signs of success

Every week, the Saturday morning marathon training group seems to add and subtract new folks. Today, with great weather, I'm placed with the 10 milers; ok make that 8. Coach seems to map out the routes with markers that become some sort of 'negotiations'. Regardless, today's route puts me back on the bigger loop I began with, a lovely circle north, then over to the beach and down a long stretch by the ocean. My 'pack' is a group of comfortable 9 min. milers, and a girl who, much younger than me, claims to be a 12 min. miler. Yea, right. USED to be. She's more compact than I am, and I watch her stride for hints as to how she manages those efficient fast steps. She's full of helpful advise: lean slightly, kick the heels up, don't let your hands cross. They're doing the Galloway run, walk breaks, and despite my early grasp on them, they begin to be perpetually ahead. I am pacing myself to run as full out as I can and not crash and burn. This is an 8 miler after all! And no breaks at the park, etc., just Coach's Accelerade at mile 4.

It's the turn-around point, the group is passing me back up the sidewalk. A gusty shower breaks out thats right in my face. I see Tracey up ahead, set myself against the wind and start back. Making the turn on to Sunrise, past Hugh Birch park, I head over the intracoastal when the sun must have broken through the clouds over the ocean behind me, and above a HUGE rainbow breaks out from one end of the sky to the other, capping the perfect disk of a pearly moon. Wow.....I have to remind myself to watch my feet on the tricky walk, up and over. I yell out to every other runner I see "Look up!" The last rainbow I saw was when Michael and Yu were leaving the apartment here and out the back, over the parking lot a rainbow had broken out after another fast cloudburst. This rainbow trail has connected me from then to now. I followed the road back to the store where all the spent and happy runners were stretching, logging miles, comparing notes. I was happy to log mine. Met another Broward County employee runner, and laughed about bueraucracy and red tape. Changed out and took a last breath of the very good, moist air that took me all the way from one end of that rainbow to the other.

Signs of success seem to be telling me that something I am doing is coming around right after all. The week's demands at work, which were daunting, confounding and disheartening, came with unexpected support and opportunities to shine. The universe is cooking up plans to lengthen the distance in my expectations for happiness. As I run this road towards my future, it appears surprising and magical things are there to provide signposts, confirmation, motivation. It's ok now, settle in to your stride. If the ride is right, the elements that come to make up the journey will converge to give you a true story, a wonderful story of courage, light and love.
It's all there waiting for us, right around the next bend in the road.