Running free

I got to do something today which I consider a total luxury. I got to go running, not at the ungodly hour of 5:30am or something crazy like that, but at a normal hour - around 8:30. I got to run outside. Without a jogging stroller. By myself.

I'm sure you can tell by my glee that this is a rare occurrence these days. If it's not me being way too tired, then it's we've got too much going on, or during the week the fact that there's no one around to watch Bennett. I've been trying to get my mojo back with running. I'm thinking of doing the Bay to Breakers run in May with my friend Lara, and to be able to do that, I need to be able to run more than 3 miles at a time.

On the treadmill, which is one of the two places I've been running (the other being the indoor track at the tennis club), I feel like a hamster. Time seems to slow to a turtle's pace, with me looking at the distance/time every 30 seconds.

But when I'm outside, like today, I'm down and back before I realize it. 3 miles goes by in 3 minutes and it's so.....refreshing! I feel free. Free to change my pace. Free to groove to the music when Jimmy Eat World comes on my iPod. Free to take in the sights, sounds and smells. The beautiful sun poking through the clouds, the snow on the hill tops, and the buds on the grape vines in the vineyards. The sound of birds chirping, squirrels scampering, and leaves rustling. The smells of freshly mowed grass, crisp cold morning air, smoke from someone's chimney early in the morning, and freshly cooked bacon from the restaurant down the street. As opposed to the gym, where the sights might include people on either side of me, the sound of someone else huffing and puffing and smells that you don't want to think about.

Makes me realize that I need to do this more often. Make time for just me. Just me and the wide open road. Running free.