Peace, Baby!

I am not an early riser, and certainly never exercise before work. Today was different. For some reason, I could not get back to sleep, and the digits on my alarm clock were stalled at 6:30. I opted to lace up my running shoes and kick off the day with a 3.5 mile walk/jog.

My goal was to find a new neighborhood route about 3.1 miles in length so I can practice running for a 5K. I want to improve my speed and stamina. One step is losing weight, of course, I would like to lose 63 more pounds. Another is learning to feel the distance. Finally, I need confidence in my physical fitness to push for a quicker, longer stride.

What I wasn't expecting was the utter peacefulness that settled over me as I set out. The air was heavy with humidity, and the mercury was already on the rise. I traversed the streets of Roseville listening to birds chirping, eyeing the sun on its journey across the sky and feeling at peace with myself. I suddenly realized that this journey goes well beyond weight loss.