Farewell Cypresse

"Life is a series of hellos and goodbyes, I'm afraid it's time for goodbye again," Billy Joel from Say Goodbye to Hollywood.

After about 100 classes over the last three years, today was my last class with inspirational yoga teacher Cypresse Emery. Cypresse and her family are Leaving Las Vegas but not without touching a lot of hearts and leaving a lasting impression.

I can't begin to put into words how helpful Cypresse has been to my mind, body and spirit. She helped this awkward old klutz flow smoothly through postures, gave me inspirational quotes, mantras, hand-lettered Tibetan sayings and introduced me to Ayurveda.

Cypresse taught about seven weekly classes -- all different. I was lucky enough to catch three of her "farewell" classes in her final week. To honor my teacher I took both of her Thursday night classes. That was 2 1/2 hours that seemed like 5 minutes. Her personal and my favorite Sunday Sunrise Yoga class today was our last class together. It was the positive energy of the Sunday class Dec. 4 that spiritually inspired me to finish the Las Vegas Marathon. 

While I'll continue my yoga practice it will never be quite the same without Cypresse. But thankfully, it's not the same as before Cypresse.

 

Run, then Eat

Taking advantage of a rare Saturday off, I entered a 10k. Today's race was called the Run to the Sun but it should have been called the Run to the Top of the Mountain. Before the race I thought the wind that dropped the temperature 30 degrees into the 70s would be the problem. But the wind was hardly a factor compared to the steep grade up to the foothills of Sunrise Mountain. Running without a watch for the 2nd straight week I didn't know my time until the results were posted. But time was irrelevant compared to finishing position. I was 38th overall out of 138 runners and 4th in my age group. Ironically I beat the top 20-year-olds as the winner in the 20-24 male age group was behind me. Instead of a trophy I won a $25 cash prize in the post-race drawing. As much as a struggle was the Everest-like out bound leg, coming home was a blast as I finished just over 50 minutes. It was about a 10-minute pace out and a 6-minute pace back.

For lunch former Hilton sports book manager Cyril Burger comped Lynda & I at the Flamingo buffet. It's no longer the Flamingo Hilton. It was busy on the holiday weekend and there was a wedding party holding its reception at the buffet. The comp was valued at $42 but I don't think I got my money's worth in salad and cookies. Besides it's hard to eat animals with all the ducks, geese, turtles, flamingos, fish and other creatures that look in from the outside area. Lynda enjoyed the variety of choices and the only casualty was my "Defenders of Wildlife" hat that was blown into oblivion off my head on the walk from the parking garage.

 

 

 

 

Three Ways a Great Day

Up at 5 am, it's about 22 hours later as I attempt to put this incredible day into a few humble words. Three great things happened, all before working till almost midnight, so I'll try to type a few words before I hit the hay.

The Las Vegas Track Club offered a 5k race at Sunset Park and I can never pass on a run on my local course. The runs start at 7am now to beat the heat. Today's run was more desert and less asphalt which was fine with me because I'm ultra familiar with the sandy trails. The first mile was OK but I really turned it on when we hit the trails and the last mile I turned on the afterburners to finish in 25:05 my fastest 5k of the year. It was good for 3rd in my age group.

That would have been enough for one day but I had pre-paid in advance for yoga guru Steve Ross' class. He's the Lance Armstrong of yoga. What made it better is my favorite teacher Cypresse practiced along side me. This was the most demanding yoga class I've ever taken. It was hard, rewarding and difficult just like a marathon. But the good thing about sweating so much was I was so warmed up I was able to go deeper into the postures than ever before.

All this was going on while the mighty Buffalo Sabres were beating the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 to take a one game lead in the NHL Eastern Conference Best-of-7 series. Cha-Ching! If Daisy hadn't wet the bed and Haven hadn't puked all over the carpet it would have been the perfect day. But that's life. There must have been at least 36 hours in this day..

Rocky Gap Road

Determined to make it to the top of the Rocky Top 4x4 road on my third attempt, I proceeded on. It's only supposed to be 6 miles to the top. It's all uphill. The last time a blizzard turned me back. This time like George Mallory in his third Everest attempt, I was going to succeed or die trying. After I passed my previous highest elevation point, about 6,000 feet, it seemed like the road went on forever. It was deja vu all over again as the turns and bends in the road seemed like instant replays. But finally, after who knows how long (remember I'm running without a watch) I made it to the summit.

Much to my surprise there was a Jeep club at the top. I asked the leader if the trail went any further and he told me I could go 8 miles this way and pick up another trail and go another 15 miles and then hook up with a highway that would take me 45 miles back to Vegas. I don't think he realized I was on foot.

