it’s officially spring – which means after a winter’s worth of hibernation, it’s time to come out from under the squashy layer of padding i seem to have accumulated, dust off the shoes, and go for a run.

i haven’t run a single step since last november. and yet, it was like my body slid right back into the rhythm it’s been carrying on for more than 22 years. at various times i’ve tried running faster, picking up my pace… but i always come back to this, the same beat tattooed into the pavement. over and over again, run after run after run. it’s as soothing and constant as a pulse. my legs and lungs instinctively know exactly what to do, even if they’re not particularly happy about it. it’s automatic, mechanical and steady, freeing up my mind to think or listen or just rest.

i’ve never been good at sitting still, so running is my meditation in motion. something about the ritualistic nature of running loosens my brain, allowing things to bubble to the surface. and on my best runs, a distinctive calm pervades – a state of being i don’t naturally find easy to come by. how ironic that it’s the force of movement which brings about that stillness.

that might just be what i like most about it. the simultaneous combination of generating kinetic energy and internal quietude.

and in spite of the rusty joints and extra jiggling of today’s run, it felt good.

beastie boys – body movin’

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