Friday, December 23, 2005
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Saturday, November 05, 2005
Mud Puddle
What took you
Long, she asked,
To come home
From school
It was the
Mud puddle
My brother said
He had to walk
Around a
Mud puddle
He got in trouble
Because he forgot
To say the mud puddle
Was large and fascinating
He forgot to say
He stopped to throw rocks
In it, steer small
Wooden ships across it
And wage imaginary wars
The mud puddle was
Intriguing and complex
And time ran away
From him
He got in trouble
Because he didn’t
Explain the nuance.
Life is a lot
Like a mud puddle.
What took you
Long, she asked,
To come home
From school
It was the
Mud puddle
My brother said
He had to walk
Around a
Mud puddle
He got in trouble
Because he forgot
To say the mud puddle
Was large and fascinating
He forgot to say
He stopped to throw rocks
In it, steer small
Wooden ships across it
And wage imaginary wars
The mud puddle was
Intriguing and complex
And time ran away
From him
He got in trouble
Because he didn’t
Explain the nuance.
Life is a lot
Like a mud puddle.
Monday, October 24, 2005
Waves
Time passes
After the death
Numbness abates
Exhaustion is replaced with
A bounce in your step
Life, for a moment,
As exquisite
And vivid and rich
As life can be
Drifts once again
Toward the banal
Then a wave hits
An emotional tsunami
Out of nowhere
A wave
A wave of recollection
And grief and pain and loss
Powerful for just a moment
Then passing away
I miss you Dad.
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Eulogy for my Dad, Ed Erickson
On behalf of my mother, Ayleen Erickson, and my brothers, Wayne and Dale, and our children and extended family I want to thank all of you for being here today to help us celebrate the life of my Dad, Ed Erickson.
My Dad lived a large, full and abundant life. Central to his life was his love for our Mom, Ayleen. On August 14 of this year, they would have celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. They created an environment together where we learned to soar, limited only by the scope of our imagination. Dad set no limits for us. He encouraged us, as his own father had encouraged him. He was proud of his three boys and his seven grandchildren.
Dad knew adversity as a child and his belief in the value of hard work was a core element of his character. We all learned to work hard at an early age.
In the book he wrote about his family, “From Homesteading to Stump Ranching,” he wrote about work. He said,
“A five year old soon learned that work was as much a part of his life as play. At the age of seven you were assigned two cows to milk and I can also recall I was tied to a horse-drawn mover so as to keep from falling off the seat. Horses would walk the uncut hay and when they got to the corner, they would step around the corner and then continue. It was my duty to not touch the reins but just to raise the cutter or sickle bar when the horses made the turn. This I did by pulling back on a tall bar. I was proud and pleased to be able to help. Dad was in the next field and I’m sure keeping close watch on my progress.”
His father, Peter Erickson, was a powerful force in my Dad’s life. He and Dad’s Mom, Julia, carved a life for their family out of the scrub land of Northern Minnesota and what Dad called a “Stump Ranch” just east of Issaquah, by Preston. Peter could do or make most anything. That was a trait my Dad embraced. His father died an untimely death in a logging accident in 1942. Many times I heard my Dad say that he wished his own father could have met his boys and watch them grow up. He would say, “If only Dad could see you boys now.” It was his greatest regret.
Yesterday, when we laid my Dad to rest, we included with him the pocket watch his Dad was carrying the day he died. My Dad always kept it in the bedside table next to him.
Dad so strongly conveyed to us that sense of family and history and value. He also was full of style.
Yesterday Dad wore a beautiful custom made pinstripe suit and monogrammed shirt from Beck’s of Bellevue. He was always well dressed.
When I was young he quoted to me from Hamlet:
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy
But not expressed in fancy, rich, not gaudy.
For apparel oft proclaims the man.
He learned that from a high school teacher in Issaquah. Dad said, if you don’t have much money buy at least one quality garment. It will look good and you will feel great wearing it. I thank Dad for that.
Dad was a master with wood. Many of you have seen the product of his talents. The 42 foot cruiser Kullan was a marvel. He built it in 14 months in the back yard of the Yarrow Point house while also building the three campuses of Seattle Community College. He was up at 4am working until 7am and then would put in a long day at the office only to work on the boat again at night. He did the same thing in Ellensburg, building a new 3500 square foot house while working as Superintendent of Schools and building a new High School. We were in awe of his energy and wondered how he did it all in what seemed to us as young boys, such an effortless manner. He knew how to do most everything.
He built amazing fine furniture. We were all surprised at Christmas to receive identical tool chests, with felt lined drawers for fine tools. Another year we all received slightly different beautiful oak coffee tables. Every granddaughter received exquisite doll houses. Grandpa spared no love or care on the smallest detail.
Mom and Dad spent many a wonderful summer for almost 30 years cruising the San Juan Islands on the Kullan. We remember dropping anchor in small coves. Catching dinner (halibut, shellfish,) and picking berries from the shore so Mom could bake a berry pie. By the way, Dad could pick wild blackberries faster than anyone else. It was never one for the pail; one for me. His bucket filled quicker than anyone else’s.
That wasn’t the only bucket he knew how to fill. One time in Ellensburg there was a cow milking contest pitting two teams against one another. Both teams were made up of “college” and “city” people. Dad was on the college team and the other team had no knowledge of Dad’s background. When the contest started Dad was quickly getting milk from his team’s cow while the other team was getting nowhere. The other team said it was not fair to keep Dad’s hidden talent a secret.
He taught us to hunt and fish. He loved hunting and trained our Brittany Spaniels, Rex and Brit to point with perfection. As young adults we were invited to join Dad and his pals on the Clockum Ridge outside Ellensburg at Elk camp. Elk camp was fabled, and somewhere during the tall tails, hearty food and cutting firewood we learned the true meaning of life.
His Scandinavian roots (which he shared in part with Mom) were important to him. When he started school in Minnesota he couldn’t speak English as only Swedish and Norwegian were spoken at home and with neighbors. Consequently he got a slow start in the educational system. He quickly adapted and became fluent in the American Dream. Dad finished with a bang however, being the last living graduate with four degrees from Washington State University. We have his cap and gown here, but Dad was equally at home in his bib overalls. And, he related with equal ease to people from every walk of life. He made friends easily and they became life long. Some of you are here today.
Dad had a great sense of humor and was a wonderful practical joker. You could always count on Dad for a Scandinavian joke. One we heard once a year or so involved Ole and Helga (they always had classic Scandinavian names). Ole and Helga were married in Northern Minnesota. After the ceremony, they got in Ole’s car and headed out for their honeymoon. As they drove down the road, Ole laid his hand on Helga’s knee. Helga said, “Ole, you can go further.” At which point Ole drove all the way to Minneapolis.
As kids we learned a few idiomatic Swedish and Norwegian phrases. We could say “How are you?” Name our fingers in Swedish and most important, we learned to say I love you. Jag Elskar Deeg.
So Dad, Thank you for being a wonderful father, our role model, our hero and for being a great husband for Mom.
Jag Elskar Deeg.
On behalf of my mother, Ayleen Erickson, and my brothers, Wayne and Dale, and our children and extended family I want to thank all of you for being here today to help us celebrate the life of my Dad, Ed Erickson.
My Dad lived a large, full and abundant life. Central to his life was his love for our Mom, Ayleen. On August 14 of this year, they would have celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. They created an environment together where we learned to soar, limited only by the scope of our imagination. Dad set no limits for us. He encouraged us, as his own father had encouraged him. He was proud of his three boys and his seven grandchildren.
Dad knew adversity as a child and his belief in the value of hard work was a core element of his character. We all learned to work hard at an early age.
