cycleology

Meditation is a powerful tool I entirely discovered lately from Sam Harris’s Podcast and Waking Up App. Only today, realizing I unwittingly meditated my way thru my last New York City Marathon.

While shooting this Burro Racing story, I encountered Lynette Clemons. Lynette, a world-class marathoner, recommended a Pace Chart laminated and tapped to my forearm for my upcoming marathon. Anyone who can run 26 miles with a Burro can advise me. It’s all in the experiences.

This Pace Chart consisted of different thought or key word for each mile with my anticipated time per mile. A thought, a name, a place, a lake, a friend, a lover, an idea, a concept, a memory per mile. This list formed what I now call Lynette’s Meditation Mind Map of the New York Marathon.

Subsequently I experienced my fastest, smoothest, most comfortable, and most effortless of my seven journeys to Central Park. It was the realignment of mismanaged thoughts thru meditation and some focused breathing. The few times I felt taxed, I just relaxed, extended my stride with my breath, and returned to effortless striding as the miles vanished from view.

My previous New York Marathons were mental struggles against perceived distance.

This last Marathon seemed like a dance through time and space in the perpetual motion of my minds possibilities. Floating from foot to foot, thought to thought, glancing the earth’s surface with my souls just enough to maintain this perfect balance, propelling me, floating me through time and space effortlessly in an ocean of like-minded humanity.

This New York run with Lynette’s Meditation Mind Map was an entirely unexplored marathon experience. No cramps, no pain, no strain, no mental drudgery.

Having this course memorized was a valued mental asset I was glad to have on board, and these experiences formed an unforeseen dynamic synergy with Lynette’s Meditation Map as the miles rolled by nearly unnoticed. My last three miles of that day were my three fastest of the day as this, too, had never happened to me in Central Park prior.

I made a right at Columbus Circle and scampered up the last hill and crossed the line feeling rather good and a bit in shock over this painless state of the day. I walked briskly to the UPS truck, changed my clothes, and walked two carefree miles to dinner with friends.

I see today, fourteen years later now more enlightened by Sam Harris, that I meditated my way effortlessly through twenty-six miles of New York’s time and space. I still feel that state of effortless effort and relaxed striding just thinking about it. The marathon is more of a wrangling of one’s mind vs a challenge to one’s body.

Thanks Lynette. I see now that life is a meditation and better late than never.

PS I’m glad they don’t allow Burro’s in the New York Marathon.