What Do We Share?

"[...] I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that." 

William Shakespeare -The Merchant of Venice


We are by name The United States of America, and yet the best I can perceive we are a society more fragmented today than at any time I can recall in my 54 ( plus ) years. The Shakespeare quote above would work as well today if it replaced 'Jew' and 'Christian' with a host of other classifications. We are divided by political ideology, by race, by religion ( or the lack thereof ), by gender, by sexual preference, by education, by class, by the nature of our work, by rural vs urban, by geographical boundaries, by the entertainment we consume, by the art and hobbies that feed our passions, and by the sources through which we obtain the information that continually feeds our values.

The existence of this great degree of diversity can either be the source of our strength, resilience, and our hope for sustainability or it may serve as the accelerant that leaves us in pieces, unable to work together as we must to address the great challenges that certainly lie ahead. It is my view that if we are to have any hope of meeting these challenges we must find some common ground, and that common ground rests at it's most basic level within our shared humanity.

Within our shared humanity we have over and over again displayed both the capacity for benevolence, and the capacity for needless violence. We have shown the capacity for profound thought, and the capacity for thoughtlessness. The philosopher Hanah Arendt argued that thoughtlessness ( banality ) was at the root of evil, rather than the caricature of clear-cut viscious intent to do harm. It is in my opinion the absence of the awareness of our own frailty that projects outwardly as the need to display power. Thoughtless hate, ridicule and devaluing of those outside our ever tightening circles are often symptoms of a lack of self understanding in the larger picture of our shared humanity.  We cannot compensate for our own inadequacies purely by pointing what is to us obviously lacking in others. I believe we improve ourselves only when we can continually re-contextualize our existing values, identities, knowledge and understanding in a jointly shared process with those with differing life experiences.

We currently have no central source of news and information trusted by the majority of our population. We have almost no civil communication among those with different views. This is precisely the climate in which totalitarianism and inequality can thrive. Precisely the climate in which those who share a commonality in suffering from the same source of top down injustice are likely to place blame instead on those from whom they feel disrespected.

None of this requires dropping our values, lowering our voice, or ignoring injustice - I only hope that as we speak we can listen to our own voice, and that we speak not only as we would like to be heard but also as we would hope to be spoken to by others- From the place of compassion for the many.

Forked Roads

Yogi Berra passed yesterday. He famously stated 'when you come to a fork in the road, take it.

A number of philosophers have used the forked road metaphor to explore the human decision making process. For John Dewey it served as a metaphor that evoked the act of thinking itself:

A man traveling in an unfamiliar region comes to a branching of the roads. Having no sure knowledge to fall back upon, he is brought to a standstill of hesitation and suspense. Which road is right? And how shall perplexity be resolved? There are but two alternatives: he must either blindly and arbitrarily take his course, trusting to luck for the outcome, or he must discover grounds for the conclusion that a given road is right. 

Thinking begins in what may fairly enough be called a forked-road situation, a situation which is ambiguous, which presents a dilemma, which proposes alternatives. As long as our activity glides smoothly along from one thing to another, or as long as we permit our imagination to entertain fancies at pleasure, there is no call for reflection. Difficulty or obstruction in the way of reaching a belief brings us, however, to a pause. 

Reflective thinking is always more or less troublesome because it involves overcoming the inertia that inclines one to accept suggestions at their face value; it involves willingness to endure a condition of mental unrest and disturbance.Reflective thinking, in short, means judgment suspended during further inquiry; and suspense is likely to be somewhat painful. As we shall see later, the most important factor in the training of good mental habits consists in acquiring the attitude of suspended conclusion, ....... To maintain the state of doubt and to carry on systematic and protracted inquiry—these are the essentials of thinking.

Dewey, John (2012-12-12). The Essential John Dewey Collection. Kindle Edition.

