The Mountain Doesn’t Care

Indifference humbles its victims and victors alike.

Reflecting

The mountain doesn’t care if we are here or not. It is not burdened by our hopes and dreams. It doesn’t compete with us. Everything it means to us is only what we bring to it. It is only what the mountain reveals in us about ourselves that has lasting value.

– Dean Cardinale

I’ve repeatedly said I wouldn’t go.  I determined that it wasn’t worth it.  But then I started ordering the maps and gear and spoke with a guide.  Then a friend expressed interest in the same trip.  Starting to look at the calendar.  It is a big time commitment that should probably be a “no” but the idea is getting increasingly specific.  My long-suffering wife has pointed out that my hit rate at actually doing something after a half dozen times of out of context saying I won’t is literally 100%.  It is a consequential, beautiful mountain.  I don’t want to not go.  But mountains are tricky when it comes to overall fitness.  They’re my inspiration but big mountains eat up a lot of the muscle I’m working on building.  So it is a tension.  But I love mountains.  And nature is perfect at reminding us of the infinite insignificance of our problems.  Live or die?  Summit or stop short?  Triumph or disaster?  The jungle is neutral.  The mountain doesn’t care.

Training

Perfect weather for our 5 AM trail run this morning – 60s, drier, breezy and bugless.  We moved along well and several friends did their longest runs yet.  I’ve been stopping to clear trails recently.

Next run ventures out of Lee territory into rival Kevin territory on the west side of Westchester.  An uneasy alliance keeps the peace within the volatile trail running community but the potential for open warfare is never far beneath the surface.  Relations are polite but everyone knows to never show any signs of weakness:

Here are our Sunday Runs goals for 2023,

Looking for some runs and races to set your sights on? For starters, there's the Trail Mix Series including the Leatherman's Loop, Mild Sprain, Where the Pavement Ends, Run the Farm, Paine to Pain, and Raven Rocks Run.

While our Big List of Races hasn't been updated for a while, many of the races are still on but check with the individual race websites to confirm. If you're looking for longer races, check out our list of 100-mile races.

Other regional races that might be of interest are: August 19, a new race in Fahnstock offering 50k and 25k distances; September 30 (est), Cat's Tail Marathon; October 22, Bimblers Bluff 50k (conflicts with Run the Farm); and in early November, Pocantico Hills Marathon and Half Marathon.

Looking for something epic that's not a race? Let's talk about the North East Ultra 8—eight seriously epic single-day runs in the northeast. I've done three of these already and would love to knock off the Great Range Traverse this year though time is running out in the season and we may need to postpone until next year.

I'm looking forward to another exciting and fun year on the trails with you all.

Besides running, feeling quite inspired to progress this week in CrossFit, weightlifting, and boxing. 

Fueling

I hit the New Canaan Farmers Market hard, stocking up on blueberries, mushrooms, and bone broth.  If you want to avoid the health problems created by highly processed foods, farmers markets are great places to shop.  I hate spending money but love spending money at farmers markets where I can meet the people who produce healthy clean food and see the pride that many of them have in doing things the right way.

Supplementing

I’m such a sucker for virtually everything they try to sell me at a farmers market that someone managed to sell me some (expensive) bee pollen as a natural supplement to add to my protein shakes.  Results TBD; if anyone has any experience with it, please comment below.  But I’m somehow utterly defenseless – farm stand girls in sundresses with free samples of anything vaguely healthy and wholesome that they worked hard to grow or raise or make is my Kryptonite; in theory one could say “no”; in practice I demonstrably cannot. 

Measuring

Recovering

Sleeping more / caffeinating less.  Most people who tell themselves that they’re sleeping eight hours are rounding up.  I’m trying to get at least eight hours and am napping to top off when necessary.  This is letting me significantly reduce caffeine heading into running/lifting/rolling for the same perceived alertness.  The science backs up my personal experience; a recent article in The Lancet shows that adequate sleep is as important as exercise for overall health.  Six is not enough; eight should be strict.  Some elite athletes prefer more.  Among top CrossFit Games athletes, nine and ten hours of sleep per night is common. 

Closing

Days are getting shorter.  Life is short.  So I make sure to get out of everything that doesn’t make a difference.  I just ignore or avoid or outsource everything except for what matters.  Even then, I love finding some efficiencies.  Fall asleep in the sun for some recovery and vitamin D.  Lift and climb with your kids to train while you raise them.  And run while you explore the world.  Albatros just added a new one, the “Lost City Marathon” to their collection.  Next time someone asks if you want to go for a drink, as if they want to go for a walk.  Next time they ask if you want to go to a resort, ask if they want to go on an adventure.