The running, and the running... and the running

Over three hours later, we make it back to the store. We ran from North Van over the Second Narrows, Burrard and Lionsgate Bridges today. My knee is messed and it's anyone's guess as to whether it will be in good shape before the marathon or not.
Highlights of the run (besides running three bridges)? Some of the people that are running the Boston Marathon next week came out to cheer us on: that was totally motivational. The different pace groups wore different colors and everyone (bar one) in our group was wearing red today so we were like this roving, running gang flitting through different parts of Vancouver this morning. The weather was awesome. I had to duck in and use the washroom near Granville Island and I told my group I would catch up with them, but when I came out my group leader was waiting for me. It was really unexpected and nice because it was - obviously - quite a bit of work to rejoin our group and we were starting to flag a little because at that point we'd run about ten miles. I made our group laugh a few times. When we were grinding up the endless, curving road up to Prospect Point one of the guys said, "Alright guys: be strong. Be proud" and I said, "A-, I can do one, but I don't have it in me to do both". I went with strong. It was also great to pass so many other running clinics and share the road with other fellow runners. And, as always, running a ridiculous distance with a bunch of fabulous, encouraging and like minded people tends to make you feel better about yourself and the human race overall. It puts things in perspective.
Michael and I went for coffee afterwards, then I went home, read and started to fall asleep. I napped for about an hour but the searing leg pain made it a bit hard to doze off. Got up, Michael called (yes, this was the weekend of Michael but I don't care because I think he's the only that can deal with me when I'm having "issues", and it has been an "issue" laden few days for this kid) and we grabbed some sushi. And then...
... we rented the best movie. It did not do well in theatres and critics panned it. I loved it. I recommend it totally and encourage you to go and rent it. It's called "Lions for Lambs" and it has Robert Redford, Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise in it. It deals with war in the Middle East, value systems, complacency, political ambition and integrity in journalism. I almost didn't get it, but fuck am I glad I did. It was just an excellent and timely movie. I really tried to to keep it together at the end because I'm not a big cryer, but then when Michael saw me take off my glasses and pinch the bridge of my nose and said, "How are you doing, potpie?" I lost it. I just started crying and crying and I cried for quite a while. Michael mentioned that the movie touched on a lot of points that he and I had discussed in the past, and it opened up another dialogue about the future of humanity and apathy and just what in the hell we're supposed to do. I stated that I was glad that I wasn't having children and he said that made him sad. It boils down to Michael being a little more positive about the direction that humanity is taking and he said that he has to believe that things are changing and that people will start to change for the better, otherwise why get out of bed in the mornings? I don't know, man. People blow my fucking mind every day. I won't even get into how wasteful and ignorant I think the majority of the population is (myself included) and I said I felt that it was like a race between the end of oil and the turmoil that would ensue (increased food and transportation costs, more fighting, more poverty) and humanity's realization that the rate at which we consume cannot be sustained therefore we need to all give up a little.
Then the argument moved to war. This isn't the first war, nor will it be the last and I expressed my regret that we don't seem to be learning anything. I thought the last Vietnam was the last one. You know what I mean? We're supposed to learn from our mistakes and I just feel like we're getting a failing grade. Ah. This blog is going on far, far too long. Let's just say that this movie got me crying and ranting and talking and it takes quite a lot for me to get there.
I tried to see Michael's side and to have some faith in a possible positive outcome for all the shit that's currently going on. He made some good points about being optimistic, and about people that we know trying very hard to make changes in the world. And he made a good point too, that we were fortunate enough to have seen the movie, and that we were sensical enough that this movie moved us, instead of rendering us apathetic and wondering when "Dancing with the Stars" would be coming on, and that Robert Redford is even around and making movies such as these and that he created the Sundance Film Festival.
When I wrote my last blog entry I was somewhat influenced by Bowie's "Under Pressure". So after you watch "Lions for Lambs", re-listen to that song.
Then? Go out and do something about it.