Sunday, January 25, 2015

Running towards the Sunrise

I get up before sunrise at least 4 days per week to go for my morning run.  When I lived in New England it was rare to see the sunrise.  This was due in part to the dense trees along most of my routes.  It was also rare because in the far northern portion of the United States, days are very short in the winter making it rare to see the sunrise.  Since moving to Arizona, I am treated almost every morning to a sky painted with any number of beautiful warm colors.  Some mornings it is absolutely breathtaking. 

This may seem strange to you but I find that when the skies are painted so vividly that I realize how intrinsically beautiful nature is and how much it delights me.  I find that I become so immersed in the beauty that I almost forget the fact that I am running.  There is no ache or pain as I travel along.  I am truly in the moment.  It is at that exact moment that my mind and body are working together without any effort and I almost feel like I could run forever.

I want to be able to run forever.  Not in the sense that I want to start running and never stop ala Forrest Gump.  Rather I want to run until the day I die.  I never want to give up the one thing that I can't go more than a few hours without thinking about.  It has become an integral part of who I am.  My runs are solely mine.  Friends can run with me but never for me and that is the uniqueness of  my chosen sport. 

Today was one of those special days where the sunrise was awe inspiring.  My run seemed effortless and I don't remember one step of the journey.  But the sky will be a lasting memory painted in my mind.  As Jack Kerouac said, "we lean forward to the next crazy adventure beneath the skies."  I can't wait for the next crazy adventure.

For those of you who are runners and read my musings, what inspires you to run?  Please share it with me.

Jan. 19 – 6.20 miles (57:14, 9:13 pace)
Jan. 20 – 4.10 miles (36:47, 8:58 pace)
Jan. 21 – 5.50 miles (49:47, 9:03 pace)
Jan. 23 – 6.20 miles (59:00, 9:31 pace)
Jan. 24 – 8.20 miles (1:14:53, 9:08 pace)
Jan. 25 – 7.10 miles (1:07:45, 9:33 pace)

Total Miles:  37.2 miles

2015 Total Miles:  149.4 miles

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