Things Are Falling Into Place

Last night, I needed to run. Not just in the sense that I had a scheduled training run, but more of a feeling that regardless of a schedule, I needed to run. I felt like I had to do it--like eating, or drinking water, or breathing. I've never felt that about running before, and I have only felt that about exercise in general in the sense that "I need to work out to burn off the 3 donuts I had at the office today."

But, this wasn't about a calorie burn (although, that is a nice bonus as I consumed a bit of organic chocolate on Tuesday night). This was about needing to feel the burning in your muscles and lungs, about needing to feel the sweat dripping down my back, about needing to feel the wind as I ran down the trail. I have previously alluded to the fact that I try to remember that the fact I can run is a gift--and even if my running "gift" is not the same as the running gift of say, Ryan Hall, or Lolo Jones, or Susana Kallur--it is still a gift that I am physically able to run--that my body will allow me to do it, that I have the time to do it, that I live in an area where I can, that I can afford running shoes, etc. These are all gifts. I take a lot for granted, am terribly hard on myself, and am always wanting more. Running is giving me a bit of perspective that I needed.

Things are falling into place in my life, and running is helping me put those pieces in order.