Pre-Solstice Long Run 6-17-12

I took two days,  nothing but plenty of stretching, off the roads.   I miss it when I'm not out there,  but it felt like a worthy sacrifice to give myself some rest and prepare for a real long run.  The stormy, hot weather pulled back onto a bright and breezy morning, just as the sun rose, and inviting my plan forward.   Geared up,  music on,  I decided to loop around and head west,  past John Williams, taking the 441 overpass past the Seminoles to 66th.  I stretched the new Karhus and find them super light and fast;  they mysteriously help the gait set up, and give me more sustained comfort.  I shouldn't have pulled if off, considering my reduced mileage, but I did- up 66th, turning back on Stirling for the long meetup with Emerald Hills and home.

I was overcome by the sweet, bright, breezy feel of the air.   When the gods align with me and offer their pearls of perfection,  the moment everything settles into the motion and the elements of Mother Nature's gifts seem to flow in and around me, I fall into a quiet ecstasy.   Nothing ever speaks to my heart like the soul of nature- most of the point of running, for me, has always been the chance to explore the natural landscapes around me- a harkening back to early years and my long hikes in old suburbia, comforting myself in the embrace of wild, growing things.

Humans need non-human life to sustain them;  we eat living beings whether animal or plant based.  We depend on the very fabric of Mother Gaia to provide every material molecule of our lives.  The natural world is also essential to our spiritual well-being, and I am always struck by people who seem disconnected from the outside world....in Florida,  many people are outdoorsy-  but just as many stick with A/C- the outdoors are just a pause in islands of air conditioning.

I see things in clouds, in the skies...I realize more and more how The Mother converses in her vast palatte of visual splendors.   The adventure of the run means more of Her, soaking into my bones for the dry spell of many office days....until the next 'dose' of close connection.