Delta Running

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. - Proverbs 18:10

Rio Vista Bridge

This past weekend, Janet and I enjoyed an overnight in the Delta with special friends at a cottage on the water. It was an enjoyable trip down memory lane remembering sailing times past with my Mom, Dad, and family time on both our sail boats Misty Eagle and Parallax. To get to the island we were staying on we drove up 680 then over to Pittsburg and Antioch crossing the San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers on increasingly narrower roads. After reaching Rio Vista we turned off the highway and drove our car on road topping levees (Ok, sing with me now… “So… Bye, bye miss American Pie, Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry…”). We then took a ferry across a waterway and drove three more miles on top of a levee (keep singing… “And good ol' boys were drinking whisky and rye? Singing this will be the day that I die. This will be the day that I die.”). Just to get away from San Jose, and go to a wonderful retreat setting was amazingly relaxing. We enjoyed a lovely candle lit dinner, Martha Stewart style, al fresco, watching the orange moon rise over the far bank of the river, topped by a feeding frenzy over a delicious coconut cake (double dipping allowed!). Lots of laughter!!

Up at 7am, Sunday morning dawned cool and beautiful. Just right for a run on the levee road (OK… stop with the singing already!). I was out the door in no time, leaving everyone asleep. Here was one of those Rave Runs. The sun had yet to rise, the clouds were the colors of brilliant pinks and oranges. I ran out the gravel road and up to the levee road and ran down the three miles to the Ryer Island ferry crossing (named “The Real McCoy Ferry” I kid you not!). Running without iPod was perfectly wonderful. I heard birds in trees, and others flying down to feed on bugs near the river, fish jumping to catch their own breakfasts, roosters crowing as I passed farm houses standing next to groves of pears and peaches as well as acres of vineyards; only one fisherman’s boat quietly passed by on the water. The air was as fresh as you’d ever imagine, with scents of river, and farm orchards occasionally wafting by. As I ran, the Sun finally peaked over the Sierra flooding the Valley with light and coming warmth. At the ferry, I stopped just to take it all in and walked near the water. Several worship songs came to mind as I walked. Times like that are as precious a worship time as any spent in a church sanctuary. Then I was ready to kick up my heals and run back to the cottage and our friends, ending my run in a happy contented sweat. So what if the run was a little slow, and so what if I missed my long run for the week.

Take the time to get away. Take time to re-charge your batteries. Take time to spend time with your spouse and loved ones. Take time to read God’s Word. It’s worth every second, and I’m praising God for those precious moments! – John

I am grateful for my NEW JOB!
I am grateful for my old job at So-Lite!
I am grateful for beautiful sunsets
I am grateful for sharing dinner w/ friends
I am grateful to serve an awesome God!

Swag; not swagger

"What lies before us and what lies behind us are small matters compared to what lies within us." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Swag – noun 1. a suspended wreath, garland, drapery, or the like.

Every race that I have run has swag. It may be a t-shirt, a finisher’s medal, discounts to a running shop, announcements to upcoming races, a water or Gatorade sample bottle, Cliff Bars, Gu, etc. The last race even included tiny sample bottles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar (we used them on our backpacking trip, thank you very much!). The bag that it all comes in is even called a swag bag. At the SF Half Marathon, the bag was made of cloth with cording to draw it closed and printed with the race logo and a place to write the bib number and could be used to store and drop off sweats before a race.

The finisher medals are cute. Most display the year, the name of the run and maybe the race's logo. Most are made of metal hung on a wide ribbon to fit over the head. The finisher's medal at the upcoming Big Sur Half Marathon (Nov. 14?) is a unique ceramic piece. ...but a medal for finishing? ... really?…why? We received the t-shirt. We have the memories and the stories to share. I guess… to each his own. To one person, the medal represents the accomplishment, to another, just a ribbon and cute medallion. T-shirts from a race are a much more visible representation of running the race and are practical to run practices in. Oh, we may have our favorite shirt because of its color or t-shirt design, or because we completed some special ru; it lifts our spirits reminding us of what all the hard work is about. T-shirts also are small mile markers (no pun intended) of the distance we have come since getting off of the couch and walking out the door many months ago.

