Chop Wood, Carry Water

"Fall can be a heavy time of reflection and change. Our mountain ventures ebb as the snow creeps down the mountainsides, and inevitably, more time means, well, more time ... to think. For better or worse, we're forced to go inward as we try to settle and prepare for the coming of winter. Gathering, splitting, and stacking the firewood is a metaphor for our brains and bodies as the sunlight fades."

"Recently, I was high in the mountains. We crossed through the mountain passes, following a solitary moose's tracks through the snow. Anna Frost paused as something caught her eye. Lying on the ground was a beautiful but lifeless monarch butterfly. Rare to see in the summer months, especially up high in the mountains, we marveled at it before continuing up. An hour later, we found another one on the other side of the pass and puzzled at where, or why, they ended up here."

Chopping firewood offered a simple, grounding task akin to running, where persistence splits resistant logs and produces usable pieces. A Zen proverb about chopping wood and carrying water underscores the continuity of life's tasks. Fall brings reflection as mountain activities wane and longer hours lead inward toward winter. Gathering, splitting, and stacking wood becomes a metaphor for tending body and mind as daylight fades. High in the mountains, following a moose, two lifeless monarch butterflies were found, underscoring fragility and fleetingness. Maintaining constants like a daily run provides stabilizing routine amid change, and fears about injury can shape endurance athletes' choices.

Read at iRunFar