every mile a memory

I took my time getting YaYa off to Mark and Lisa’s and drove off to the open space unable to hide my enthusiasm. With my anniversary on Monday, my heart was heavy. This would have surely been a date night to celebrate our time together. But the day was gloriously beautiful and I had ample time to reflect on our life together as well as my life today. So…with my CamelBak filled with Perpetuem and GU, I headed off for my grand adventure.

I parked on the road and ran into the park from there. The hill climbing started right away. After the initial shock to my body, my breathing eased, and I let out an audible “ah” as I discovered new trail leading me into the park.

For 21 miles, I took in the views, playfully ran the rolling hills, and let the healing begin. Every mile, a memory filled my heart with joy (and occasionally my eyes with tears).

It was all good.

I took my time. I stopped to take pictures, stopped to stretch whenever it was time to GU, and stopped at the top for no reason at all.

As with life, I ran remembering that there’s no reason to rush this journey. The ups, the downs, the views, the people you pass along the way — they are all great. It would be a shame to rush past without any sort of acknowledgment or appreciation.

This is life. Take it in.