Normal?

Normal is all relative, I realize, and honestly, I know I am anything but normal :-) But that's not the point. The point is that, during this morning's run, I actually felt like a normal runner, not a rehabbing runner. Perhaps it was just a matter of time, or perhaps all the different tweaks Dr. Jamie has done on my foot, hip, butt and ankle are finally kicking in, but for whatever reason, this morning's run just felt good. Since returning to running earlier this month, I've felt awkward, like my stride was off and I was clumsily running along, which just took some of the joy out of things for me. I felt like I was worrying about every footfall and couldn't get in a rhythm. And so today, when I realized, as I was running along, that things just felt, well, normal, that made me feel very happy indeed. Perhaps I am on the right track after all!

This morning, while Sam and I were doing our normal early morning routine, I was thinking about my day and what needed to get done. I realized I might be better off running before I dropped off Sam, so around 6:30 we went upstairs to wake up Ryan. I totally threw him for a loop, but he was gracious enough to get himself out of bed after a bad night's sleep and some allergy issues, and hang with Sam so I could go out for a 3 mile run on the powerlines. It was sprinkling slightly when I left, but felt pretty nice out. I stopped to pick some blueberries along the powerlines - can't believe they are getting ripe and sweet already! In the dip between Highland Green Road and the hill headed down to Topsham Crossing, the air smelled like that wonderful scent of ferns, and I scared up a big deer nosing along in the brush. On the return, as I was cresting hill, I heard the hollow tap tap of a Pileated Woodpecker, and looked up to see one of them high up on one of the high tension power line poles pecking away. The towhee was singing as I ran back down to the high school, my leg and foot felt great, and it seemed that all was right with the world. Hurray! We'll see if this hippy trippy happy feeling lasts through my next run, but for now, I'll take it :-) Sometimes, it's good to feel normal, even if it's just a state of mind!