In the book he wrote about his family, “From Homesteading to Stump Ranching,” he wrote about work. He said,
“A five year old soon learned that work was as much a part of his life as play. At the age of seven you were assigned two cows to milk and I can also recall I was tied to a horse-drawn mover so as to keep from falling off the seat. Horses would walk the uncut hay and when they got to the corner, they would step around the corner and then continue. It was my duty to not touch the reins but just to raise the cutter or sickle bar when the horses made the turn. This I did by pulling back on a tall bar. I was proud and pleased to be able to help. Dad was in the next field and I’m sure keeping close watch on my progress.”
His father, Peter Erickson, was a powerful force in my Dad’s life. He and Dad’s Mom, Julia, carved a life for their family out of the scrub land of Northern Minnesota and what Dad called a “Stump Ranch” just east of Issaquah, by Preston. Peter could do or make most anything. That was a trait my Dad embraced. His father died an untimely death in a logging accident in 1942. Many times I heard my Dad say that he wished his own father could have met his boys and watch them grow up. He would say, “If only Dad could see you boys now.” It was his greatest regret.
Yesterday, when we laid my Dad to rest, we included with him the pocket watch his Dad was carrying the day he died. My Dad always kept it in the bedside table next to him.
Dad so strongly conveyed to us that sense of family and history and value. He also was full of style.
Yesterday Dad wore a beautiful custom made pinstripe suit and monogrammed shirt from Beck’s of Bellevue. He was always well dressed.
When I was young he quoted to me from Hamlet:
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy
But not expressed in fancy, rich, not gaudy.
For apparel oft proclaims the man.
He learned that from a high school teacher in Issaquah. Dad said, if you don’t have much money buy at least one quality garment. It will look good and you will feel great wearing it. I thank Dad for that.
Dad was a master with wood. Many of you have seen the product of his talents. The 42 foot cruiser Kullan was a marvel. He built it in 14 months in the back yard of the Yarrow Point house while also building the three campuses of Seattle Community College. He was up at 4am working until 7am and then would put in a long day at the office only to work on the boat again at night. He did the same thing in Ellensburg, building a new 3500 square foot house while working as Superintendent of Schools and building a new High School. We were in awe of his energy and wondered how he did it all in what seemed to us as young boys, such an effortless manner. He knew how to do most everything.
He built amazing fine furniture. We were all surprised at Christmas to receive identical tool chests, with felt lined drawers for fine tools. Another year we all received slightly different beautiful oak coffee tables. Every granddaughter received exquisite doll houses. Grandpa spared no love or care on the smallest detail.
Mom and Dad spent many a wonderful summer for almost 30 years cruising the San Juan Islands on the Kullan. We remember dropping anchor in small coves. Catching dinner (halibut, shellfish,) and picking berries from the shore so Mom could bake a berry pie. By the way, Dad could pick wild blackberries faster than anyone else. It was never one for the pail; one for me. His bucket filled quicker than anyone else’s.
That wasn’t the only bucket he knew how to fill. One time in Ellensburg there was a cow milking contest pitting two teams against one another. Both teams were made up of “college” and “city” people. Dad was on the college team and the other team had no knowledge of Dad’s background. When the contest started Dad was quickly getting milk from his team’s cow while the other team was getting nowhere. The other team said it was not fair to keep Dad’s hidden talent a secret.
He taught us to hunt and fish. He loved hunting and trained our Brittany Spaniels, Rex and Brit to point with perfection. As young adults we were invited to join Dad and his pals on the Clockum Ridge outside Ellensburg at Elk camp. Elk camp was fabled, and somewhere during the tall tails, hearty food and cutting firewood we learned the true meaning of life.
His Scandinavian roots (which he shared in part with Mom) were important to him. When he started school in Minnesota he couldn’t speak English as only Swedish and Norwegian were spoken at home and with neighbors. Consequently he got a slow start in the educational system. He quickly adapted and became fluent in the American Dream. Dad finished with a bang however, being the last living graduate with four degrees from Washington State University. We have his cap and gown here, but Dad was equally at home in his bib overalls. And, he related with equal ease to people from every walk of life. He made friends easily and they became life long. Some of you are here today.
Dad had a great sense of humor and was a wonderful practical joker. You could always count on Dad for a Scandinavian joke. One we heard once a year or so involved Ole and Helga (they always had classic Scandinavian names). Ole and Helga were married in Northern Minnesota. After the ceremony, they got in Ole’s car and headed out for their honeymoon. As they drove down the road, Ole laid his hand on Helga’s knee. Helga said, “Ole, you can go further.” At which point Ole drove all the way to Minneapolis.
As kids we learned a few idiomatic Swedish and Norwegian phrases. We could say “How are you?” Name our fingers in Swedish and most important, we learned to say I love you. Jag Elskar Deeg.
So Dad, Thank you for being a wonderful father, our role model, our hero and for being a great husband for Mom.
Jag Elskar Deeg.
Ed K. Erickson
Ed K. Erickson, 89, of Yarrow Point, WA passed away on July 15, 2005.
Eddie Kenneth (“Ed”) Erickson was born on August 22, 1915, in Trail, Minnesota to Peter and Julia Bjerklie Erickson. In 1924, Ed moved with his parents and four sisters from their northern Minnesota homestead to Preston, Washington, where they managed a small farm and Peter worked as a logger. Early Ed learned the value of hard work, a trait he exemplified throughout his life and conveyed to his family. He chronicled the compelling story of his family’s history in “From Homesteading to Stump Ranching,” which can be found at http://www.seanet.com/~erickson/history/ In 1935, he graduated from Issaquah High School. He attended Washington State College (later University) and in 1939 received the first of his four degrees (BA, B Ed, M Ed, and Ed D) from that institution. He was active in student affairs including Phi Delta Kappa (education honorary), Phi Delta Phi (scholastic honorary) and Intercollegiate Knights, and in 1939 served as national president of that organization. Always handsome and impeccably dressed, in those early WSU days he was referred to as “the blond bomber,” according to his wife Ayleen Frederick, whom he met while both were undergraduates. They were married in 1940 in Ellensburg on the Frederick family homestead and had three sons. In 1956 he served as president of the Washington State University Alumni Association and served on the board of the WSU Foundation for many years. In 1990 he received Washington State University’s Outstanding Service Award. He began his long career in education as an industrial arts teacher at Moscow High School in Idaho. He later taught at Bothell High School and Clover Park High School in Washington. During World War II he established the Clover Park Vocational Technical School to train men and women for the war effort. In 1948 he was hired as Superintendent of Schools in Issaquah, Washington. In 1952 he moved to Ellensburg, Washington, to become its Superintendent of Schools From the superintendency he moved to Central Washington State College (later University) working in campus planning and development and ultimately, teaching prospective teachers and becoming Professor and Chairman of the Department of Education. In 1966 he was appointed President of the newly created Seattle Community College system. There, he lead the construction of its three campuses and was named its first Chancellor. In 1995 he was named Chancellor Emeritus of Seattle Community Colleges. In early 2005 he was honored for his pioneering work when Seattle Central Community College named its newly reconstructed theater, The Erickson Theater Off Broadway. His professional work in education concluded in 1974 when he retired from the position of Assistant Superintendent for Vocational and Technical Education for the Seattle Public Schools. He mentored scores of students, teachers and administrators during his career. Upon retirement Ed was able to spend more time with his beloved Ayleen on their boat, Kullan. Ed built the 42 foot Kullan, a work of art with its fine teak interior and rails while President of Seattle Community College. It was one of many examples of Ed’s extraordinary talent. From the family home he built in Ellensburg, to beautiful hand turned bowls and gavels, to fine furniture, he loved to create beauty from wood. His small retirement business was called, “The End Grain.” In addition to travel, boating, gardening and woodworking, Ed enjoyed his long term association with PEMCO, on whose board he served for nearly 37 years. He also served on the board of the Washington School Employees Credit Union and was a founder and board member of Evergreen Bank. He was active in the United Methodist Church in Bellevue and their group of Wednesday Wonder Workers who helped keep the church shipshape. His many other community activities and associations over the years included Queen City Yacht Club, the Masonic Lodge (Fairweather 82 where he was a member for 61 years), Lakewood Kiwanis Club, Ellensburg Rotary Club, Circumnavigators, several vocal quartets where his melodious harmonies stood out and a stint on the Kittitas County Hospital Board.
