October 4, 2016 OBSCURED BY CLOUDS

The weather has been a bit ominous over the past week--I keep looking up at the sky as I run  thinking,  Hey, what happened to the sun?? It only sneaks out every once in awhile playing peek-a-boo so I don't forget what it looks like--that makes me sad because I LOVE THE SUN.  I also NEED the sun and REALLY miss the warm and peaceful feeling it brings when it comes out. I'm pretty sure that I have a touch of SAD--Seasonal Affective Disorder and it only gets worse with the time change and onset of winter.  The clouds that seem to be lingering lately--THICK as pea soup--really fluffy I guess, but not like a cotton ball--are kind of a downer. They're dense-- a black and white palette-- that makes everything else appear dull and lifeless. YUK--Sun, dear sun, where art thou these days?? Please come back SOON. Anyways, weather is a strange thing,  especially important to you if you are a pilot I would think. I wonder how much the sun and clouds/precipitation affected Charles Lindbergh on some of his flights back in the 1920's? I read a great book last year The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin and learned all about Lindbergh and his much more interesting wife Anne Morrow Lindbergh. 

Told from the point of view of Anne, this is a wonderful piece of historical fiction. The story begins when Anne, an ambassador's daughter, is introduced to the National hero, Charles Lindbergh. She thinks nothing of the meeting believing he will be attracted to her beautiful sister--think again. They have a brief courtship and Anne finds herself married to the camera shy Lindbergh. Benjamin then chronicles their life together-- the kidnapping and murder of their first born, the birth of their six other children, Lindbergh's fascination with Hitler while living abroad and eventual return to America where he is accused of being a traitor.  More important though, this is  the story of Anne Morrow Lindbergh--living under the shadow of a hero--who ruled the roost--and her struggle to find her own voice and become her own person. Anne does eventually find herself as a writer of several beautiful books including my favorite Gifts from the Sea. This is an excellent, well-written slice of history of about 450 pages--about a 6 mile run--and well worth the effort.  Most  events in history are much more fascinating than fiction and this is definitely one of those times! 

October 1, 2016 BLOWIN' IN THE WIND

Sometimes I love running in the wind--and other times--not so much. This time of year it can be really breezy, but the wind is refreshing and helps to keep me cool. Even a fierce north wind is doable. One of my comrades actually has a wind phobia though--DON'T JUDGE--listen we all have our issues.  She is convinced the wind will somehow be involved in her demise--tree branch on the head, electrical wire and some type of electrification, random traffic light might swing off the wire and squash her slight frame--whatever. I, of course, make fun of her crazy ideas-- but you never know--I'll probably be hit  by a runaway garbage can some day and that will be the end of me. Anyways, back to the wind, sometimes the wind is a friend and other times a foe. The north wind in the winter is a serious enemy --frostbite, chapped lips, wind burn--it is NOT a friend to VANITY but that's a story for another day. Hmmmm, books and wind--of yeah. I read this great book whose title contained the word wind and I am pretty sure it was windy  in the book--- so that counts right??? Just kidding-- The book was called A Shadow in the Wind and it was part of a trilogy that I finished over the summer.

A Blustery Day

When I first started reading this book, I didn't know it was part of a trilogy--I am usually not the trilogy type. I only  learned it was the first book of The Cemetery of Forgotten Books Trilogy, after I finished reading it. Written by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, The Shadow in the Wind  is set in Barcelona after the Spanish Civil War-about 1950.  The main character, Daniel, is the son of a book dealer. One day while in the shop, Daniel comes across a strange book--The Shadow in the Wind by Julian Carax and he becomes obsessed with the book and its author. Part of his obsession is finding and reading all of Carax's books--which he learns have been destroyed. Daniel's innocent quest turns deadly as he becomes entangled in a web of murder, dark secrets, lost love and madness. This is an intriguing, frightening, tragic story that is beautifully written and truly captures the time period and streets of Barcelona during a dark time. Published in 2001, it has been translated into at least 40 languages and has won several International awards. I could not put it down and waited on pins and needles to read the other books--SO unlike me. -- It's a bit of a commitment though--at about 490 pages--perhaps an 8 mile run--but you will be so engrossed in this gothic horror novel that you won't even notice.