So whatever your motivation, enjoy the fellowship, enjoy the moment, enjoy the swag, enjoy the run, but know that at the end… you may stagger but for heaven’s sake don’t swagger. (swagger – verb 1. To conduct oneself with an arrogant or pompous manner.) – Johnny B

I am grateful for worship services

I am grateful for family dinners

I am grateful for the Holy Spirit’s promptings

I am grateful for morning runs

I am grateful for music – all kinds

The Secret

“I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.” - Psalm 119:32

"What was the secret, they wanted to know; in a thousand different ways they wanted to know… The Secret. And not one of them was prepared, truly prepared, to believe that it had not so much to do with sports drinks, eating well, sleeping more, running blogs, iPod tunes, hip techno clothing and cool mental tricks as with that most un-profound and sometimes heartrending process of removing, molecule by molecule, the very tough rubber that comprised the bottom of their training shoes."

I was reading about marathon training one day last week and came upon the above anonymous quote. It hit me as summarizing the way much of today’s culture and generational attitudes are. We’re looking for the quick fix, the next thing to buy or to have or do to make us appear that we have the secret to life. If we drive the right car, wear the right clothing, work the right job, buy the right house, etc. we’ll make it to the finish line of life ahead of most everyone. We all (including me) fall prey to this mentality at times. The worldly attitude even carries over into our exercising, or even marathon running. Is there a short-cut to get me across the finish line? Nope. Sometimes I think that I need that amazing GPS tracking / heart monitoring watch or the technical, sweat wicking, ultra cool, wind and water resistant, reflective striped, eye catching color, ultra form flattering, stand out in a crowd, looking like a winner, piece of running clothes.  But do I? …just to run in a race?

Real life doesn’t really work that way. There are no short cuts; just a marvelous journey for those who know Jesus as Savior and Lord. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with any of the things individually above, as long as our attitude is focused rightly; as long as we don’t fixate on things as giving us lasting satisfaction. Things can become the idols of our times, taking our eyes off of the true secret to peace, contentment and satisfaction: Jesus. We forget that these earthly blessings flow from an almighty sovereign God. Sometimes, we feel “But I deserve this, or I deserve that.” Thankfully we don’t get what we deserve, with the exception of God’s grace and His outstretched arms of love in our lives. Prosperity is something God wants to bless us with, but it flows from Him, and not of ourselves. In both good times and bad, out of obedient hearts we should give praise where it’s due. Christ wants that prosperity, peace, success and contentedness for each of us and scripture is full of that coming to those who praise and follow Him. I’m reminded in Galatians 5 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” That’s the true ‘secret’ to be shared with the entire world, and, is most certainly what I need. – Johnny B

I am grateful for a loving Savior

I am grateful for ocean breezes

I am grateful for my Mom

I am grateful to be alive

I am grateful for tuxedo kitties

The need for speed...

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." - 1 Corinthians 9:24

Amy and I have added Wednesday track work. It called Yasso 800’s. Bart Yasso (see his blog at: http://www.mylifeontherun.com/about ) is a marathon runner who came up with the idea of a marathon time predictor. The theory is to practice running 800 meter intervals (880 yards, or twice around a track) at a time in minutes and seconds that you want to run your marathon in hours and minutes. For example: You want to run a 3 hr. 50 min. marathon. Practice running 800’s in 3 minutes 50 seconds with a recovery jog of the same time between interval runs. The goal is to work up to running 10 of these intervals in a training session.  Incremental improvements are the name of the game. Also, stop these training sessions at least 14 days before the marathon to aid in recovery. Amy and I are at 4 intervals of 3:58 and next week we will do 5! Is running a 3 hr. 58 min. marathon  our goal? Duhno. Time and practice will tell. This training sounds a bit odd, but according to several running books and websites it works. This doesn’t change our other training runs and especially not the weekly long run. It just focuses you on running faster, building confidence, etc. We’ll see after the marathon just how it worked. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

I am grateful for our awesome creator

I am grateful for our amazing 3 children

I am grateful for chocolate ice cream

I am grateful for waterfalls

I am grateful for Bible Study Fellowship

Backpacking Yosemite!

"For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." - 1 Timothy 4:8

If this is your first time to the blogosphere... Welcome! Ishimwe Running is intended to raise awareness and funds for the Ishimwe Center in Rwanda, a home for orphaned children. It is following my daughter Amy's and my efforts as we prepare to run the Calif. Intl. Marathon in Sacramento this coming Dec. 2010.

Amy and I took the end of the week off from running to backpack Yosemite (http://www.nps.gov/yose/).  We backpack annually (this was our 8th year) with any number of friends and / or family. This year we trekked with Megan, Jordan and Mark Biasotti from Tuolumne Meadows to Happy Isles on the valley floor over a three day period. Here is a short recap.