Ed is sorely missed and fondly remembered by his family and his many friends and colleagues as their role model and hero and for his wonderful sense of humor, common sense and unwavering strength of character.
Ed is survived by his wife, Ayleen, his three sons, Ron (Dia Armenta), Wayne (Patricia) and Dale (Deborah), and seven grandchildren, Matthew, Anna (David) Seidzik, Julia, Jessica, Elizabeth, Ben, and Jake. He is also survived by seven nephews and his brother in law, Wes June. He was preceded in death by his four sisters, Magda Brundage, Stella Moodie, Ellen DeLauranti and Ida June. Graveside services will be held at 11am Tuesday, July 18, 2005 in Ellensburg, Washington at the IOOF Cemetery. A memorial service will be held at 2pm, Wednesday, July 20, 2005 at the Bellevue First United Methodist Church, 1934 108th Ave. NE, Bellevue, WA. Remembrances may be made in Ed’s name to the Seattle Community College, Office of Advancement, 1500 Harvard Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122 or the Washington State University Foundation, P.O. Box 641925, Pullman, WA, 99164.
Ed K. Erickson, 89, of Yarrow Point, WA passed away on July 15, 2005.
Eddie Kenneth (“Ed”) Erickson was born on August 22, 1915, in Trail, Minnesota to Peter and Julia Bjerklie Erickson. In 1924, Ed moved with his parents and four sisters from their northern Minnesota homestead to Preston, Washington, where they managed a small farm and Peter worked as a logger. Early Ed learned the value of hard work, a trait he exemplified throughout his life and conveyed to his family. He chronicled the compelling story of his family’s history in “From Homesteading to Stump Ranching,” which can be found at http://www.seanet.com/~erickson/history/ In 1935, he graduated from Issaquah High School. He attended Washington State College (later University) and in 1939 received the first of his four degrees (BA, B Ed, M Ed, and Ed D) from that institution. He was active in student affairs including Phi Delta Kappa (education honorary), Phi Delta Phi (scholastic honorary) and Intercollegiate Knights, and in 1939 served as national president of that organization. Always handsome and impeccably dressed, in those early WSU days he was referred to as “the blond bomber,” according to his wife Ayleen Frederick, whom he met while both were undergraduates. They were married in 1940 in Ellensburg on the Frederick family homestead and had three sons. In 1956 he served as president of the Washington State University Alumni Association and served on the board of the WSU Foundation for many years. In 1990 he received Washington State University’s Outstanding Service Award. He began his long career in education as an industrial arts teacher at Moscow High School in Idaho. He later taught at Bothell High School and Clover Park High School in Washington. During World War II he established the Clover Park Vocational Technical School to train men and women for the war effort. In 1948 he was hired as Superintendent of Schools in Issaquah, Washington. In 1952 he moved to Ellensburg, Washington, to become its Superintendent of Schools From the superintendency he moved to Central Washington State College (later University) working in campus planning and development and ultimately, teaching prospective teachers and becoming Professor and Chairman of the Department of Education. In 1966 he was appointed President of the newly created Seattle Community College system. There, he lead the construction of its three campuses and was named its first Chancellor. In 1995 he was named Chancellor Emeritus of Seattle Community Colleges. In early 2005 he was honored for his pioneering work when Seattle Central Community College named its newly reconstructed theater, The Erickson Theater Off Broadway. His professional work in education concluded in 1974 when he retired from the position of Assistant Superintendent for Vocational and Technical Education for the Seattle Public Schools. He mentored scores of students, teachers and administrators during his career. Upon retirement Ed was able to spend more time with his beloved Ayleen on their boat, Kullan. Ed built the 42 foot Kullan, a work of art with its fine teak interior and rails while President of Seattle Community College. It was one of many examples of Ed’s extraordinary talent. From the family home he built in Ellensburg, to beautiful hand turned bowls and gavels, to fine furniture, he loved to create beauty from wood. His small retirement business was called, “The End Grain.” In addition to travel, boating, gardening and woodworking, Ed enjoyed his long term association with PEMCO, on whose board he served for nearly 37 years. He also served on the board of the Washington School Employees Credit Union and was a founder and board member of Evergreen Bank. He was active in the United Methodist Church in Bellevue and their group of Wednesday Wonder Workers who helped keep the church shipshape. His many other community activities and associations over the years included Queen City Yacht Club, the Masonic Lodge (Fairweather 82 where he was a member for 61 years), Lakewood Kiwanis Club, Ellensburg Rotary Club, Circumnavigators, several vocal quartets where his melodious harmonies stood out and a stint on the Kittitas County Hospital Board.
Ed is sorely missed and fondly remembered by his family and his many friends and colleagues as their role model and hero and for his wonderful sense of humor, common sense and unwavering strength of character.
Ed is survived by his wife, Ayleen, his three sons, Ron (Dia Armenta), Wayne (Patricia) and Dale (Deborah), and seven grandchildren, Matthew, Anna (David) Seidzik, Julia, Jessica, Elizabeth, Ben, and Jake. He is also survived by seven nephews and his brother in law, Wes June. He was preceded in death by his four sisters, Magda Brundage, Stella Moodie, Ellen DeLauranti and Ida June. Graveside services will be held at 11am Tuesday, July 18, 2005 in Ellensburg, Washington at the IOOF Cemetery. A memorial service will be held at 2pm, Wednesday, July 20, 2005 at the Bellevue First United Methodist Church, 1934 108th Ave. NE, Bellevue, WA. Remembrances may be made in Ed’s name to the Seattle Community College, Office of Advancement, 1500 Harvard Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122 or the Washington State University Foundation, P.O. Box 641925, Pullman, WA, 99164.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Sunday, February 13, 2005
Thursday, January 20, 2005
You know his name (3)
It was the disease of
incrementalism
Twenty years ago
everything was okay
Then, little by little
there were small changes
Each change was imperceptible
But with the passage of time
the changes in the aggregate
became glaringly apparent
He had no idea he looked
so utterly ridiculous
But the entire world
knew he had a combover
It was the disease of
incrementalism
Twenty years ago
everything was okay
Then, little by little
there were small changes
Each change was imperceptible
But with the passage of time
the changes in the aggregate
became glaringly apparent
He had no idea he looked
so utterly ridiculous
But the entire world
knew he had a combover
Monday, January 10, 2005
No hands
It was three miles
or more from Mike's
house all the way
into town.
Riding with arms
straight out for balance
and pedaling strong
and steady.
I was eleven and
never felt more free
and alive than that
particular day.
I remember it still
and sometimes talk about it;
about the time I rode
all the way from Mike's
house into town
with no hands.
It was three miles
or more from Mike's
house all the way
into town.
Riding with arms
straight out for balance
and pedaling strong
and steady.
I was eleven and
never felt more free
and alive than that
particular day.
I remember it still
and sometimes talk about it;
about the time I rode
all the way from Mike's
house into town
with no hands.
