that anyone, anywhere, at any age, in any physical condition, can start a running program and enjoy all of the benefits the sport has to offer. He's absolutely passionate about recruiting as many runners as possible to join him, and I'd never try to dissuade him from his cause. Unfortunately, I’m not nearly so optimistic.

I’ve known enough people who have given up running programs to recognize that running might not always be the ideal path to fitness. Some folks may be predisposed to injury or joint pain. Some might like to push their bodies in a different fashion than the repetitive, simplistic manner that is fundamental to running. Some won’t share the emotional connection to the process that many of us feel as strongly as any drug.

My personal opinion about overall health and fitness is that success lies not in what particular activity you choose, but in finding something you love and enjoy; that way, exercise sessions are something you look forward to and will continue for the long term. Whether it's running, swimming, cycling, tennis, aerobics, rollerblading, or countless other options - the specific method doesn't matter nearly as much as the degree and consistency of participation.

However, when New Year’s Day rolls around, and the newspaper looks for an article that speaks to casual readers who have made resolutions to start a running program, I have to put my own suppositions aside for a garden-variety “You can do it!” type of column. This year, we focused less on encouraging people to dramatically change their lives, and more on reassuring them that doing so is neither a short nor easy process.

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Running Life 1/1/09 “You Can’t be Perfect”


Wait! Don’t tell us – you are reading this with bleary eyes and a pounding head from last night’s festivities. Or maybe you made a resolution to lose weight and get healthy this year, and you’re already questioning your motivation.

Everybody sabotages their fitness plans from time to time – even your local running columnists. So we’re not going to beat you over the head today about all the reasons you should be running.

Runners certainly aren’t perfect. Many of us will overindulge at New Year’s Eve parties, throwing back drinks and eating dozens of little sausages on toothpicks, finally crashing into the sack in the wee hours of the morning.

So if you chastise yourself for not beginning your training program today, don’t take it too hard. Just start in small doses, a little bit at a time. Even walking a mile is an accomplishment if you haven’t done it for a while. Start with small changes, and they’ll eventually become larger ones. You don’t have to be perfect every day.

Most health experts say that you need sixty minutes of daily activity, but that’s tough for anyone to do. On the inevitable days when you fall short, your long-term success and self-esteem depend entirely on your outlook. Don’t feel bad if you only have time to walk for a twenty minutes instead of an hour, or if you run only two miles when your training plan called for three. Just keep plugging along and don’t quit or lose your focus.

The key to any training program is to simply do something more than you used to. Or – in the case of eating – do something less than usual. Switch from walking one mile to jogging two, or from eating double cheeseburgers to frequenting Subway. Remember, progress happens in little steps on a regular basis.

Bad habits don’t become perfect ones overnight and fitness doesn’t happen immediately. Don’t get discouraged if changes are small at first – just dedicate yourself to achieving them, you’ll gradually make big improvements over the course of the year.

Perhaps by next January 1st, you can join the hundreds of runners who, by the time you are reading this, have already finished the Rio Resolution run and are eating a great post-race breakfast. Even though many of them were up late, they all made the decision to make fitness a priority for the New Year’s holiday.

On a personal note - many of us at this year’s race are wearing shirts in honor of Mickey [omitted], a local running club member who had run every one of the 17 previous Rio Resolution Runs prior to today, and always brought champagne to celebrate with everyone after the run. This year Mickey is recuperating from a very tough operation due to his recent diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, and was unable to attend the race.

Running makes our lives better, but it doesn’t make us invincible. We hope that your 2009 is filled with fitness and health, and many more good days than bad ones. And please join us in thinking good thoughts for Mickey.

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Even Better Than the Real Thing

Admin note: I’m still tinkering with the new template, so you’re getting a random quickie today for your viewing pleasure. Keep sending feedback as you see fit.

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I’m reaching pretty far back into the video vault again today – but it’s a clip that represents one of my favorite developments from 2008.

Last summer, my son accompanied me to a showing of U2 3D at our local IMAX theater. It was his first taste of the rock concert experience (actually … in many ways, it was better than a real concert – but that’s a separate discussion), and a baptism of sorts into the vast community of U2 fandom.

He completely loved the movie, and I burned him a CD of the playlist from the concert. His favorite song was “Vertigo”, which he played in a repetitive loop for hours on end during the next several weeks (needless to say, my wife wasn’t thrilled about this development).

In my true audiophile (not to mention obsessive-compulsive) fashion, I made sure that several of the songs I included on his CD were live versions, as a reminder of the energy he saw on the big screen. Which led to the following exchange one day while we listened to the CD together:

Me: Hear all those people cheering? I’m one of them.

Son: What do you mean?

Me: This song was recorded at a concert a long time ago, when I lived in Colorado for a while. I was at the show that they recorded.

Him: Really?

Me: Yeah. It was awesome. They even made a movie out of it.

Him: Cool.

Later, I showed him a couple of clips on YouTube - and just like that, my rock star cred with my son jumped about ten notches.