I see a lot of overlap here with the 2nd inner chapter of the Zhuangzi which argues argues against a fixed heart-mind (and for suspended conclusions). It suggests:

‘Allowing both alternatives to proceed’ &
‘remaining at rest at the center of the spontaneous potter’s wheel’ or at the 'pivot of the way'  - & 

‘Thus the Sage sees by the glimmer of chaos and doubt. He does not affirm of anything: “this is it”; his affirmation is lodged in ordinary practice. This is to view things in the light.

I think it is more fruitful to consider ethical dilemmas from a practical problem solving perspective as opposed to searching for absolute foundations. I think if we earnestly apply ourselves to life in the manner suggested above we can make ethical progress.

Mountains to Beach Race Report 2015 BQ

Mountains to Beach Race Report

I drove up from Marina Del Rey to Ventura Saturday afternoon, and the pre-race festivities didn't get off to a great start. Arriving in a pretty hot sun at the expo I saw two long looping lines. Stepping into one I asked if this was the line for the bibs and received an affirmative reply. Ten minutes later someone asked a better question 'is this the full marathon line' to which the response was 'no this the half-marathon line'. OK so back to the end of the now longer line. I did eventually get to the bibs yet somehow '1172' my number was not to be found between '1171' and '1173' ? I was slightly panicked as they couldn't find the person in charge, but it turns out they have back-up bibs with timing chips so I got a new lucky number '493'. Onto the line to get my shirt :).  There was also a line to check in at my hotel apparently because it still had vacancies and all the runners that hadn't planned ahead were checking in without reservations. I had reservations but it was about another 40 minutes before I could get my room key :(. At this point I wasn't going back to the expo for the carb loading dinner so I went to the hotel restaurant and loaded up on some pasta. 

After dinner I KT-taped up a couple old injury spots (ankle & hip flexor), watched part of an NBA playoff game, and tried to turn in early so I could be up at 3:30 AM to get ready and walk to the 4:15 bus. Other preparations I had made at home included my homemade race nutrition balls (modified corn starch, walnut paste, date, honey & brown rice syrup), and a music mix for the race (about 1/2 jazzy vocal swing, with some grittier stuff like the Clash, Graham Parker plus early Springtseen, the Stones and some Lucinda Williams).

Things started to look up as the I did get some sleep, the walk to the bus was dark & cool yet pleasant and the 25 minute bus ride up to Ojai went without a hitch. I sat on a stoop near the race start shivering for about 45 minutes then I saw some folks I recognized, chatted them up and moved to my pace goup at the start line for the 6 am start. We were supposed to start in waves but the pacers who had set up to close to each other causing a mass of tightly packed runners all took off together at the horn. Despite the tight packing the first mile was only a few seconds slower than planned 8:07 minutes per mile. There was a 3hr 28 minute pacer which was the time I was aiming for, but I was going to run my own race as the pacers are volunteers and don't always gauge things ideally. 

At mile 2 the 3:28 pacer started going faster then I had planned so I let him go. A running buddy (Rajesh) had planned to pace with me but followed the official pacer instead. Still I ran miles 2,3,4 and 5 slightly faster than planned yet felt comfortable and my HR was in the range I wanted. By mile 5 I was hoping my average pace to be 7:55 and it was just one second fast (7:54). Mile 5 to 6 is a very gradual up hill climb of about 90 ft. I could see the 3 :28 pacer disappearing from my view on this hill even as I ran it about 15 seconds faster than planned. I tucked in behind Pete (an experienced many time Boston qualifier from my running group). Pete had mentioned he was running despite coming off an injury so he might not quite be at his usual (3:25 range) pace. Mile 6 to 7 also has a small elevation (about 60 ft), and my HR was creeping up into the 150's as I ran it 5 seconds faster than planned so I backed off a tad on the flat mile 7 to settle my HR below 150 as planned. Still I was ahead of my planned pace and the gradual downhill was approaching.

