running.

This week I embarked upon my summer fitness mission - to get in shape. Sounds simple, right? And in theory it is. Wake up at 7:00, go run for half an hour, come back and get ready, go to work feeling healthy and refreshed. However, that does not take into account the immense amounts of motivation necessary to make myself roll out of bed at 7:00 am and go run.

I've done it, though. For 5 whole days. Go ahead...be proud of me.

Every morning I've taken off down the path behind my house, bathed in the soft light of morning. The air is still cool and fresh, untouched by the heat that will inevitably come later in the day. The path winds through the greenbelt, and I look at all of the backyards as I pass. Each one is a little glimpse into a life. Swing sets, swimming pools, hammocks, patio furniture, gardens, and dog toys all give a hint as to the lives encased in each of the small green areas. The shade from the trees and the houses falls across the path. The dappled sunlight that comes through the aspen leaves is my favorite. Not completely sunny, not completely shady - it's the perfect balance.

Every morning, right before I get to the main street I have to cross, I've passed power-walking lady. She wears a mint green sweatsuit every day, and a khaki bucket hat. The temperature doesn't seem to matter - every day is the mint green sweatsuit and the khaki bucket hat. She walks quickly. This is obviously not just a pleasure stroll for her, but a mission similar to mine. As we pass every morning I smile through the quick breaths caused by my lack of practice in the realm of exercise combined with the lack of oxygen in this very mountainous climate. Generally when you smile at someone you pass on the path, they return the favor. Not power-walking lady. No way. The response she gives me is a look of absolute disdain and disgust. Maybe she thinks I'm insane for running by choice. Maybe she's disturbed by how clearly out of shape I am. Or maybe I've disrupted her routine. Maybe I've interrupted her time of solitude and quiet before yet another day of chaos begins. And, honestly, I can respect that. So, while I won't stop smiling (to stop smiling simply isn't in my nature), I will try to keep our interactions brief and let power-walking lady enjoy the solitude and the peace of a quiet Colorado morning.

I cross the street and suddenly I'm in the midst of a beautiful area of open space. The Rockies are directly in front of me, and the gold morning light is illuminating what seems like every individual blade of grass and every leaf on every tree. The whispy white clouds of the morning are floating above the mountains. The world seems right at this moment. I come to the end of the path and approach Sarah. I've taken a cue from a dear friend, and I've begun to forge a friendship with this bench, planted here in the memory of Sarah. She has a small garden of flowers planted around her, and she sits on the top of a hill, facing the majestic mountains. The flowers aren't in bloom yet, and Sarah looks rather desolate. But as I approach her and take a moment to rest on her black metal slats, I'm amazed by the beauty that surrounds her. And right there, sitting on Sarah, still wheezing from a run that really shouldn't have been that hard for me, I feel at absolute peace.

After a few moments I stand and start back home. Another day of chaos is awaiting me, and I can avoid it no longer. But as I run back home, passing children walking to school and moms standing on the back porch waving goodbye, I know that tomorrow all of this will be here, waiting for me. The dappled sunlight, the abandoned toys in backyards, power-walking lady, Sarah, and that feeling of peace will be here for me. Maybe that's what keeps getting me out of bed at 7:00...