September 29, 2016 WATCHING THE WHEELS GO ROUND AND ROUND

Have you ever noticed that most runners are obsessed with food?  It's a VICIOUS cycle. I have gotten into this terrible habit of eating ice cream on the days I run--I justify it by saying--I ran today. SO WHAT!! I have NO business eating ice cream at night--especially at my age. The metabolism has slowed down considerably--to a snail's PACE-- I can't even maintain my weight running 4-5 days a week. It is crazy--sometimes I feel like a gerbil on one of the wheels.  If I get off the wheel, I will probably gain 20 pounds because I am so used to eating a certain way--HA--like I said most runners are obsessed with food in some way. Many runners I know obsess about food in a completely different way though--they over analyze what they eat before racing, while recovering from a race, as well as what  foods they should eat to enhance their runs. I should be focusing more of my OBSESSING on those kinds of things--but instead I stay on the gerbil wheel--UNTIL NOW.

Believe it or not things are about to change. One of my comrades just gave me this great book that is going to change my eating habits and runs called Run Fast. Eat Slow. This great cookbook was written by two college friends--Shalane Flanagan-- an Olympic medalist, champion marathoner and American distance record holder, and her friend Elyse Kopecky -- a food writer, whole foods chef and graduate of The Natural Gourmet Institute for Healthy & Culinary Arts. First off, you DO NOT have to be a runner to love this cookbook-- just someone who wants to eat healthier--REAL FOOD. This book is filled with great recipes--the  smoothies are nutritious and delicious just like a milkshake. There is also a section titled "Morning Fuel" filled with recipes to start the day off right. Muffins, french toast, granola and even breakfast burritos to fuel your day. I especially love the chapter on salads--pesto potato salad, tarragon chicken salad and the soba noodle salad will make you salivate. By the way, there are  gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options included for most of the recipes. Another great feature is  the chapter "Runner's Remedies." Here you will find many recipes to boost the immune system, combat stress, or fight inflammation just to name a few. There is something for everyone in the book. It is filled with great information too so give it a try--it's about 250 pages--with pictures--don't look at them if you are hungry though because you might just try to eat the page.
BON APPETIT!

September 27, 2016 SPIRIT IN THE SKY

I have always loved Halloween--the decorating, trick-or-treating with friends--especially the sorting of candy into piles based on which I loved and those I would trade. It's great fun to be a kid-- I'm lucky because I get to relive the thrill of Halloween through my kids. Anyways, running around Halloween is fun too because it's eery---it gets darker earlier and with the crunching of  leaves underfoot--you never know who may be following you. BOO. It's also equally scarey to run by the Lighthouse Inn because it is haunted by a ghost--a bride who fell down the winding staircase and broke her neck in 1930. I've heard that she still haunts the hallways--and cries out with lonely longing for  lodgers to haunt. Some also believe the Inn is haunted by two children who died in the Hurricane of 1938 too. Who Knows??  An equally creepy site I see on my runs is the haunted lighthouse--Ledge Light.

