This morning I went running.
There was a continuous but very light rain, the kind of drizzle you can hardly see, only feel. It made the world look hazy and gray, but in a pretty way. I concentrated on my body and breathing and five minutes of running take me on a path in the middle of woods and fields.
The green everywhere looked fresh, bright and clean. The birds were chirping away and I am not sure whether they were complaining about the rain or just enjoying the sprinkle as much as I did. The back road was brimming with slugs deciding to cross and my trying to avoid stepping on them made my jog look more like a dance.
Running is one of the best solutions to a clear mind
Sasha Azevedo
A bit ahead, on a dead tree trunk just beside the road, I saw a buzzard scanning the horizon, probably looking for an incautious mouse. As I approached, I was sure it would fly away. It kept looking at me as if evaluating the need to flee and the risk of staying put.
Unexpectedly, it seemed as if we both landed in a time warp and I appeared to be moving in slow motion, passing the big bird in the tree. Our eyes were hooked and we looked at each other until I was passed it. It was eerie and majestic at the same time.
Those seconds made me suddenly very aware of my surroundings. I seemed to hear everything clearer, see the colors much brighther, perceive my breathing much stronger, feel my feet touching the ground. And something shifted. My running changed. I became suddenly part of the whole picture and not just someone who runs through or past it. It was one of those magic moments that happen sometimes and make us feel ‘connected’.
The freedom of Cross Country is so primitive.
It’s woman vs. nature
Lynn Jennings
I smiled broadly and looked back. The vulture was still sitting there, scanning the field. The moment had passed. I became a normal runner again. I tried to flick myself back into that moment, that feeling, that freedom, but couldn’t shift.
Then I remembered something I had read yesterday about the Alexander Technique and Running. Run tall, the external direction is forward, the internal direction is up. And plop, my running became easier and faster, smoother. I let myself slump back into my normal running and noticed that I run with my upper body leaned slightly forward instead of up. Just changing my posture a little, shifting slightly made my running feel much easier.
I am happy for this discovery.
LINKS:
The Alexander Technique
The Alexander Technique and Running
Master the Art of Running