Flotsam and Jetsom

"If you can train your mind for running, everything else will be easy."

-AMBY BURFOOT

When the painters arrived and set their gear in motion, it seemed like a good idea to get out, even though I had planned this as a rest day. So a nice easy out and back seemed reasonable, nothing too taxing, since everything is good, and yesterday's long run was successful. Why push my luck?? It's finally cool enough to throw all the windows open, so the air this morning was delightful; perfect running weather (for me!). I lazed out to Anderson Park, then took Park Rd. back, soaking up the air, the early sun, and the feel of my legs searching for their pace. It came late in the loop, almost at the end, the last mile or so, when I finally relaxed and felt my stride open up and churn like a great wheel in motion. I may not be able to sustain that for long, but it sure feels wonderful. So it was enough to jump-start my system, and be ready for the day.

There is so much debris in the swells, by the park, at various crossroads; it got me in mind of the ruminations I fall into on the run. I reran dream plots (meeting Dave Matthews in Chicago....hmmm..was that you, Dave??), grocery and to-do lists, client concerns, and long-term wishes......projects both mundane and sublime. Thought about the kids, the Circle, and the election. It's amazing what you can think about on the run. Of course the best part is when you think about nothing at all, except the exhilaration of movement....It's true, once you 'become' the run, everything else is easy. Everything else is just part of training.