Flyer Mondays

Jon L

Do you like to run?  Of course you do!  You’re a Flyer and that’s what we do.  I had the good fortune to stumble upon the Flyers when I moved back to NYC a few years ago and I am richer in friends and running experience as a result. 

I am writing today about the Monday night group run.  This run has long been a staple of the Flyer’s calendar and is one of my favorites.  The chief ringleader of this run is Anick J with special guest leader appearances by some of our fellow Flyers from time to time (including Maribeth C, Brett S and Mark R).  Mark also frequently provides the services of his Jeep as baggage storage to facilitate the run.  

It is a great way to get a jump on the week’s training on a scenic course with a group of people who genuinely love to run.  Who could ask for anything more?   We meet at 13^th and 8^th (west side of Jackson Square park – close to stops for the A,C,E,1,2,3,L) and make our way down the west side including portions of Battery Park and the Hudson Greenway. 

The map at the right shows the general course of the run.  Please pardon the obvious GPS issues in Battery Park City.  Some people blame the tall buildings for causing GPS issues, or it could be the proximity to Goldman Sachs causing a ripple in the time-space continuum.  Perhaps if you join us, you can help us sort out this thorny issue.

So what is so special about this run?  For me it involves the three things that I like about running.

Thing 1 – Running with people

My own running tends to be a solitary effort most of the time.  The combination of a busy work schedule and a long commute leads to many runs done at odd hours.  Monday nights are a welcome oasis on my training calendar as I get to have a run with some fellow Flyers that always makes the 6 miles feel very short.  A nice range of running paces is available, so I can always find someone to run with whether I am doing a recovery run or something more up tempo. Just look at these smiling faces:

Michael R, Liz R, Nick J, Mark R and Brett S

Thing 2 – Running outside in a scenic place

For those of you who have not run on the Hudson Greenway, you are missing one of the gems of the city.   I live downtown and do most of my runs along the Hudson.  It is really a runner’s paradise where you can typically run in an non-crowded space (compared to Central Park) while being safe from cars.  On Monday nights, we are frequently treated to views like this one:

Thing 3 – Proper post-run hydration and refueling

As runners, we all know how important it is to properly hydrate and refuel after a run to facilitate recovery.  Given that my fellow Flyers are wise and caring about my health, I am touched by their efforts to make sure that I do not ignore this important part of proper training.  Accordingly, on the first Monday of the month, the run typically ends in an establishment that offers the correct post-run recovery nutrition.   Below is a typical example of a carbohydrate enriched beverage that we consume:

So there you have it…a nice run with great people in a scenic place with beer.  I can’t think of a better way to start my training week.  I hope to see you there next Monday.

-Jon L.

Read more...

Runs to Beautiful Places: Carl Schurz Park to Wave Hill via the South Bronx

To the reader: this post is 2nd of a series of posts I hope to submit approximately monthly involving beautiful destinations. These will primarily be parks you may never have visited. They are all “medium” length runs (8-12 miles) which you could easily lengthen by adding appropriate mileage at the start. In the future I hope to include the Cloisters, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and maybe even Brooklyn's Greenwood Cemetery. I hope you like these reports and better still, I hope you do these runs! Comments are welcome.

Papa Bear

A week after the Boston Unity Run, my friend Melissa C and I ran from the Willis Avenue Bridge to Wave Hill, something over 9 miles. Normally we would start at Carl Schurz Park which would bring the mileage up to just under 12. This account will give directions from that park.

I've run to Wave Hill with my friends numerous times. The most interesting route — but alas, the most complicated — was one we did in July of 2011 in which we attempted to run though just about every park in Manhattan and the Bronx and avoid streets as much as possible. We managed to hit 12 parks in that epic run which is documented here: Carl Schurz Park to Wave Hill – 12 City Parks and Hardly a Traffic Light. Today's run was much simpler: besides the two end points, we just hit 2 parks (Franz Sigel and Inwood Hill) or 4 if you count the East River and Harlem River Promenades.

As for the photos, I've combined shots from several runs with my running friends Susan and Melissa. Those with sharp eyes will be able to tell the April photos from the July photos from the tree foliage.

The Big Picture

Basically, you start at Carl Schurz Park, go up along the East River, over the Willis Avenue Bridge and through the South Bronx, then back into Manhattan and follow the Harlem River up to Dyckman Street. Go along Dyckman Street to the West Side, head up through Inwood Hill Park and cross over the Henry Hudson Bridge to the Bronx again. Then a straight shot north along Independence Avenue will get you to Wave Hill. Check out this map:

 

        Click for the on-line USATF map 

       

One advantage of this route is that there is much less elevation gain (aka hills) than the other route — see the elevation profile below. 

