What is it about running that instills such clarity of mind and singleness of purpose?
Is it the simplicity of the effort? The stripped-away bareness of time spent pounding the pavement or roaming the open trail?
It does not matter the weather, nor the mood; if the body creaks and groans in aging protest. Lace up the shoes and head out the door. One foot in front of the other. Easy. Unfettered. Free.
And, miraculously, the wisdom borne in this moment is unlimited and unrivaled.
Alone or with friends, I find there is no problem or issue so vexing that it cannot be solved on the run. From marriage spats to parenting dilemmas, what to serve for dinner and all the way to global warming, there is no greater perspective than that gained on a run.
Somehow, out on a run, the chaos dissipates and a clear understanding emerges of all that is within us and around us. It is a glorious peace of mind, a calm amid life's storms, a sense of everything being right in the world. It is both self discovery and self preservation.
But, as it always does, the run ends. We re-enter the alternate reality, more difficult and complex. The ease of life on the run evaporates.
Therein, lies the key to the daily run.
Whatever we seek, the run will bring us there. Whether it is one mile or many more, slow or fast, we rise above the fray and escape the madness.
I can't imagine a life without it ... the run, that is, not the madness.
1 comment:
:) true that.
Post a Comment