As I Run...

Feeling my way to the finish

Running along an open section of the Chippewa Rail Trail

As I run… the dusty trail lifts.  I kick up tiny stones that find their way into my shoes, under my toes, to worry there—a distraction. I balance on one foot to shake out the intruder.  My sock, a magnet for burrs and pebbles, hovers above the ground. I hop a little to retie my shoe before setting off again. Ahhhh…

As I run… I hear the song of birds I do not recognize my eyes seek them in the trees. They flit and fly, curious of my effort. Rabbits and squirrels mock me, scampering light and lithe alongside my labour.

As I run… My body leaches salt. The heat is inescapable. The air is wet. I glisten. Sunscreen beads on my shoulders and arms. I replenish myself with electrolytes, gels, and water, water, water…

As I run… I keep ahead of the mosquitos. When I drop my pace, they feast — my trade-off for training under nature’s canopy.  The punishing open sky pushes me to get to the next stand of trees for a bit of relief.

As I run… I calculate my remaining time and distance—a trick I play in my mind to encourage and distract myself from the rhythmic ‘right, left, right, left.’ A welcome respite.

As I run… I question my choices. To tackle these longer distances and to have chosen this race for my first. I know the weather will be cooler. I will meander through a blaring, iconic city, dwarfed by skyscrapers, feeling its unforgiving concrete underfoot.

As I run… The protective trees are my foundation this pastoral rail trail. Many times, I cover the distance in my mind between myself and my goals. I run to the next stand, the next kilometre, the next increment, bringing the glory and relief of my accomplishment closer.

Shady sections of the Chippewa Rail Trail