What a difference the trails make

Running can hurt. Running can be repetitive. Some times running can be boring. Sometimes you get stuck in a rut in running and can't seem to get out. I have been there probably hundreds of times. But sometimes one run can change your entire outlook on why you continue to put one foot in front of the other.

I took nearly a week off from the run (we were team leads at our awesome Vacation Bible School) and decided that I was going to get out for a run on Saturday. The missus and the kiddies were going to be out of town and I had planned on hanging out with a friend later that evening, so I decided that this may be my chance to get out to hit the trails. I have been in a little bit of a funk lately because I have been running the same routes or spending too much time on the treadmill because of our crazy schedule. I love running on the trails and I didn't care how much it had rained that morning, I was going to do it and nothing was going to stop me.

When it comes to running, I am a planner. I always carry my water bottle, ID (make your own at RoadID), my Garmin 205 (so I can know time and distance) and the appropriate shoes for the condition. Today I made sure that I had all of my stuff ready to go, but made one TINY little error in preparation....I forgot to charge my watch. I didn't realize it until I turned it on and it's flashing "LOW BATTERY". Well that just sucks because I was kind of on a time crunch. Once my foot hit that single track though the time left my brain. I could be out there for hours and wouldn't really care. I realize that the trails that I run on are nothing compared to the mountains in Colorado, running in Yellowstone, or even some of the trails in Texas, but this is where my mind and heart come alive. It is freeing not having music in your ears, a watch telling you your time and pace or running on a machine while you watch TV. I've said numerous times that I am not fast. I have run dozens of 5k's, 10k's, a couple of marathons and an ultra, and my times are not what most runners would consider "impressive" but that's not what I am running for. I realized on Saturday (and several times in the past) that I am going to have some really great runs but I am also going to have some really crappy runs (take this morning for example). I just have to keep moving forward. I can't dwell on the runs of the past but look forward to the next time I can lace up my shoes.

Here some of the scenes from where I was running on Saturday.
It makes me realize too that if you are in a rut, in life or in physical activity, try something new or different. Leave the cell phone in the car, take the ear buds out of your ears and get off the road (you can decide if that is metaphoric) and see where your life can go. We have so many distractions in our lives that we sometimes forget how simplicity can help you to overcome most everyday obstacles. Make today a great day.

Stay strong, Run long,
Tha Messenjah

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