Bright sunshine framed by blue skies greeted me this morning and made me giddy with anticipation at the thought of trail running later in the day. Fast forward to mid-afternoon, and as I made my way to the park to indulge in a long trail run, the sunny skies had morphed into the rain clouds that are pictured above, with raindrops dotting the windshield of my car. It never even occurred to me to postpone my trail run, as nothing was going to dampen my spirits, although a number of things tried to do so.
My long trail run was bookended by sunshine with a heavy downpour in the middle, and as I finished my run, I had to deal with broken sunglasses and a malfunctioning iPod. What could have been a disastrous run ended up being one of my best runs ever, in terms of physical performance and sheer enjoyment, and unlike my run two weeks, I stayed on my feet the entire time. The trail was a veritable feast for my five senses, and I savored every moment that awakened them:
- Sight: dark clouds that parted to allow the sun to shine once more; bursts of brilliant color of leaves on the trees and on the trails; the rushing water of the rain engorged creek
- Sound: my favorite music emanating from my ear buds; the distant rumble of thunder; the pitter patter of rain hitting the canopy of leaves over my head; the crunch of the leaves and sticks beneath my feet; birds calling out greetings along the trail
- Taste: cold water drenching my parched throat; the salty taste of sweat on my lips
- Touch: the feel of the debris covered path beneath my feet; the cold rain hitting my warm, sweat drenched skin; asking my muscles to dig in deep to make it up steep hills and feeling them respond in kind; the rhythm of my pounding heart; sweat and rain-soaked clothes that chilled me to the bone
- Smell: the fresh scent of rain; the distinct of odor of leaves intermingling with the other flora and fauna on the trail
While the run is now over, my senses still are working overtime digesting the feast served up on the trails.
That’s another story . . .
Categories: That's Another Story
That's Another Story 
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