I was still tucked in behind Pete for miles 9 & 10 which are gradual downhills, and mile 11 which is flat. I was also still running slightly ahead of my plan and now my HR was around 146 which was very good news. I was starting to get pretty confident that only an injury would keep me from hitting my goal of 3:28. I had carried water up to mile 7, and had been disciplined to take nutrition every two miles with some water. Miles 12,13, and 14 are the steepest downhills on the generally forgiving course. Pulling up next to Pete at mile 10 I asked him how he was feeling. He said OK, but his response felt a little strained to me so I thought his injury might have interrupted his training. I comfortably ran Miles 12, 13, and 14 at a good clip (about 7:37 pace) passing Pete at mile 12, and the 3:28 pacer at about the midway point (13.1). I hadn't seen Rajesh and was wondering if he was running way ahead of pace or if I somehow I had missed him in the crowd. These miles were pretty close to pure joy. The mountains are gorgeous, and my body was absorbed in the the music and the scenery. I was on pace to finsh faster than 3:27.

At the end of mile 14 a more gradual descent progresses until about mile 21. No marathon is without it's tough spots and somewhere around mile 15 I felt a few warning sign twinges. One in my left hip which for some reason had been a bit stiff during my taper, and another in my left achilles tendon. These were both of concern because I had a hip flexor snap on me a few years earlier preceded by a similar twinge, and neither that type of injury nor a torn achilles would allow continued running if they occurred. I told myself to run with good form and awareness and not to push to hard. At mile 17 I felt the achillies again a few more times, but it would be ok after that. At mile 18 I had an issue trying to swallow some water while running (wrong pipe) and taking some nutrition led to a strong heartburn like pain (not fun when running sub 8 minute miles). By mile 20 the heartburn had subsided which was a relief, but I knew that the last 10 k would be without any more fuel. I was still maintaining a good pace and feeling pretty good for mile 20 of a race.

It wasn't until about mile 22 that my HR consistently started to drift up into the 150's and it was getting warmer and the sun was out as I approached the last 4 mile loop on the beach. This was the HR profile I would have scripted so I knew I was running a smart race. The last 4 miles can be a bit mentally challenging, but I had enough in reserve and just wanted to avoid injury. At mile 24 I caught Rajesh who at this point was being paced by a friend who runs very fast marathons. I was glad to see he had been out in front, but he had gone out a bit to fast and was subsequently laboring some. I urged him on, and he made a push to stay with me but couldn't maintain it. After turning back to the finish line on the beach at mile 25 a sense of accomplishment started to creep in through the cracks in my fatigue, and it seeped through my mode of vigilant monitoring caution to avoid  injury. With a 1/2 mile to go I let caution disperse into the breeze and picked up the pace to the finish.

I crossed the line with an official time of 3:26:51 :)

It was a good day :)


Here is a postscript comment I added at my running group page on facebook


I feel like I should say more here. A big reason I was drawn to marathon training was the many parodoxes we get to wrestle with in our pursuit of progressive goals.

I liked the fact that it was in many ways a solitary pursuit in which gradual mastery of the art of the training leads to a self awareness that is hard to find in other endeavors. We learn to explore the boundaries of our limitations, and come to realize that freedom emerges when we approach those boundaries without over-reaching because then, on the next approach, those boundaries allow a slightly greater reach.

But along the way I think we come to realize something even more valuable. That no accomplishment exists in a vacuum, there is a collective aspect to every achievement, and getting a PR or a BQ means little without being able to share it with others who understand the process. When I crossed the line I will admit a sense of accomplishment, but the first thing I did was look for other Leggers. I found Bradley who while missing his BQ had finished ahead of me, and is sure to BQ soon (almost surely in Chicago). I found Elias whose resume is too long to list, and was gracious as ever not mentioning his new 1/2 marathon PR until I had gone on for a bit about my race. I found Rajesh who had a massive PR, and then Jaclyn who also BQ'd despite a calf injury in the middle of the training cycle. I also found Wansun who seems to PR with every race, and ran faster then his BQ standard (3:15) as well.

I think what's most rewarding is not just achieving some static goal but making progress in an activity that both allows us to better understand ourselves as well as that which connects us to others.

