The Body and The Pen

During a job recently, the client was busy with an independent project and I was reading the September 2010 issue of The Writer. One particular article caught my attention: "An essayist finds her stride" by Jenny Rough. She wrote about learning to skull and her writing. Learning to skull and, as her instructor put it, be in flow with the water. She went on and told about her learning curve with paddling, the seeking and failing and trying again, and the moment when she felt that connection. I leave the article reading to you. Nice parallels. It made me think about my current situation and lessons.

I made some notes to write this post.

A few hours later I arrived at my second job. On my first break I went into my blog reader to see what other people have been posting. That day's post from WOW: Women on Writing, was called Writing is Exhilarating and is about, yes, the challenges and thrills of physical activities and writing - similarities.

I knew that I definitely was going to follow through with this post. 

I have been exploring the connections and interdependent influences of movement, of physical activity, and writing. Really, of creativity in general; but my creative focus is writing, so that is what I write about.

I've done three of the Paddling Poet workshops with Ridgefield Kayak in Ridgefield, WA. These have been amazing and inspiring. Participants who have never written but wanted to and didn't know how, wrote. One person who said she was not a poet but loves to read it started taking notes as instructed and after a few minutes exclaimed, "I wrote a poem!" She was floating in her kayak in the middle of Lake River.

Movement. Being outside with the elements. Or inside with the people. Walking, hiking, crunching through snow, sloshing in puddles, thwacking through the mud, swishing through pines/bamboo/cottonwoods/red-leaf maples - moving with the wind, the sun, the clouds, paddling the river. Inspiration, moving through, flowing. That connection Ms. Rough was seeking and achieved. I have felt it, too.

Right now, though, I'm dealing with the reverse. Last week I made the decision to not do Portland's first half marathon. Yes, I was one of the first to sign up when it became available and I was excited. I thought I'd beat my Seattle half marathon time; I had lots of time to train; I was determined.

It's been a series of small setbacks this year. I bounced back from the ten weeks of "Northwest Crud" as it became known, last winter into spring. I was definitely behind on training and slow to get back into it. But I did get back to a level where I could do the Cascade Lakes Relay - which was awesome, again - and I beat my times for last year, which was a surprise.

I was dealing with a sore back prior to the relay. I did what I needed to do and it was better; and I had a quick recovery after I was done with my legs. But the problem persisted a little; receded; resurfaced.

I've been on the fence about whether to let go of the half marathon goal or push through it. I've been doing massage and chiropractice and ibuprofen and strengthening/rehab stretches. Increase my walking and drop the focus on pace. Decrease my walking and focus on posture.

The pain was primarily coming with walking - after a mile or so. Sometimes an ache, a tightness, would continue afterwards - but the pain went away. Most of the time.

So my journey became a little different that Jenny's - I had to learn to adjust my activities by listening to my body. I had to not let my frustration become hopelessness or depression - which it can. Doing less walking, less moving, can stir those feelings, as well. So I pushed for 6 miles with a friend and I did it! The next week I was hurting more and only did 3 miles. Then I tapered back to 2 miles; which I did, muscles tightened, I stretched them out, finished up without pain. No pain - that was my goal.

With that I decided that it was better to let go of this marathon - half marathon - and listen inward. There will be other opportunities if I want to do it again. Right now I need to take it slow, build it up, and do other things. Swimming is back in my workouts. More stretching.

Right now the situation feels like a teeter-totter, because less activity has probably contributed to a weakened core, which contributes to some of the back pain. So the pain causes decreased activity - and so I go around the circle. The return to the pool will help. And I hope to get back to more walking - but, for now, it's a little at a time. Knowing when to push and when to pull, to walk upright, to swim, to lift weights or not.

Revise the goal. And keep moving. Keep writing. Keep creating. Because the creating happens even when I ache, when my back muscles burn, when I cry because all I could do was walk 2 miles. Sometimes writing involves the same revision of goals: if the story isn't working, put it on hold, try another point of view, kill off a character, work on the memoir.

