Trail Running in Pattaya

This is just a short note to mention the great time I had a couple Saturday's ago on a 15k trail run with friends in Pattaya. My running group is an amazing bunch with quite an international feel. It was refreshing to get out of the city for the day. I was getting a bit of a bad attitude because I fell on a couple runs and I injured my Achilles. I went out and ran anyways when I probably shouldn't have but it was the best thing for me. I appreciate their friendship and encouragement a lot.

It was my best day in Thailand I think. God was looking out for me that day and so were my friends.

Here are a few pictures of my friends and I out running and playing that day:

The Magic of Lumpini

So I am working on a book right now. I need to get back into blogging. My apologies. Consider this my re-entry. I have been thinking of Lumpini Park this morning among other things and thought I would share an exert from my brainstorming:

Right in the middle of what feels like sheer chaos. In a city that is an all day traffic jam, bumper to bumper cars and buses, motorcycle taxis and scooters weaving in and out of traffic, sidewalks full of people, little shops and stands and more motorcycles, sits an oasis. A place that offers tranquility and an escape. This 360 rai (142 sq acre) Graceland is called Lumpini Park. It is like entering another world.

There are no cars inside the park. There is no smoking or soi dogs. It is a beautiful park full of trees and open space, a man made river and lake. There is a wide track that goes around the outer edge of the park with a couple paths leading through the middle of it. It is a place you go to see things you might not get to see in your every day life in the city. I had heard a rumor that the park was home to giant monitor lizards. That was hard for me to believe. But as I ran the park and started paying attention I started noticing these strange, prehistoric like creatures emerging from the water. It was really a little hard to believe. Here in the middle of the city came these huge lizards. The more time I spent in the park the more I noticed them. You can get incredibly close too! That is, if you want to get close. They are relatively docile and fun to watch. My 6 year old son loves going there to watch them and even feed them. Add giant catfish to the equation and it is almost like a free trip to the zoo.

I run early in the morning. The park opens at 5am. Our running club usually meets about 6:30am Sunday mornings. At that time of day the park is alive. There are people everywhere. It is a sea of people engaging in a myriad of activities. The track is full of walkers and runners and casual strollers. It would seem almost impossible looking at it that anyone can run there, but like a stream or river, it all flows together nicely. There are people in the grass having separate classes. Some are doing Tai Chi (I think), others are doing these beautiful movements or dances using either oriental fans or even swords. By the main gate there is an aerobics class happening. At times I have seen well over 100 people doing aerobics. I always smile as I pass the aerobics class. There are always people in the crowd making up their own moves or keeping to the back and just dancing. Hey if they aren't knocking anyone over, more power to them. There are pavilions and tables full of people laughing, talking loudly and eating. You can tell they are old friends and family by the way they cut loose with each other.

Then there is the “Lumpini Parade”. My first day in the park and with the running group we were greeted by these older Thai gentlemen. If you can imagine, there is about 30-40 of them all wearing a matching blue singlet. The gentleman in the front sets the pace; a nice slow pace. He also rhythmically honks a loud bicycle horn to the rhythm of his footsteps. As I entered the park these were the first guys I met. They waved me into the group and asked me to join them. Too nervous and still looking for the running group I just joined, I turned them down. It doesn’t stop them from waving and asking us to join every Sunday morning. I feel like these men have tapped into something. They found running as a community. They have connected to each other and built strong bonds. This is something I see the running club I am a part of moving towards, even in its early stages. But more than that, by their simple presence in the park I feel welcomed there. As a foreigner and someone still new to the country these guys have made me feel a part of the park and the larger community there. This group of runners, these bridge builders, have helped me see that running isn’t just about my physical health and well being but it is about others and embracing people as they are.

Lumpini is hard to describe fully though. It is more than the sum of its parts. My friend K-san calls it the "Magic of Lumpini". It is where I have seen on many days that running truly is a spiritual discipline. To be part of something so alive and vibrant engages the soul. It engages all our senses. It reminds us of God’s good creation and our place within it. It reminds us that our lives are connected together simply because we all bear the image of God and each person deserves dignity, honor, respect and love.

