Sunday the 12th of December

Well, this IS a blog with a theme of re-creation. Up until this entry I’ve focused on re-creating my body through exercise. That sounds idiotic having written it but the process has been somewhat successful and will continue. But in the immediate term, the following few to several entries will focus on my career. And, because I’ve never really been good at separating my career from me as an individual, it will be locked in tight on me as an individual, as an ego, etc.

Over the past several years I’ve been marginally involved with two films. Well, that’s not really fair. I’ve been very much intimately involved with these films, one as a writer and director and another as a producer, writer and fundraiser. But it would be a stretch to say to someone “I make conservation films for World Wildlife Fund.” I’m changing that. Within time I want to be able to look someone in the eye and say with confidence, “I write stories and shoot films for WWF.”

So, sitting here in

the Atlanta airport awaiting my flight to Denver, I’ve managed to finagle my way into writing, filming, directing and editing my first short film. It’s hard wearing those many hats - hard in that there’s logistically just so much to do. And one could say I’ve got no business behind a camera or an editing screen. I’m a novice in the truest sense of the term. But I’m a good story teller and I can be convincing given the right situations and have talked my way into the current situation.

One could also say, “you’re setting yourself up to fail” in this particular project and thus jeopardizing the whole re-creation possibilities. But, allow me to wax

philosophical and let me recall a poignant experience of mine from a kayaking trip on the Chattooga River.

If I remember correctly, I was about to drop into a rapid called Bull Sluice which was a fairly easy run save for an enormous rock in midstream. Plenty of room on either side, but run into that rock and the dynamics of the solids and liquids involved would pin you good, probably with your head under water.

I was working with an instructor from the Nantahala Outdoor Center and he said to me, “Darron, if you look at that rock you’ll definitely run into it. Look where you want to go, not where you don’t want to go.”

Good advice then and now. So, I’m going to make the most kick ass 3-minute fundraising video for the Northern Great Plains that this world has ever seen. People are going to weep and want to give their first born child to our program. These next few blogs will be about the experience of making the movie.

Denver

Arrived in Denver with all my bags and that seems like a good start. It’s way to clean here and too much space. It feels a bit self important to be writing this blog. It’s not the next Apocalypse Now for Christ’s sake. Feels silly. Like I’m writing “t

he making of” when I haven’t shot on frame, but screw it. I don’t have anything else to do this evening, save for organizing and getting to know the mountain of equipment that I’m currently not that familiar with.

This Pelican box makes it feel pretty real.

August 30, 2010

MultiMedia meets food meets outdoor adventure -- that's my space. I like it. Soon, we will have the GroundUp blog up and running.

Today's deep thoughts with Jack Handy involve "progress."

It's been a good six weeks since I've began my self recreation. What would Thich Nat Hahn think about this whole endeavor, this whole movement toward an end state that is better qualitatively and quantitatively than the start state? I'd suppose he'd say that being on the train of progress is as good as reaching the station.

My pastor agreed. That feels real funky to write that. I feel like I'm about to start raging on about the powers against rattlesnakes and strychnine. Possessive pronoun + pastor = strange. I was raised Catholic; am raising my kids Catholic; I look back upon a set of Irish-American grandparents born in Rural County Roscommon and Tipperary who grew up fearing the wrath of a Catholic God. But, in the end, I'm a skeptic; I'm your typical Doubting Thomas. I want to put my fingers into Christs' wound to believe.

I'd always pretty much gone through the motions at Church. I had always looked to my pastor to somehow open up my eyes. Maybe with all the incense burning and the deep bellow of the organ -- maybe then something magical would happen -- yes, that's it, something magical. But it wasn't that. "My pastor" is a pretty normal, non-magical guy. He's, to put it out there, just not very inspiring. But he nailed it on Sunday, in his own humble way.

And that's the word! - humble! It doesn't sound like much as it comes off these keystrokes and I suspect that anyone reading this will shrug shoulders and move on or stop reading altogether. I can't even remember the turns of phrase that sandwiched that word, "humble." One thing I do recall, though, is that one cannot equate "humble" with self-deprecation. It's nothing to do with martyrdom, but it's about stripping back layers toward truth.

