Dancing with dirt – April 29, 2007

For this weekend, I decided to try something new and signed up for the “not for wimps” trail half marathon. It was a beautiful spring morning and the terra firma was alive with fresh green ground cover and budding trees. Silver lake glistened in the morning sun and the blue sky finished off this artistic rendering, except, this landscape was for real and it felt great to be part of the scenery. Through the trees, the sunlight painted a surreal smile on the trails below and brought the dormant shrubbery back to life. The trails were scenic and circumvented crooked- and half moon lake, adding a wilderness flavor to this unique Michigan nature preserve. To best describe the topography of the route, picture an upside down saw blade interspersed with some long and sharp teeth.

The down hills were a blast, but at times gravity pushed me beyond my comfort zone. At mile marker five, I tripped and fell, smashed my face into the dirt and busted my glasses. It was actually somewhat of an adrenaline rush and soon I was running again, but now with a muddy facial bruise and without the twenty-twenty vision. At mile seven on the downhill I hit a pothole and severely twisted my ankle and let out some obscenity not appropriate to repeat but permissible for the outdoors. Able to finish the race and shortly after crossing the finish line I jumped into the freezing-cold water of Silver Lake to “ice” my ankle. That felt good! After the pothole encounter I had several near misses as tiny tree stumps and exposed tree roots seemed to be lurking around every corner. At times I would trip, fall forward, but miraculously by franticly throwing my arms up in the air in some half circular fashion, maintain my balance, and most importantly, remained up right thrusting through the woods! The occasional sound of a “stud dud” in front and back of me reassured me that I wasn’t the only amateur on the trials. In the end “dancing with dirt” was a blast and a truly magnificent new experience.

Load your canon – April 27, 2007

On and off, over the last twelve months I have frequented MIHP with weekly visits. Without the initial biomechanical assessment and those tailor made workout programs my performance level would most likely have flattened out. It was Tracy who instilled the runner in me and taught me how to load my cannon. Often people convince themselves that they can’t run because of weak ankles or knees, back pains or hip injuries, but MIHP has turned many a non-believer into a performance athlete!

Performance enhancement is all about symmetry, the correct body alignment and the three planes of motions. Mix that with a solid dose of desire, motivation and discipline and the sky is the limit. To quote MIHP: "While most conventional workouts emphasize movement in the front-to back plane, real life happens in rotation at the hips, knees and mid back"! Forces will always take the path of least resistance. The key is to make the right path the easy one to travel.

Train movements, not muscles. Train integration not isolation! It took me a while to catch on to that concept, but it has definitely improved my core muscle strength and performance. Thank you Tracy for giving me the ammunition to be a runner and the confidence to run around the world.

From left to right: Joyce - office manager, Tracy - Director of Performance Enhancement, Sherry - Physical Therapist and founder M.I.H.P. Kelliey - Personal Trainer, Carol - Personal Trainer

London global announcement – April 19, 2007

Being both from Michigan, Sunil and I met in flight on the way to London and shared a cab ride into town. George our cabbie was more than happy to spill the beans over local politics and out-of-control inflation. Rather sooner than later he was going to "give it up" and move to France where things are so much better! The forty-minute cab ride took almost an hour as the British host took us on a generous sightseeing tour by way of Wimbledon, to show off this world-renowned tennis haven! He maneuvered skillfully through the crowded narrow streets of this picturesque little town, contrasted by its massive stadiums in final renovation for the upcoming annual tennis tournament. George yakked non-stop about cricket and horse races of which I knew nothing, but his dry British humor made for an entertaining ride. At long last we reached the Tower hotel where, with a big smile, he dropped us off at the front door lobby!

While in London, the weather was glorious and perfect for running. The mornings were cool and crisp with clear skies and little or no wind. Sunil and I ran with the early birds, starting out at the Tower Bridge, along side the river Thames, passed the St. Paul’s Cathedral, and somehow from there found our way back to the hotel. We wove in and out of pedestrian traffic, and occasionally ran a red light, in pursuit of a decent workout. Refreshed after our running excursion, back at the hotel, an elaborate and nutritious spread of English breakfast awaited us.

The announcement ceremony on the top floor of the Tate Modern was an exciting and celebratory affair. Each runner, while running up on stage, was introduced to the media, by Dame Kelly Holmes, gold medallist of the 2004 Athens Olympics. Cameras clicked away and several media interviews were arranged. After the reception the running team, dressed in blue training suits, moved outdoors where additional photo-shoots by the river with the magnificent St. Paul’s as backdrop, captured some great glamour shots with miss Kelly. The next morning at the crack of dawn I was on “ontbijt radio”, for a life Dutch radio show, and by mid-morning was jet setting my way home via Gatwick airport, charmingly named after a goat farm, formerly located on the site of today’s Great Britain’s second busiest gateway to the world.

London global announcement – April 18, 2007

It was mid-April when twenty ecstatic and exuberant runners, boarded their planes from just about all four corners of the world, with London as their final destination. We had been recruited by the blue planet foundation, an NGO founded by Jin Zidell, who several years earlier master minded the idea of a foot race around the world, to draw attention to the lack of potable drinking water, affecting 20% of the world population. The purpose of this get-together and international extravaganza, in one of Europe’s most effluent and Royal metropolis, was organized to officially announce Dow Chemical’s sponsorship and partnership for the Blue Planet run, as well as to formally introduce its foot soldiers to the world.

Not surprisingly, the inaugural runner team varying in ages from 23 to 60, spanning a multitude of different nationalities, cultural upbringings and a variety of athletic backgrounds, turned out to have a lot in common. Without exception we are all adventurous, enjoy travel, love to run and most importantly have a desire to make our world a better place to live! All of us have our unique stories to tell, and had an opportunity to do some of that in London during formal and informal meetings and meal times. Once acquainted, we quickly became family, and our common goal exuded a positive energy and aura. As for me I am thrilled and honored to be part of this great and multi-talented group of relay runners and look forward, with full anticipation, to the kick off on June 1, when we will begin our journey from the steps of the United Nations building in downtown New York city.