Thursday, July 1, 2010

Perpetual State of Gratitude


As a distance runner I am aware of the reality that sometimes you plod along and sometimes you float. Today, I floated. I felt the sensation that my body was running. I wasn’t running; my body was running for me. A perfectly effortless peaceful state of Zen passed through me as I pounded the asphalt, one foot after another, one breath after the next. First I spotted a butterfly and as my eyes followed it fluttering by, I saw a robin red breast perched low on a nearby branch. I looked down and my neighbor’s garden filled with pink and white impatiens greeted me with cheer and encouragement as I whizzed by. What a welcoming affirmation to the start of a new day.
Here’s a photo of me last Fall at the finish line of the Half-Marathon in Philadelphia. This year I’m training for the Philadelphia Marathon, with a goal of finishing in less than four hours. Yes, a four hour marathon is mine! Wish me luck. Asante Sana. Peace & Blessings Always.