During my run, I looked ahead at the intersection I was approaching and was looking forward to the “supposed” stop light to catch a 30-second breather while I waited for the light to change. However, I wasn’t so lucky. About 50 yards away, another runner girl (light, breezy, tall, and obviously quicker) came prancing across the road and headed off in front of me. She got to the light before me and I then noticed it had already changed to the “DON’T WALK" signal. Drat! She was standing there poised at the stop light and I was fast approaching. Hearing my approach (or my heavy breathing), she glanced back to look at me. Suck! I can’t slow to a walk before I get there! I’d look wimpy. (There’s my competitive spirit coming out.) Gasping for air, I kept up my pace, and then, as I was closing the distance, the light changed, and she was able to run through the intersection.
DOGGONNIT! I wasn’t gonna get a stop-light break. Out of breath, I ran through the intersection after her, not wanting to look like a hack. Ugh. She had a faster pace, and within about 30 seconds, she was already two blocks ahead of me. “Screw it,” I thought. I slowed to a walk to catch my breath.
After about a minute, I began running again. “Stay strong, Jules,” I told myself. As I tried to reason with myself to keep going, I knew I was losing the battle. Then, Green Day’s song, “Holiday” came bursting through my ear buds on my ipod. The tune carried the perfect beat for my slower training pace. (Give it a listen if you don’t believe me.) As I ran, I noticed my footfalls were matching up perfectly with the beat. So, even though my lungs and brain threatened to stop me, I began my musical daydream. Every right foot fall hit the pavement on the 2 and 4 beat. I imagined myself the drummer, hitting that 2 and 4 with my right foot. Keep going. I tried not to think of it as running anymore. Just keep the beat going. In all good consciousness, I couldn’t very well let the song suffer by stopping my drumming, right?
I told myself to just keep running until the song is over, and then I’ll take a recovery walk. 2…4…2…4…2…4... I hit that beat with every right foot-fall and focused only on keeping pace. I began to just move and breathe through the motions, letting the rhythm carry me for those 3 minutes. It was a tremendously powerful training tool in those moments of weakness. The song ended and I stayed true to my promise of slowing to a one-minute recovery walk. After catching my breath, I picked it back up again. About a minute later, I was passed, YES, passed, by yet another runner. What the heck!? Everyone in my neighborhood must be out for a run this morning…don’t you people work?
Again, I felt the need to keep up. “Don’t stop, Julie.” I watched his bright tropical knee-length shorts (yeah, I thought it was funny, too) moving ahead of me, when I decided to focus on his feet. Could I match his pace? About 20 feet behind him, I began to stare at the back of his shoes as he kicked up his heels. It was a pleasant rhythm. I began to realize it was exactly like watching horse’s hooves trot. Ever notice how their horseshoe flicks up and you see the complete bottom of their foot as they trot along? Clop, clop, clop, clop… That’s where mind began to wander: the runner ahead of me became a trotting horse, and I watched him kick up his hooves. Just at the point when I was beginning to tire again, I hit my mark to turn around and head back. Let the horsey go, I thought. (Thank goodness! Because, I was much too tired to keep up with him.) After hearing a techno tune, Def Leppard’s “Let’s Get Rocked” came ringing thru my earbuds. Tired, but finally on the way home, I told myself, “Be the drummer, Jules. Kick out the beat.” Once again, I became the drummer and pounded my way home. Thoughts of pulling off my shoes and socks, letting my bare feet cool off against the cold kitchen tile floor while I sucked down a cold water, plopped in a comfy chair, followed by a relaxing shower filled my head. Ahhh…bliss…
“Just keep the beat to get there, Jules,” I told myself.
So many times in life, just as in running, we get bombarded with so much “stuff,” and we get worn out, and stretched in too many different directions. We want things to stop, we need a break, we need to slow down, but, we realize we won’t hit that stop light for the much-needed break to catch our breaths. It’s inevitable: we won’t always be able to maintain our pace; we won’t always be able to keep up with everything.
When you feel those things coming down on you, focus on one simple thing. Then, focus on the next. Be the drummer. Follow the horse. Watch the hooves. Take a break, catch your breath, and then pick up the beat again. Don’t get overwhelmed by the distance, the obstacles or the pace. Move through it at your own rhythm. Remember to breathe. Amidst all the people, trials, obligations and commitments, it’s easy to forget ourselves and our own needs. Promise yourself a break, and take it. Before you know it, you’ll be headed home on the path to your bliss.
“I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies
This is the dawning of the rest of our lives…”
Green Day – “Holiday”