Sneakers and Sidewalks (Hey, alliteration. You're nerdy.)

This is friend Brooke.  Together-we are epic.

Ok, but really. 

We do lots of things together. We road trip. We go to Diego's and eat tacos while watching soccer on one of the 4 tvs, all of which play different channels.  We play in crashing waves. Brooke gets sunburned, I don't. We play kickball. We play Rummikub, Mancala, Scrabble and any other game we can find. We eat s'mores. We talk. We laugh. We buy pet fish. We bake. Etc.

But mostly.

Mostly. We run. And so...here are my ramblings on the torture I love to put my body through.

A few weeks ago we went on the best run of my life. My legs were fresh and my whole body was in sync (Shout out to Justin and my middle school years...). Around mile 5 I looked over at Brooke and laughed, "I feel so alive! I feel like I could do anything. And I don't mean just run forever or hike anything. I mean I can do anything! I can go to grad school. I can work a real job. I can be the woman I want to be. I can tackle any problem that comes my way. I can move to Seattle or New York or where ever I want. I can live! I can do anything!" And it was empowering and healing and one of those perfect moments.

Running calms the mind. It is like the process of having your feet fall on the concrete over and over again files things away. Each stride opening a mental filing cabinet and placing the post-it notes and scraps of paper with scribbles on them into their proper place.  And I don't mean the running where you go hard and fast because you don't want to be able to think about anything else.  You want the silence that a screaming body brings-in a sense, literally running away from everything that is going on.  But the steady, rythmic, comfortable run. It is like your breaths slowly cleanse your entire being while you roam the streets of where ever you may be.

Also, I just like to feel my body work. Especially when I fall into my rhythm and everything becomes a little more smooth.  Even when my legs burn going up a hill, or a cramp strikes my side, or my right knee begins to ache (as it always does, silly lil guy-he needs to stop doing that pronto).  I think it ties back into that whole feeling alive thing.  

I mean, we were meant to live. Hence why we are alive. Der. But I mean really live and not just survive.  Not just go through the motions of day to day life until you pass away. Eating, sleeping, breathing. But living.

So why I love running?

-Because when after a long day when I get a "You wanna go running?" text any tiredness leaves my body and I get incredibly excited as I pull my hair back and bolt out the door. 

-Because it is better than spending the night on a couch.

-Because I get to be outside.

-Because being outside at night is soothing.

-Because it makes me happy. Endorphins and a sense of accomplishment.

-Because I get to talk my day through with a good friend and hear about hers in return.

-Because it gives me energy, I sleep better, and I feel healthier.

-And mostly, because I feel alive.

So now I sit in sweaty clothing typing, waiting for my body to calm down with an ice pack on my knee before I drag myself off to bed. And I love it. 

Thank you.