Thursday, January 06, 2005
I recently had surgery on my right shoulder as a consequence of injury from both a bicycle accident and repetitive use including lots of swimming. The healing and rehabilitative process is going very well. So well, in fact, that I am giving serious thought to competing in an Half Ironman event in six months. In any event, I look forward to a great triathlon season this coming summer.
Last year was fantastic. I had a great experience at the Half Ironman in England with a fourth place finish in my age group and an overall time of 5:57. More about that in an earlier posting. I did five races in the Pacific Northwest. I placed well in all of those events and as a consequence was ranked number 1 in my age group for the 2004 season. That was exciting. I think the toughest race last year was the Whiskey Dick Triathlon in my hometown, Ellensburg. That race includes a one mile swim in the Columbia River, followed by a brutal 25 mile bike over Saddle Mountain which starts with a 12 mile climb into a strong headwind. There is a 9 mile run into the consistent Ellensburg wind off the bike. Then, to make matters move complex I was stung my a bee on my right thigh 3 miles into the run. I will do that event again.
Last year was fantastic. I had a great experience at the Half Ironman in England with a fourth place finish in my age group and an overall time of 5:57. More about that in an earlier posting. I did five races in the Pacific Northwest. I placed well in all of those events and as a consequence was ranked number 1 in my age group for the 2004 season. That was exciting. I think the toughest race last year was the Whiskey Dick Triathlon in my hometown, Ellensburg. That race includes a one mile swim in the Columbia River, followed by a brutal 25 mile bike over Saddle Mountain which starts with a 12 mile climb into a strong headwind. There is a 9 mile run into the consistent Ellensburg wind off the bike. Then, to make matters move complex I was stung my a bee on my right thigh 3 miles into the run. I will do that event again.
Monday, December 06, 2004
You Know His Name
You could hear him
before you saw him.
He had a high pitched
voice that cut
the air as a knife.
Was he hard of hearing
or did he just want
to be heard.
It seems the volume
made up for an insecurity
He wanted the world
to know he was present
He did count for something
and his voice proved it so.
You could hear him
before you saw him.
He had a high pitched
voice that cut
the air as a knife.
Was he hard of hearing
or did he just want
to be heard.
It seems the volume
made up for an insecurity
He wanted the world
to know he was present
He did count for something
and his voice proved it so.
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Government Program Run by Idiots in the Pocket of Big Tobacco
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), an arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has issued guidelines listing prohibited and allowed items which can be placed in your carry-on and checked baggage during air travel. During the early days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks many of us experienced the confiscation of toenail clippers, eyebrow pencils and other dangerous implements. With the Government's steady hand, we now have some guidelines which we can all understand. And, we can travel reassured. Or, can we?
Preparatory to a recent trip to Europe I went on the website for the TSA to make certain I was not going to inadvertently include some prohibited items in my carry-0n or checked bags. That was an issue because I was taking my bicycle to Europe and including small compressed air cartridges to inflate my tires. The compressed air cartridges slipped through okay. What amazed me, however was to discover that the TSA allowed lighters and matches in carry-on baggage. Specifically, the TSA states:
"Up to 2 lighters or 4 books of safety matches are allowed in your carry-on baggage. Disposable lighters and absorbed liquid lighters are allowed in your carry-on baggage. Strike anywhere matches are NOT permitted. If you are uncertain as to whether your lighter is prohibited, please refrain from bringing it to the airport."
Thankfully, Richard Reid, the terrorist who unsuccessfully attempted to light his shoe bomb with matches on American Airlines flight 63 from Paris to Miami, has not read the TSA bulletin. With a couple of Bic lighters in his pocket he might have been successful.
What could conceiveably motivate the TSA to permit lighters and matches to be brought into the passenger compartments of airplanes? Could it be that people are compelled to light birthday candles as soon as they exit the airplanes. Maybe, passengers want to start a small campfire in the terminal. Perhaps they are lighting matches to sterilze needles to remove pesky slivers shortly after exiting their flights.
Nope. None of the above. Lighters and matches are necessary carry-on items for people addicted to cigarettes who have to rush to the exits to light up as soon as possible after leaving their aircraft. They couldn't wait for their checked bags before lighting up. No, that would cause too much stress. A prolonged nicotine fit would result.
What could have motivated the TSA? Could it have been pressure from the tobacco companies and their cohorts in the Bush Administration and on Capitol Hill? It was either that, or a malevolent TSA employee who hopes that the next Richard Reid is successful.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), an arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has issued guidelines listing prohibited and allowed items which can be placed in your carry-on and checked baggage during air travel. During the early days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks many of us experienced the confiscation of toenail clippers, eyebrow pencils and other dangerous implements. With the Government's steady hand, we now have some guidelines which we can all understand. And, we can travel reassured. Or, can we?
Preparatory to a recent trip to Europe I went on the website for the TSA to make certain I was not going to inadvertently include some prohibited items in my carry-0n or checked bags. That was an issue because I was taking my bicycle to Europe and including small compressed air cartridges to inflate my tires. The compressed air cartridges slipped through okay. What amazed me, however was to discover that the TSA allowed lighters and matches in carry-on baggage. Specifically, the TSA states:
"Up to 2 lighters or 4 books of safety matches are allowed in your carry-on baggage. Disposable lighters and absorbed liquid lighters are allowed in your carry-on baggage. Strike anywhere matches are NOT permitted. If you are uncertain as to whether your lighter is prohibited, please refrain from bringing it to the airport."
Thankfully, Richard Reid, the terrorist who unsuccessfully attempted to light his shoe bomb with matches on American Airlines flight 63 from Paris to Miami, has not read the TSA bulletin. With a couple of Bic lighters in his pocket he might have been successful.
What could conceiveably motivate the TSA to permit lighters and matches to be brought into the passenger compartments of airplanes? Could it be that people are compelled to light birthday candles as soon as they exit the airplanes. Maybe, passengers want to start a small campfire in the terminal. Perhaps they are lighting matches to sterilze needles to remove pesky slivers shortly after exiting their flights.
Nope. None of the above. Lighters and matches are necessary carry-on items for people addicted to cigarettes who have to rush to the exits to light up as soon as possible after leaving their aircraft. They couldn't wait for their checked bags before lighting up. No, that would cause too much stress. A prolonged nicotine fit would result.
What could have motivated the TSA? Could it have been pressure from the tobacco companies and their cohorts in the Bush Administration and on Capitol Hill? It was either that, or a malevolent TSA employee who hopes that the next Richard Reid is successful.
Monday, August 30, 2004
I have just returned from England where I participated in the UK Half Ironman. For the uninitiated, a half Ironman event includes a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike and a 13.1 mile run. It was a fabulous event, held on and around the grounds of Sherbourne Castle adjacent to the village of Sherbourne in Dorset, southwest of London. Sir Walter Raleigh began construction of the castle in 1594. Upon his demise it was acquired by the Digby family who have owned the property since 1615.
Training for a half Ironman is less than half as difficult as training for a full Ironman. (See my post below for last year's full Ironman report.) The level of aerobic fitness necessary to compete effectively is much less than that necessary for a full Ironman. During the training process I seldom worked out more than 7 hours a week. That included a longer day on Saturday or Sunday. I think that once you have a solid aerobic base it does not take much additional effort to go further and faster. My longest run in preparation for the Half Ironman was 90 minutes and my longest bike ride was 2 hours. I did do some swims that were 1.2 miles. Those were mostly steady swims in the lake to just get the feel of swimming non-stop for 40 minutes or so.
