Where You Choose To Travel

Today I'm anchoring to #beresilient with the word

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I've run a gazillion miles, trained for a gazillion events and assisted not quite a gazillion friends, family and clients with their running goals. I've done hillpeats, repeats, upbeats and slow beats with structure and strategy - preparing for 5k's, 10k's, half and full marathons, and Ironman events. I can say I've never slept in, pushed snooze or missed a running workout because I "didn't feel like doing it". I was actually scared of the consequences of not doing a particular workout, each one precisely planned to be part of a bigger picture, a bigger goal. My fear of missing a key workout was my motivation to "get 'er done." Year after year after year. Check.

I'd run early in the morning, late in the afternoon, mid-day, start 20+ mile runs in the heat of the day,
week after week. Each workout, each mile, each step counted. Which is precisely why I am also a stickler for running the tangents, not following the curves, the side routes or the "herd" of runners meandering their way after the plodder in front of them. Statistically, not running the tangents could add over 1/2 mile to a marathon, adding another few minutes, which everyone of those little suckers count when you've already run over 180 of them. People train entire seasons to shave off seconds; why would I choose to add my own distance to an already long course. Thus, run the shortest, most precise route.

Today I set out to run a "short route" errand - on foot. I could have driven the 3 three mile round trip, but when you have all the time in the world, should one choose to shelter at home or move, run, be free? Answer? Obvious. But this morning I was struggling on some of my own personal decisions, I was being "nudged", "dialed up", "called upon". Whatever your belief system, we all have that phrase for gut instinct, intuition, holy spirit...whichever your influencer, it truly can drive your decisions if you tune in. On this particular run I needed some additional contemplation time so I thought about attaching some distance on, but was in a "blah" mood, and not really wanting to decide upon my own destiny.  But as my feet started moving, I suddenly felt led.

Follow.

Instead of the road, I was called upon the asphalt pavers that framed the menagerie of roadways in this subdivision system. Again, typically I would have taken the path of least resistance and distance and followed the tangents. Not today. I was the chosen one to heed the call of the 18" wide pavers as they created the boundary of each side of the road. They felt like the "yellow brick road" but their dismal pattern and color was not so revealing.  But they did a lovely job shape forming the main roads. If a road intersected, the pavers snaked their way around the corner, guiding to the end of the road, then gently encircled the culdesac to reveal themselves on the opposite side and continue their journey back to the main road. In this area, they were a perfect never-ending "frame" that roamed the entire property moving from the main road, around smaller side roads, back to the main road, up hill, down hill, dead ends, to the end of the property and then providing the same experience on the return route. And if followed, one would have gone down, around, in and out every roadway in the subdivision on the "never ending or stopping" concrete pavers. Absolutely the path of the farthest distance - running the boundaries of the entire system.

Follow.

And I did. I never left the pavers. I had obeyed the calling and was now captive to the path. Not a rule breaker. I was experiencing a mindless run, trusting that this journey would take me to the ultimate goal: the exit. I was following a pre-determined path that served a different purpose than my ultimate goal. Consequently, my "three and some change" mile run turned into a bit over seven. Attainable, simple, but absolutely not my path. I stepped onto someone else's journey. I settled in, trusting, comfortable but definitely taking the longer route than if I'd owned my personal destiny.

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And frankly, if you're really listening, sometimes you shouldn't. Following can become too simple, too mindless, to comfortable. We constantly need to be conscious, calibrating and calculative on what we follow. We need to be living present, mindful and connected to our own life path. Listening to your inner voice and knowing what to follow becomes the heart of the word. Follow your truth. Follow your purpose. Follow what you were made to be. Don't follow what is comfortable, what is laid out in front of you "just because it is" part of the path. The truth is inside of you.

Follow.