The only hills are the modest one in the South Bronx which rises to the view point in Franz Sigel Park at mile 4½, the climb from the Macomb's Dam Bridge to the Harlem River entrance ramp at mile 6, and the one up to the Henry Hudson Bridge in Inwood Hill Park at mile 10, which extends into Riverdale all the way to Wave Hill. That last, I would say, is the only one that qualifies as a "real" hill.

And the long stretches along the East River and Harlem River are quite pleasant. Check the map for the big picture; the details follow.

The East River Promenade and the South Bronx

I make a point of describing most of the runs in this blog as starting in Carl Schurz Park. That helps the reader in making comparisons with other runs, and in point of fact, my friends and I often do start our runs there, although in the April version of this run we cut off several miles at the beginning. But Carl Schurz is where we start this idealized version. This park is a natural meeting spot for upper East Side runners planning to do some miles up or down the East River and is easy for non Upper East Siders to get to by bus or, heaven forbid, running to.

From the park, head north along the river to the pedestrian overpass at around 120th Street. Head over to First Avenue and up and over the Willis Avenue Bridge (note: the bridge was under construction in my photo, but it's all done now). Once in the Bronx, zigzag over to Morris Avenue and go up to 144th Street. This is the first major street that passes over the tracks. Turn right at the Grand Concourse and in about 4 block you will get to Franz Sigel Park on the left. This has a nice viewpoint about half way through and then you will be back on the Grand Coucourse.

The Lorelei Statue

After one long block (passing the huge Bronx court house on the left you will reach 161st Street, a very busy thoroughfare. Cross the street and pass by Joyce Kilmer Park ( I think that I will never see a poem as lovely as a tree ...) with it's lovely Lorelei statue. Continue past the new Yankee Stadium and get onto the Macomb's Dam Bridge. You'll get nice views up the Harlem River and soon you'll be back in Manhattan bon 155th Street. There, the South Bronx wasn't so bad, was it?

Back to Manhattan and Along the Harlem River Promenade

The Henry Hudson Bridge

After crossing over the Macomb's Dam Bridge, go up the hill to the Harlem River Drive entrance ramp which goes down the hill to the left. Stay on the pedestrian walkway — watch out for bikes — and make sure you stay on the main road which will put you on the outside of the highway, right by the river. Follow the river about two miles and you will arrive at the lovely Swindler's Cove Park (maintained by Bette Midler's NY Restoration Project). Take a little break here and use the bathrooms if you need to.

Cross Tenth Avenue and go all the way to the Hudson River on Dyckman Street. This is a fairly busy urban throughway with lots of places to get food or drinks, and which crosses both the #1 train (overhead) and the A-train (underground) — in case you need to bail out. After passing under the 3 bridges, enter Inwood Hill Park just before the river and head north. Stay on the right (easternmost) walkway. Cross the pedestrian bridge over the tracks and head left (north). After passing the short stub of a walkway on the right which goes under the highway, go north and head rightt at the fork, up a steep hill. This will get you to the Henry Hudson Bridge and the end of this section. Get ready, you are about to reenter the Bronx!

Independence Avenue in the Riverdale Section of the Bronx

Independence Ave. at Kapock St.

Cross the Harlem River Ship Canal (a widened section of what used to be Spuyten Duyvil Creek built in the late 19th Century). At the Bronx side of the Bridge, get on the sidewalk and go left on Kapock Street (the first cross street you will come to) and in one short block you will be at Independence Avenue with the Henry Hudson Park across the street. Feel free to explore that park, but I'll continuie this narative along Independence Avenue.

Independence Avenue is one of those Riverdale streets that occasionally disappears and reappears. It starts as a broad street alternatively passing though neighborhoods of condos, churches, synagogues and schools and neighborhoods of really big mansions. At 246th street it becomes a private, narrow and unkept lane and at 247th Street it appears to disappear altogether!

Fear not! Just turn right up the hill and you will shortly come to what appears to be a driveway heading down to the left. You may see a hand lettered sign which says "Alderbrook/PRIVATE/NO WAY THROUGH". Although true for cars, it is open to pedestrians and it's actually shown on the map. Just go down and circle around (please avoid going up someone's driveway) and you will eventually come out to guess what? Independence Avenue! Then in about 300 yards you will be at the entrance to Wave Hill. And if it's 11:59 AM or earlier you can enter free. Since we are never late , I don't know what the admission cost is. Hopefully you won't need to find out.

