Saturday March 23, 2013
The sun was shining, the wind calm. There was no alarm, and a warm cat in my bed. At the leisurely hour of 8:30 a.m. I finally got out of the cocoon I had made throughout the night. Some breakfast and coffee, oh the sweet, hot taste of coffee and a bit of procrastination. I double check the weather and gather my clothes, then have some more coffee and see whats happening on facebook. The hour is nearing 10 and i am still in pajamas.
I kick my butt into gear and I get dressed, ready for the journey that I am about to take and will not take for some time. it is bitter sweet. i have the directions, the gear, and the attitude so I head out.
The sun is bright, almost blinding but it's warm and the feeling is almost unfamiliar but oh so welcome. It is getting a bit hard to breathe due to the drainage my sinuses have so gratefully started to do. A quick farmer blow and the problem is gone. By now I am taking in the scenery and taking in the sights that are so familiar but today so different. The loneliness and sense of desertness that the landscape has is soothing and brings a smile to my face. It is not as though there is a longing but a peacefulness and life. It is warm enough with the sun to start to melt the snow and the creeks are flowing bringing the debris downstream.
My body is reacting to the surroundings and kicks it in. The animals around are playing and you can hear the birds singing. i am almost half way there and i feel stronger than ever thinking about what this day means and how much I need it. There is no going back, no giving up, just to keep going until the end. I think about what my day would be like without it and come to only one conclusion: useless.
I turn onto the road that I have been on almost everyday this week. I know each turn, each slight hill, but somehow with the sun shining on it, it looks different, happy perhaps. I am almost there and relish in the fact that this road had a part in it.
i contemplate my body and my strength. I have that split second to decide to take a short cut and take the easy way out. My will to not give up overpowers my weakness, I keep going. My attitude remains the same and even though the sun is weaning a bit the surroundings are not.
The home stretch and I am strong, almost at the point of not stopping. i can see the end and I am smiling knowing that I did not give up, making it to the end with a strong will.
even though today's journey is done, there will be others. they will not be in the near future but they will come soon enough and i will welcome them with open arms and fresh legs.
Goodbye for now my precious 20 miler.
