The stars twinkled above me but I didn’t see them. The asphalt was uneven and I didn’t feel like scraping the skin off my face. So I plodded along, looking at my feet and trying desperately not to trip. I was grateful for the darkness — I could creep along clumsily in relative anonymity. No one would see me and say, “That poor man is dying.”
No one would ever confuse me with an athlete.
Music pumped through my headphones, their lyrics lifting my soul up toward the heavens. My knee hurt a little — I didn’t stretch well and all my car time lately has made my back tight. At my age, I need to be stretching nearly as long as I run. The clocked ticked past 5 a.m. as I talked to my maker. Yesterday I had talked to hundreds of bright students about dreams, resilience and making a difference in peoples’ lives. I prayed that I could live up to my words. Then I prayed a prayer of thanks that I had the opportunity to have another day. It’s that blank canvas that we’re given every single morning. Our effort is the brush strokes. Our attitude is the color palate we use. What we do with our art is how we can chance someone’s life for the better.
A car came up from behind so I quickly moved out of the way. I never turn the music up so loud that I can’t hear traffic. Also, headlights give me a little warning. Other than nearly being run over by the paper delivery person (and then cussed out by her) a couple years ago, I don’t have much problem running in my neighborhood at 5 a.m.
I ran straight ahead, past obstacles and my own natural inclination to call it a day. Then I looked at my watch and headed home. I pushed myself up the final hill as I tried to meet God halfway. I know He’s with me the whole way, but the whole faith without works thing rattled in my sleepy brain. Pushing through fatigue is the toughest thing for me. My breathing was labored but strong. My pulse sat at 160 as I finished.
Running is a time for me to think, reflect and express gratitude. It strengthens my heart and my soul. A lone dog barked off in the distance while an alligator slipped beneath the surface of a nearby creek. The sun began to win its daily battle with the dark. I made it home tired but grateful.
My mileage was logged. My daily run was complete. All is good.
Thanks be to God and my tired legs.