Sunrise
I'm at the park. It's dark and cold. I'm not alone. A half-dozen cars are already in the parking lot, their owners having already made their way into the woods. I admit disappointment. This place, at this hour, should be mine and mine alone.
I stretch, my eyes adjusting to the lack of light. I get out my iPhone, prepare its Runkeeper and iPod. I walk up the short hill to where the loop begins. Then I start running.
I never come across any of the others here. The loop is mine. At least I'm the only human here. I startle a chipmunk and a couple of deer but see no people.
Jim Croce sings in my ears.
If I could make days last forever
If words could make wishes come true
I'd save every day like a treasure and, then,
Again, I would spend them with you.
His soothing music keeps me going and keeps me at a steady pace. Something about a love song makes me feel even more alone, but at this moment that is a good thing. I'm on my own.
The loop is two miles long. It is a cord of packed dirt that winds through the woods. Trees and embankments line both sides. It is easy to follow because there's nowhere else to go.
I run. Not fast but not slow. The goal today is distance not speed. I need this loop three times, maybe four.
But the first two miles are the hardest. As I've gotten older, I find my strength and endurance increasing though I'm slower. Fair trade. If I get past the first couple of miles, I feel like I can run forever.
At a mile and a half, the first loop almost done, a stone wall rises along my left. To my right, there is a steep drop-off into a swampy field of weeds. The sky opens over it.
As I take the turn, the first rays break over the horizon. Like I raced through a dark tunnel all night and am coming into daylight. Magnificent autumn oranges and reds flare in the fresh light.
My heart booms. My legs loosen, the knots of my knees give way. Birds chirp, life sings.
A new day dawns and I can run forever.
[Posted for LJ Idol - Season 6 - Week 6 - Sunrise]
I stretch, my eyes adjusting to the lack of light. I get out my iPhone, prepare its Runkeeper and iPod. I walk up the short hill to where the loop begins. Then I start running.
I never come across any of the others here. The loop is mine. At least I'm the only human here. I startle a chipmunk and a couple of deer but see no people.
Jim Croce sings in my ears.
If I could make days last forever
If words could make wishes come true
I'd save every day like a treasure and, then,
Again, I would spend them with you.
His soothing music keeps me going and keeps me at a steady pace. Something about a love song makes me feel even more alone, but at this moment that is a good thing. I'm on my own.
The loop is two miles long. It is a cord of packed dirt that winds through the woods. Trees and embankments line both sides. It is easy to follow because there's nowhere else to go.
I run. Not fast but not slow. The goal today is distance not speed. I need this loop three times, maybe four.
But the first two miles are the hardest. As I've gotten older, I find my strength and endurance increasing though I'm slower. Fair trade. If I get past the first couple of miles, I feel like I can run forever.
At a mile and a half, the first loop almost done, a stone wall rises along my left. To my right, there is a steep drop-off into a swampy field of weeds. The sky opens over it.
As I take the turn, the first rays break over the horizon. Like I raced through a dark tunnel all night and am coming into daylight. Magnificent autumn oranges and reds flare in the fresh light.
My heart booms. My legs loosen, the knots of my knees give way. Birds chirp, life sings.
A new day dawns and I can run forever.
[Posted for LJ Idol - Season 6 - Week 6 - Sunrise]