hills and drills

If only the weather would be exactly like today....I dress in loose shorts and a tank top, and the air feels feather light and fresh...clear skies and sun....and the only task is to find all the hills I can. I take the overpass first, one side then the other for warm-up, then on to the park, where the low rolling grounds provide perfect paths to throw my legs up, and down, up and down, using muscles I don't typically feel, pumping my heart rate - and my arms- up. And in between, lovely bursts of speed up and back in the straight aways....letting it all loose.....until finally finding a quiet bench by the lake where I can stretch and undo the kinks.

It was an hour, more or less. I'm usually out at least one and a half to 2 hours when I run a route; so it felt kind of odd....at the same time, I recognize the need to respect the distance I'm about to tackle. I am eating, sleeping and preparing for that last long run on Saturday, when I hope to nick the corner on 22, and maybe creep just a bit closer to the actual mileage.

Meanwhile, I stare at the course plotted on the map. I try not to think too much about where I will be, I want it to be fresh and new. But it's an awful long way to the finish....

I watch all the time as people struggle with their commitments to goals, and changes of all sorts, meandering their way through the trails in their heads, hearts and environments. I work with people every day helping them sort out the difference between real challenges and excuses. And I've learned the difference in myself. If it wasn't for running, I doubt I would have turned the tenacity in my heart towards the concrete; I would have stayed lost out there, trying to manufacture more false rewards and gods. Instead, I have an honest assessment of my strengths and abilities, and I come by it by rights, with all my hard work, my passion and heart.
I had to learn it step by step, from one mile to 22....and one day, to the finish line of the greatest race any newbie can hope to run..

There are a lot of races out there today. Barack and Hillary, to name a few....running for change, to capture the spirit of the times. I run for peace, for purpose, for planetary healing. It only takes one.