Man, it feels good to just run again.

Every athlete understands that to excell in one particular field you have to approach it professionally. A certain level of routine and time commitment is required. I can not simply be viewed as fun and games. By the same token, to reach elite status in any sport, but especially running, you have to remember why you loved it in the first place.

No one understands this better than olympic gold medalist, and subject of the bio-pic Running Brave, Billy Mills.  Mills was an elite distance running native american who got recruited to enlist and run for the US Army track club. After his tour was complete he went on scholarship to Kansas University, where training rigor picked up, but results suffered. After  racing poorly for long enough, Mills quit the team, dropped out of school, and returned to the plantation. he began running on his own again just for the thrill of it. He ran for the sake of running. It made him feel powereful and it made him feel free. Next thing you know, he pulls off a remarkable upset to earn gold in the 10000m at the Tokyo Olympics. 

Lately, my running has been focused on not pressuring my old injuries and sharpening up for race day. Today was a little different.  I was not to do the workout with my team, but instead just went into the trails for a run by myself.  I had been missing such runs.  I killed an hour at a relatively fast pace through trail systems that remainded me why I love New England in the fall.  I was free to change pace as I saw fit and sort out my  thoughts without distraction. Running gives me a sense of self.  I get some quality time with only me to recover from a long day. It is theraputic in a way, and looking down at a watch the whole time is no way to relax.  I honestly think we could all use one of these every now and again.