Here is a link to my splits:
https://www.strava.com/activities/311056200

Harmony from Asymmetry

According to the technical parlance of modern physics an object is said to be symmetrical in relation to the degree that it can maintain invariance to transformation. In simple language symmetrical objects maintain a 'sameness' when their relation to an observer is altered. A spherical circle for example is the most symmetrical of objects as it can be rotated in any number of ways without altering it's appearance. I find it fascinating however that the symmetry of a circle pales in comparison to that of the formless Higgs field which fills up all of space with a 'sameness' that makes it invisible and all but undetectable while managing to provide the mass for all things of form.

Science writer  Amanda Gefter describes this beautifully in these qoutes:

"The Higgs is what’s known as a scalar field, the only experimentally verified specimen of its kind. That means it has only a single value at every point in space (unlike the field that describes light, which at every point has both a size and direction)....No matter how you rotate it, it always looks the same. Just like empty space. Symmetry equals invisibility."

"The Higgs has become famous for giving elementary particles their mass, but this obscures its true meaning. After all, giving particles mass is easy—slow them down below the speed of light and, voilà, mass. The hard part is to give particles mass without breaking the primordial symmetry in the process. The Higgs field achieves this remarkable feat by taking on a nonzero value even in its lowest energy state. Crouching in every corner of empty space sit 246 gigaelectronvolts of Higgs—only we’ll never notice, because it’s the same at every point. Only a scalar field could hide in plain sight and get away with it. But elementary particles notice. Every time a particle’s mass breaks the symmetry of the universe, the Higgs is there, posing as empty space, repairing the damage. Constantly laboring in the shadows, the Higgs keeps the universe’s original symmetry intact."

The most basic conceptual principle that is fundamental to Taoist philosophical thought can be described as 'complementary opposition' . This concept is represented by the well recognized tai chi diagram which models the interdependent relationship between yin and yang.  Yin and yang can represent any pair of interdependent complementary opposites such as dark and light, form and formlessness, or, asymmetry and symmetry.






In line with the tai chi diagram, the Ni family harmony style tai chi movement form is composed of two sections: a 58 movement yin section, and a 50 movement yang section. Like the dark and light fish represented in the diagram, the yin and yang sections of the form asymmetrically oppose each other in such a way that their integration allows for the emergence of something greater than the parts. What emerges is symbolized by the symmetrical form of the circle, and what underlies the integration of the parts is a greater symmetry that could be said to be formless.

As one of many possible examples consider the two postures 'double whip' and 'single whip'. Common to each of the postures is the underlying meaning 'exposition of the heavenly mystery'. An exposition is the setting forth of a theme. The 'double whip' posture serves this function for the yin section while it's opposing complement 'single whip' serves this function for the yang section. While each of these postures is composed of circular movements the 'double whip' is more contained, less expansive and turns 180 degrees from left to right. In contrast the 'single whip' is less contained, more expansive, and turns from right to left. Like the light dot contained within the dark fish the 'double whip' is said to represent 'yang contained within the yin'. Conversely, the 'single whip' represents the light fish which contains a darkened dot or 'yin within yang'. Together they complete the 360 degree circle of the tai chi diagram.

 With this in mind I like to contemplate these excerpts from chapter 14 of the Tao Te Ching as translated by Hua-Ching Ni.

Look at it but you cannot see it
Because it is formless, you call it invisible
Because it is soundless, you call it inaudible
Grasp it, but it is beyond your reach
Because it is subtle, you call it intangible
.
.
If you hope to meet it, it has no part you can call front
If you hope to follow it, it has no place you can call behind
Yet it can be observed
In the constant regularity of the universe

The practice of tai chi, through it's symmetry breaking ( i.e., the creation of form ), and symmetry making (i.e., the transcendence of form), can serve as a method for complementing a modern scientific cognitive understanding of these concepts with an experiential exploration and understanding of these concepts .

 Zhaungzi offers advice on how one might navigate the asymmetries that are continually unfolding as potential paths we might walk.