And for recreation, there seems to be a lot wrapped up in truth and humbleness about progress. I felt true and humble progress this past weekend while running 8.5 miles through the woods in Stone Mtn park. I was cresting hills fast and feeling quick recovery. But, honestly, it wasn't the fact that I dropped my running partner (sorry Dave). Usually I'm the one getting dropped, but in the few times I'd dropped others I'd felt what you might call egoist progress -- and it's totally empty.

But in this case I felt my own muscles pulsing, my lungs efficiently pulling in air and sending oxygen to where it needed to go. It was an awesome feeling. Embracing that honest, entirely humble progress -- that's a key to this whole self recreation thing.

More to come tomorrow...on hills. How I used to feel about them and how I feel about them now.

Day ? Wow, it's been a while.

So, a good month has gone by. For two weeks of that month I was on vacation with the family. I'll admit, I've dropped the ball in terms of food diaries and exercise diaries. But somehow I did manage to exercise during the vacation and, since returning, have been on something of a tear.

I guess, in stepping back, I've questioned why I'm writing this or if I should continue to write this. I'm not sure anyone but me is listening. Maybe that's ok. It's something of a diary more than a blog. I do think it serves me as something of a planner and exercise journal.

Here's what's gone on:
1. I did a mountain bike race in Helen, GA. 17 miles - two 8.5 mile laps. It was awesome.
2. GroundUp foods, my LLC, is starting to gain some mo.
3. I'm registered for a 10 mile trail race October 2nd and I'm focused on that.
4. I'm reading Thich Nhat Hanh and am trying to learn to run for running's sake, bike for bike's sake, wash dishes for the sake of washing dishes.
5. How do you make those two things harmonious? - living in the now with training, which is future focused?

Day 11, 7/22/10: Thoughts and progress

Other: I made my own soap today -- coffee and turmeric scented, which I think is going to be a mistake. I should have just kept it turmeric -- awesome orange color. It's from a plant native to southeast Asia and in the ginger family. It's used in India a lot and is thought to have anti-bacterial properties and "skin lightening" properties. I don't think my skin could get any lighter, but, anyway, it makes a wicked orange color. Unfortunately, I turned that orange completely brown when I added coffee, hoping to get a coffee scented soap. It's all about experimenting with this kind of stuff. GroundUp Soap - definitely a good additional category to add to the energy bars. It has to harden for a week after I pop it out of its pvc tube tomorrow, so I won't be able to try it until I'm back, but it was pretty cool to poor sodium hydroxide into water and watch that stuff heat up. Kids! Don't touch the NaOH!!!

Exercise: Ran the HOD with Mark S's gizmo. Check it out:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/41431875

WOW! I tell you, having a gizmo like that makes the run a lot more enjoyable. There was a minor snafu in it because it was set to compensate slow-downs when roadies stop for stop signs, so the distance is about .7 miles off, but the heart rate was on and, man, I worked hard. It got me thinking about my heart so I took a fish oil pill. That's probably not a bad idea.

Vacation starts tomorrow.

Day 10, 7/21/10: Thoughts and progress

I had meant to get up at 6am and do a school circuit with the guys, but I shut the alarm off and didn't make it. I woke up at 7:30, which felt much better. Had a kick-ass day at work and didn't pay too much attention to exercise other than doing a "fairoaks circuit" that kicked my ass.

Food: 2 cups coffee; 2 GroundUp bars (yeah baby); peanut butter sandwich; 4 cups water and 2 cans grapefruit seltzer; 2 rice and pico de gallo soft tacos

Other: yes! Figured out the best packaging option for GroundUp foods. Seems like balls work best -- about an inch in diameter. Exposed to the air for a day, they actually dry out some and lose their stickiness almost entirely. I wonder how long it would be before they would just rot?? Anyway, I found a maker of "hinged vials" pvc/food safe vials that will probably fit about 3-4 of them. Pull the vial from your bike shirt, pop the top, down a ball, close the top and put it back in your riding jersey. As long as they don't stick together, I think they'll be OK. Sell a bag of balls (need a better name) and the vial. I'm psyched. Samples are on the way.

