A Good Run

Today, I was lucky to awaken to overcast skies, without rain.  Weather determines my capability of running outdoors or on the treadmill.  If it’s cold or rainy, I don’t risk the unnecessary stress on my body and will keep my exercise indoors.  If I’m lucky enough to have a clear and warm day, I will head outdoors, allowing me to explore my surroundings and observe the abundant beauty and ever-changing landscape as I drift along.  Effectively, my mind will wander and my creative juices emerge, distracting me from the heavy breathing and pounding footsteps.

What entails a good run?  It’s not how fast or far you run, but how you feel while you’re running or when you finish.  A good run changes your mood, makes you feel exhilarated and accomplished.  Whether it’s highlighted by the sun glistening on the smooth-as-glass lake, the eagle perched on a leafless branch outlined by the bright blue sky or an energizing song that lifts the spirit.  Sometimes, all of these things occur on the same run, as they did on Wednesday. 

Even if none of these appear on a run, a run can be good if you accomplish the goal you set out to attain, achieve a pace faster than you anticipate, or return with new ideas, a fresh outlook on life or ready to attack the day.  Well, this was the effect of my Wednesday run.  It started out with a little tugging near my port as if my skin was being pulled by the motion of my right arm swinging.  The legs struggled to get moving and my feet felt like they were barely clearing the pavement as I shuffled along.  But, I was out there and determined to get back into shape. 

It didn’t take me long before the rhythm started to return and I soon forgot about the chest discomfort as I tried lifting my feet up and lengthening my stride a little further.  Soon, the music beat with the same tempo as my stride and my breathing steadied which released a feeling of freedom and strength once again.  If you’ve never experienced a “runner’s high”, you can only imagine how this emancipating feeling takes over your entire psyche, driving you to push longer and harder than you were previously and making the world feel limitless, if only for that moment.  It heightens your awareness of your surroundings, fills your mind with solitude and generates clever solutions, ideas and insight that we may struggle for hours to create while sitting at a desk. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to document these wonderful thoughts and ideas while you are running and when I return home, I am typically too sweaty and cold to stop and write them down.  If an idea is so important that I must retain it, I will stop and dictate it into my phone.  But, alas, stopping mid-run often tarnishes the benefits and inhibits me from completing the inspiring, cerebral experience. 

While that may have been my only great accomplishment on Wednesday, it made me forget about cancer and helped me feel normal.  As a good run should do, it reminded me of all the blessings that surround us and how even the darkest day can turn around with a little change of attitude (and a good run).  And now, you see a glimpse of why running has and will remain an important facet of my life.    

I run because I can.  When I get tired, I remember those who can’t run, what they would give to have this simple gift I take for granted, and I run harder for them.  I know they would do the same for me.  ~ Anonymous