Running. No More. (For now)

~ Live & Learn

“Running is practice for not quitting.”

A line from Robert Andrew Powell’s Memoir titled ”Running Away.”

Unclear why the line stuck after I read it in Beth’s post titled Custodians of the Peace of Mind. But stuck it has. Who’s my Custodian?

Running is practice for not quitting.

It’s been a month. Every day. Every.Single.Day. 

Out the door at ~5 am. Backpack over left shoulder, camera in right hand. Both hands occupied, smartphone tucked away, and inaccessible.

I walk.

5 mile loop.  1.5 hours. 50-70 photos. Every morning.

Followed by a photo upload to the P.C.

Then a slow page turn of the pics.

And a deletion of the misfires.

Then a creation of a Google Photo Album, “June 6 2020 Cove Island Park Walk”

Then I connect the Day’s album to the Google Nest Hub Max via my smartphone, which rotates each photo in a slide show on a 10 sec delay.

And, we have a new performance each day.

I’ve moved the Hub Max next to my PC, and there it sits with me, from 7am to 7pm, my entire work day.

Photo’s on the slide show, click, click, click, click. And for that second, I’m swept back to that moment when I took the shot.

During conference calls. During Zoom meetings. During email replies. During text exchanges. Those pictures, that I took, that I made, that captured some beauty in my eye, causing me to stop, and pause, and see…and then snap. They draw me gently away from Work, to the Moment.

Louise’s blog post this morning lands softly. “We call home through everything I do. Everything I create. Everything I am.”

Running is practice for not quitting. I believed this in my bones.

But I’ve quit.

And I like it.

Photo: 6:07 a.m. this foggy morning. 67° F. Wind: 5 mph. Cloud Cover: 68%.  Long Island Sound from Weed Ave, Stamford, CT.

37 thoughts on “Running. No More. (For now)”

  7. and I like that you’ve done this, as you would probably expect coming from me. I guess one way to look at it is not really ‘quitting,’ but instead ‘naturally transitioning’ to what feels right at the present moment in your life. one thing always leads to another – and who knows what’s next, just be present in this moment.

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  9. Thank you David for the mention — such a lovely reciprocity of muses merging, allowing, creating.

    On the “Custodians of the Peace of Mind” page this — ‘’Anywhere that I am, my heart is with you.’’

    Your photos, your running of them during the day instead of your feet — it speaks of heart and being with the moment and residing with peace of mind.

    Sooooo beautiful.

    And that photo calls me to my heart to create.

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  10. I love the circle created between you and Louise today!
    And i daresay that your practice of taking photos, uploading them and setting them to this beautiful loop is a fabulous way to ground you.
    Quitting – no, modifying and transforming to better suit the you on this journey…

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  11. I don’t see your new discipline as quitting, pal. Far from it. To me it represents a huge growth moment, embarkation on an exciting new chapter. It takes strength and determination and courage to let go of things that no longer serve you and venture off in a new direction. May the wind be at your back.

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  13. Wonderful, David. You were one of my inspirations, a few years back, to take up running again. This past winter, I had to give up too because of back issues. Walking brings its own rewards though, yes? The slow pace expects much less of us. Enjoy!

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  14. A willingness to Step Forward Yields; The Gifts that Exploration Brings, Growth, Change, A Silent Pause of Wondrous Appreciation…as the Profound Voice of Thought and Strength of a Mellowing of Heart, Impacts the Soul’s Murmurs… /// PS the snow is sticking 70 miles from my house, 6 inches expected overnight…

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  17. Running. Every OTHER morning. 6 a.m. Out the door. I used to believe
    it was easy, the purest form, without equipment, money, expense. I used to
    swim.
    Until the pool closed due to Covid 19.
    I walk
    every OTHER day. When I’m not running. When I’m not learning…to run. but I need
    something
    a little harder, a little more challenging, a little more windy–blow the noise out, silence the voices, turn the volume down,
    the volume up on my music, which I used to need, but lately has been
    a distraction.
    I used to think, “just put on your tennis shoes and go.” But now, in my 7th decade, I need to prepare for it, this work.
    Sunscreen, hairband, 10 bras, light(er) eyeglasses, lighter mask, lighter colors,
    stretching my calves, my back muscles
    in need of preparation, muscles that can cramp up, if not attended to. Before.
    Don’t eat anything before. Only one (or two) sips of coffee. Think:
    scarf, phone, wires, bras, tank top or tee, old running shoes or less- old running shoes? drink water BEFORE. but too much. Not too much. Not too much
    It’s dangerous. It’s dangerous…too much of anything. Is too much. Of everything, every think, every ink. You see? you see?

    Running. I’m learning. I’m listening to the underside of my calves, I’m listening to something
    not in my head. I’m learning. I’m trying. Baby steps.

    I’m running. A little. Slowly… I’m one of those silly old ladies, “running” without running, say the younger folks. I was one of them.
    I used to run, too… 40 years ago.

    I’m running. I have to do something. Before the rest of the day..
    unfolds and interferes with all of it.

    Running is practice for not quitting. Quitting.
    Before breakfast.

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