I've got to edit some of the earlier blogs, so I'm off for now. One more day until vacation -- my goal is an hour of hard core exercise a day during these nest two weeks. It might be hard to keep up with the blog. I wonder if I can do it off line somehow?

Day 9: Thoughts on Road Riding

The alarm went off at 5:25 a.m. 5:25!! This is night, not early morning. It was dark and the night sounds were still screaming. The sound was deafening and it was awesome and hypnotic and made you feel alive when all the world was dead. Coffee: brewed at 5:30 and downed by 5:37. Tires aired up by 5:40. Water bottle full and affixed to frame, 5:42. Two Ground Up Food single serving balls consumed by 5:45. Mark S lights come into view by 5:48. Heading off to the group ride by 5:50.



It's two and a half miles on the bike to the start point. Today, a group of maybe 12-15 gathered and took off on a regular ride that they do at this Godforsaken time twice a week. The shape of the group runs from the likes of Mark H and Mark S to, well, me. And, at least with today's group, that's not really a terrible reflection on me - new bike, first group road ride, wicked early, new route, etc. And we maintained a pretty tough pace.



Check out the details from Mark S's Garmin:



http://connect.garmin.com/activity/41148473



Now, keep in mind that's he's the fastest rider but also spent some significant time dragging me back into the pack, so it's not a good reflection at all of his ride, but a decent one of the ride itself.



The bottom line: it's not for me. I think one of the reasons I do this kind of waffling about things -- eg, getting really into something and then losing interest -- is that I can be kind of impressionable. Well, where road riding is concerned, I'm going to stick to my guns.



Some people have the "bike gene" -- Mark S and Doug M for example. They were born to ride a bike -- any kind of bike. They'd be happier if they could perform most of their daily activities from a bike saddle. Being on a bike for them is better than not being on a bike. For me it's a means to an end -- of getting out in the woods, exercising, or being able to have a different view of the landscape.

So, I had to drop Doug M's bike back to him with my tail between my legs. But I tell you, the more I watch the Tour de France, the more I have second thoughts -- maybe it is for me and I'm just too out of shape to have fun with this crowd? But for now, I've got to watch the expenditures on this here recreation, so, no road bike.

Food: cup yogurt; 2 cups coffee; --shoot, don't remember.

Day 8: Thoughts and Progress

Monday. I slept this morning-slept in until 8am. I love sleeping. I woke up with a lot of energy, downed some coffee and then took off to the Heart of Darkness. This was my first run of any distance in my new Nike running shoes. They and I felt really good. The patterns are amazing when you start paying attention. I always start off like a slug -- my first mile is always very, very painful even if it's downhill and cool. Then I really kick in.

I remember in my longer runs that I'm feeling tops between mile 8 and mile 10. But the HOD doesn't entail that kind of distance.

The heat and humidity was fierce by 9am and I was sweating like a pig. I ran with a small water flask that straps to fit your palm and carries the perfect amount of water for a 5-8 mile run.

I don't know my time, which calls to mind the need for some kind of accessory to monitor my route, distance, speed, heart rate, etc. Mark S has a great one for his bike rides and I'm guessing that device will translate OK to running.

I also swam a bit today, which reminds me that I swam 25 laps yesterday -- .35 of a mile. Wow, what a workout. My back was sore this morning - in all the right ways and all the right places. Great for breath and lungs as well.

Food: 2 cups coffee; large salad with bbq chicken; two diet cokes; 3 cups water (uggg-not enough); cup of blueberries; half cup sunflower seeds; hand of grapes; 2 awesome peaches thanks to Speece family; some cheese and crackers; some of my awesome GroundUp Food Balls - see below.

Other-Biggest news for today, in my opinion, is within other. I met with my accountant today and got some really good feedback on my LLC, GroundUp Food. Great idea and makes great financial sense. For whatever reason, I got re inspired on my GroundUp Food kick.

Actually, I know exactly why I'm re inspired - it's part and parcel to the way my psyche works.

But anyway, the interest level was piqued again, so I started really organizing my expenditures because it makes good economic sense, AND I made a trip to the Dekalb Farmers' Market to stock up on supplies, AND I cranked out a bunch of good product. I'll test it tomorrow with the morning ride.