July 16
July 15 We don’t know for sure when it pushed forth its first deep red buds. When it unfurled its first handful of leaves and felt the sun beckoning it to reach and grow up high and full into the sky. No one has yet to decipher an exact date of when a tree, or in fact nearly all of the other glorious and mighty gifts that nature creates around and about us are born. We can speculate however that some time in the early 1970′s a tiny spindly Japanese Maple sapling was first placed into a pot in a nursery somewhere in Connecticut. With who knows how many other small trees all around, it first felt life within its roots, stem, and branches. For most certainly it was just one amongst so many, all neatly lined up in long straight rows that stretched out across a field. read all 
July 14 “It is going to be very interesting. I hope we survive it.” Pranjal is talking about the weather forecast for today which is predicted to be repeated over and over again every day for the rest of the week. He describes a relentless march of metric temperatures all in the 30′s, but to most of us he means over 90 degrees Fahrenheit. In NY speak what lies ahead, not just for 12 weary runners but also the entire city and a great sizzling slice of the American east coast is simply a long heat wave. 
Read all
Just a few weeks ago was the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. Over 3 days of fighting 50,000 soldiers lost their lives in this great struggle that was the turning point of the American Civil war. Latter that fall the American President, Abraham Lincoln gave a short but immortal speech at the inauguration of the cemetery that was created there as the final resting place for all those who sacrificed their lives on its hallowed ground. With both the significance of the battle, as well as those most powerful inspirational 10 lines that Lincoln spoke there, people from across the country have been making pilgrimages there for generations. It is a place in which history has indelibly etched its mark. Such locations have always been beacons to pilgrims, scholars, tourists, and the curious. 
Read all
“I can’t stay away. These people are like divinities brought down on earth for these few weeks. Each time I come I get stronger and stronger. I can’t tell you the name for it, but I can tell you that it makes me very very happy.” Snehashila has come by the race this morning as she does on most days throughout the summer. In fact on mornings nearly all year long she leaves her house, which is about 7 or 8 blocks away and circles around and about the neighborhood in order to get some exercise. 
Read all
July 11 “You have to do 7 laps more and then you are half way.” Last night before she went home these were some of the last welcome words Surasa heard before leaving the course for the night. This morning as she set out on her long day of running the numbers beside her name show just 1547. Not a number that would immediately be taken notice of by the morning counters. That it teetered on the very brink of half way simply went unnoticed. At least at first. read all 
July 10 “When I am here I am focusing only on the running and nothing else. I don’t look around or look at other people. Sometimes I don’t realize that somebody has just passed me. Because I am somewhere else. When I come home I just try and forget it and focus on something else.” read all 