Leaving Sunrise Camp Site

Leaving San Jose late Weds. morning, we drove across the Central Valley to Merced picking up Highway 140 and entered Yosemite through the Arch Rock Entrance near El Portal. We were in the Valley mid-afternoon and headed straight for the Wilderness Center. There we picked up our reserved Wilderness Permits and Half Dome Permits (something new this year for anyone wishing to climb the rock). On the way back to the car we stopped by the Yosemite Village Store for that evening’s dinner of chili hot dogs. Then we drove to the Backpacker’s Camp. Aptly named, only those with Wilderness Permits are allowed to use a special walk-in camping area on the valley floor. It is located (almost hidden really) next to the North Pines campsites and near the Riding Stables. After a pleasant evening together laughing, listening to Jordan's stories of his cross America bicycle ride and playing card games, we slept (fitfully) under the stars with a minimum of two late night interruptions of “bear!”, clanking of pots and pans, yelling, clapping, etc. as a bear entered the camp (far away from us).

Megan B and Amy B

In the morning, it was up at 6am. We have all backpacked together before, so everyone knew the drill. As soon as I was packed, I walked to get the van. We were out of there in no time. We headed over to Yosemite Lodge for a lovely breakfast in the cafeteria. I love the shared memories of Yosemite. Every family we know has enjoyed the park in one fashion or another. The cafeteria is one such shared memory. It remains looking much like it did in the ‘60s with only upgrades in the food services area, yet remains filled with snippets of childhood memories for each of us. We drank coffee, picked up our bus tickets and chatted of Yosemite & hiking memories past as we waited for the bus to Tuolumne Meadows.

Once on the hiker’s bus, we kicked back, joke a bit about our driver’s spiel of years past and rested until Olmsted Point (just before Tenaya Lake) where we got off the bus for a Kodak moment with Half Dome in the distance; then on to the Cathedral Lakes trailhead where we were dropped off.  The hike starts off quickly gaining altitude with a series of switchbacks that eventually lead past the two lakes hidden below Cathedral Peak, named for its craggy rock outcroppings resembling a medieval cathedral. After the “reasonably” severe initial climb, the hike levels out (relatively speaking) and follows the John Muir Trail westward to Sunrise High Sierra Camp to where we set up camp for the night. Our milage: for 7.8 miles. This is one of our favorite camp settings as it overlooks a large pristine meadow reminiscent of the Plains of Rohan from Lord of the Ring trilogy.  Mark outdid himself in his culinary arts with a one pot meal of pasta salad with spam, fresh tortellini, fresh yellow and red bell peppers, fresh mushrooms, butter and tossed with Italian dressing. Dessert of Poptarts Flambe’! Yum! This camp site also allows for camp fires, so Jordan and I set about successfully starting a fire with his flint and steel (no matches) taking only a couple hundred strikes of both.  The night was crystal clear, and once the moon set, stars, shooting stars, satellites, airplanes and the Milky Way gave an impressive show of God’s majesty of creation. But it was cold that night. We woke up to the meadow as a ‘fairy land’ of frost and a wisp of smoke wafting over from the High Sierra Camp. When you sleep outside, you rise with the sun. In this case, I could lay in my bag and wait for the sun to crest the far mountains and eventually reach us with its encouraging warmth. One of our breakfast traditions is ‘eggs in a bag’ where you create an omelet of egg, cheeses, bacon, salt ‘n pepper ‘scrabbled in a sealed baggie, then placed in boiling water to cook. Once done, it’s an easy pour of cooked egg into a tortilla to make a breakfast burrito / hand warmer. After breakfast we packed then had a 20 minute quiet time which we each spent in thought, prayer, reading, or reading God’s Word. Fantastic way to start the day!

Amy & John on top of Half Dome

Our next hiking segment (as all our days should) started with a prayer, then we set off for a 7.9 mile hike to Little Yosemite Valley campground. We arrived early afternoon, found our campsite (w/ bear box) and set up camp. After a swim (all of us) in the Merced River, we prepared hor d’ourves of fried Spam and sourdough bread with olive oil & balsamic vinegar followed by a dinner of beef stew and dessert of cookies.  As the campsites filled up fast, Megan cheerfully offered to share our campsite & bear box with Jeanna and Dillon from Chicago. Neat people, but both characters. We shared our evening meal with them. Then, after our evening ablutions, we hit the hay early as we were to awaken at 2:45am Sat. in order to hike to Half Dome under a starry canopy, climb the cables and be on top for sunrise. Hiking uphill, in the dark makes for a cool and amazingly quick transit. Ok, maybe we were way early, and there was a freezing cold wind, but we were there when the Sun crested the Sierras around 6:35 while y’all were still in bed.  But wait, that’s not all… we brought a camp stove, water and fixings for coffee with 1/2 & 1/2, hot cocoa and oatmeal for breakfast. The view from the top is absolutely 360 degree AMAZING! No matter how many times climbed, the thrill of accomplishment combined with the breathtaking, never to become monotonous views is truly awesome. After breakfast, we paused to give thanks and honor Christ by partaking in communion on top of the Dome. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!

