The
rain looked like it might hold off; even if it didn't, conditions were
as close to perfect as they get around here, so with shorts donned and
shoes tied, the run was underway.
The
first few miles went by as they often do, joints gradually loosening
and muscles warming to the task. The pockets of rain in the area had
chilled the air noticeably, providing an ever-so-slightly cool feel and
sweet smell.
There's
irony in the fact that for a sport so inherently internal and mental,
it's the external and physical world around us that can create such a
rich and nuanced experience time and time again...
A
car making an overly tight turn brought reality back into focus a few
miles later; ultras gone by and yet to come, adventures planned, and
people loved had been the dominant thoughts for more than a few minutes
by this point...
...funny
how that rich and nuanced experience provided by the external physical
had allowed for a fully captivating internal odyssey...
Sooner than expected, the run had come to an end. The rain finally started, and with it, the rest of life that is so paradoxically enhanced by the run's temporary escape.