Since then, he has continued listening to his concert CD, and asked me to burn other U2 songs for him. He’s well on his way to becoming a full-fledged fan – and as silly as it sounds, I’m kind of proud of him for it. I know there are far more important parenting responsibilities to worry about in life – but if I can instill a bit of music appreciation in my kids, I’ll consider my job at least a partial success.

So here’s one of the songs that started it all for him, just as it started it all for me more than twenty-five years ago: U2’s "Sunday Bloody Sunday”, live at Red Rocks, under a blood red sky: (click to play)

And, in honor of the day, and to see how far the band has evolved in a quarter-century, here's another one: "New Year's Day", from the Vertigo Tour:



Happy New Year to all.

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Running and Rambling 3.0

“He knows changes aren’t permanent … but change is.”
- Rush, “Tom Sawyer”

(I know … the song selection is totally old school, but this band had one of the most devoted fan bases in the history of rock music, who remain fiercely loyal to this day. Think of it as a “one foot in the past, and one in the future” type of post.)

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So … notice anything different around here?

I was planning to roll out a new template sometime after the first of the year, but since 1) things have quieted down a bit more than I expected lately, and 2) my community college pool is closed for another week (preventing me from swimming at midday), I figured I’d cut the ribbon on the new layout a few days early.

I’ll have more to say about it soon – probably a whole post of administrative notes, if history is any indication. Until then, I’m still tinkering around with things (like sidebar links) quite a bit, so don’t be shocked if something is here one day and gone or relocated the next. Also, please let me know if things aren’t loading properly or if the format fits your monitor poorly. This is only the second time I've given the blog a makeover, so I'm not nearly as efficient as I'd like to be when it comes to identifying unforseen glitches.

In the meantime … here's a vintage MTV-era video from the aforementioned Rush, who were the greatest band on the face of the Earth for countless uncool, misfit, solitary dreamers – and yes, I counted myself among them. (Click to play):

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Let it Shine

"This little light of mine -
I'm gonna let it shine ..."
- Negro spiritual

At first glance, you might not even notice it:


It’s just an average-looking evergreen tree in a small-town park. It doesn’t have the prominence of Carmel Valley's tall pines, or the asthetic beauty and majestic strength of its abundant oaks.


Eleven months of the year, there’s nothing to really distinguish this tree from its more distinctive, more impressive cousins who share the little plot of open space where families hold barbecues and kids play soccer. Even during the 12th month, if you pass this tree in daylight hours, most people wouldn’t even give it a second look.

But in the month of December, when the sun sets behind the ridgeline and the sky grows black, a brand new tree emerges:


The average-looking evergreen assumes a brand new, unmistakably important identity. It becomes the Carmel Valley Christmas Tree. It’s visible to everybody who drives past the park, and serves as one of the few reminders of the holiday season in our laid-back, warm-weather village.

Now, the tree doesn’t decorate itself, and there’s no reason why another tree wouldn’t work just as well for this task; but year after year, this is the tree that’s chosen. And perhaps – because it is just an average tree – there’s something to be taken from its presence in the community park. If we look really hard, maybe we can see something of ourselves in the tree.

Despite how we sometimes feel, none of us are ever just average. There’s a radiance we can display, even if it’s only at particular times or under certain circumstances. We rely on help from others, but in doing so, we become more vibrant than we ever imagined. In doing so, we might inspire others to seek the important things in life as well.

Be proud of who you are. Don’t fret about your standing in life. Accept the goodwill of others. Share your beauty with the world.

And never be reluctant to let your light shine.

**

Postscript: as strange as it seems, you may not find a more stirring, more uplifting version of this old Negro spiritual than the version Bruce Springsteen - white, working class, rock hero Springsteen - performs in concert. Click and enjoy:

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What It's All About

If the video in this post looks familiar, there’s good reason: I posted the exact same thing here last December.

However, since this is the season to celebrate traditions, I figure that I could embed the clip once again, in hopes that it might become an official Running and Rambling holiday tradition.

The clip is the centerpiece of A Charlie Brown Christmas, which - for reasons I described last year - stands head and shoulders above the crowd as the most meaningful and entertaining holiday special of all time. It’s the scene where Linus describes what Christmas is all about:



Nearly every time I’ve watched the video in recent years, two thoughts stand out …

First – what are the odds that anything approaching this clip would be made today? It seems almost incomprehensible that a proposal featuring a popular children’s character quoting scripture would be green-lighted by any major network; it would be seen as too polarizing, or controversial, to risk offending people and alienating sponsors. We live in a much more politically sensitive society than existed 40 years ago; generally speaking, that’s probably a good thing – but in the case of this cartoon, I’m not so sure.

Finally … No matter how many years may eventually pass me by, or how mature I might someday become - I don’t think I’ll ever feel the meaning of Christmas any greater than I do during those sixty seconds when I see Linus standing under the quiet spotlight, reciting the Gospel of Luke while holding his security blanket. It’s an important reminder of the meaning of it all - one that’s just as necessary today as it was in 1965.

Here’s hoping that we remember what it’s all about this year. Merry Christmas, everybody.

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