‘A dao is created as we walk it;’  &

‘Therefore, the Sage brings all into harmony through assertion and denial but rests it upon the balance of heaven: this is called “Walking a Double Path.’

 This is accomplished by

 ‘Allowing Both Alternatives to Proceed’ &
‘remaining at rest at the center of the spontaneous Potter’s Wheel of Nature’  -  & finally

‘Thus the Sage sees by the glimmer of chaos and doubt. He does not affirm of anything: “this is it”; his affirmation is lodged in ordinary practice. This is to view things in the light.

Compare this again with another paragraph from Gefter:

"In spite of the way quantum fluctuations are typically described, what sits “out there” in the world is not some preexisting reality wiggling around. Experiment has consistently proven that what sits “out there” isn’t sitting at all, but waiting. Unborn. Quantum fluctuations are not existential descriptions but conditional ones—they are not a reflection of what is, but of what could be, should an observer choose to make a particular measurement. It’s as if the observer’s ability to measure determines what exists. Ontology recapitulates epistemology. The uncertainty of nature is an uncertainty of observation. "

"Could it be that something is just what nothing looks like from the inside? If so, our discomfort with nothingness may have been hinting at something profound: It is our human nature that recoils at the notion of nothing, and yet it may also be our limited, human perspective that ultimately solves the paradox. "

Soundtrack for St George - Into the Mystic

 What I love most about running is that a successful and  sustainable practice requires the necessity of engaging with, and eventually transcending an untold variety of contradictions. These contradictions all require balancing the joy of being present in the moment alongside the importance of respecting what the consequences of what our momentary impulses may bring, They include physical contradictions ( such as, comfort and discomfort, pain and pleasure, activity and recovery, health and injury), and more abstract or cognitive contradictions such as happiness and suffering, the mystical and the mundane, the absurd and the practical,  and finally that of self-indulgence against the awe of dissolving the self into the outside world.

These contradictions can play out in the short-term or over the long haul of a running practice, but when it comes to running there is nothing that more directly points out the importance of transcending these contradictions than a marathon race. Too much much momentary joy and too much ego-indulgence in the early parts of marathon race without the foresight to properly gauge ones limitations are sure to lead to what feels like a death march of suffering in the late stages the race. I know this well from past experience, and yet it remains a deceivingly difficult concept to employ in the moment.

With this in mind I have put together a soundtrack I will listen to during my up coming marathon in St George both to inspire and to remind. It is difficult to translate for a non-marathoner the experience of running a marathon so I am hoping the use of music and lyrics will help me in that translation. First I will present a fictional pre-race visualization of how I hope it goes. After the race I will present a slightly less fictionalized account ( since the language will under-describe the experience) :)

Unfortunately I developed a high hamstring issue during my taper. I was afraid I might not be able to run a complete race, but as it turned out I was able to adopt a slightly shorter stride and ran a pretty decent race. All post race additions will be in blue.

Waiting In a Chilled Darkness

The race begins at 6:45 am on the day of daylight savings change in Utah, and sunrise is not until about 7:30. I will be taking a 4am shuttle (equivalent to 2am Los Angeles time the day before) to the race starting point. This will leave about 1 hour and 40 minutes to wait for the race to begin. In this time period as I contemplate comedian Steven Wights one liner 'what is the speed of dark?' I will be listening to a classical music playlist that includes Beethoven's 9th, Bach's Brandenburg concerto, Vivaldi's 4 seasons, Tchaikovsky's  1812 overture, and Copeland's fanfare for the common man. I find each of these pieces to be simultaneously stirring and calming to various degrees which should create a nice mood for race preparation.

Miles 1 to 3 - (planned pace=7:56 Minutes Per Mile )
                       Actual pace=8:12 Minutes Per Mile )

It was apparent early on I would need to change plans as I was having hamstring pain from the outset and the first 3 miles were 16 seconds per mile slower than originally planned.
 