Mare Liberum by Pat Regan

Rumor has it, an old keeper of the lighthouse named Ernie jumped off the roof of the lighthouse after his wife ran off with a Block Island Ferry captain. Witnesses, including a Coast Guardsmen who lived at the lighthouse, confirmed its haunting as Ernie opened and slammed doors, turned the foghorns on and off and caused general chaos during his time there. Speaking of lighthouses, there is great book I read about six months ago called The Light Between the Oceans, that is set at a lighthouse--but I don't think it's haunted.
M. L. Stedman, the author of this little gem, gives us the story of a love gone tragically wrong. After spending time on the Western Front, Tom Steadman and his wife Isabel  agree to become the keepers of a lighthouse on Janus Rock in Australia. The lighthouse is on a very isolated island and  supplies are only brought out to the lighthouse once a season. Isabel is a sad, lonely soul, having had  a few miscarriages and a stillborn, she desperately wants a baby. One day a boat washes up--its contents include a dead man and a live baby. Tom wants to notify officials, but Isabel talks him into keep the baby as their own. This decision later becomes their downfall as they return to shore a few years later and eventually face the consequences of that decision. Although this is a sad story, I enjoyed the writing and the characters. I also felt great empathy for all those involved. At 345 pages--an easy 5 mile run--you too will become engrossed in their lives. It was hard to put down until the bitter end. Enjoy.

September 25, 2016 SEASONS CHANGE

There is nothing better than running in the fall. I feel invigorated and light as a feather--and believe me that is no small feat. The air is crisp and the sun seems brighter. I love everything about it. It gets me through those torturous runs after work--stressful runs just to get them done--because I know I can look forward to the weekends and great morning runs. The trees are starting to change--at this point--I even know which trees will change first--their leaves are already turning red and paired against the green look Matissian. Soon they will be falling to the ground and we will be crunching through them as they  litter the streets and sidewalks. Good times--Only in New England. This morning it was a crisp 45 degrees when I went out--shorts and  long sleeve shirt weather over my short sleeve--usually shed after mile one. Fall is a good time to have a fire at night-- to get the chill out of the house and hunker down with a good book.  One great fall read is Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese.

I first heard about Verghese about 20 years ago when he came to Connecticut College to discuss his book My Own Country. Verghese is an interesting man--he is a doctor of infectious diseases and an author. I loved his first book so I am kind of like a groupie--I read everything he writes.  Cutting for Stone is probably one of my top 10 favorite books and if you know me--that is a tough cut to make. It is a BEAUTIFULLY written book. If you googled top lines from the book you would be shocked at the results--it is that good. It is the unforgettable story of conjoined twin boys separated at birth. Their mother, a nursing nun in a missionary hospital, unfortunately dies during childbirth, and they are abandoned by their father. The two boys, Shiva and Marion, are raised by their surrogate family in Ethiopia. The characters in the story are beautifully written and the connection I felt with them--so real--that they are still a part of me five years after reading the book. I especially loved Hema and Ghosh--the surrogate doctor parents. Anyways, the book follows the lives of the twins from birth into adulthood. You will never forget their story set amidst political upheaval in Ethiopia, life on the grounds of the mission hospital where the twins spend their childhood, to their ultimate destiny in New York where they become doctors by following different paths. This is a story about the importance of family,  facing the past, dealing with betrayal, and finally realizing your destiny. This is a saga of about 660 wonderful--I stress that--pages--about a 10 mile run that you MUST READ. You will not regret one minute sitting by the fire, sipping a little wine and reading this gem. I promise.

September 23, 2016 ROCK THE BOAT

  Since I live near the submarine capitol of the world, I have been witness to many submarine deployments while out running.  People come out from all over to watch the submarines steering out of the harbor guided by colorful tugboats--it is really quite a site. Navy families garner their binoculars to get a better glimpse of the subs as their loved ones leave for a six month deployment or even more exciting--returns. It's funny the things we take for granted in any given area--I'm sure most people have never seen a submarine launch. It's much like living near Cape Canaveral--people probably take rocket launches for granted there. I have never really thought too much about  submarines--until I started reading this great book by Erik Larson called Dead Wake.

