Running is a lot like life

I have started running. You might be wondering why a woman would begin running at age 62. It’s a question I have asked myself often. I have never been into running, after all I have short legs and small lung capacity. This is not a runner’s body; at least that’s what I tell myself. I started out walking, a nice two mile path that got me going in the morning. Somewhere from within I got the nudge to try running a bit. So I would run a little and then walk, run a little more, walk, and so forth. One morning the message in my head was “What would it feel like to run the entire way? Do you think you could?” So I gave it a shot and sure enough, I was able to run the full two miles non-stop.

Now I run just about every morning, deftly stepping over rollie pollie bugs, spiders, a zillion ants and the angleworms brought out by a recent rain. I’m not very fast, in fact I can almost walk faster than I can run, yet I love the way running moves my body. Occasionally I will pass someone walking the trail and I give myself a little pat on the back that I am getting a little faster. This morning it was a young couple walking their dog. I was pleased with myself that I could overtake and pass them, until I realized that the woman was very pregnant. Not quite the same accomplishment, but at least I’m faster than a pregnant woman!

There are times when I run that I feel as if I have hit my stride – that perfect gait that seems almost effortless. I move gracefully and with ease. Yet, I cannot always maintain it and tend to fall back into my slower more lumbering pace especially as my mind wanders. I recognize that I have to stay focused on my form and pace in order to keep it up.

I have come to realize that running is a lot like life. Just as with running, I have found that perfect gait – those times when I am in the flow, totally aligned with my higher self, with source, connected in a way that seems to bring everything together with ease and grace. Yet this too is difficult to maintain, and more often than not I find myself falling back into my old habits and patterns, relying on old belief systems and mindsets. I know that I need to be consciously aware as I go about my day, staying in the moment and gently pulling myself back to present. It is an ongoing process. It takes conscious thought and a commitment to let go of our old habits and patterns, for we so easily slide back into what we were, how we used to do things. We typically react to life, to circumstances in a preprogrammed way, we forget that we have the power to determine our future just by consciously choosing our actions in the present.

Last week I ran my first 5K. It was quite an exhilarating experience and though I certainly didn’t win any awards I did run the entire way. I chose my path and my pace. I hit my stride.

To finding your stride.   

Donna