In the race itself I was pleased to finish 4th in my age group. There were 13 individuals in my age group, which is less than typically shows up for one of these events. A recent event in Napa Valley had nearly 40 participants. My time was 5:57:04. I was particularly pleased with my 2:03 half marathon time, and my bike split of 2:57. My swim was slow due to a bad start and congestion at the start and along the course. The swim had two waves of 900 plus each and a real bottleneck at the start and at a couple of points along the course. I had swum the course in 33 minutes Wednesday before the Sunday race and was expecting a 36 to 40 minute swim in congestion. At it turned out, my swim split was 48. I was disappointed when I exited the water and headed for T1 (the vernacular for the first transition from the swim to the bike), because I knew that winning my age group was not in the cards with that swim time. Nevertheless, I beavered on and reset my goals to break 6 hours.
Initially on the bike it was very rough. The roads were generally rougher than anything I have experienced in a US race. Within the first mile I had lost my Hammer Gel bottle off my top bar and my electrolyte tabs from the baggie in my aero drink top. I was bouncing around. Things settled down and the pace was steady and strong. On the back side of the first loop there was a big downhill, which I love. In my aero bars I was flying, reaching 50.1 miles per hour, the fastest I have ridden a bicycle. At that moment, my bike started to cavitate. I have previously experience high speed vibration which is very intimidating on a finely tuned bike. This vibration was so severe that I was afraid I was going to lose all control of my bike and fly off the road. I was passing people and vibrating and it was very scary. My brakes wouldn't work. Finally I slowed and regained control. The balance of the race went fine. I did hold back on the second downhill, and didn't exceed 32 miles per hour. No vibration that time. After the race I discovered that I had broken a front spoke. I was very lucky. I think the fact that my wheels are deep dish carbon helped. If they had been aluminum they probably would have warped and lead to a serious accident. Regardless, I am having new spokes installed and thinking about new wheels for my bike.
The run was great. My legs were strong and my pace was steady. At a certain point I could see that I was going to come in under 6 hours so relaxed a bit. I felt great after the race and there was essentially no recovery time necessary. Now, I feel fit and ready for the next race. There are three before season end. I look forward to them.
It has been a great season so far. The UK Half Ironman was a joy to compete in. Next year I may consider the Half Ironman in South Africa or St. Croix. Maybe I will do England again.
Training for a half Ironman is less than half as difficult as training for a full Ironman. (See my post below for last year's full Ironman report.) The level of aerobic fitness necessary to compete effectively is much less than that necessary for a full Ironman. During the training process I seldom worked out more than 7 hours a week. That included a longer day on Saturday or Sunday. I think that once you have a solid aerobic base it does not take much additional effort to go further and faster. My longest run in preparation for the Half Ironman was 90 minutes and my longest bike ride was 2 hours. I did do some swims that were 1.2 miles. Those were mostly steady swims in the lake to just get the feel of swimming non-stop for 40 minutes or so.
In the race itself I was pleased to finish 4th in my age group. There were 13 individuals in my age group, which is less than typically shows up for one of these events. A recent event in Napa Valley had nearly 40 participants. My time was 5:57:04. I was particularly pleased with my 2:03 half marathon time, and my bike split of 2:57. My swim was slow due to a bad start and congestion at the start and along the course. The swim had two waves of 900 plus each and a real bottleneck at the start and at a couple of points along the course. I had swum the course in 33 minutes Wednesday before the Sunday race and was expecting a 36 to 40 minute swim in congestion. At it turned out, my swim split was 48. I was disappointed when I exited the water and headed for T1 (the vernacular for the first transition from the swim to the bike), because I knew that winning my age group was not in the cards with that swim time. Nevertheless, I beavered on and reset my goals to break 6 hours.
Initially on the bike it was very rough. The roads were generally rougher than anything I have experienced in a US race. Within the first mile I had lost my Hammer Gel bottle off my top bar and my electrolyte tabs from the baggie in my aero drink top. I was bouncing around. Things settled down and the pace was steady and strong. On the back side of the first loop there was a big downhill, which I love. In my aero bars I was flying, reaching 50.1 miles per hour, the fastest I have ridden a bicycle. At that moment, my bike started to cavitate. I have previously experience high speed vibration which is very intimidating on a finely tuned bike. This vibration was so severe that I was afraid I was going to lose all control of my bike and fly off the road. I was passing people and vibrating and it was very scary. My brakes wouldn't work. Finally I slowed and regained control. The balance of the race went fine. I did hold back on the second downhill, and didn't exceed 32 miles per hour. No vibration that time. After the race I discovered that I had broken a front spoke. I was very lucky. I think the fact that my wheels are deep dish carbon helped. If they had been aluminum they probably would have warped and lead to a serious accident. Regardless, I am having new spokes installed and thinking about new wheels for my bike.
The run was great. My legs were strong and my pace was steady. At a certain point I could see that I was going to come in under 6 hours so relaxed a bit. I felt great after the race and there was essentially no recovery time necessary. Now, I feel fit and ready for the next race. There are three before season end. I look forward to them.
It has been a great season so far. The UK Half Ironman was a joy to compete in. Next year I may consider the Half Ironman in South Africa or St. Croix. Maybe I will do England again.
Sunday, May 16, 2004
Monday, January 12, 2004
Running around the World
One of the side benefits of being involved in a global enterprise is the opportunity to experience so many of the world’s wonderful large cities. I have been fortunate these past several years to have a position which allows me to travel the globe for business. This business requirement fulfills a peripatetic urge and a yearning since childhood to learn about and experience the many and myriad parts of our world.
I have been a runner since high school. After a lackluster athletic career stalled by the pursuit of fun, girls and beer I was encouraged to turn out for track my senior year of high school by the coach, Archie Andreotti. I was 6’ 2” tall and weighed 185, and was fresh from years of farm labor and endless days “bucking bales.” The spring of 1962 Archie decided I had the size and build to run the 880. In those days everything was in yards and the half-mile was a middle distance race. In a few short years it became a sprint but it was a distance race at Ellensburg High School in central Washington State.
It was a very painful spring. I had my first shin splints. I hobbled with an ache and burn that was more intense than I had every experienced. I had a wonderful pair of blue Kangaroo spikes. They were light and with them on my feet I felt I ran like the wind. At a track meet in the neighboring town Archie told me just moments before the meet began that he was going to have me run the mile. I had no time for preparation. I went out like a shot and run my 880 race and then faded to finish 200 yards behind. Archie knew what he was doing. I realized that the 880 was a shorter race and my performance picked up. I was not competitively fast for my time, although I was proud to run a 2:03 in one race.
I left running for many years, diverted this time by the life of the mind, politics, girls and indolence. I picked it up again for a couple of years in the mid 70’s, running in Central Park in New York City with a pair of Adidas. In 1985 I started running regularly. I got into a steady groove of 25 to 30 miles per week. Several times a year I ran in 10K and 8K local races. I loved the energy and of being with all those runners. With a busy travel schedule, my training regime would sometimes suffer. But, by and large, running has been a prescription for health and well being that allowed me to experience the great cities of the world in new and interesting ways. After a long flight half way around the world a run the best antidote for jet lag. It wakes me up, resets my internal clock and helps me make it through the new business day.
Running through foreign territory is a great way to see the sights. You can cover a lot of territory in a short time and be a tourist in the midst of a hectic business schedule. You learn with time the best hotels to stay in. They have great work out facilities and are close to an interesting running course. Obviously, that is not always possible. Sometimes you just have to make do.
Running in London in Hyde Park is one of my favorites. There is a nice run along the Thames, but Hyde Park is the best, with its almost five mile circumference broad walkway. If you stay close to the park, and there are many wonderful hotels that afford you that opportunity, you can be in the park minutes from your room. I always do a double take as I start out the first time as I have a tendency to look the wrong way for on coming traffic as I dart toward the park. You have some wonderful options in Hyde Park with its crisscross of paths so you can vary your course. There is a lake in the middle of the park that you can run around. It reminds you a bit of the reservoir in Central Park, although I have never seen a dead body in the Hyde Park lake. That distinction is reserved for New York City. Swans are also a rare sight in the reservoir.