Wave Hill 

Wave Hill Entrance on Independence Avenue

If you have never been to Wave Hill, or in fact never heard of it, you are in for a real treat. It's a 28 acre estate overlooking the Hudson River in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. It has two mansions, a green house, a gift shop, a café and acres and acres of beautiful lawns and gardens. It's owned by New York City and you can enter free of charge on Saturday's before 12 noon. Here's their web site: Wave Hill. And here's the Wikipedia entry: Wave Hill Wikipedia Entry. In April the mansions were being renovated, but we enjoyed the grounds anyway. It was built in 1843 and in 1903 it was enlarged by the acquisition of the adjacent estate of Glyndor. It was built in the era when the rich and famous had mansions on the heights along the Hudson from New York City to West Point and beyond. The Cloisters, Lyndhurst, Nevis and the Rockefeller estates in Tarryrtown come to mind.

Glyndon House at Wave Hill

During the many visits we have made over the years we usually start by strolling the grounds (enough already with running!) and generally visit the green house where we might buy a plant or the gift shop where we might buy a gift or the café where we might buy some food and drink — but enough already with shopping! If you get there you'll have no trouble relaxing and enjoying yourself. Wave Hill Scene

Food and Transportation

I haven't forgotten that when you run a long run, especially in summer, you don't want to be left in some spot where there's nothing to eat or drink and no convenient way to get back home. You can eat on site at Wave Hill or nearby (nearby, that is, for a runner like you), and transit is also available within walking distance (walking distance, that is, for a runner ). Here' a summary from the other Wave Hill run report mentioned above on food and transportation:

Map: For a full size map: Click Here

Food: For food there is a café in the southern mansion with a reasonable menu of ready-made soups, sandwiches and the like, with an assortment of soft drinks, beer and wine. You can eat outside on a lovely terrace with river views. For traditional pub food, there is an excellent Irish pub/restaurant, An Beal Bocht, with a good brunch menu about a mile distant, and it's right on the way to the subway. I've eaten at both places many times.

Transit: Wave Hill has a web page outlining directions to and from the site by train, bus, subway or car: Wave Hill Directions. You can walk to the subway or the Metro North station or get a free shuttle bus (see next).

Shuttle: A free shuttle bus leaves the Wave Hill gate at 20 minutes past the hour to get you to the Riverdale Metro North station for the New York bound train. A free shuttle leaves the gate on the hour to take you down to the subway with a drop off near the 242nd Street No. 1 train station. I've never taken this shuttle, so to confirm schedule and availability, check with the guard when you go in.

Train: The fastest way back to the city is to take the Metro North train from the Riverdale station, a little over a half mile from Wave Hill, all down hill. Just walk out the Wave Hill gate, go left on Independence Avenue to 252nd Street, which is the end of the Wave Hill property. Go left down the hill and then bear right on Sycamore Avenue which will shortly get you to 254th Street. Go left on 254th down the hill to the station. At the train station you should buy a ticket from the machine — it costs more if you pay on the train. The New York bound trains are on the other side — use the overpass.

The train is more expensive than the subway but it's closer to Wave Hill and and much faster to get you to mid town (30 minutes to Grand Central). The one way off-peak price to Grand Central is $5.75 ($3.75 for seniors). Inbound trains leave every hour at 36 minutes past the hour. Here's the schedule: Metro North Schedule.

Subway: The IRT No. 1 train's last stop at 242nd Street and Broadway is the closest subway station. It's about a mile and a quarter from Wave Hill, almost all down hill. I've walked it many times. Just head out the gate and go straight east on 249th Steet, to the Henry Hudson Parkway. Go right along the parkway to the 246th Street overpass and go all the way east on 246th to Post Road. Turn right down the hill on Post Road and you'll end up right next to the subway station. Beware of weekend interruptions to the No. 1 train service. Check the alerts on the MTA web site (here) before you go.

This post is adapted from a report that originally appeared on Papa Bear's web site: Run to Wave Hill via the South Bronx.

- Papa Bear (Richard G.)

Read more...

