Return of the Run

Mark it on your calendar - March 5th marks the return of running for me!

The elliptical has been a wonderful outlet for maintaining some sort of healthy activity, but I can bear it no more. I yearn for the sunshine, the fresh air, watching life as it happens! So this morning, when I finish this blog and this cup of coffee, I will don my winter running clothes, my under utilized running shoes, and my mp3 player and put my feet to the pavement. I was going to take advantage of Bob and Sheri podcasts but I can't figure out how to get them on to my mp3 player!

Life up north has gotten significantly more tolerable in the last month. I am starting to feel a routine enter my life, and that is very calming. Minnesota is such a gorgeous place to live. I can't begin to describe the drama played out in nature around this state. When I cross the Mississippi River and it is shrouded in fog, steam rising from the river, and rays of sun light adding deep hues of yellow and sparkle to the trees coated in ice, I can't breathe for a moment. The beauty I witness in that moment encourages me to seek out others, and they are all around. Work is better. It feels like a job and one that I can actually do. I don't love it and I don't hate it, so it rates pretty average in the jobs I have had. I am starting to feel more connected to the community and to the people I meet, and on March 17th, I start my pottery class! The worst part? I miss you. I miss the rest of the family a ton, too. But everyday makes me acutely aware of how much you are not only my twin but my best friend. Ironically enough, I think I miss our runs the most. When we started running together, I could never have imagined how much more close it would bring our relationship. I miss talking about everything from religion, to life, to the smell of the man running by us. I think that is part of the reason I stopped running this winter. Running alone would have exacerbated the loneliness I was feeling.

So maybe then today is the first day that I feel stronger than the ache of loneliness. For the first time, I feel like I can cope with it. I am not saying that the prospect of running alone isn't gloomy in this moment, but I think that when I finish, I will feel replinished in a way I haven't felt for a long time. I will let you know. :)

I am glad I wrote this blog. Amazing how writing sometimes leads you to places you never imagined going. Sort of like running, huh? :)