Blog archives for December, 2001

Once again this year, I have agreed to lead the music at two worship services this Christmas Eve. Two years ago, our church started a new type of service called the Service of Carols and Lessons. It consists of Carols along with some Bible readings and a short sermon (Lessons). There is no choir or formal liturgy The music is classical but not organ/piano. Instead the service has had violin, flute, bassoon, and mandolin in years past. This year, I hope to add oboe and classical guitar.

Now for the stress part. Since these are ad hoc groups, there is a mad rush in early December to find people who will agree to play and find rehearsal times that fit in the busy schedules of those do do agree. Also, since there are two services and not everyone wants to play at both, the instrument mix changes between the services which can affect what special music can be done. Add to this the fact that it has been almost a year since I have played many of these tunes (therefore I’m rusty) and they are in keys I am not used to playing in adds to the anxiety level. However, the services make up for that stress that leads up to Christmas Eve. The mellow sounds of the acoustic instruments, people singing familiar carols, and the spirit of Christmas all work their magic to make me ready for Christmas morn. Also the attention required forces me to keep my eye (and ear) focused on the music and words that speak to the true meaning of Christmas.

After a discussion with Pat this weekend and the completion of my marathon a few weeks back, I think it is time for this blog to include other aspects of my life than just running. I will continue to include running tips but will also talk about my band and Irish music, my work and personal use of computers, and anything else that I think about. If you have any areas you would like me to blather about, just email me.

Three months ago was September 11, 2001. I didn’t run that day but I did run a long run on the 12th. I think that running helped me cope with that was going on in New York and Washington, DC. Running those 13+ miles did a number of things. It made me tired so I slept better, it pumped me full of endorphins so I felt better, and it made me do something for almost 3 hours where I could not watch CNN or hardly even think about the events of the day before. I know that many people around me were greatly affected by the terrorism but I think that running helped me get through it much better than most. Sure I was angry. Sure I was sad. But I also had an outlet for the stress and anger and other emotions that overwhelmed many. Running helped me get past the furry and fear and begin to heal.

On Saturday, Denise and I went to the Cary High School track and walked/ran for about 30 minutes. Denise has expressed interest in learning how to run and I am very happy to “coach” her. I think it would really cool to run a 5K as a couple when she is ready. We started off with a very easy program. We ran for 30 seconds and then walked for 2 minutes. We did this over and over for 30 minutes covering about 2 miles in the process. One nice thing about starting on a track is that the surface is very forgiving. It is solid but has some give, is very smooth, and is measured so you can figure out how far you went. We are going to try and do this run/walk 3 times a week (Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday) giving at least one full rest day between runs at the beginning. As she progresses, will adjust the intervals and maybe the schedule.

Five days after the marathon, I feel much better except for my right foot. My foot still bothers me when I drive and I’m beginning to wonder if it will take longer than the normal week to fully recover. I play on trying some light running this weekend to see how I feel afterwards. I plan on starting slowly and working back up to a 3-5 mile run over the next few weeks.