Van Morrison - is a long time favorite of mine. I haven't listened to him much in recent years so it was great fun re-connecting as I put this soundtrack together. The first track (Wild Night (youtube)) is a great one to get the mind and body moving as suggested in the lyric:

"And everything looks so complete, when you're walkin' out on the street
And the wind catches your feet, sends you flyin', cryin'
 Ooo-woo-wee! Wild night is calling,"

I think the 2nd track (Into The Mystic (youtube)) will capture the uncertainty that envelops the beginning of any marathon, especially one that begins running into pure darkness.

If their were two artists I could pick whose music brought forth within me feelings of pure joy it would be the great trumpeters Clifford Brown and Luis Armstrong. Track 3 is Browns' moving performance of 'A Night in Tunisia' (youtube)  . This live performance is bittersweet as it would be his last. Brown only 25, would not survive a car crash traveling in a rain storm between this gig and his next. This song always reminds me both of life's beauty and it's impermanence, and I always find it a privilege to experience the enduring gifts Brown left behind that live on.

Louis Armstrong - Stardust (youtube)

Miles 3 to 6 Planned Pace - (3-6=7:46 cumulative=7:51 Minutes Per Mile )
                      Actual  Pace - (3-6=7:56 cumulative=8:03 Minutes Per Mile )

 I settled into a somewhat better groove in this downhill stretch, still however 10 seconds below my planned pace for the section. My average HR for this section was 153 BPM which was higher than I wanted and a cause for concern. My shortened stride produced a higher cadence than usual (184 steps per minute at this point). This may have led to some decreased efficiency and possibly could explain the higher than expected HR., but this stride was really my only option.

Now well settled into the race after a brief celebration of the moon (Van Morrison - Moondance)

"Well, it's a marvelous night for a Moondance
......'Neath the cover of October skies....."

It is time time to take a nutrition gel and check myself so that I don't get to carried away with the surging endorphins. and quikened pace on this downhill section.

 Kurt Elling is  a personal favorite, and in my estimation the greatest vocalist of my generation. This next track of his 'Night Dreamer (youtube)'  always reminds me of the concept behind a tai chi movement I teach known as 'Lotus Sweep'. The meaning is that 'the calm is master of the overactive' which relates to finding stillness within activity. The eye of a hurricane is a good image for this concept. Here is part of Elling's Lyric that also conects to this meaning:

"I once was apprenticed to a man who was living
in the eye of the hurricane to know despair,

He knew all the dreams by heart just like sailing in a boat of
crystal silence seeing visions of the world of life within a life.
.......whirling it and swirling it and twirling it and hurling it
and overturning it and burning it again.

I shared a whirling dervish out on the side of a hill called metaphore
......And when he spoke to me he sang and his words really rang -
this child of the knowledge of the beauty of the night"

Nina Simone's haunting 'Black is the Color of my True Love's Hair  follows:

and then Elling again, this time with 'My Foolish Heart

"The night is like a lovely tune
Beware, my foolish heart
How white, the ever constant moon
Take care, my foolish heart

There's a line between love and fascination
That's hard to see, on an evening such as this
For they both give the very same sensation
When you're lost in the madness of a kiss" or a marathon :)

To experience a joyful marathon one must run the line with awareness of eventual physiological constraints which includes limiting the heart rate from rising too high too early in race. In this way paradoxically, freedom emerges from an understanding of constraint. I check to make sure my beats per minute stay below 147 at this stage.

Miles 6 to 9 Planned pace - ( 6-9=8:21, cumulative=8:01 Minutes Per Mile)
                       Actual pace - ( 6-9=8:38, cumulative=8:15 Minutes Per Mile )

This section includes a big hill and with my HR higher than hoped (154 for this stretch), I adjusted my pace accordingly.

Here I sneak in Carmen McCray singing Thelonius Monk's classic 'Round Midnight (youtube),' mostly because I just like it. The darkness is beginning to give way to tsunrise, and for the first time a horizon becomes visible. So appropriately the next track is Sun Ra's 'New Horizon (youtube)'. There is a significant hill climb between mile7 and mile 8, and I figured Ella Fitzgerald's light and energizing 'How High the Moon would be a nice distraction.

