Read an interesting article about a young uber-runner preparing for her debut in the Olympic trials for the marathon, and her struggles with sleep, maintaining, managing...I had to laugh when I realize I, too, seem to micro-manage what feels like the universe.
Runners are an obsessive bunch. And good thing since we might indulge in other pursuits which would not be so wholesome. We stress over food, sleep, training routines...exercises that will help us run, running that will place us in certain categories, competing against ourselves, our age group, our expectations. Sometimes I see it as another version of spiritual development right out of the ancient playbook. I often see myself as the messenger who traveled on foot from place to place...and by necessity formulated a way of life that took physical and spiritual stamina together to a different level. I often think this accounts for my singularity, my self-containment, and my ability to refer one type of teaching and apply it elsewhere.
Athletes can tap this universal force if they choose. Like everyone else, they tend to forget the powerhouse they are connected to, and the wide open space inside their own minds. This is the zen of the body; not the casting aside, but the embedded nature of spirit. Every part of the run is a teaching moment. Do I stop? Speed up, slow down, hydrate....how do I talk my legs into one more mile? Where is my head on my shoulders...are my feet connecting with the ground?
I passed a runner early on today who was shirtless, taking the grass along side the bike path where I headed towards him. He ran in these long, dramatic strides and held his arms like a dancer...balancing himself through his gait. As I slogged through my own shuffling rhythm I had to smile...there are gods out there running, and there are the mere mortals like me who strive to just be in their world. If I manage the important elements, my heartfulness, my vision, it might just take me to where I need to be.
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