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I've been running on average 3-4 miles, 3-4 times a week. Because of the mild winter I had chances to run outside all winter long. Not every day, but often enough that I never went cold and lost my groove. I run because I'm getting older and words like "fish oil" have started to creep into my vocabulary. I do it to fight the gloomy depression of winter and to keep all of the chocolate I can not stop eating from making a permanent home on my backside.

But I really do it because it makes me feel free. I don't own a jogging stroller and I don't run with a partner or a club, nor do I want to. It's just me and some music and if I'm lucky, thirty minutes of sunshine on my face. If I'm really lucky I get to feel it on my pasty white legs as well, but to hope for that this early in the spring just feels greedy.

After a restless night of fighting the baby to stay in his room and out of mine I found myself awake before dawn. It was still dark but I grabbed my clothes and off I went. The air was cool but the breeze was gentle and people I passed smiled at me or gave a knowing nod. I nodded back. Yeah. I feel you. This is hard and it's ungodly early but here you are and good for you and I hope you have a lovely day and your cholesterol comes back under 200 next time.

I have old favorites but I get bored so I switch songs in and out of my running play list. I like different styles and tempos to compliment the point of the run in which I hear them. My play list has Massive Attack, Destiny's Child, Coldplay and Ricky Martin, among other gems that I lovingly handpick. No matter what though, I have a "power song"  in the rotation that I've timed so that it comes on just as I've made it to the top of a long winding hill. The houses fall away and all I can see over my left shoulder is big, beautiful, blue Lake Michigan and the wind is always gusting there and I'm so ready to quit, but I hear him tell me.. You gonna touch the sky....

 
    You gon' touch the sky baby girl....

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Comments

[Susan]

So awesome. :)

[mayberry]

This is great ... run run run!

[amanda]

Gorgeous.