Simply pay attention. . .

I had a really amazing run yesterday morning which really surprised me because I lacked motivation and my energy levels were low. Before heading out I reminded myself that the only expectations were the ones that I put on myself and I should just take it for what it was - exercise to exercise with no agenda. During the first mile I went through the usual check-in with my body and my thoughts began to wander when I made the decision to try for four miles instead of three. "Really? You're really unsure if you're making the right decision to add an extra mile?" For an endurance athlete, drastically altering your diet is humbling. Your body essentially goes into shock and is left scrambling to figure out how to pull 'energy' from new fuel sources to sustain activities that used to be no more difficult than a wink. I'm glad that I added the extra mile. I ran hard but not too hard and I listened to my body. The main focus of the run was to get out and breathe while moving my limbs. I was amazed at how alive everything on the canal path seemed- the light dancing on and through the leaves; the squirrels being squirrely; the birds chirping. . .and the fresh air. . .crisp and cold - just the way I like it. I read an article this morning that sums up how I want to approach this weekend -

The richness of life doesn’t lie in the loudness and the beat, but in the timbres and the variations that you can discern if you simply pay attention.  Source: (The Science and Art of Listening)