Laurie Harris Hope and Dreams 5K

Scott C

Chemo, coffee and courage throughout

I started to think about writing this when I recently had coffee with Laurie Harris and Paco “the wonder dog” at our usual meeting place, the Starbucks on Second Ave and 81^st street. It was on a Monday and the morning started out grey and drab, but by mid-afternoon the sun was shining.

Laurie with Paco

I knew it was Laurie’s birthday and I was pleasantly surprised when she called me to say she was nearby and wondered if I had time for coffee. We’ve been trying to meet somewhat regularly these past several months either through our race committee, which consists of me, Laurie, Betsy P, and Heather M. or on our own at Starbucks to discuss the race, my upcoming wedding plans, how she and her husband Neal L are doing and to watch Paco a young boisterous Portuguese water dog nap diligently next to Laurie.

As I mentioned, it was a Monday, it was her birthday and it was also the day she goes and receives chemotherapy. But if you know Laurie or have seen her these past several months, getting pumped full of chemo on your birthday at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) and then meeting a bud for coffee is just a piece of cake.

I’ve always believed that running has either given me certain qualities, or has enhanced in me those qualities, that can help me go the extra mile when life itself presents its challenges or when one can lose perspective on what is truly important on our journeys through this life.  Laurie inspires these qualities in me, as well.

Let’s dance in style, let's dance for a while, heaven can wait we’re only watching the skies

I’ve also come to see that belonging to a club like the Flyers can inspire, aspire and forge long-standing friendships.

Surrounded by like minded folk who lace on running shoes to free their minds of stress for a little while, find their creativity, set and exceed goals, rip up their bodies, and to sweat. To do what they may once have thought was highly unlikely if not impossible until they laced up those shoes and joined a club like the NYF and discovered that the only limits are those we place on ourselves.

Can you imagine when this race is won turning our faces into the sun

Next year, our club will celebrate 25 years of camaraderie, PR’s, parties, memories and people that have helped shape our club, given it a soul, a character and a special place within the NYC running community.

I’ve often though that the best quality of being in the Flyers was the voice many have found, the personality many have developed, and the numerous ways many have gone on to use both and to continue to make us a better organization.

For years now the concept of the Flyers creating our own race has been discussed and conceptualized, but for various reasons had just never gotten off the ground beyond talk.  But at the start of this year, one of our own, our Laurie, became the catalyst for us to finally stop talking about doing a race and to create one on her behalf.  The courage she shows as she fights every minute of every day to keep running, keep living and to continue to embrace those qualities as a runner have gotten her far in life and serves as an inspiration for us all.

It’s so hard to get old without a cause I don’t want to perish like a fading horse

Racing Mini 10K, August 2001

Laurie Harris is a long time member of our club, very well known throughout the running community and cannot be missed when seen running in Central Park with both her distinctive running gait and long blond curly hair. While the hair has been replaced with an auburn colored wig of late due to frequent doses of chemotherapy, Laurie can still be seen often running and racing in CP nearly two years since her diagnosis of pancreatic cancer on August 29, 2011.

Her running resume boasts an impressive 540 races and 14 NYC marathons, the first marathon being in 1992, which many will remember as the year NYRR visionary and leader Fred Lebow ran with the great marathon champion Grete Waitz at his side mile after mile after mile during his own battle with cancer.

To offer a brief timeline, at the start of 2013 after agreeing to terms with Steve Lastoe of NYC RUNS, the Flyers Executive and Advisory Boards signed off on the creation of what would become the inaugural Laurie Harris Hope and Dreams 5K to benefit pancreatic cancer research at MSKCC.

We were offered a range of dates between August-October and a choice of venue between Fireman’s Field on Roosevelt Island and Riverside Park in Manhattan.  We looked at running calendars and decided that a Saturday morning on Roosevelt Island on August 10^th could work as there were no local road races that weekend and the flat course Roosevelt Island provides great views, free of any traffic, and otherwise provided us the best venue to race in and to invite those who might want to walk the course.

During February and March we realized our work was only beginning as we reviewed a race budget and sought out much needed help through race sponsorship. Getting sponsors would be our greatest challenge as we were often rejected, but we kept at it believing that people, companies and others would come through––and like Laurie’s faith and courage we would not be denied!

With June upon us, and the race now only two months away, we still have a lot more to do but we have received invaluable help from individuals and companies who have agreed to sponsor us, including Skechers, the NYRR, the Running Company, the Mars Co and the National Pancreatic Foundation.