Paris has to be run early in the morning. The broad boulevards and rapid traffic flow make it difficult to navigate once the city is stirring. I have had liberating runs down those broad open streets at first light in the morning. You have a feeling that the city is at your fingertips. Up the Champs Ellysee and around the Arch de Triumph, across the front of the Loive and in front of the fancy shops on Rue Montaigne. If you stay in a central hotel on the Right or Left Banks, the best runs are along the Seine. You can run each bank of the river, past the Bateau Mouche, Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame.
The best long runs are in the Bois de Bologne. You can run through the forest and around the lake and easily get in a ten mile run. It is a bit removed from city center but a quick subway ride gets you there.
There is a wonderful mid city run in Rome. I like to stay at a hotel near the top of the Spanish steps so if I have a moment I can wander down the Via Condotti and window shop and people watch. Just up the road from the top of the Spanish steps is the beautiful Villa Borghese. You can circle through and around the Borghese and past swans in the ponds. From the edge of the Borghese you can look out over Rome and see St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican. It is rich with history and you return to your hotel not only invigorated, but with a sense of awe for the past.
I have run in many other European cities including Stockholm, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Moscow, Cannes and St. Tropez, and Vienna among others. Sometimes you are stuck in the middle of a city like Milan and are forced to run around the block with no time or hope for a scenic and uplifting run. You just dodge traffic and hope for an endorphin blast that carries you through the day. I love running along the river in Salzburg. It is one of the beautiful cities of the world and path along the river goes for miles. Another favorite course runs along the lake in Geneva. The backdrop provided by the city and the mountains makes it one of the serene runs in the world. That was especially the case one morning when a handful of people where performing Tai Chi Chuan on the water’s edge.
It is a great leap from Lake Geneva’s edge to the Forbidden City and Tianiamum Square. Invariably, you will see the morning Tai Chi ritual played out on your runs in Beijing. Here again, you must get out early to run the streets before the cacophony of motorbikes and fumes overtake you. You feel a bit like the odd duck in some foreign cities as you run through the streets. I certainly had that feeling early one morning in Hanoi as I ran past the bicycles piled high with chickens, pigs and all manner of commerce. There is a great run in Hanoi around the lake in the center of the city. You should stay in the Metropole Hotel. It is a short few blocks from the lake and the run takes you past remnants of the French colonial past. The broad boulevards and villas are perfectly French. Hanoi is filed with sidewalk restaurants. These are truly sidewalk restaurants. They amount to little more than a small grill on the edge of the sidewalk. Two or three customers perch on the edge of the sidewalk for lunch. A dozen barbers line another street. Each is equipped with a chair, and the necessary scissors and combs.
Early morning runs are the rule of the road in Southeast Asia. Traffic is too intense to do otherwise. Even at first light, it difficult to manage a decent run in many cities. Phnom Penh is fascinating. You run past Monks in saffron robes walking serenely down the streets. For good luck you can release a bird from its bamboo cage for a few coins.
Bangkok’s traffic is easily the worst in the world. In the middle of the city is a park that you can run through and around. That is the case in many cities. You can often find a small park that you can run around and around. Although boring, it beats leaping for your life in traffic, either vehicular or human.
I regularly run in Seattle. The climate is temperate year around. While we have a famous number of rainy days, we seldom experience any humidity. Only Washington, DC, rivals Southeast Asian humidity in August. In Singapore, almost exactly on the Equator, I run the moment the sun pops over the horizon. That allows for a six mile run before the heat and humidity becomes overpowering for those of us untrained for warm, humid climates. Singapore’s best run in through the Botanical Garden. It has looping paths and is a fun run. Periodically you will see a six-foot snake hanging from a tree. When I arrive back at my hotel I am drenched.
Sometimes, the best or only run is on the hotel treadmill. I met a New York investment banker, previously posted in Hong Kong who trained for the New York marathon on a treadmill in the Mandarin Hotel. They have four. I prefer them on the Hong Kong side. In Kowloon you can run along the water in front of the Regent Hotel. The view across the harbor is one of the most impressive in the world. I ran in zero degree weather in Stockholm one January. The hotel treadmill would have been a better bet.
In Shanghai there is a good course along the Bund, the river that separates the city. On one side is the beautiful old Shanghai with architecture from early 20th Century Europe. You can see the influence of the Germans, French and others that made Shanghai the preeminent trading city of Asia. With Hong Kong now part of China, Shanghai is once again in ascendance. You see that new vitality in the flashy high rise buildings across the river. Although many are nearly empty, you can stay in an eighty-eight story Hyatt.
One of my favorite runs in the world is in Tokyo. A short distance from most of the hotels is the Imperial Palace. It is in the middle of the city. You circle the Imperial Palace. It is about four miles. The run has some elevation. You see other runners and some mornings you may see Ambassador Foley out on his bicycle. You pass several entrances to the Palace. The run circles the moat. The sheer stone walls of the moat have an ancient look. There is a sense of antiquity in the middle of modern Tokyo. You feel that in some other places in the world. Rome, probably most of all.
Osaka has a small park close to central hotels that make for a safe morning run. Running in Kyoto is wonderful. You can circle through the old Palace grounds and then head for the river. There is a great pathway along the river that allows you to stretch your legs for a long run. Regardless of your purpose for being in Kyoto, you cannot miss seeing the several Zen temples. They are a mandatory detour from whatever business you are attending to.
The best running courses inspire your stride. The majesty of the scenery transports you so that you have an extra spring. It seems that the endorphins are elevated a bit with the grandeur of being in such a beautiful place. Running along Sydney Harbor, past the soaring Opera House, and into the Botanical Gardens is one of those runs. It is one of the special runs in the world. There some variations on how you wend your way through the Botanical Gardens. Regardless, you return to your hotel invigorated and full of energy. It is a long way to Australia. A Sydney harbor run does wonders for readjusting your internal clock and fighting those mid-afternoon flashes of jet lag fog.
In Melbourne there is a great run along the river. I feel that Melbourne is like San Francisco and Sydney more like Los Angeles. One is more sophisticated and refined. The other is more brash.
Many hotels have maps especially prepared for joggers. I have found that most of them are poorly done. In fact, some, I am convinced, are prepared by non-joggers. Distances are often incorrect. Street markers are difficult to discern. I just head out on my own and try to figure it out. I will admit to getting lost a few times. In some cities, particularly in Asia where there may be an absence of English language signage, the character-based language can look opaquely identical to my untrained eye. I have circled a few blocks and looked in vain for a familiar landmark. Usually, before some panic sets in I have picked up a geographic marker that gets me back on track. I have made a mistake or two. In Norway once, a planned for six mile run turned into twelve miles when I missed a turn and had to take the long way back, arriving just before the last light of their long summer day.
Back in the United States, I have had many wonderful runs. New York City, Boston, Washington, DC and Chicago are great runners cities. I like running on the beach in Santa Monica and along the Bay in San Francisco, but the East Coast runs are the best for my touring sensibilities. New York is the mother lode in a way. Even those Boston with is marathon has the history, New York has captured some extra magic with its marathon.
In New York City I always try to stay in a hotel close to Central Park. That is sometimes difficult. With last minute business travel a hotel room is New York can become almost non-existent. Once, we tried over 70 hotels before locating a room. Of course, that was the week after Thanksgiving and the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was about to be lit. I usually just pop into the park and head up toward the reservoir. It is one of the most
majestic runs in the world, as you circle the north end of the reservoir run. The New York skyline frames Central Park. At all hours, the park is filled with runners. You can do runs of different distances by various courses. From the south end of the park to the reservoir and around is approximately 5 miles. Sometimes in New York City I will run along East River. That is a poor second choice given the fumes from the cars on the FDR Drive.
