Mao Mao Speaks

The grind of China is unrelenting.  It is strange to me that the more time I spend in China the more I learn I don’t know anything of significance about Chinese culture.  Even after 8 years the only thing familiar is the unfamiliarity of it all.  The people.  The culture.  The food.  The bathrooms (holy crap, the bathrooms).  And even without the warm comfort familiarity brings I still enjoy visiting China.  Today, I will write about what I know and, more importantly, what I have yet to learn. “This is China”.  A quote I hear all too often.  Usually after something indescribable happens.  Something that is so different that is evident to not only me that I will never understand.  As an example; Once, probably my first trip, my colleagues and I were picked up at the hotel to start our work day.  On the way out we passed through a toll station.  We passed that station every morning of the week prior.  There was nothing remarkable about this toll booth.  Pretty standard, even in

Rolling into aid station 6, mile ~26 of EDU (Eastern Divide Ultra) I was feeling pretty good.  I had walked most of the climb headed into aid station 6 but picked up my pace when I saw one Pawl Nazarewicz cheering me on from the top of the climb.  It was good to see him and it lifted my spirits.  Standing behind him was Rick.  Just past Rick was Kristen, Linda and Michelle.   Stepping up to the table I spoke to Jordan.  As he filled my water bottle and Michelle handed me a Popsicle (sorry Trevor) I bent over to get a little stretch on my legs and take a deep breath.  Deep in a cave of regret.  Jordy poured cold water on my neck (2 cups) and said "you're not going to like this but you need it.  So yeah... I don't care, you need it." photo cred goes to Kristen Chang He was right.  The cold treat and cold water in my bottle was a boost.  The cheers from friends and words of encouragement, a spirit lifter.  But it was the well timed splash of cold water that woke

We were lost.  Not "Cast Away" lost but, lost.  This was before GPS was readily available.  Smart phones weren't on the market yet.  iPods could only be purchased with click wheels.  Somewhere in the middle of Ohio on a February day Deb and I were driving around with our printed Mapquest directions and a cell phone. We were looking for a dog shelter.  Living in this shelter was a dog name Ricky. Ricky had been found via the Pet Finder website by Deb.  And she was in love.  Our friend, and Deb's coworker, Mindy had asked the folks that ran that shelter to hold onto Ricky so that we could come and pick him up.  And we were lost. Just when we were both about to give up, just before the closing time for this shelter...we found it.  It was a modest shelter.  Little cubicles made of cinder blocks with chain link fence doors lined the walls.  I don't remember the number of cubicles.  I don't remember how many dogs were in the shelter.  I don't honestly rememb

January and February are usually  tough months for me.  Lack of sunshine, work stress and self diagnosed seasonal depression all descend on me at once, in one fell swoop.  This leaves my head swimming with a wonderful cocktail of anxiety and self depreciation.  It isn't uncommon for me to retreat into myself.  Last year I had running to focus on.  Holiday Lake 50k++ on the horizon.  I had things to keep me busy and things to look forward to.  This year... I have Umstead 100 mile endurance race and (had) Holiday Lake 50K++, the return of Mao Mao.   But this year I also have a pretty angry left leg.  My tibia is pissed.  And it has every right to be. I've overworked it even though it has been giving me the warning signs of something being wrong.  In short I haven't enjoyed a run since early December.   But this post isn't about leg pain, leg pain management or for me to complain about the pain.  I have already posted about that many times.  No, this is some bullshit pos