lush

It's spring, and the leaves are budding.  Have budded, really, in the last week.  Pollen is swirling through the air, a fragrant dust cloud that lingers on the lips and tongue.  I can taste its sweetness in every breath.

The trees are lush, blooming and green.

Lately, this week in particular, I have been crazy high after every run.  I'm not sure why, but the buzz sets in around mile three, and by the end of whatever mileage I'm running, it's a full-blown drunk-fest.  And like a good brew, it goes straight to my head, intoxicating me and tempting me.

Just like the last sip of a robust wine’s rich heavy spice makes you crave another glass, I finish each run wanting more.  

“I'd like to order another glass please, and fill it to the top so I can be so full of run that it's sloshing in my belly and I'm in no good condition to drive.” 

Of course, that's not safe, for me, or any recovering runner.  I'm buying my run by the glass right now.

Perhaps it is compounded by the change in seasons, the sunrise is not a surprise at this point.  It's expected and still new enough to be enjoyed.  The pink wash over the sky is a welcome change from the inky black of winter running.  Perhaps it is affected by a change in temperature, or by the weight of the spring air, but the run these days has been down right bliss.

I am allowed to run.  I am savoring every step.  Next week I am free and clear of all my Md’s restrictions.  Speed, tempo, mileage, pace… are all mine for the choosing.  Like a menu, I need to choose wisely or risk heartburn. 

It is empowering to look forward and think that the only limitations I have now are my own limitations.

Amazing what my run does for my sense of control, purpose, and power.   

~savor the run~