It was raining today which meant the school program we were meant to teach at a local park was canceled. That didn't stop me from doing what I had to however. At about 2:30 this afternoon, I got up from my job searching chair (it's the same as my desk chair really. I just thought it sounded fancy) to go and run. Boy, was it worth it!
Treading down the path at a fair clip, I felt the small drops of rain as they fell behind me and faded from sight. The sky remained gray, but I felt better as the run continued. When I started from the house, I go to jogging immediately instead of walking as I usually do. I felt like if I wanted to get somewhere where I could run for a longer period, I would have to do it by running right from the start. As a result, I ran for four minutes and walked for one before starting over again. Alternating between short rest and long strides, I've built up my stamina and hopefully am giving myself a healthier, fitter outlook on life.
As I ran through the woods, past the main fire circle, and onto the restored meadow trail, I heard the cries of jays, woodpeckers, titmice, and chickadees echo along the way. Their busiest time was now with families scattering, flocks forming, and food slowly running out. Their race was beginning now as well. I ran on further towards the pond. I passed a lone Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) and the local pair of Mute Swans (Cygnus olor). I ran through a short section of cedar trees before passing along the recently cleared trail ahead. I noted as I ran that I wasn't feeling as stuffy as I'd been earlier. In the past few days, I seemed to contracted a cold from somewhere. I was trying to drink plenty of fluids and keep up the picture of health. However, going for a run did something else for me.
Being able to feel like I was pushing myself a little further, a little harder made me feel as if I could surpass the cold. Even if the feeling lasted only a few minutes, I felt very good. As I headed back towards the house, I took a detour for my cool down walk. I headed towards the haiku station near the entry to the woods. After stretching my leg muscles, I looked up. Most times of the day, I'm acutely aware of my being aware. That is to say that I see myself as looking out of a vessel or shell. While I won't go into a philosophical search for my views and perceptions of the outside world, within that moment, I was at the very least, aware and focused on the world around me. In the past few days I've felt lost with worry over how the lessons for this week's school group or after school session might work or not work. I felt like time either dragged or slipped and my reliance on a watch further exacerbated this feeling.
However, when I exercised today, I felt focused and direct. My awareness for my own progress kept me going and as I walked back to the house at the end, I was calm and collected. I saw what was around me, heard what I could pick out, and ultimately had done my work and stepped back.
