This full, beating heart, it pounded out another workout today. Not just any day. Today.
It was perfect.
A bite in the air, that crisp autumn chill. The satisfying crunch of leaves underfoot. Many still hanging onto their boughs, a show of color against a soft blue sky.
Things I told myself:
Breath in, breath out, keep those legs moving.
Look at this wonder around me, don’t you dare ignore it.
Relax. In this moment. The glimmer on the water.
I’m meant to be right here, right now, in this movement.
Perfect. That I crossed the bridge over the White River just when I did. There, perched on a tangle of driftwood, a belted kingfisher. He swooped along the bank of the river. Swift, fierce, seeing.
Things I told myself:
Fly like that bird.
This heart.
This fullness.
Perfect. To be able to relax into the effort. To be glad of each repeat. One, two… To surprise myself in the third one.
Things I told myself:
You were going for 7:05 pace, but holy hell.
You have a personal best in you.
Just go.
So I did. Put my legs and my mind and my heart into it. This full, beating heart. It propelled me forward to five seconds off my previous best mile time.
My 4th and final repeat was kind of rubbish. But so what? Today goes down as a hard effort on a lovely day. To showing up and making it count. To small steps toward mammoth goals.
#WriteAsRun Prompt No. 2: This full, beating heart…
In the spirit of gratitude and Thanksgiving, share what makes your heart full. Write a love letter: to running, to your legs, to your crew who helps you get in your miles, to your favorite shoes, to your current or future self. Whether a simple, small joy, or a major part of your life, say thank you, thank you, thank you.