6/8 Oxford at Night (From Beauvais, France)
- Runner: Simon Isaacs
- Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Currently Resides: Kigali, Rwanda
- Language(s): English, French, Spanish & Italian (fluent), Portuguese & Norwegian (basic)
- Family:
- Statement: “At a personal level, Blue Planet Run provides a rare opportunity to integrate my love for running with my commitment to improve the lives of the poor, disenfranchised and marginalized around the world.” – Simon Isaacs, 2007
The streets of Oxford are a happening place at 12:00 AM on a Wednesday.
Our road team plopped our Exchange Point “stage”, consisting of a 20 ft blow-up arch, tents, banners, television screens, and an AV system, in the middle of town to attract the students who poured out of the pubs and restaurants (many still with drinks in hand). We took pictures and chatted-up hundreds of people – spreading our message: “water is life.”
Whether they remembered anything the next morning, I cannot say…
I was handed the baton at midnight and took off out of town and onto the long, dark frontage road that parallels the M40. Running at night can be a beautiful thing. The darkness strips away all distraction – without the scenes, sounds and sun, it is just you, the steady rhythm of your breath and your thoughts. As I ran, I played back images of my family, my girlfriend and my close friends. It will be many months until I see those I care for again – and so I treasure the times when I cut away the superfluous thoughts and worries and remember them.
From Beauvais France, happy trails.
Hurricane Dean
Yesterday morning, I woke up to CNN’s talking heads warning of Hurricane Dean’s destructive path toward the Caribbean.
Activism + Water
By the late 80’s, AIDS had developed into a full fledged crisis. Despite the rapid spread of the disease, government officials remained quiet.
Venture Philanthropy
At the eclectic Buck’s diner in Woodside, Bay area power-brokers meet over stacks of pancakes to discuss what they hope will be the next big idea.
Make It Happen
We made it across Europe, Russia, and Asia… over 10,000 miles, one stride at a time; a truly significant accomplishment, no doubt.
Water and Climate Change in Mongolia
Fueled by the dramatic landscape before me, I have found my second wind in Mongolia.
Water & Tourism – The Great Baikal Trail
The internet café in Irkutsk was jammed with backpackers gripping their Lonely Planet Guidebooks and emailing home stories adventures through Russia.
Siberia’s Ghost Towns
“In Russia we have two problems, fools and bad roads” said my guide, Yuiana as the car swerved right and left through a mine-field of deep potholes.
(Hyrdo)Power to the People
Depicted on the back of my 10 ruble bill is the Krasnoyarsk Hydroelectric Dam which lies upstream of the central Russian city of Krasnoyarsk (where I am now).
Ode to Mayonnaise
Waking up in the morning, I find you there at the breakfast table, A
dollop atop by canned peas and corn.
At lunch, you glisten off of my plate of meat dumplings. You line my
The BPR Petri Dish
I feel like I’ve been running on a treadmill through Western Siberia. My heart pumps, my legs move – but the horizon, though beautiful, goes unchanged.
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