As the steepest climb has been ascended  what could be more apt then John Coltrane's majestic 'Softly as in a Morning Sunrise (youtube)' ?

Miles 9 to 12- Planned pace ( 9-12=8:29, cumulative=8:08 Minutes Per Mile) 
                           Actual pace ( 9-12=8:51, cumulative=8:16 Minutes Per Mile )

During this uphill section of rolling hills I stabilized my HR at 153 BPM, but this required some additional decrease in pace (22 seconds per mile for the section)

Miles 9 through 12 are characterized by the rolling Veyo hills and the emergence of daytime so I change the tempo a bit with some classic rock & roll starting off with Bruce Springsteen with 'Born to Run (live version)' and then 'Darkness on the Edge of Town (live version)', followed by Jackson Browne with 'Running on Empty (live version).'

"In 69 I was 21 and I called the road my own
I don't know when that road turned into the one I'm on....
running on empty, running blind...running into the sun but I'm running behind"

After mile 12 it is pretty much downhill, so I salute to the altitude after the climb and before the descent with Flora Purim and Return to Forever and Chick Corea's  '500 miles high (youtube)'

Miles 12 to 15- Planned pace ( 12-15=7:46, cumulative=8:03 Minutes Per Mile )
                          Actual pace ( 12-15=8:12, cumulative=8:22 Minutes Per Mile )

At this point in the race I knew I was not going to BQ and felt the priority was to keep my hamstring safe and my HR at 153 or lower. This required another additional decrease in pace ( now 26 seconds per mile for the section)

Mile 12 to 13 is a very slight downhill and I ease in to the halfway point of the race with BB King's - 'The Thrill is Gone' (youtube live with Bobby Blue Bland) in which his guitar belies the tracks title.

I fall into a nice downhill pace in stride with John Coltrane's Classic- Giant Steps (youtube), and once I find this new pace I am able to better appreciate the surrounding beauty while Kurt Elling sings 'Nature Boy'  must listen to 3:50 to 5:10 and 8:10 to 9:10

The downhill steepens between miles 14 and 15 and Mose Allison's 'Cruise Control' provides a reminder that while the downhill feels great at the moment there is plenty of race in front of me.
Again I summon Kurt Elling to help find this balance with his 'Eye of the Hurricane' (youtube).

"Dreaming you meet yourself, Broken open living free"

Miles 15 to 18- Planned pace ( 15-18=7:45, cumulative=8:00 Minutes Per Mile )
                            Actual pace ( 15-18=8:09, cumulative=8:20 Minutes Per Mile )

I was feeling pretty good for most of this section and my HR was maintained at 153 for the past 9 miles. Near mile 18 however I started to feel a sharp abdominal pain from too much GU without enough water to digest it properly.
This fast  section may include some of the most important miles of the race. It will be very important to maintain good downhill running form while maintaining a peaceful inner calm.

Next is Grant Green's crystal clear  toned guitar backed by John Coltrane's brilliant longtime piano player McCoy Tyner on Green's version of 'My Favorite Things (youtube). Followed by Van Mor;rison's beautiful title track from the crtically acclaimed album Astral Weeks (youtube). Bob Dylan's alltime classic finish' Like a Rollin Stone (youtbe)'  helps me roll through mile 18.

Miles 18 to 21- Planned pace ( 18-21=7:50, cumulative=7:59 Minutes Per Mile )
                          Actual pace ( 18-21=8:32, cumulative=8:22 Minutes Per Mile )

 I was feeling substantial abdominal pain for miles 18-20 and had to drop my pace accordingly. Having hit the wall at this stage in prior marathons I thought it could be happening yet again. I didn't hear much of the Hemdrix sequence but do remember focusing on the idea of the impermanence of the pain as 'Catlse made of sand played'. 'Castles made of sand fade into the sea..eventually', and so was the case with my pain which began to lift with  Curtis Mayfields  'Little child running wild'. 

