The air is crisp with anticipation for the winter. The leaves are still green but you can start hearing some crunching beneath your feet on an off the road run. Ten minutes into the run you start feeling the warmth. It is your own time and place. There is hardly anyone around. You take off the t-shirt and let the warm sun, cool air and mild wind play on your skin, teasing out familiar sensations…you have been here before.
You are in a zone which is comforting and exhilarating at the same time. The legs are moving, carrying the load with comfort and joy. The joy of being alive and well. You take a deep breath of gratitude…that you can partake in this pleasure of running on a fall morning. How much or how fast are of no concern. There is no agenda. No competition to prepare for. You are running because you love it. You are running because you can. It is that simple.
There is water body on both sides of the running path. You get a glimpse of a kayak in the water. No there are two of them….then there is this duck that dives in and disappears in the water. You pick up the pace a little bit. The organism is feeling even more alive and well. You straighten up a bit, have a stronger hand movement and fall into a stronger pace… a little more engaged physically, a little dreamier mentally. A bicyclist passes you by. No words are exchanged, just a mild wave of hand. But you saw his face. You understand him. There are some runners approaching. Two beautiful women. As they float by you, you steal a glance of their flat bellies and firm legs. You let your eyes rest on them for a few moments. Again a friendly wave. A few strollers, walkers, runners, bicyclists later you see this bunch of college guys, only in shorts, running like gazelles. Long strides, heads held up nicely, on a brisk run. These dudes are going fast. Lean and mean. No fat bobbing up and down anywhere. Just wonderful running machines. It is a fantastic sight. Reminds you of why you like to run. Just the beauty of the body engaged in a concerted effort of motion and rhythm. You pick up the pace a little bit more. Try to run smoother and faster. After a few minutes you fall back into the comfortable pace again. Just keep moving. Breathing in the air deeply and exhaling the fatigue. It is turn-around time now. You know it instinctively. You look at the watch…it’s been thirty five minutes. It is going to be a good one hour run overall. May be seven or eight miles. Your mind calculates it automatically. You know exactly how you will feel at the end of the run while you stretch. Aware of the effort, but not exhausted. Just the right feeling. It is almost like having your third drink. The perfect feeling. Not too much or too little.
On the way back you speed up and slow down a few times. You pass some beautiful people. You start becoming aware of your legs a little bit. You remind yourself to straighten up a few times. Your remind yourself to enjoy the scenery a few times. Green trees, water all around you with some rowing boats. The small pebbles on the road. A few birds flying about. Now there seem to be some more people on the path. Mainly walkers. A few more runners, some pushing themselves laboriously, some banging their feet hard, some a little on the heavier side, some fashionably dressed. You like them all. They are part of this club. They all feel what you feel somehow. A shared passion for running. The Sun feels a little warmer on the skin. The air feels a little cooler through the sweat. You look up the road, seek out the mile markers, look at the watch, wave to other runners, look out for some athletic groups and keep on running. Then the last stretch. A strong effort. You push forth hard and go into a sprint, sucking hungrily on big gulps of air, trying to stretch your stride even longer and making your legs earn their keep.
At the end of it all, there is a lot of panting and a release and you lean over trying to catch your breath. There is a satisfaction in your heart. It was a nice Fall run.
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