I also am deeply touched and want to thank two of our own teammates who approached me and asked how much do we need to get this race off without a hitch.  Flyers Sungwon Huang with Joe Jones, and Howard Brown, we are all deeply grateful for your very generous financial donation to help insure that indeed this race will go off without a hitch!

The race is scheduled for Saturday, August 10th, at 9:30 AM.  You may register right now by clicking HERE.

With two months remaining an appeal, please!

If you feel you can help in any way, including if you think you can provide an introduction to someone or a company or corporation that might want to play a role in our developing the race then, please, we need your help now!  Click here to contact me if you wish to help out.

Racing Club Team Championships 2012

Thanks for reading this and we will continue to keep you updated these last two months!  Please note:

• We hope to see you at the summer party our sponsor Skechers has agreed to host in their showroom on Thursday night July 25^th 717 Fifth Avenue Suite 494!  
• The party will go from 6:30-8:30 PM and refreshments will be served.  We will be offering anybody who would like to register for the race immediate on site registration by bringing either a CC a check or cash in the amount of $25.  
• An RSVP will be required as building security requests it and a photo ID will be required for admittance to the building and the party.  
• Details will be posted on Flyers FB, including a sign-up sheet on the Flyers website.
• For folks who'd like to donate to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on behalf of Laurie, a separate Giving Page has been set up and you may click HERE to donate. 
• You also can "like" and follow the Laurie Harris Hope and Dreams 5K on Facebook––Laurie's daughter, Tracey Rediker, created the Facebook page for the race and you may click HERE to view it.

Laurie Strikes a Pose with Daughter Tracey

Finally, some of you will recognize the following lyrics, but if not I'll make mention that throughout writing this piece for the blog, Alphaville’s “Forever Young” kept playing in my head.  And so I want to leave you with this last verse and with a thank you on behalf of Laurie and our race committee for all of your support!

So many adventures couldn’t happen today

So many songs we forgot to play

So many dreams are swinging out of the blue

We let them come true

Go Flyers!!! 

-Scott C.

Read more...

The Race Buddy Training Method

Michael R

I was sitting on pins and needles, eagerly awaiting the launch of the Flyers’ new Marathon Training Program.  The program would be unveiled soon and I was watching for news.  I also knew it would be a special program this year and very different from the previous program we offered.  Then, late one night our president, Alan G., posted an announcement that we would be partnering with the New York Road Runners (NYRR) in their Race Buddy program.  I thought, “This must be it!  The new Marathoin Training Program!!”  With space limited to only ten participants, I signed up immediately without even reading the details.  I got in and I knew it would be great!

Flyer Race Buddies and Course Marshalls included:
Joanna C, Dave K, Noirin L, Lara K, Wendy B, Michael R, Maribeth C (Course Marshall), Josefine I (Course Marshall), John McC,  plus Lizabeth R (blue cap), Meredith J (pink socks), and Amy S (Course Marshall but not pictured here)

The program launched on June 2nd at the annual NYRR Celebrate Israel Run 4-Mile Race.  Program participants were instructed to arrive at 6AM for introductions.  This all seemed a bit unusual to me.  I’m not normally an early morning runner but I had high expectations and trusted that the program would be worth it.   It seemed particularly odd to be kicking off the program in conjunction with a major race.  However, I decided to “go with the flow” and implicitly trust my new guru coaches, whoever they would be.

On that morning the coaches arrived at their own rhythm and seemed to be a somewhat ragtag group.  As we were assigned to our coaches I sensed that this would definitely not be a typical marathon training program.  Plus I soon felt self-conscious and ill-equipped, noticing that one of my Flyer friends came armed with a walkie-talkie in case she got lost running along the course.

Flyers Course Marshall Maribeth C

One feature of the program that immediately struck me was that the ratio of participants to coaches was completely reversed.  I had six coaches assigned just to me!  They called themselves the Tappan Tigers.  They seemed to be a bit short and on the youngish side, but I was determined to simply let go and trust.  It was time for the program and the race to start.

I had thought they were simply late in arriving but there was method to their madness.  The first lesson my new coaches taught me was:  rather than jostling for a corral position near the front of the race pack, enter the corrals at the rear after two-thirds of the runners have already crossed the start line.  This was simply brilliant.  We were able to start running immediately and there was no half-stepping toward the start line or pesky runners behind us!