Somewhere on this portion of the race I will come to a clearer understanding of my chances to acheive a Boston marathon qualifying time. Musicaly the section starts off with 3 tunes by the incomparable Jimi Hendrix.  The first two are slower tempo, beautify wistful, and melodic, peices and include his tribute to idealized femine energy in 'Little Wing' (youtube)
, and his touching ode to impermanence 'Castles made of sand' (youtube). I finish my hendrix tribute with 'All along the Watchtower' (youtube) which was ranked number 47 on rolling stones all time rock song list.

I love Curtis Mayfield's soudtrack to the movie 'Superfly' and it works well to acompany running so I sneak 3 tunes in here including 'Little Child Running Wild' (youtube), 'Pusherman (youtube), and Superfly (youtube).

Miles 21 to 24- Planned pace ( 21-24=7:54, cumulative=7:58 Minutes Per Mile )
                          Actual pace ( 21-24=8:15, cumulative=8:21 Minutes Per Mile )

 Unlike in prior marathons I was able to pick up the pace in these difficult late stage miles which felt good (psychologically). My HR climbed to 160 by mile 24 which I knew I could not sustain for long but I figured only a bit over 2 miles left so not a time to hold back anything.
Hopefully a combination of soul & blues will aid me through the most  challenging portion of the race by embracing the inevitable mental physical pain that is likely to present itself. I also interject some humor between the blues with the tracks by Mose Allison and Kurt elling.

Otis Redding has a way of penetrating deep into ones emotions acknowledging lifes pains but somehow always grounded in a sense of hope. His  'Pain in My Heart' (youtube) is then lightened up with Mose Allison's humorous  'You Call it Joggin (youtube live version).

 A little bit of macho man blues next with the great Howlin Wolf and 'Tail Dragger' (youtube).

Kurt Elling's  'Endless' (youtube) feels perfect here as he lets loose an an extemporaneous word association that is simultanepusly non-sensical and hilarious:

"trees and breasts and atoms, oxygen, oxygen and plants.........ICE CREAM!!.........."

 For me I think it captures the absuridty of this section of a marathon with the random thoughts that tend to cross ones mind. Next back to reality with the king of the delta blues Robert Johnson and Hellound on my Trail  (youtube)

"Got to keep movin, Got to keep movin, Blues falling down like hail...
and the day keeps on winding with a hell-hound on my trail....."

 Van Morrison's uplifting 'St. Dominicks Preview' (youtube) gears me up for the finish.

Miles 24 to 26.2- Planned pace ( 24-26.2=8:02, final=7:59 Minutes Per Mile )
                               Actual pace ( 24-26.2=8:33, final=8:22Minutes Per Mile)
Final Time 3:39:34

The last mile was pretty tough, it was warm and I was spent. Despite a bit slower than the original plan I felt good about my race execution, and my capacity to maintain a relatively high HR throughout the race. It was a substantial PR, yet I feel I can go faster so we will see if can follow through on that sense in my next race ( likely May 2015).
The finish line is now close enough to provide extra motivation. Excitement and fatigue are entangled and Kurt Elling 's  esoteric lyric from 'Tanya Jean' captures the moment well.

            "'Come dancing with me in a little dream, Tanya Jean',
              Said Prophet-Man-With-One-Hand-Put-Away.......

'My friend, take your practiced powers and stretch them across the  void until everything living has a chance to ponder every contradiction.

that might be everyone's Doable mission.....................Hermann Hesse said it:

'You'll search for truth among The planets and never find a truer voice
than that Voice which is calling it out to you – calling you to......Go dance in the whirlwind.' For those who have heard It, .............
.............It's saying, 'Go moaning and groaning, alone-ing.
Go Rolling on the breast of earth......Pow! Poof.
The dreaming was over. But Prophet-Man had Put mind into motion:'"

A potential BQ time ( <3 hr 30 minutes ) may be possible and I dig deep as suggested by
Van Morrison's 'Listen to the Lion' (youtube)

The result ???? 

Final Time 3:39:34