It's good to feel good

Yesterday, when I dragged my carcass out of bed, I felt like I'd awakened into a new body.

The yuckiness from Monday - the tightness, the soreness, the metaphorical rust - gone. All it took was an entire evening of stretching and kneading, a dash of foam roller self-abuse, and an icepack for dessert.

And with my fresh-from-the-body-shop body came a new attitude. It's so refreshing to not be miserable. Without the fog of despair that a nagging injury brings to the party, the day wasn't half bad.

And my first work-based run in ages, was fairly rockin'.

I ran well. I didn't get hit by a car. Didn't get hit by a beer can from a car. Didn't even have my masculinity questioned from any passing hill-jacks.

Taking a slightly different (i.e. shorter) route, I noticed this oddity...

At some point, some developer had a serious crush on Susan. I'm guessing this intersection creeped her out.

The most daunting part of the run was dressing. Or more to the point, undressing. My new office has about 4000% more windows. Two whole walls of windows. And there I was, sans clothes, jaybird-like, holding on desperately to my belief that the windows are, indeed, mirrored on the outside.

A view of the people who I hoped didn't have a view of my junk.

Post-run, I didn't crumble into a heap. A little stretching and I was right back to work. My positive vibe has lasted through to today.

I don't like that it feels weird to be in a good mood.

I'm thinking that my 2-month sabbatical was less vacation, and more punishment. Punishment for not taking better care of myself while I was running every day. Karmic backdraft for hubris.

Having my feet back under me and on the road where they belong, and having a goal to keep them there, is what I need.

We need a goal. We need accomplishment, or at least to feel that we are striving for something. Something that we don't know that we can achieve. It gives us purpose. It challenges us, and our self-imposed limits.

It also helps to mark our time on the planet.

Without goals, either achieved or not, time wooshes by, unnoticed. And before long, 2 months, or 2 decades, gone. And you don't have anything to show for it.

Good running,

Doug