I Went for a RUN Today

And so like anything else, running last night after work was a choice I made, by no means accidental but purposeful. This particular decision was prodded by reading an Instagram post from my friend Kassandra who I had no idea looked significantly different than she does now, losing several sizes in her quest to be healthy. She had before & after pictures. What compelled me was not that picture however, but rather one of junk food and running shoes, and the constant struggle of the choice between the two the picture stressed. It should also be noted that my mind had been prepped for weeks with my regular communications with one of my dearest friends Nicole, who was training for a marathon, her morning runs posted on Facebook and Instagram with not only times but also beautiful pictures of New York City. #motivationthrufriendship

Yesterday didn’t end easily. And I knew I needed a release. After feeding and taking Taylor for a walk, I decided to don my trail running shoes, to go for a run in my “backyard”, the Marin Headlands. It had been over five years since my last run. Since that last run, I wake up every morning in pain. My feet. My knees. My hips. My lower back. My spine. My neck. Six months after being hit by a car, I broke my left foot. A month later, I sprained my right foot. Six months after that, I lost feeling on the left side of my body, the pain shooting down my neck excruciating. I wake up each morning in pain; not a fun way to wake up, which is why it’s ever so important to wake up with a smile appreciative of the fact I am waking up (to a happy Taylor who makes everything better 🙂 ) With physical therapy, chiropractic care, and massage therapy, the pain is now manageable. Last year, for a time, I was on the treadmill almost every day. However, being mugged only exacerbated my daily pain. I decided to power thru that in search of this runner’s high that I had not experienced in five years.

While I did not run far or for very long, it was exhilarating! Before long, my feet and my knees and my hips were in deep pain. I powered thru it for a few minutes more before succumbing and walking another thirty minutes back home, smiling the entire way thru my panting, looking all around at the beauty that I live amongst, in the hills of Sausalito, as the sun went down to be replaced by the moon at this point shining so bright looking out for me and the rest of my brothers and sisters in this world.

The night ended after coming home to a stub-wagging (what substitutes for a tail) Taylor greeting me at my door followed up with cooking and eating some Indian food (chicken curry)… Another one of my happy places, cooking in the kitchen with music playing behind us, Taylor patiently looking on.

I am a bit sore right now.
I think I will go for a run again tonight.
Correction, I know I will.