Years ago when I was pounding out 40 miles a week, as young 20-something legs are capable of producing upon both wish and whim, I remember thinking how running was simply an exercise of mindless repetition. But in review now in my older, wiser and slower age, where the act requires more laboured effort with shorter duration of endurance (like sex), running has revealed itself to be an exercise of mindful repetition. When we consciously experience each step set, deeply inhaling/exhaling knowingly, feeling each drip of sweat pored, and recognizing the powerful sensation of body meeting ground…in those very moments a runner can find themselves lost deep in the resonating sense of body moving through space with ease (also like sex). We all once knew this very feeling as children running, playing and imagining. It’s an important sensation to remember and seek, because ultimately that’s what makes running a joy rather than a task. Play as you run and each step becomes easier than the first. Just don’t play with yourself while running…that can complicate matters, not to mention your gait.
An Imagination Running Wild 