Jordan, Megan, Amy & Mark
Just down off  the cables

We then headed down to camp, packed up and hit the Mist Trail to trek down to Happy Isle. Ask Amy and Megan about their desire to help a couple of wayward hikers find their way to Merced Lake. We stopped at Emerald Pool at the top of Vernal Falls for our final trail meal, then headed down the trail, fighting our way through the Sat. crowds all heading up to Vernal and Nevada Falls. What a delight it is that a park such as Yosemite can be accessible to so many people from literally around the world.  I heard French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and even a bit of the Queen’s English plus American dialects. And every shape, size and age of visitors could be seen. It would have been more fun  people watching had we not been on our last miles of our 31 mile trek through the Sierras. We enjoyed a bus ride through the valley back to Yosemite Lodge where the car was parked. A quick change into clean clothes, and shoes; bought a Diet Coke, mailed a postcard to Mom (Hi Mom!) then on to Oakdale for Pizza & Starbucks and home to San Jose by evening.A great trip with wonderful friends. We look forward to going back next year! – Johnny B

I am grateful for my Savior, Jesus

I am grateful for bold coffee

I am grateful for hill running

I am grateful for clean sheets

I am grateful for inspiring artwork

Can you say RFID?

Step with Mr. Peabody, his boy Sherman and me once again into the Wayback machine for a visit to running history. The first running competition was probably by accident between two men outrunning a dinosaur trying to eat them. And it probably wasn’t too much later that teenage boys began racing each other as one dared the other to slap the backside of a T-Rex then “run for it” (laughing all the way back to their cave). Running competitions in recorded history date back to the Tailteann Games in Ireland in 1829 BC, and the first Olympic Games in 776 BC.

Now take the Wayback forward to the early part of the 20th century. Running had become a gentlemen’s sport. Rules became an increasingly important part of the game, racers trained for specific events and expected organizers to be more, well …organized. Enter time keepers, starting guns, numbers on jerseys identifying athletes, finish line tapes, photo finishes, and record books. Athletes began wondering how to best capture and standardize the athletic performance. Stop watches, certified and standardized running distances, etc. all became part of the game.

In the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s running hadn’t changed a whole lot. Technically things improved, running tracks, timing abilities, etc. (oey! If they can send a man to the moon…) Yet, as more runners entered races, capturing times (not just Olympics) became more and more important. A runner registered for a race, had his name written down and a bib number assigned and handed to him (or her) to wear. Computer tracking eventually became an essential part of the event (and an evolving business). On TV, the Wide World of Sports even devoted segments to scientific methods of timing. In the 80’s, hundreds, if not thousands of runners entered events. As you approached the finish line you were encouraged, forced, nay... herded into finishing chutes that funneled runners into single person lanes. As you cross the finish line, someone with a device attached to a computer clicked your finish time (a time stamp) into a computer of the order finished, unassociated with who crossed the line. Multiple finishing chutes; multiple computers.

This was a great improvement and the best that could be done at the time. As you finished you were herded into the chutes (yes, you did hear an occasional ‘mooing’ along the way) where your order of finish was determined. If you finished with great effort and right behind you someone else finished but stepped in front of you as you entered the chute, your time was given to the interloper... and you got his (or hers, “after you; oh no, I insist!”). The bottom of your numbered race bib was torn off and put onto a stringer in the order you finished. There was no ability for individual timings. Your race time was from when the gun sounded until you crossed the finish line. In a race such as the SJ Mercury News 10K, there were 10 – 15,000 runners. It might take 5 (or more) minutes to cross the Starting Line. You timed it yourself and often subtracted time “until I crossed the starting line” when exchanging bragging rights with fellow runners.

In the 70’s, I was employed with Memorex (then one of the big names of pre-personal computing Silicon Valley) and was involved with their employee activity group (MAG). We decided to run a 10k (6 miles) for employees and their families and I called on some techy friends to help with the timing. We purchased numbered bibs (w/ tear off bottom), trophies and a friend put together a rudimentary finish line timer using an Apple IIe. We held our run at West Valley College in Saratoga, and had approx. 200 registered runners. Twice around the perimeter road we ran, finishing in a (one) chute in front of the Admin. Building. Luckily, the winners were easily determined and no one came in close to each other. We compiled our finishers’ timing list for publication and counted our blessings that the timers worked without hiccup.

