Chilly Morning Thoughts

This is good news for me. Yesterday I went out for a 4 miler, in 34 degrees and I didn't even flinch at the cold. I've figured out that doing 5 min warm up inside before I go really helps because then I don't have to do a warm-up walk in the cold, plus it gets the internal furnace started that much earlier.
As I started running, I enjoyed feeling the cold air coming into my lungs. It's fresh and crisp, and I felt like I was clearing out my lungs and filling my body with new oxygen. I actually thought to myself that running in 30 degree weather is my new favorite thing! The air is really clear this time of year, and you can feel winter coming. I went down my usual route, which has trees and long driveways on one side, but forest on the other side. There weren't as many small animals out scurrying around as I usually see. I did see a pack of wild turkeys on my left which got me thinking about Thanksgiving. My thoughts then turned to my family as I turned on the route towards the lake. The trees around the lake have lost their leaves, so you can see it from further away. I run out on a little Peninsula that has houses on one side and docks and lake shore on the other. The lake ice on the dockside is forming along the coast. It isn't thick at all, but it was already going out about 20 feet. Beyond that there was a group of ducks swimming around. I assume they were taking a rest on their way south. By this time I had gone almost four miles, and was at the end of the run. I was still moving slowly, never really found my speed yesterday, but right now I am not too worried about speed. This part of the year it's going to be a challenge for me just to keep running. At the gym today, one of the gals in my spin class said she never goes outside to run, she's afraid of wild animals. She is at the gym 5 days a week, and is in really great shape. I couldn't help but think, what is it for? Why go to the gym to bust your butt if you don't go outside into the world and use that fitness for some kind of fun activity?
I realized that I don't run to be a smaller size or to look better. I hope that I do look better, especially as I get older. But I love to run because of the activity itself. It's so nice to get outside at least an hour every day, feeling the fresh air, the sunshine. seeing animals and birds up close. I love what running allows me to do, listening to my own breathing, sweating all the stress out of my body and letting my thoughts wander. The time I spend running is my time for meditation and prayer. I usually listen to music, but sometimes it's nice to pull the headphones out and just listen to the sounds around me. Not all runs are the best. But no matter, because you know when it is over you will feel so much better. Many times I have regretted not getting outside to run, but I can't think of a time that I ever regretted going. I always feel refreshed and renewed, and like I can take on whatever the rest of the day brings. Speaking of, time to go take on this one.