Monday, April 30, 2012

Magic

I'm back.  I found it.  My mojo, that is.  It was missing, for a while.  It was actually missing for so long I didn't even realize it was missing.  It had nothing to do with being sick.  It had nothing to do with being busy.  It had everything to do with my mindset.  All it took was 4 short days in a tiny mountain town with 100 or so people full of inspiration and love who are living their dreams in the best way they know how.  I heard their stories, spoke with many of them (I wish I had had more time) and they showed me that if you want to do it...all you have to do is do it.  Maybe some of them will read this, and if they do, they should know that I am giving them the biggest hug a gal can think to give over the interweb.  Magic.  Each and every one of them.

And guess what happened?  I went running.  Shocking, I know, but it was different this time.  I let my hair down and felt it in the wind.  I ditched the overpriced running watch and the ipod, threw on my favourite running gear and just ran.  I ran my favourite running route in all of Calgs.  Through the dog park, down the hill, along the river, along Riverdale Avenue, through Stanley Park around the river and back.  I didn't worry about my pace or distance and whether or not I was doing intervals.  Truthfully, I didn't worry about anything.  I cleared my mind and just revelled in the sound of one foot after the other hitting the pavement again and again and again.  It was moving meditation in running form at its finest!  I laughed.  I cried.  I smiled.  I remembered how much I love to run.  I wasn't running to train for a race or to train other people for a race, I just ran because, well, quite simply because it felt awesome to run.  I'm not sure how to describe it except to say that I felt light. I felt magical.  And happy.  And that is something I haven't felt for a very long time.  I remembered that for me, running is not about the result in the race or the time on the clock, but is about the process involved getting there.  I lost that for a while, and I'm sure glad to find it.  It really is like most other things in life, less about the destination and more about the journey.  I feel like the universe has been nudging me to head in a certain direction on that journey for a while; I'm sure glad I decided to listen.

And those 100 or so peeps?  You know who you are.  You all shine.  You all inspire.  I will see you again because likely I will be sleeping on your couch when I come your way for a race.  And I can't wait.


3 comments:

Carola Rodina Rutkowski said...

Hey girl - I know this feeling exActly. I've been feeling the same way for a while and just this morning I went out for a little run without the music, without anything except clothes/shoes...back to the way I ran when I really loved every moment of it - and BAM - there it is! It's always been a mediation for me - but I somehow lost that over the last year- so it's wild - a friend posted this blog entry of yours today!!

Andrea said...

Glad to hear you found it! Feels so good!

Wendy M.Kurchak said...

Your passion is contagious! I really like how you've expressed running as meditation - no wonder you love it so much - it really does change your brain. Awesome, FB!