Dear Fellow Runner,
As my feet hit the pavement and my breathing becomes deeper I turn up the music to drown out the sound. I listen to songs that have a good beat—including Coldplay, Rihanna, and yes….Miley Cyrus. A lot of newer songs, a lot of older songs. Sometimes I hear music that reminds me of the past—and I remember instances, places, conversations.
When the music gets old (because after 6 + miles, it does) I rely on my thoughts to carry me through. What do I think about? Anything. Everything. Sometimes the thoughts are focused and planned. At other times they’re sporadic and jumbled. But I think. Some days I think about how lucky I am to be running, to have time set-aside for myself. Most times, I think about how lucky I am to be running with someone. Someone who pushes just as hard. Someone who gets me going. Someone who has confidence and determination. And I forget. I forget that I am not the only runner. I am not the only one who needs the support. My forgetfulness is careless. I overlook what I should not.
Running is hard. In fact, I think running sucks. But the happiness I feel from accomplishing something hard, and accomplishing that something with someone I appreciate and love is the greatest success.
Thank you for the insight. For the distance, the over-come hurdles, the success. Here’s to the many miles and distance ahead!
P.S. I found this quote…
“Success isn't how far you got,
but the distance you traveled from where you started.”
I think we’ve traveled pretty far.