As the Jeepers were eating sandwiches and cookies I explored around and mulled over their offer for a ride back. It looked by the size of their stomachs that they might be eating for a while so I told them I'd head downhill and maybe catch a ride when they passed me. I was having so much fun running downhill, when the first two Jeeps passed I declined a lift. But the third one had an open front seat so I took it. The road was so steep and rocky it's equally difficult for Jeeps and runners to go uphill or downhill. My curiosity of another trail has been satisfied.

 

Time Stands Still

What are the odds of my main running wrist watch and my emergency backup watch both stopping on the same day? 100-1? 1,000-1? A million to one?

I had just replaced the battery in my main watch last fall. It's a great watch that does everything but take out the garbage. It even takes your pulse. So when it stopped functioning I went for my backup runner's watch that I'd had for about 20 years. Not much of the original watch remained both the band and the battery had been replaced many times, the last time in 1999. So why after seven years it chose to die on this day I do not know.

That was Monday. And because I had to work six straight days this week I haven't had a chance to get new batteries for these time pieces. But the more I go without a watch, the less I need it. I haven't been late for work. And I haven't cared about the times of my runs. I still have a white strip on my tanned arm but it's beginning to fade. I've noticed less stress. Before I used to check my watch as often as most people check their cell phones but no more. As long as I'm not late for work or dinner I may continue to forgo the burden of a time piece. Does anyone really care what time it is?

 

Full Moon Hike

A group of 25 hikers, including neighbor Lois Dimaggio and myself, experienced a wonderful night hike at Red Rock Canyon. It took a while for the full moon to climb above the clouds, but when it did we had enough light to guide us on the four-mile hike. The knowledgeable Linda led us on the Moenkopi Loop and to the Calico Hills with Jupiter the second brightest object in the sky. The recent Masters graduate pointed out bats in the sky, told us how the invasive grass had helped feed the fire that destroyed 32,000 acres last August but also made the Jack rabbits bigger than ever.

Lois, an avid walker and 5-year resident, had never been to Red Rock before and really enjoyed the beautiful scenery, fresh air and wide-open spaces.

Linda told us Joshua Trees that have split trucks are already 100 years old and some have been found to be more than 700 years old. It was a very imformative hike with a great group of hikers. I'm honored and filled with gratitude to have been a part of the experience.

 

Luck Runs Out

The day got off to such a great start with an easy 10-mile run straight from home to save gas. After tackling Red Rock's hills on Monday's 12-mile run, the formally formidable hills on today's trot seemed flat as pancakes. That's 22 miles in just two days of running this week.

You might imagine with all this running I wear out shoes like paper towels. The trail shoes had covered hundreds of miles from Sunset Park to Red Rock to Lake Mead to White Rock Canyon to the Colorado River. Arizona, Montana and Nevada. They were coming apart at the seems and the tread was as thin as rubber tires after 500 miles on the Indy oval. So I flipped them in the back of my pickup truck to await a proper burial in the remotest part of the remotest trail. We proceeded on to the Village Runner where I purchased a new pair of New Balance 906 Off-Road Trail shoes. Made in America. Not by abused Asian workers in overseas sweat shops. 

Mission accomplished it was time to kick back and watch the Sabres sweep the Senators. But Ottawa was not down and not out and staved off elimination with a hard-fought 2-1 victory. The Sabres will have three more chances to win the best-of-7 series. The night was salvaged when the Red Sox came from behind to beat the Yankees 5-3.

I always loved running... it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs. ~Jesse Owens

Grand Circle Trail Revisited

It's been more than six months since I've tackled the 12-mile Grand Circle Trail at Red Rock Canyon and with a Half Marathon coming up in Alaska in six weeks it was time for a little training run. It was a little warm at the start, mid 80s, and by the finish it had to be approaching the mid 90s. But like a Sherpa climbing Everest without bottled oxygen I had but a one-liter bottle (of water not oxygen) to get me through the delicious dozen miles.

Becoming one with nature I blended in with yucca cactus and creosote trees, scampering bunny rabbits, swift desert chipmunks, grouse birds and all sorts of lizards ranging from one to 10 inches long. I saw more blooming beavertail cactus and desert wild flowers than ever before it was amazing. After the run the ankles were a little sore and I felt a slight burn from the sunshine in the cloudless blue sky but it was all good.

Here's something to chew on. Did you know some scientists believe the universe was created by sound five billion years ago? And that sound was "OM!"

Nothing is permanent:
The sun and the moon rise and
    then set,
The bright clear day is followed
    by the deep, dark night.
From hour to hour, everything
    changes.--KALU RINPOCHE