The Perfect Run
Today I had the perfect run; it’s not often the weather provides optimal conditions to suit your body. Let me describe this feeling to you:
Why do I run?
I love it; I run five times a week with an average of 8 miles a day (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays are 7 mile days and Tuesday and Thursday are 10 mile days). Some see running as an exhaustion to your body and the worst physical pain you can ever experience; I see it otherwise. Many see running as a resort to lose weight or get back into shape; granted, I see this too, however, there is so much more to running than this mindset. You have to appreciate it.
I yearn for the perfect run as I have experienced today; happens every once in awhile. It has rained the past couple of days; however, at today’s sunset the cool breeze was still amidst the air, yet it wasn’t chilling cold and it wasn’t forcefully strong. The sun was not too bright yet lit the pavement as I chased and left the road behind me with every step I took. The air was fresh since the rain had just finished and oxygen circulated my lungs easily and without hesitation.
So the weather was perfect; but there’s more to it than just that. When I run, the breeze pushes tears out of my eyes to the side of my face as it dries before it leaves my skin. The muscles on my legs and calves tighten and loosen as they push against the earth launching me into speed. When I pass the “breaking point” my body is engulfed in this state where I lose all physical pain; time stands still and I am simply moving. My heart rate reaches a constant beat where it’s not too strained yet not too relaxed and I can keep a steady pace for miles on end.
Physicality is one aspect; mentality is another. I set my iPod on shuffle and images from the past, present, and future stir from my mind through my eyes; imagining the impossible yet the possible outcomes of decisions should I follow through. I escape reality and dive into unreal plays and scenes where I’m the star of the show or simply a viewer.
The limit approaches and the argument ensues. I see myself in this one to one fight where I say give up and keep going; ditch the old self and leave him behind. One is saying, “It’s okay if you’re tired; rest” while the other is yelling, “No, don’t give in.” It’s a real challenge to myself and test of my will.
I keep going and running until my body is forced to stop and I must jump back into the real world. Pain returns, fatigue takes over, the music stops, and time starts once more.
A mistake often made is that people see the finish line as the end; I beg to differ. A finish line is simply a mark on the road; it’s a milestone letting you know you’ve reached a certain distance. In reality, when you past that mark, it’s not a dead end; the race may be over and the marathon may be done, but the road continues.
This is why I run; there’s simply an ecstasy to it that I’ve come to love.
