Today's Run

This morning's run was fantastic!

Having just quit my misery-inducing part-time job, this has turned into a quiet week with much more free time than usual. So perhaps the fact that I eventually skipped out the front door with positive spring in my step can be attributed to a leisurely sleep-in, finally finishing an acquaintance's self-published novel (an act of discipline) and a later-than-usual starting time of 9:30am.

I entered running-Zen-state very quickly, even before reaching the end of my street - unprecedented! Feet flying, nothing perturbed me: not the sight of a bearded pedestrian walking backwards to pluck a rosehip from a bush and peel it; nor the very strange looks an elderly couple gave me as I, red-faced and dripping, overtook them on a steep incline; nor even by the fact that my heart rate monitor decided my pulse rate was 83bpm (cool! ... I wish) then 200bpm (which wouldn't be cool at all, at least not until rigor mortis had set in).

Spending such a long time in running-Zen-state reminded me of Murakami's writings about the joys thereof. My mind rummaged through the memory of reading his book. Memory is fickle, but I think he claimed in "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running" not to have sustained any serious injuries during his running career; does this mean he is somehow physically especially suited to the sport? Anyone looking at me could tell I'm not physically suited to it, so am I putting myself at risk? My mind skips forward. When am I going to commit to running a long course 'in public', i.e. in a race? I'm not particularly interested in beating other people, but perhaps the challenge would be fun. Or would everyone else just get in the road? Another leap, backward in memory this time, as the wet weather, mud, scent of decomposing leaves and sight of mossy tree trunks takes me back to the creek of my childhood. Would I have been capable of imagining this future me back then? Certainly not.

I was enjoying such a good run I thought I'd tack an extra loop onto the end. "This will take me over the hour mark," I thought. But no - even with the extra kilometre or so, I still arrived home in under 55 minutes. Time to change routes ... again.

And, as I jog down the driveway and hit "stop" on the monitor, it's time to revel in the endorphin high; to stretch; to shower; to relish my freedom, and the privilege of being able to enjoy such a great start to the day. I am most fortunate.