My six coaches immediately scattered in as many different directions and left me wondering what I was supposed to do next.  This was a great lesson in race stress management and a testament to their coaching wisdom.  I was forced to let go of my anxiety and just let things unfold.  I kept running toward the start line trusting that they would find me when I needed them.  This, in fact, did happen.  Soon after I crossed the start line my two principal coaches, Shankea and Elijah, were waiting for me as they strolled along the course.  Thus the real training began as I adjusted my pace to match my coaches’.   The other four coaches had vanished mysteriously and I wondered what they had in store for me.

With Two of My Coaches

Shankea and Elijah had devised for me a very unorthodox training protocol.  The primary strategy was a radical run/walk method but much less focused on the run part.  I learned much from them as the day progressed.  This is the core of what they taught me: 

• Pace yourself.  A very hot and humid day might not be the best day to push your limits or to run four miles if you’ve never run more than three before.  In fact, on a day like that it might be enough to just run through the corrals to the start line.
• Enjoy the course.  Look around, particularly if you don’t spend much time in Central Park.  Who knows what that squirrel might be up to?
• Hydrate.  Stop and take a cup of water whenever one is offered.  In fact, stop and take five.  
• Listen to your body.  Potty stops can offer an unexpected opportunity to relax and unwind.
• Know your priorities.  It can be very comforting to stop and hug a tree, as Elijah showed me.
• Improvise.  When your legs are tired, anything makes a good seat.
• Mix it up.  Sometimes skipping can make the time pass more quickly.
• Perception is reality.  Believing there is a pebble in your shoe is the same as there actually being one in there.  You might as well take your shoe(s) off to make sure.
• Let go of your ego.  Every once in a while it’s OK to remind yourself that you’ve entered a race by running for a few yards.  But there’s no shame in just walking if that’s all your legs have in them.
• Motivation matters.  Knowing that there’s a lottery at the end of the race might be very exciting but may not necessarily provide enough motivation to reach the finish line any sooner than you’re ready to.  An Xbox might have done it, though.
• Know your reserves.  No matter how tired you are, you always have enough energy to sprint the final 50 yards of your race.
• Learn.  An hour-and-a-half is all it takes to make friends from perfect strangers.  Everyone has a great story to tell, irrespective of his or her age, and time passes much more enjoyably when you’re sharing stories.

If you haven’t caught on yet, this was not the launch of the new Flyers Marathon Training Program.  Rather, the Flyers were invited by New York Road Runners to participate in their Race Buddy program at the Celebrate Israel run.  It’s a nice program in which experienced runners are paired with kids during a race to help them appreciate running and motivate them to the finish.

Getting Instructions from NYRR Before the Race

Nine other Flyers also participated and were assigned to different kids.  Our experiences varied widely.  I was assigned a group of city kids from PS 46 (The Arthur Tappan School) between 10-13 years old who were thrilled to simply reach the end of a 4-mile course and sprint across the finish line.  I shared the thrill.

Flyer Race Buddies Lara K, Dave K, Michael R and Wendy B

Dave K's Young Runner
Katherine from the NEST School
Finishes Her First Ever Race

Mysteriously my other four “coaches” somehow found me within half a mile of the finish.  Some were ahead and some were behind but, in the end, we all came together and found the finish line.  This last lesson was “Trust.”  It didn’t matter that the main race was over, the mats pulled, and the lottery already called… these guys had a great time and were proud of their efforts.  I was proud of them, too.  I’d recommend the experience to anyone.

-Michael R.

Read more...

A Short Video: On Running

Ilana S

My fine friend Ilana S, a Dashing Whippet and Friend of Flyers, is generally a solitary and very speedy runner, a writer, a psychologist, and an otherwise seemingly interesting person.  Lately, she's been creating short multi-media presentations as a means to express herself.  She combines her thoughts, drawings, voice, and music to conjure up short videos.  Some of the videos she's posted pertain to the novel she's been writing.

Recently, Ilana posted a short video that she calls On Running.  I think it's delightful and powerful.  There's a stream of consciousness about it that resonates with me as it brings to mind my own thoughts, feelings, epiphanies, ramblings, nonsense, brilliance, purposefulness, pride, playfulness, peacefulness, loneliness,aggression, curiosity, and other happenings that I sometimes experience when on the run.  Yet, while her video seems to open a window into my own mind it also let's the viewer into the very intimate and personal perspective offered by Ilana by allowing entrance into her mind.

Click on the picture please, above (or click HERE), to view Ilana's video.  

I hope you may enjoy it, too.  Including as a bit of a tribute to Ray Manzarek of the Doors who died in May.

Dave K
Flyers Blogmaster

Read more...