Running Away

“It’s very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside that wants you to quit.”

-George Sheehan

 “Only a few days until this 5K is over” I tell myself as I lace up my sneakers. I step outside and place my earbuds in my ears. The music begins to play and inspires my feet to launch into a run. My body quickly begins to warm. My heart begins thumping in my chest as I breathe; three in, two out. With each step I pound into the pavement, I feel my stresses start to melt away. The sun is shining brightly, reflecting off tiny pieces of broken glass in the road. The light breeze tickles my skin as I turn down the first road I see. I pass a house and get a whiff of an outdoor barbeque.

The tracker on my phone speaks to me "One mile complete."

I pass another runner and give her a nod. The “runner culture” is separate but equal; all having running in common but all running for our own separate reasons. The reason I lace up my shoes is different than hers.

I lace up my shoes to feel strong.  Just when I want to quit and decide to keep going instead, I feel empowered. The desire to keep running is as strong as the desire to stop. That’s when you know you are getting stronger.  

I try to remember what I read in Danny Dreyer’s Chi Running and engage my core while slightly leaning forward as I run to not stress my body. I try to midfoot strike. But mostly, I just try to make it through the run.

I run down a small hill , weeving around a couple walking. I run down to the water's edge. I see a  boat ripping through the water and two kayakers paddling gently along the water's edge . I turn around sharply and head back up the hill. On my way up I hear " two miles complete".

Cars whizz by me, their wheels spinning rapidy. I realize my legs are my wheels, taking me wherever I want to go. I run through patches of shadows. My legs begin to feel tight but I grit  my teeth to keep going.

Soon I hear " three miles complete" . I slow to a jog then to a walk. My feet hit the pavement slowly now. I wipe the sweat from my forehead and breathe heavy. I feel totally exhausted yet totally exhilarated.

When I get inside I take off my shoes and stretch. I foam roll slowly over my tight muscles. My body is warm and stretches easily.

When things in my life get difficult I know I can run away for a while. For a piece of time, it is just me and the road I’m running on. My running shoes are my ticket to freedom  and no one can take that away from me.