Now take a quantum leap forward to 2008 and the use of passive RFID (just say the letters individually like you know what you’re talking about) transponders. RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification. Have you ever thought about those little metallic ID strips in new DVD’s, CD’s, books and clothing that activate the door buzzers unless deactivated by a sales clerk at checkout? That’s the same principle I’m talking about! Each runner is now given a chip or tag with the runner’s unique identification number (bib number). The chip / strip / tag (called a transponder) is inactive until moved into a magnetic field generated by a sending antenna in a mat or stand (see picture above of blue and red mat ). The transponder (strip) then transmits its unique identification number to a receiving antenna in a stand or mat whose software creates a time stamp of when the strip passed by. Although a RFID tag might transmit its number several times while the athlete is crossing the mat, software is used to eliminate all but the first time recorded for each chip at each timing point. Very cool technology.

Over the past several years I’ve experienced two different RFID tags. The first from ChampionChip, an early leader in the field. They created a hard, enclosed waterproof capsule containing the chip and energizing coil. Race organizers rented them from the race timing company and assigned one per entrant. Following the race staff helped remove the tags from runners’ shoes, and if not returned, runners were charged $25 – 30 per tag lost.

Then came along D-Tags (see picture at left) which are disposable transponders. The runner gets it with his bib number and easily attaches it to his shoe with attached removable tape. These tags need not be returned and are very efficient. Now runners can have their cake and eat it too ….errr… have their gun time and chip time too. Runners get the full elapse time from when the gun fires and their personal time from when they cross the RFID mat at the beginning and end of the race. Some distance races are now also including a RFID mat mid way through the course to provide both a split time (how fast the runner ran each half of the race) and insure that runners don’t take short cuts along the route. To complete the run they must cross a) the Starting Line mat, b) a midway mat and c) the Finish Line mat to prove they ran the full course. Races are even now offering automatic text messages as well to be sent to cell phones of spectators and runners alike when a runner crosses the midway mat. How excellently far we’ve come!

- John B

I am grateful for beautiful sunrises and sunsets
I am grateful for running at 56
I am grateful for serving at church
I am grateful for walks with Janet
I am grateful for backpacking with friends

120 days to go!

My musings today (Saturday, 8/7) are short. 120 days to go until the marathon. It’s going to take a lot more training to be ready for the Calif. Intl. Marathon! This morning I went for my longest ‘long run’ to date: 16 miles in: 2 hr, 26 min, 20 sec.! By most peoples’ standard that’s one definition of obsession. Well not obsession really; more like craziness! This I have to agree with. Add to that 10 more miles! No matter what your passion in life, the pursuit of a goal, or dream, can and will take over part of your life. I am trying not to become obsessed (OK, maybe a little, but shhhhh! don't tell anyone). Amy and I do have a goal of completing a marathon. That by itself is one major big deal. So to accomplish this we have to put in the time and effort to prepare to as Nike says “Just do it!” As an old guy it takes a bit more to get to a physical level of endurance, and more time to recover in between training sessions.  

Quick  aside:

The Boston Marathon (http://www.bostonmarathon.org/) qualifying time for:

56 yr old males: 3 hrs 45 min

21 yr old females: 3 hr 40 min

           ..…go figure...so don’t look for me qualifying any time soon!    ;)

Yet the goal of completing is important to this 56 year old’s fund raising efforts. Thank you one and all for your pledge cards! Keep ‘em coming!! The more I run, the more I look not at myself, but to Christ who strengthens me. I’m learning about pacing oneself, about the need for hydration, mid-run nutrition and above all, the encouragement and support of Janet, the kids and our stalwart friends!

My current long run starts Saturdays at 6am in Campbell, at the park on the Los Gatos Creek Trail. I cross the creek and head down the creek toward San Jose, turning around at Meridian Ave and trace my steps back to Campbell. That breaks up my run into the first segment of 5 miles. I then run out 5.5 miles toward Los Gatos, turn around and head back to Campbell for the total 16 mile run. Then it’s home for coffee with Janet, job search, work on refinishing the kitchen cabinets, AND take a nap! Yahoo! One more week at 16 miles then on to 17 miles!

I’ve also been reminded lately that we are a blessed people, and have much to be grateful for. So I will be adding a few thoughts on what I’m grateful for each week. What are you grateful for? Let me know and I can include them!

 – Johnny B

I am grateful for close friends

I am grateful for family

I am grateful for Bible study time

I am grateful for my wife

I am grateful for my work