A day like today doesn't come around often. Sunshine and Seventy-Two degrees on a Sunday afternoon in October. This meant taking advantage of the day with an afternoon run. iPod on shuffle and laces tied I headed out on my usual route through Rock Creek. As I quieted my mind to focus on the week ahead I found myself bouncing from emotion to emotion with every few yards I stepped. I'm sure this is what happens to a lot of people when they walk, run or bike. You get distracted by the people you see or the scenery that you pass. Today was exceptionally distracting. For a run that was only 59 minutes, I felt that I had moments of happiness, anger and everything in between...
A moment of light: The idea to go out on a run and take in some fresh air and sunshine.
A moment of curiosity: I found myself in back of this girl who was going a similar pace as me but about 25 yards ahead. She turned right and I had no idea where she was heading, I was going straight. But then 5 minutes later, she's right back in front of me again. How she'd do that and will she show me her shortcut?
A moment of awe: Running towards the zoo I pass by the cutest King Charles Spaniel. I swear to you this dog was smiling ear to ear. It greeted me with such a happy face that I returned the smile and told the owner, "cute dog!"
A moment of ow!: I stepped on a huge rock that was laying on the path. That mother hurt!
A moment of beauty: The sun was shining, the wind was blowing, the orange and yellow leaves were falling and for a few sacred seconds I was all by myself. I celebrated the silence and turned my music off.
A moment of rage: Rude bikers drive me crazy! They are a dime a dozen in Rock Creek. Out of nowhere a bike riding dbag suddenly appeared. He heads straight towards me at a Tour de France speed as he passed another runner on the left. I had to move off the path or get a face full of dbag sweat and rubber. I was beyond pissed. Had he not been going so fast I would have tracked him down and made his face a potpourri of autumn leaves, dirt and asphalt. Clearly this guy was confusing the two big wheels in between his legs for a real set that should have been in his bike shorts. If there wasn't children around I would've yelled, "Why don't you pick up a set of balls the next time you're at the bike shop, douche!"
A moment of nostalgia: Music is powerful because in one second it can change your mind and your mood. Thankfully the next song that came on my iPod was The Cure's, "Just like Heaven" and I forgot about the close call with the dbag. Happy again.
A moment of vom: Someone dropped a dog pick up bag while on their walk. The funny part is that it was clearly run over by a bike, (I'm hoping the dbag one that ran me off the road). The gross part is the path of filth and stench it left behind. Luckily I dodged it in time.
A moment of deja vu: I realize parents have a challenge when teaching their children to ride a bike without training wheels for assistance. But something tells me that the uneven, narrow, rocky pathways in Rock Creek are not the most optimal places for instruction. Before I knew it there was a little boy heading straight towards me as he precariously tilted from side to side on his bike. I graciously moved over to give him the room he needed. Then started looking for the target that must have been placed on my running shirt.
A moment of vom part deux: Young couple in love holding hands. As I approach them from behind they stop short and kiss right in front of me. I know holding hands is cute, but his constant grabbing her ass was not.
A moment of escaping death: I realize chipmunks and squirrels are not the most intelligent of animals but their decision making skills are seriously impaired. Maybe it's the nuts they eat in the Creek? I see a chipmunk. The chipmunk sees me, I swear it saw me. It moves to the right. I keep running full speed ahead. The chipmunk decides he needs to get that one last acorn sitting in the middle of the path and darts out in front of me at the last second. I yelled, "Oh No!", as I felt the sole of my Mizuno skim his little chipmunk head. If he didn't suffer from cardiac arrest after seeing my shoe moving like a missile towards him then he certainly is suffering from a major headache right now.
A moment of digging down deep: At the end of every run I climb up a big hill on Tilden. My goal is to get up the hill without having to stop. Today was going to be tough I could tell.
A moment of inspiration: I think everyone needs a song they can listen to when they really need to push themselves physically. I have many songs that inspire me but today I played Michael Jackson's, "Man in the Mirror". I love that song! It kept me moving and thinking of other things besides the big hill I was climbing. I especially love the choir part. If you ever find yourself having to "climb a hill" this is the perfect song to play. I guarantee you will get to the top.
A moment of appreciation: As I got to the top of Tilden and Connecticut I took a minute to reflect on my accomplishment. I believe in celebrating the small successes in life as well as the big ones. It sounds relatively minor, especially considering the number of people who were running marathons this weekend. Still it felt good to get to the top and see that I completed my run in under 60 minutes. I appreciate the moments of rage as well as the moments of happiness that a run brings to my life. I think about how a year ago I probably wouldn't have been able to get up that hill due to my back surgery. Over a year has gone by and I'm slowly chipping away at getting back to the runner I used to be.
Until then, I'm going to celebrate the minor obstacles I conquer. I'm also going to count my blessings for being able to continue doing something that I truly enjoy. We have no idea where this path in life is going to take us but it's important to appreciate the cute dogs, the love birds, the falling leaves, a sunny day and a sweaty run while we can. I hope everyone who is reading this blog did just that today and has their own moments to remember and appreciate as well.
