If we really want to get rid of suffering, completely and totally, then clinging has to go. The spiritual path is never one of achievement; it is always one of letting go. The more we let go, the more there is empty and open space for us to see reality. Because what we let go of is no longer there, there is the possibility of just moving without clinging to the results of the movement. As long as we cling to the results of what we do, as long as we cling to the results of what we think, we are bound, we are hemmed in. Meditating on No-Self: A Dhamma Talk (Edited for Bodhi Leaves), by Sister Khema(1994)








Sunday, May 13, 2012

A two country post

Haven't posted since the Wednesday day off run.  I ran another nice 12k on Thursday which was a slow stroll around the usual route.  My feet keep hurting.  The event of the run was that I took a fall at about 11.5 km that gave me a variety of road rash.  I lost concentration on the "trail", aka the roads/sidewalks of Kyiv and stumbled over a man hole that was about a foot above the pavement level.

I had hoped to run on Friday morning, but I was catching an 11 a.m. flight to Frankfurt Germany and just didn't get out of bed at 5:30 to make it happen.  Its 45 minutes to the airport in Kyiv so the time would have been run at 6 finish around 7, get ready, find a taxi leave at 8:30 for the airport.  So, me and the alarm clock did not get along so I didn't run.  My day was spent walking airports.  I flew from Kyiv to Frankfurt, a badly designed festival that required about 2 km of walking just to get from my first plane, out of the security area, to the Qatar Airways counter to get my next tickets then a train to the next terminal then another 1 km walk to the gate.

Frankfurt to Doha Oman on Qatar Airways was almost 7 hours and then I did the sprint with a one hour transfer window to catch a flight to Muscat, Oman.

I'm in Muscat Oman doing a quality assessment of the Foundation Programme of the College of Banking and Finance.  Basically determining how to improve the English language training for Omani nationals.

I started work on Saturday at 7:30 after getting in the bed at 3 a.m.  First things first.  It is HOT!  I lived in Saudi Arabia for a year plus another 6 months in the military, but I am spending some time reacclimating.  That is to say drinking water constantly.

After working all day I decided to fore go running outside, I didn't feel acclimated yet so I went to the hotel gym and ran on this great treadmill for 10k.  It had a television and the Doha Diamond League meeting was on.  Its nice to run slowly on  a treadmill and watch Kenyans run under 8 minutes for a 3000m Steeplechase!  All in all it was a nice slow run, bu there was a mirror there and all I can say is I look fat and out of shape.  I also did core exercises yesterday.

Today I went for a run outside.  You might remember I blogged about running in strange cities and how interesting it is.  Nothing different here.  I had a basic route mapped out, but then that all changes with construction.  So I just ran a bit and there was a mix of trails, grass, dirt, marble, brick and asphalt.  The statistic of the day  38 C or 100.7 F!  Hot, not humid, windy, and dry.  You just can't run quick in that weather, you've got to stay calm and remember where you are.  It is like orienteering.

A very nice run.  So, 4 days, 3 runs, two countries.  Nice.

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