In Boston, I run along the Charles River. In Chicago, I run up Michigan Avenue and then along the Lake. In Philadelphia it is fun to run up the boulevard that leads to the Art Institute and then run up the steps and imagine for a moment that you are “Rocky.” Washington, DC has several runs that fill you with patriotic reflection. I like running through the Mall, along the reflecting pool, back toward the Washington Monument and around the White House. Running up Rock Creek Park is another good run as it extends from the path along the Potomac. Running up the C & O Canal allows you to feel you are out of the city and you can pick up the path in Georgetown and quickly be away from its ersatz hipness.
My favorites are in my hometown, Seattle. Of course, I love Seattle and its majestic scenery and over the last many years I have located all the running courses that a native discovers with time and experience. Running along the water’s edge is naturally, I think, both invigorating and peaceful. Seattle offers a lot of that. There is a great running path that circles Seward Park along Lake Washington. You run along Lake Washington from Seward Park to Madison Park on a pathway that parallels Lake Washington Boulevard. It is a beautiful run, with Mt. Rainier visible on a clear day. Each year in June the Shore Run follows that course for 6.7 miles. Green Lake is the joggers mecca in Seattle. It is our equivalent of the reservoir run in New York City. The Seattle runner’s shoe and equipment store is located across the street from Green Lake. There is an inner and outer course. The inner course is 2.8 miles. The outer course is 4.0 miles. There is a beautiful run on Elliott Bay, along Seattle’s waterfront Myrtle Edwards Park, with Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains in the background. The Burke Gilman trail in the northern part of the city follows Lake Washington as well. You never run out of good runs in Seattle.
I have covered lots of miles in cities round the world. I have seen some wonderful sights and seen things that you miss as a typical business visitor or even as a tourist. Fortunately, it doesn’t require a lot of space to take your running gear on the road. I usually just pack my shoes, a couple of pairs of socks, my shorts and a polypropolene shirt. The poly shirt dries fast. On a trip with multiple cities in hot and humid climates things get a bit ripe when you pack a wet t-shirt.
Make the time to go for a run on your next trip. It is the best natural antidote for jet lag and it opens wonderful new vistas outside your hotel room and business meetings. It allows you to really see the world. So, do it, and have fun.
One of the side benefits of being involved in a global enterprise is the opportunity to experience so many of the world’s wonderful large cities. I have been fortunate these past several years to have a position which allows me to travel the globe for business. This business requirement fulfills a peripatetic urge and a yearning since childhood to learn about and experience the many and myriad parts of our world.
I have been a runner since high school. After a lackluster athletic career stalled by the pursuit of fun, girls and beer I was encouraged to turn out for track my senior year of high school by the coach, Archie Andreotti. I was 6’ 2” tall and weighed 185, and was fresh from years of farm labor and endless days “bucking bales.” The spring of 1962 Archie decided I had the size and build to run the 880. In those days everything was in yards and the half-mile was a middle distance race. In a few short years it became a sprint but it was a distance race at Ellensburg High School in central Washington State.
It was a very painful spring. I had my first shin splints. I hobbled with an ache and burn that was more intense than I had every experienced. I had a wonderful pair of blue Kangaroo spikes. They were light and with them on my feet I felt I ran like the wind. At a track meet in the neighboring town Archie told me just moments before the meet began that he was going to have me run the mile. I had no time for preparation. I went out like a shot and run my 880 race and then faded to finish 200 yards behind. Archie knew what he was doing. I realized that the 880 was a shorter race and my performance picked up. I was not competitively fast for my time, although I was proud to run a 2:03 in one race.
I left running for many years, diverted this time by the life of the mind, politics, girls and indolence. I picked it up again for a couple of years in the mid 70’s, running in Central Park in New York City with a pair of Adidas. In 1985 I started running regularly. I got into a steady groove of 25 to 30 miles per week. Several times a year I ran in 10K and 8K local races. I loved the energy and of being with all those runners. With a busy travel schedule, my training regime would sometimes suffer. But, by and large, running has been a prescription for health and well being that allowed me to experience the great cities of the world in new and interesting ways. After a long flight half way around the world a run the best antidote for jet lag. It wakes me up, resets my internal clock and helps me make it through the new business day.
Running through foreign territory is a great way to see the sights. You can cover a lot of territory in a short time and be a tourist in the midst of a hectic business schedule. You learn with time the best hotels to stay in. They have great work out facilities and are close to an interesting running course. Obviously, that is not always possible. Sometimes you just have to make do.
Running in London in Hyde Park is one of my favorites. There is a nice run along the Thames, but Hyde Park is the best, with its almost five mile circumference broad walkway. If you stay close to the park, and there are many wonderful hotels that afford you that opportunity, you can be in the park minutes from your room. I always do a double take as I start out the first time as I have a tendency to look the wrong way for on coming traffic as I dart toward the park. You have some wonderful options in Hyde Park with its crisscross of paths so you can vary your course. There is a lake in the middle of the park that you can run around. It reminds you a bit of the reservoir in Central Park, although I have never seen a dead body in the Hyde Park lake. That distinction is reserved for New York City. Swans are also a rare sight in the reservoir.
Paris has to be run early in the morning. The broad boulevards and rapid traffic flow make it difficult to navigate once the city is stirring. I have had liberating runs down those broad open streets at first light in the morning. You have a feeling that the city is at your fingertips. Up the Champs Ellysee and around the Arch de Triumph, across the front of the Loive and in front of the fancy shops on Rue Montaigne. If you stay in a central hotel on the Right or Left Banks, the best runs are along the Seine. You can run each bank of the river, past the Bateau Mouche, Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame.
The best long runs are in the Bois de Bologne. You can run through the forest and around the lake and easily get in a ten mile run. It is a bit removed from city center but a quick subway ride gets you there.
There is a wonderful mid city run in Rome. I like to stay at a hotel near the top of the Spanish steps so if I have a moment I can wander down the Via Condotti and window shop and people watch. Just up the road from the top of the Spanish steps is the beautiful Villa Borghese. You can circle through and around the Borghese and past swans in the ponds. From the edge of the Borghese you can look out over Rome and see St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican. It is rich with history and you return to your hotel not only invigorated, but with a sense of awe for the past.
I have run in many other European cities including Stockholm, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Moscow, Cannes and St. Tropez, and Vienna among others. Sometimes you are stuck in the middle of a city like Milan and are forced to run around the block with no time or hope for a scenic and uplifting run. You just dodge traffic and hope for an endorphin blast that carries you through the day. I love running along the river in Salzburg. It is one of the beautiful cities of the world and path along the river goes for miles. Another favorite course runs along the lake in Geneva. The backdrop provided by the city and the mountains makes it one of the serene runs in the world. That was especially the case one morning when a handful of people where performing Tai Chi Chuan on the water’s edge.
It is a great leap from Lake Geneva’s edge to the Forbidden City and Tianiamum Square. Invariably, you will see the morning Tai Chi ritual played out on your runs in Beijing. Here again, you must get out early to run the streets before the cacophony of motorbikes and fumes overtake you. You feel a bit like the odd duck in some foreign cities as you run through the streets. I certainly had that feeling early one morning in Hanoi as I ran past the bicycles piled high with chickens, pigs and all manner of commerce. There is a great run in Hanoi around the lake in the center of the city. You should stay in the Metropole Hotel. It is a short few blocks from the lake and the run takes you past remnants of the French colonial past. The broad boulevards and villas are perfectly French. Hanoi is filed with sidewalk restaurants. These are truly sidewalk restaurants. They amount to little more than a small grill on the edge of the sidewalk. Two or three customers perch on the edge of the sidewalk for lunch. A dozen barbers line another street. Each is equipped with a chair, and the necessary scissors and combs.
