I believe we stopped for about five seconds and that was hard enough. There is something about getting a good hard run in and even finding a rhythm that can be disrupted by stopping, and because of this it has taken me a long time to find the ability to truly stop and smell the roses.
I also remember sitting at a marathon expo and hearing from a guy who was encouraging runners to take as much time as possible to complete the marathon experience. He said, "Why rush through and barely see the city when you have paid so much to enjoy it?" The thought was so contrary to why we were lining up to run the marathon that it almost felt sacrilegious to hear him say these words.
But at thirty-three and with no scholarship or bitter rivalry, all of my old ways of thinking about running seem quite narrow and maybe even silly. Recently I have been doing much more running on trails, up mountains, and have even become an avid hiker. This has been changing my perspective on running completely. For instance, while running at any amazing pace downhill a few weeks ago some women flagged me down. They wanted a picture taken and were sorry to disrupt the run as they thought we were racing. It was fun to stop and help them enjoy their hike with a great shot - and why not? There was a time when I would have thought they were messing up my fabulous run.
Surely there are around 100 reasons I run, including living a healthy lifestyle, but recently I've finally learned the benefit in enjoying my runs by the scenery they provide. It's truly amazing what you see when you slow down or even stop momentarily. Perhaps there is more than just a finish line out there somewhere. Maybe there is also a run and it is full of beauty, people, smells, and joy... if we can only slow down enough to see it.
I wonder how much I have missed because I was too concerned with my pace or finishing a run. I have a notion that I might find myself running farther and longer thanks to this new outlook on running.
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