Welcome to my Moonbox: a gathering of musings, learnings, and aspirations held (perhaps, sometimes only briefly) by the many expressions of me, Sarita.
From the desk:
There are no notes to take
beyond curling yourself
as thick as you can, this rain
does not know you yet.
The clear beads of hail
shimmer into the bivy,
they are so round, and you
take your fingers to grasp them
one by one.
The mesh and the zippers and the waterproof shell
are just for the wind to fold, and you
are the shape of the alpine loam
catching like thirst, yourself
now the notes of thunder,
a bulb through which light is seen.
The waterproof shell and the alpine loam
shimmer mountainous bowl, and the rain
curls thick the shape of everything, and you
tuck your fingers in like roots,
grasp for warmth, you yourself
now among the notes of water,
a wind-felled memory, such threading
of light into land, such knowing
and such thirst, given
bead by bead.
Life updates: It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I’ve been so focused on trying to return to running from my foot injury, that I haven’t been very good with carving out time for writing. Patrick has also had a lot of time off from work, being in between jobs, and any free time is, thus, spent with him. And I love it, but I also know that my writing has been neglected. I suppose writing has always felt seasonal for me, with highs and lows, and I look forward to an enormous creative project coming up.
My foot still isn’t 100% and it’s been five and a half months now, with the last three months being my return to sport. It’s taking so much longer than I thought. The last time this happened to me, it took eight months to heal, and being so much better prepared and dutiful, I assumed that I’d return to my normal self more quickly. I suppose five to six months is still better than eight, so fingers crossed this is the path that I am on. The bone itself is fine, but it is the soft tissue around it that still hurts at times or becomes inflamed. Nonetheless, I remain ever hopeful that I can show up to my L2H FKT project feeling ready.
One big update is that I’ve come to the realization that Merrell’s running shoes are too narrow for my feet, and I don’t doubt that trying to run in all sorts of their models has likely contributed to my lengthened healing. It’s sad to know that I’ve finally become a sponsored runner, but the shoes don’t fit my feet in the way that are optimal for me. I asked Merrell about wide widths, and there are no current plans to make their core trail running lineup in wide widths, so…I’m kinda outta luck? But, there is one model that does fit my feet well enough to be pain-free, so I’ve committed to doing everything in them, the Longsky 2.
My fear is that this is going to be the epitome/extent of my pro-running career, a single year of sustained injury and ill-fitting shoes. This fear is compounded by me having to undergo preventative surgeries next year due to my BRCA1 mutation, and I will be out of commission for three months or so, with potential for more if I pursue mastectomy and hysterectomy in the same year. I don’t know if I have enough of a resume to appeal to another brand; the field is just so darn competitive, and I come with medical baggage (it’s obviously arguable that I shouldn’t be with a brand that isn’t accepting of this). As my own motto goes, puedo probar — I can try. I will see what happens. And while I wasn’t sure whether to talk about this or not, I want to remain an honest person, and this is my reality right now. This does not mean Merrell makes crappy shoes, because they don’t, and I wish so bad that I had the narrow feet to wear them. They really do make quality, high-tech trail runners!
[Previous: Moonbox Notes #23]
La Vida Mundial:
NPR | A new generation of elite female runners embraces strength over thinness | As a person with my own history of disordered eating in college, seeing this headline is a breath of fresh air. I’m honestly tired of seeing skeletal athletes on the start lines…
Gear Junkie | Where’s the Fanfare? Sunny Strooer Becomes First Woman to Ski 1,000-Mile Iditarod Race | This past winter, I loved following Sunny Strooer’s Insta stories regarding her tenacity and grit, and this article is so right, why hasn’t there been more press about this incredible accomplishment? Includes a Q&A with Strooer.
NBC | Botanists discover first-ever species to become extinct in U.S. due to climate change | The plant still exists on other islands, the article clarifies, but losing this species may cause a domino effect of collapse for Florida.
iRunFar | Ultrarunning Growth in the U.S. Through a Geographic Lens | An interesting way to see how trail racing has become all the more popular, and I can only imagine it becoming more so as time goes on.
HBD to all Summer birthdays!
Recent Top Pick Reads:
+ “The Achilles Heel of Trail Running – Racial Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,” by Vivian Tang & Jessica Schnier, Melanin Basecamp Blog, Aug 17, 2024. I feel these sentiments to be so true. The trail running industry is SO behind in the work that needs to be done. And one of my own personal pet peeves is that brands still use words like “conquer” in their marketing and it drives me NUTS.
+ “Beyond Climbing: Voices on Palestinian Resistance,” by Amath Diouff, Melanin Basecamp Blog, July 10, 2024. A poignant piece that includes interviews with Palestinian climbers, providing first-hand experience with the apartheid wall and the segregation politics that exist between Gaza and Isreal.
+ “The Kids Aren’t Alright,” by Anja Semanco, The Third Thing, Substack, Aug 28, 2024. An interesting write-up about Semanco’s recent scuba diving class and how her interaction with (assumably white?) 18-year-old classmates, who were struggling to even tread water, was mind-boggling to witness. She ponders pontential generational differences and the foundational impacts of social media.
Books/Mags in progress:
+ Curandero: A Life in Mexican Folk Healing by Eliseo “Cheo” Torres, edited by Timothy L. Sawyer, Jr.
Recent Listens/Watchings:
+ “Feel It All – Running & skiing the Leadville 100 in the mission of mental health,” by Drew Petersen and Jesse Levine, YouTube, Aug 17, 2024. TW: suicide. A film documentary dedicated to the topic of mental health and suicide, and how Petersen’s personal journey has led him to not only the Leadville 100 but to seek professional help to save his life.
+ “Alone, Together,” by Thereabouts, Tracksmith, YouTube, Sep 21, 2022. A film following the journey of Jason Ayr as he attempts The Speed Project solo, a 340-mile, unofficial race from LA to Las Vegas that is usually done as a relay.
+ “Simone Biles,” YouTube, 2024. I’ve seen watching all the clips of Biles in the Olympics that I can find. I love her!
Writing/Projects: (updates are highlighted)
+A film project! Wow, can’t believe this is happening but it’s happening. I’m making a film with 41West Productions about my L2H FKT attempt this Fall, but it will be about so much more than just a superficial athletic endeavor — it’s about community, the body, poetry, a moving ofrenda, how we mourn, how we build altars, how we are both the sum of our pain and joy…
+I currently have one general submission in the ether: a short nonfiction piece entitled, “A Searing Thing” (Hippocampus Mag). The short nonfiction piece I’d submitted to The Sun Magazine was declined, as well as my submission to Sunday Short Reads.
+I submitted my previously published essay, “Sounds of Me, Sounds of Light,” to an essay contest (where this is allowed). Winner/runner-ups will be announced in October.
+The hybrid essay/memoir I wrote in 2021, “Chuckwalla,” still needs some major revision and writing. I have also submitted this project to the 2024 Graywolf Press work-in-progress prize.
+I have a Science Fiction novella that I’ve been slowly working on since 2017.
MISC/Brags/Swag:
- I’d like to hold space and celebrate my body’s ability to heal and how wonderful it is to be able to run, walk, hike, and stand in this body of mine. Thank you, body!
- Don’t forget that you can receive 20% OFF at Merrell by using SARA20 at checkout.
- GoSleeves, maker of compression garments utilizing kinesiology tape for targeted support: Check them out here and get 15% off (or use “heysara” at checkout).
Thanks for tuning in to Sarita’s Moonbox.
Happy Summer!
bivytales.com 
One thought on “Moonbox Notes #24: Summer Edition”