Early morning runs are the rule of the road in Southeast Asia. Traffic is too intense to do otherwise. Even at first light, it difficult to manage a decent run in many cities. Phnom Penh is fascinating. You run past Monks in saffron robes walking serenely down the streets. For good luck you can release a bird from its bamboo cage for a few coins.
Bangkok’s traffic is easily the worst in the world. In the middle of the city is a park that you can run through and around. That is the case in many cities. You can often find a small park that you can run around and around. Although boring, it beats leaping for your life in traffic, either vehicular or human.
I regularly run in Seattle. The climate is temperate year around. While we have a famous number of rainy days, we seldom experience any humidity. Only Washington, DC, rivals Southeast Asian humidity in August. In Singapore, almost exactly on the Equator, I run the moment the sun pops over the horizon. That allows for a six mile run before the heat and humidity becomes overpowering for those of us untrained for warm, humid climates. Singapore’s best run in through the Botanical Garden. It has looping paths and is a fun run. Periodically you will see a six-foot snake hanging from a tree. When I arrive back at my hotel I am drenched.
Sometimes, the best or only run is on the hotel treadmill. I met a New York investment banker, previously posted in Hong Kong who trained for the New York marathon on a treadmill in the Mandarin Hotel. They have four. I prefer them on the Hong Kong side. In Kowloon you can run along the water in front of the Regent Hotel. The view across the harbor is one of the most impressive in the world. I ran in zero degree weather in Stockholm one January. The hotel treadmill would have been a better bet.
In Shanghai there is a good course along the Bund, the river that separates the city. On one side is the beautiful old Shanghai with architecture from early 20th Century Europe. You can see the influence of the Germans, French and others that made Shanghai the preeminent trading city of Asia. With Hong Kong now part of China, Shanghai is once again in ascendance. You see that new vitality in the flashy high rise buildings across the river. Although many are nearly empty, you can stay in an eighty-eight story Hyatt.
One of my favorite runs in the world is in Tokyo. A short distance from most of the hotels is the Imperial Palace. It is in the middle of the city. You circle the Imperial Palace. It is about four miles. The run has some elevation. You see other runners and some mornings you may see Ambassador Foley out on his bicycle. You pass several entrances to the Palace. The run circles the moat. The sheer stone walls of the moat have an ancient look. There is a sense of antiquity in the middle of modern Tokyo. You feel that in some other places in the world. Rome, probably most of all.
Osaka has a small park close to central hotels that make for a safe morning run. Running in Kyoto is wonderful. You can circle through the old Palace grounds and then head for the river. There is a great pathway along the river that allows you to stretch your legs for a long run. Regardless of your purpose for being in Kyoto, you cannot miss seeing the several Zen temples. They are a mandatory detour from whatever business you are attending to.
The best running courses inspire your stride. The majesty of the scenery transports you so that you have an extra spring. It seems that the endorphins are elevated a bit with the grandeur of being in such a beautiful place. Running along Sydney Harbor, past the soaring Opera House, and into the Botanical Gardens is one of those runs. It is one of the special runs in the world. There some variations on how you wend your way through the Botanical Gardens. Regardless, you return to your hotel invigorated and full of energy. It is a long way to Australia. A Sydney harbor run does wonders for readjusting your internal clock and fighting those mid-afternoon flashes of jet lag fog.
In Melbourne there is a great run along the river. I feel that Melbourne is like San Francisco and Sydney more like Los Angeles. One is more sophisticated and refined. The other is more brash.
Many hotels have maps especially prepared for joggers. I have found that most of them are poorly done. In fact, some, I am convinced, are prepared by non-joggers. Distances are often incorrect. Street markers are difficult to discern. I just head out on my own and try to figure it out. I will admit to getting lost a few times. In some cities, particularly in Asia where there may be an absence of English language signage, the character-based language can look opaquely identical to my untrained eye. I have circled a few blocks and looked in vain for a familiar landmark. Usually, before some panic sets in I have picked up a geographic marker that gets me back on track. I have made a mistake or two. In Norway once, a planned for six mile run turned into twelve miles when I missed a turn and had to take the long way back, arriving just before the last light of their long summer day.
Back in the United States, I have had many wonderful runs. New York City, Boston, Washington, DC and Chicago are great runners cities. I like running on the beach in Santa Monica and along the Bay in San Francisco, but the East Coast runs are the best for my touring sensibilities. New York is the mother lode in a way. Even those Boston with is marathon has the history, New York has captured some extra magic with its marathon.
In New York City I always try to stay in a hotel close to Central Park. That is sometimes difficult. With last minute business travel a hotel room is New York can become almost non-existent. Once, we tried over 70 hotels before locating a room. Of course, that was the week after Thanksgiving and the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was about to be lit. I usually just pop into the park and head up toward the reservoir. It is one of the most
majestic runs in the world, as you circle the north end of the reservoir run. The New York skyline frames Central Park. At all hours, the park is filled with runners. You can do runs of different distances by various courses. From the south end of the park to the reservoir and around is approximately 5 miles. Sometimes in New York City I will run along East River. That is a poor second choice given the fumes from the cars on the FDR Drive.
In Boston, I run along the Charles River. In Chicago, I run up Michigan Avenue and then along the Lake. In Philadelphia it is fun to run up the boulevard that leads to the Art Institute and then run up the steps and imagine for a moment that you are “Rocky.” Washington, DC has several runs that fill you with patriotic reflection. I like running through the Mall, along the reflecting pool, back toward the Washington Monument and around the White House. Running up Rock Creek Park is another good run as it extends from the path along the Potomac. Running up the C & O Canal allows you to feel you are out of the city and you can pick up the path in Georgetown and quickly be away from its ersatz hipness.
My favorites are in my hometown, Seattle. Of course, I love Seattle and its majestic scenery and over the last many years I have located all the running courses that a native discovers with time and experience. Running along the water’s edge is naturally, I think, both invigorating and peaceful. Seattle offers a lot of that. There is a great running path that circles Seward Park along Lake Washington. You run along Lake Washington from Seward Park to Madison Park on a pathway that parallels Lake Washington Boulevard. It is a beautiful run, with Mt. Rainier visible on a clear day. Each year in June the Shore Run follows that course for 6.7 miles. Green Lake is the joggers mecca in Seattle. It is our equivalent of the reservoir run in New York City. The Seattle runner’s shoe and equipment store is located across the street from Green Lake. There is an inner and outer course. The inner course is 2.8 miles. The outer course is 4.0 miles. There is a beautiful run on Elliott Bay, along Seattle’s waterfront Myrtle Edwards Park, with Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains in the background. The Burke Gilman trail in the northern part of the city follows Lake Washington as well. You never run out of good runs in Seattle.
I have covered lots of miles in cities round the world. I have seen some wonderful sights and seen things that you miss as a typical business visitor or even as a tourist. Fortunately, it doesn’t require a lot of space to take your running gear on the road. I usually just pack my shoes, a couple of pairs of socks, my shorts and a polypropolene shirt. The poly shirt dries fast. On a trip with multiple cities in hot and humid climates things get a bit ripe when you pack a wet t-shirt.
Make the time to go for a run on your next trip. It is the best natural antidote for jet lag and it opens wonderful new vistas outside your hotel room and business meetings. It allows you to really see the world. So, do it, and have fun.
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