Extra hour of daylight, check. Yellow running shirt and white shorts, check. Ipod in my pocket, check. Weather a perfect 76 degrees, check. Crazy dog on a leash, check. God as my motivational running partner, check. Let’s go running.
I live in a climate fit to be called a paradise, yet all too often I find myself relaxing from all of the relaxing. It’s so nice to just open a window and relax to that stupid sitcom. It’s really nice to just sit in the yard, listening to the sounds of nature, drinking a beer while relaxing. Hey guess what? It’s so nice . . . to go outside and feel the warm breeze, get energized, and feel young again.
I remember when I was about 21. I had studied enough of Maslow to understand that I was living on the edge of self-actualization most days. I could ride my bike faster than the wind. I could run six miles in a day stopping only occasionally to do sit ups or push ups. Everything my life was great mentally, emotionally, and physically. I was even falling in love with my wife-to-be someday. I was in control of my life.
Tonight when I was out running, I started to feel a little like that again. All things around me in my life seem great, but . . . something leaves me feeling unsatisfied. I have great kids, a beautiful wife, awesome friends, good church, good job, all the tangible things I could want, but . . . something leaves me feeling unsatisfied. I find myself feeling unfulfilled and desire chocolate, beer, cheeseburgers, and even an occasional energy drink just to make myself feel better. Life is about balance in all ways. I feel unsatisfied because my body craves attention too. (Not like that guys…) I am over weight and tired way too often. Now that I am back to running, I noticed that within the first few days I am conditioning myself to run farther and faster. It is getting easier and more enjoyable each day. The energy level is increasing. My happiness is increasing.
Don’t get me wrong! The problem with exercise and diet plans is that we could rely only on ourselves to fulfill our goals. I acknowledge that I cannot do this on my own. I give credit to God. I was coming back up that long hill with Monte dragging me back, and I asked God for the strength and endurance. I didn’t realize it, but that was the only time in the run that I held my head down and let God push me up that hill without stopping.
I took Monte, the Mexican dog, with me tonight. I tied his leash to my belt and took off. Like all excited dogs, he starts off pulling me forward. Like all dogs that get drained too quickly, he ends up dragging me back. That’s ok either way, because I weigh more than he does. J I noticed his stride while trying to keep pace with me. He was moving all four legs opposite each other like a fast walk, but we were going too fast. He would run each pair of legs together like a deer, but we were going too slow. He eventually figured out my tempo. It is two hops like a deer, three strides like a fast walk, then repeat. Yep, he looks just like some of those guys dancing to that funky music on Soul Train. Maybe if some of the neighborhood rednecks come out I’ll tell them that he’s doing a country line dance.
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