running while bird-watching? & cool mag app

Hi everyone -- 

Thank you for your help with my resolution to make an "exercise habit for life."

John, the advice to go for intensity and not time is good, as well as doing it during a time when it seems fun (lunch break at work). 

And Brad, I love what I'm reading of the book Switch! Full title (for everybody else): Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard. I read the sample chapter on my Kindle, and think I'm going to go through it. But by just reading the sample, I realized that one of the things I struggle with in my running is that I can't watch the birds or take photos. I know it sounds odd, but it's true.

See, I like to go on walks because I can take time to see things, but if I run it's all about exercise, and if you're exercising you're not supposed to stop. The pattern is that I run by something I'd really like to pause at -- a flotilla of ducks on Lake Michigan say -- and feel disappointed because (a) I feel I've got to keep going if I'm going to get the benefit of all this effort, and (b) KNOW that I don't have time to come back (which is what I want to do) and figure out what ducks those were on the lake. 

So though I have a good post-workout feel, I am disappointed. It's slight, but I'm wondering if this is partly responsible for not allowing me develop running as a habit.  

But what if I allowed myself to stop? And what if there was a way to bring a camera and a monacle (for bird-watching) along? I think it might be fun. Now instead of not wanting to run, I kind of want to do it. 

* * * 

I'm tired right now. I'm working on the book with intensity. The count down is on -- I'm hoping to finish by the end of the month and there's plenty to do. So far, I think I'm going to make it. Working on the ending now, finished the beginning last week, and then I've got to go through the whole book and smooth it out. I want Phil to read it and give feedback before I sent it out. (He's a very good reader.)

Otherwise, here are a couple of things I thought were interesting from the realm of new ideas in publishing, technology, and will publishing survive this new world (the fatalism seems overdone to me -- truth is, this is opening up a lot more possibilities, allows more access...). Both of these are fun (don't be frightened): 

I love this demo of McSweeney's iphone app: http://app.mcsweeneys.net/ Makes me almost want to get an iphone . . . And for those of you in the kids book world, imagine if there was a kids book magazine like this. Imagine if the Horn Book looked like this. Interestingly, they don't put everything they print in the magazine on this app. And I believe when you pay for the app you're paying for a subscription (I believe). What if you could access all Horn Book reviews from an app on the iphone? Or ipad? Or smart phone? And what if they linked up to places to get sample chapters? 

In general, McSweeney's is the one I'm watching -- they do things their own way and are not afraid to break rules. For instance, publishing their own books, involving the community, allowing their sense of humor to shine . . . 

And this quote from a book critic, writing in The New York Times, about how he sees literary criticism changing:

Why, then, do we read? There’s something Buddhist about literary reading, as I understand it — you drop yourself into a little pocket of silence and peace and allow magical things to happen to your consciousness. I read, on the most basic level, because it makes me happy. It calms my brain down. My wife and I sometimes refer to this as “textual healing”: if I’m in a wretched mood, feeling oppressed by the world, I can go off with a book for an hour and suddenly be myself again. This practice, if you’re receptive to it, can come to define your life — can come in fact to seem like the very definition of a rich life. (Pound: “Man reading should be man intensely alive. The book should be a ball of light in one’s hand.”) If our era needs to learn that lesson, or to relearn it, the book critic is in the best possible position to teach it.

Here's the whole article if you'd like to read it.

That's it for this week. Back to work! The photos are from northern Wisconsin. We visited Mom up at the lake and were surprised this year by hoarfrost! Lovely! (And yes, these are taken with the new camera, Powershot s95 -- so much better than my old powershot. As you can see I can get more contrast and more color even on a bright day with a lot of snow.)

Hope you're all well!

Amy

  

resolutions (why do i do this?)

Hi everyone -- 

Giant fish = New Years Resolutions. Every year I get eaten alive. 

And I never learn because here I am about to do it again. 

(Trumpet please.)

I, hereby, resolve to tackle developing an exercise habit in the next year.

I sort of don't want to do it now that I've written it out. I'm not kidding.  

This does not bode well. 

On Sunday, one of my pastors said 'exercise' was in the top 3 resolutions, along with giving up smoking and something else I forgot (eating more chocolate? wine with meal? why isn't that in there?). She also said that there's a 30% increase in gym memberships this time of year, AND a rise in gym injuries -- people flying off treadmills, accidentally swallowing dumbbells (you know, that sort of thing).

If my resolution is in the top 3 of all resolutions and, let's face it, there are a lot of people just like me out there (rounder rather than slim) and the numbers of us seem to be increasing, rather than decreasing, just how good are my odds of making this work? 

My head and everything I read says I'm at the age that I need this as a habit. I do this: I walk a lot in the city. I've taken up yoga once a week.

But I'm dabbler when it comes to heart-pounding, face-reddening (and I do turn red) exercise. For instance, running: I like to think about running. I certainly like the feeling when I finish running (love the after-effect-- looser, less tension and stress, feel like curling up with a book, yes the world is good). Yet, for some reason I can't get myself in the habit. Races don't motivate me. Neither does the magazine Runners World, though I love reading it and am jealous of those peoples' abs and upper arms. (Truth? Aliens live among us.)

I'd rather cook. I'd rather knit. I'd rather make photo book after photo book after photo book. I'd much rather do the body softening exercise of sitting at my desk for hours on and end, staring at a screen and typing (book writing). I just wish book writing did something for my biceps. I tell you, I am glad that you don't have to arm wrestle for a book contract -- there would be no hope.

Still, I think I'm determined to give it a try for another year. Maybe I'll post my weekly statistics in these letters to help out. Be nice to me if this doesn't work out. I can't be the only one.

Any advice anyone? And please if you have a motivation for running that is not races, and not weight-loss, tell me what it is. I need help!

Amy

P.S. Illustration by my lovely niece. 

dean karnazes: on passion

(If you're going to post about an ultramarathon, I think some carbs are in order!)Found this in Dean Karnazes' Ultramarathon Man: 

Running has taught me that the pursuit of a passion matters more than the passion itself. Immerse yourself in something deeply and with heartfelt intensity -- continually improve, never give up -- this is fulfillment, this is success.

I also love this!

As a running buddy once said to me: Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: "Wow!! What a ride!" 

For more of Dean, check out the book, and check out his website.