LUSITANIA

Larson has a way of making non-fiction exciting and interesting--I could hardly put this book down. Written in 2015 to commemorate the 100th  anniversary of the sinking of the Lusitania, Larson draws on survivor accounts, love letters, the ship logs and secondary sources to bring this tragic event to life. He covers all the bases including politics of the time period, the death of President Wilson's wife, Churchill and America's neutrality in World War I. We also learn about the craftsmanship of the first submarines--or u-boats as the Germans called them--which is really quite fascinating. He introduces us to some of the passengers on the boat including Alfred Vanderbilt, Charles Frohman and Theodate Pope Riddle to name a few. He makes us care about everyone on the cunard liner--rich, poor, young and old--and fear for their safety. After the  Lusitania set sail from New York in May of 1915 on its way to Liverpool, it was literally 11 miles off the coast of Ireland when it was torpedoed  by a German U-boat. It sunk in 18 minutes killing over 1200 men, women and children. According to Larson, this is a tragedy that could have been avoided.  His account is fascinating as he re-investigates who was really at fault in this disaster--and he answer is frightening. Although this book is about 400 pages long--It's a pretty easy read--about a 5 mile run--that you won't want to miss. I promise. 

September 21, 2016 CAUSE EVERY GIRL CRAZY 'BOUT A SHARP DRESSED MAN

I can be pretty catty sometimes--I'll admit it. I can't really help myself--I notice things and try as I might--I usually have something to say. The only people who really know the depths of my cattiness are my comrades because they spend the most time with me--BELIEVE ME THOUGH--at least one of them is as catty as I am--but I'm not naming names. Anyways, one of the things I notice is running outfits. I AM SORRY--I CAN'T HELP MYSELF--I even make fun of my own comrades--no one is safe. A few years back we were getting ready to go to a run and one of my comrades showed up in this strange running shirt--I'm pretty sure it was a negligee--but she still insists it was in the athletic wear department. SURE--It had all kinds of holes in it and it was practically see through--Hey-if you're going to wear your Victoria Secret Special to a race than you are certainly going to hear it from me. So after we teased her to death, we went to sign up for the race. Of course, I immediately spied this guy signing up for the race in regular clothes. I thought to myself--THAT'S REALLY WEIRD. I pointed him out to my comrades and we were all mystified. WHO RUNS A RACE IN LONG, COTTON KHAKI SHORTS, LEATHER BELT, DRESS SOCKS AND SHOES?? Well, he did---We saw him along the course--SWEATY BUTT--and all. It was really strange even more so because this was a 12 mile race. Anyways,  I can happily report that I saw him  at the same race this year and he had a regular running outfit on. THANK GOD! But, I  still wonder how long it took for his diaper rash to go away.  I told you I am a pathetic, catty person. Who else would ever ponder such things?? Oh, I know!!! Ignatius J. Reilly of A Confederacy of Dunces would.

Ignatius J. Reilly

Although  this 1981 Pulitzer Prize winning book's author John Kennedy Toole wrote this book in 1963, he sadly committed suicide in 1969. Thankfully, his mother found the manuscript for the book and with the help of Walker Percy, had it published in 1980. Anyways, Ignatius is a thirty year old man who lives with his mother in New Orleans. He is well-educated but pompous in every sense of the word. He views himself as a tragic hero fighting his way against the evils in the world--that being anything modern. Ignatius is quite a character--you will love to hate him as he "studies the audience for signs of bad taste in clothing" while he wanders around the city in his FAVORITE GREEN HUNTING CAP with  giant flaps on the sides like elephant ears, bad flannel shirts, baggy pants and scarf to complete the ensemble. He can't hold down a job because he is a lazy, obese slob who prefers to focus on what is wrong with everyone else--it can't possibly be him.  He is a wack-a-doodle. This tragic comedy  is written much like a Dickens novel where every character is important and comes full circle by the end. The characters that support the story are interesting and unique too.They will leave you shaking your head and chuckling as they meet Ignatius as he jumps from one job to the other--one disaster after the other. Somehow, Ignatius' muddles through life trying to make sense of it all with little success.  This is not a tale for the light reader--It's a little dense-about 400 pages or an 8 mile run--but worth the effort. If you are a Dickens' or Irving fan, you will feel right at home. Enjoy!