Movement: of body, of words, in the flow.

Paddling Poet workshop

Paddling Poet:

a creativity series that is not for poets only

Dot Hearn, poet and author, has teamed up with Ridgefield Kayak

to offer creativity workshops on the water.

A two-hour guided paddle on Lake River with the intent

to be in flow with the water, the wildlife,

letting nature be our guide

and our muse.

Join us as we share poetry and inspiration,

being present as our creativity blooms.

Writing and note-taking time will be included.

Dates:

Thursday, July 15th; Thursday, August 5th; Friday, August 27th

Location:

Ridgefield Kayak in Ridgefield, WA

visit their website for directions 

Time:

Thursdays we will meet at 6:00 pm for paperwork and discussion; paddle begins at 6:30, returning to the boat house at 8:30.

Friday we will meet at 10:30 am, and paddle from 11 – 1.

Cost:

$55 each session, which includes kayak rental, paddle, PFD, and guide.

Pre-registration is required

by contacting Ridgefield Kayak at (360) 727-3120 or (503) 319-1146
and paying the $35 paddling fee. The balance of $20 will be due at the time of the workshop, payable to Dot Hearn.

photograph c. Ridgefield Kayak

Skamokawa, WA paddle

Ridgefield Kayak took a new trip today and I was there with them. It was beautiful paddling from Skamokawa, WA to Cathlamet, WA - a total of about 7 miles. The original plan was to end at Skamokawa, but the weather prediction, along with tides and all those things the guides check, indicated some strong winds that would make it better to start at Skamokawa.

The trip was really nice. We went through sloughs, on rivers, a little bit on the Columbia river. We saw osprey, eagles, terns (I forget which kind), gulls (of course), Canadian geese, killdeer, purple martins, blue heron, a small young ill/malnourished coyote, river otter, neutria, and probably more that I either forgot or didn't hear what they were called. We paddled through steep banks where animals surely lived, along the edge of swamps, past abandoned waterfront property and some which weren't abandoned but looked nearly the same. We saw old piers where the plants are now growing out of the top, natural Ikebana which was incredibly gorgeous, one place that I named the "ghost forest" because of pier-like tree trunks sticking out the water, all the same height, in front of a forest bank.

I didn't take very many pictures, because I was busy paddling. And I was still getting used to a new style of hardshell kayak. It was a little nervewracking for a few minutes when we first went on the Columbia river portion, because there were little waves and wakes, as well as more wind. I felt pretty comfortable in the more snug fitting boat up until that point - so much so that I even attached my spray skirt (which means I wasn't afraid of falling in the water and not being able to get out of the boat because of the skirt) - but the choppiness and the wind were much more rocky. After a bit I adapted - and will admit to being glad the Columbia portion was fairly short. Next time it will be easier.

One paddler had been called in to work, so it ended up being three guides and three guests. Not bad odds! Everyone was a delight and it was a great day.




This short video is at our lunch stop at a sandy beach along the Columbia river.

Pronunciation: "Skamokawa" = skah-mock'-ah-way ; "Cathlamet" = cath-lam'- ett
.

back on the water

Now I am two days late with my writing assignment for this week. But for a very good cause today (yesterday was due to work) - me! Me on the water!

Many members of my dragon boat team, plus a few other women, went up to Ridgefield, WA, today for an intro kayak lesson, followed by a five-mile round trip paddle on the Columbia river. It was a beautiful day; slightly overcast, warm, minimal wind, dry.

The water was perfect. There were a few more power boats than I would have liked, but only one or two were jerks about it. (One, I swear it was deliberately causing big wakes for us, such as the ones in the video while we were on shore.) But all of the paddlers were fabulous; the guides were excellent and very helpful and supportive; the guys that helped get us fitted and into the boats were great. We saw a bald eagle sitting at the top of a tree. A blue heron took flight right in front and over us. Beautiful!

Wonderful day. Below is one short clip from when we were taking our break before heading back. There were actually 18 of us, plus another four guides - so not all of the boats are in the picture.

I will get my story done. I will!