Like I have said before, God is waiting for us out there. He is waiting along the path. We are being called out and to something. Running can be just running or it can be more.

Do you have a place you run that carries that kind of significance to you?

FOMO & Monday Morning Weigh In

FOMO

Fear. Of. Missing. Out.

We have hit race season it seems in Thailand. Every weekend there seems to be a 1/2 marathon or mini marathon (10k). A week ago I ran the King of the Road 10k in Bangkok. This weekend I am going to be running the Mother's Day 10k Run in honor of her Majesty the Queen and Mom's everywhere.

There is an Ocean to Ocean Run that the running group and I are really excited about. We are going to run in a team of 8 from one coast to the other. It is about 136.6km done from sun up to sundown. See in all these races my friends are running and many from the running community turn out for these as well. I have a Fear Of Missing Out. But I know I have to start saying no. Why? Because I have goals and a plan. At some point my training has to win out over these races.

See I am in training for the Bangkok Marathon in November. That requires specific training and focus. And I also chose a follow up race in February. It is The North Face 100. I will be running a 50km race. It is about 5 miles farther than a marathon. It is an entry level race to ultra running.

So at some point I have to say no to the good and say yes to what I know I need to do. It is true in life. There are many good things to say yes to but in the end it can lead to being distracted from your goals. So we need to be able to recognize when the "good things" are keeping us from what we are "called to". Because I tell you what FOMO could lead to DNF (Did Not Finish). I want to finish. And hey, my running mates have similar goals as well so I know I will have comrades along the way. Cheers.

Monday Morning Weigh In

Starting Weight: 119kg (261.8lbs)

Last week: 109.2kg (240.2 lbs)

This Week: 109.0kg (239.8lbs) - Hey, it's progress!

Running Into a Vision of What Should Be

So I had a wonderfully bizarre experience yesterday. I joined my running group for our Sunday morning run. We ran for 17.9km (11 miles) in Lumpini Park. Some ran faster and some ran slower but we all made it. It wasn't until after the run that I had a chance to reflect and wanted to share a few thoughts with you.

I don't assume anyone who reads this blog is a Christian, but indulge me for a moment to make a comparison. Part of my journey is the connecting of faith. Even if you don't follow Jesus, it might help paint a picture anyways. In the same way I try to understand Buddhism, this might be a good way to start to understand what it means to follow Jesus.

It reminded me of what church should be. Not the building we tend to file into on Sunday's but what church was meant to be. Church was a word that represented a people, not a building. On our run, sure we had a goal. We wanted to go 7 laps around the park. We accomplished that goal, but what was amazing was how it got completed.

Two of us are pretty slow so we pull up the back of the pack and finished maybe as much as 30-40 minutes behind everyone. But for the first 5 laps, one of the fastest guys stayed back with us. He offered conversation, advice, thoughts and we just spent time getting to know each other. We felt bad for holding him up but he actually came back for us and wanted to do it. As others lapped us they would tell us good job and we would mutually encourage each other. As they lapped us, another guy hung back with us and we spent time with him and listened to his story and were inspired by his passionate life. Afterwards many of us stuck around and chatted and ate together (those who could hold down food).

Man, that is what this journey of faith is for me. It gave me a picture of what church should look like. People from all different nationalities and backgrounds with a common vision and journey heading in the same direction, sharing life and encouraging others to join us no matter who they are. Instead of looking out for ourselves we encouraged each other and even some sacrificed their ability to leave others in the dust for the sake of community. That's what this group is for me on Sunday mornings. It's church or how I would envision it.

(Sorry Bangkok Runners if this seems crazy. lol.)

Oh and Monday Morning Weigh In: Down to 114kg (250.8lbs)

Lost This Week: 0.8 kg, 1.8 lbs

Total loss: 5kg (11lbs)