This morning felt like sweet, sweet redemption.
I ran the inaugural B.A.A. 10K and what a difference a…well…a day, a month, an attitude, a training plan make. I was completely relaxed at the starting line and could not wait to feel myself flying down Comm Ave. past Boston University and then looking downtown Boston square in the face while pushing myself toward the finish. This was my first 10K but felt worlds better than the last 5-miler I ran in May.
With a time of 53:14, I met my goal of 8:30ish miles but, quite frankly, this wasn’t at the forefront of my mind today. I wanted to do well, yes, but I really just wanted to have fun. Yup, I even wanted to finish with a smile on my face. My last race felt tortuous and I hated every moment (even crossing the finish line). Today, I finished fast, happy, and strong with my head held high, grinning wide and proud…really, I probably looked a bit crazed =)
Today’s race was exactly the sort of race every runner deserves to have now and again. I was completely present in every moment, painful and thrilling, and finished with my spirits soaring. This is why I run, I kept telling myself. When else have I ever felt such joy and community and pride? Only when running.
On this gloriously happy note, I have to share that I plan on taking a bit of a break from happyaspie for the month of July – and possibly beyond. Blogging has begun to feel like a chore and the joy I originally felt has waned. Don’t get me wrong; cooking and writing about food are very important pieces of who I am. That said, happyaspie has begun to take charge of my meals and I am no longer cooking for me but for an audience. I find myself changing my plans to prepare something “bloggable” and I have taken fewer culinary risks because I worry that if something doesn’t work out, I’ll have wasted an opportunity to write.
Just as I was part of every moment of today’s race, I want to live in the present with my food rather than imagining how I will find the best lighting, what I will write about and when I will find the time. Happyaspie began as a wonderful adventure and I never want to write begrudgingly. Instead, it is time for a break, time to recharge my batteries and remember why it is that I started happyaspie in the first place.
Thank you all for reading for these wonderful 4 months – I hope to be back again!
happyaspie 