Hold and Reset
Last night I went for a lovely run in Central Park. I knew that if my foot problem didn’t flare up I’d be golden. You see it was rainy and crisp, which means the park would be left for a few die hards and very few tourists. The run reminded me of why I fell in love with running some 20 years ago.
I’m one of the lucky ones. Running found me early in life.
I have to admit that I’ve somewhat lost that loving feeling towards running. Maybe I should explain.
Running has always been my friend. Just like a good friend it lets me rant, rave and gather my thoughts. It teaches me things I couldn’t learn from anyone else. Ever since moving to NYC some nine years ago, these types of runs have experienced quite a few interruptions. I’ve allowed these interruptions to change my relationship with running.
Sometimes I’m the rude one interrupting my run with negative thoughts and lack of focus (or the wrong focus).
Other times its this city that’s the rude one. I’ve been yelled at numerous times while going about my running business (and I don’t mean cat calls). I’ve been clipped by a bicyclist. I’ve been stepped on, kicked, and even had someone else’s spit on me. I’ve had to stop dead in my tracks numerous times to avoid collision with tourists (okay, so I’ve had a few collisions). Lets just say that running in a park with so much activity often takes away from what I need my run to do for me. BUT…
now the cold weather is on its way!
I use to scoff at the idea of running in the winter. I could barely survive the winter without subjecting myself to running in the cold. These days the cold weather and rainy damp days are my new found friend. They allow me to renew my relationship with running with out interruption. Four miles (and no foot pain) later, my run was complete and my mind was a little more clear.
As I return to work after vacation and a renewed sense of self, I wonder how long can I hold onto this “reset?”
“That’s what alchemists do. They show that, when we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better to.” ~ Paulo Coelho
P.S. There’s one more day to answer last weeks Power Trivia Question (were you could win my favorite headband).
I’m not big on the whole running thing! But just seeing Central Park makes me want to be in New York!
I miss it!
I love your relationship with running!
GReat post! Until 6 weeks ago, we were living in San Diego 3 blocks from Balboa Park, the S.D. equivalent of Central Park. Anyway the tourists, ignorance, rudeness of other people who live in the city towards runners, I could go on and on but you know EXACTLY how it is…it was taking soooo much away from my “me time”. Now that we’re in AZ with wide open spaces, I am falling in love w/ running again
I really want to love to run, I hope someday. I think it’s awesome you get to run through central park, i wish people were nicer to you about it.
I always thought we should have two lanes on the sidewalks n the city, one for us and one for tourists ha. We walk in warp speed and they are walking, talking, snapping pictures… I too have bumped into a tourist one or more times lol
I love days when I’m reminded why I love running so much. They are necessary to push me through the days when I think, “Why the hell am I doing this again?”
Mari – You make me laugh! I totally agree. Maybe they could just do it during the busiest times like during the holidays.
Averie – I envy you and am so happy that you are reclaiming your love for running!
I am too scared to run in the winter – I live in Canada (Saskatchewan to be exact), and it gets COLD!! Last winter it was -30 C almost everyday (or colder)!
Hi there! Thanks for reading my blog and thank you for the encouragement.
This was a great post because sometimes I need to be reminded why I run and why I enjoy it. I realized this weekend that I was going to run my race in the rain, wind, cold (and snow, it turned out!), not because I wanted to but because I thought I had to. Instead, I ran indoors (in the warmth), and even on a treadmill, I loved it!
When winter comes, I definitely wish I lived in the south!
Thanks again for reading. I will be a frequent visitor not that I’ve found your blog
What a great way to look at the cold weather! I love how you described your relationship with running. I bet it would be so hard in such a crowded park sometimes!
The notion that running is a relationship is a good one. Running and relationships both require work as well as mental and emotional strength. Loved this post!