In A World of Walkers, I’m A Runner

Last Sunday my wife and I took a stroll in the park.  For the first time in months we walked upon the concrete paths that have been associated with our training runs for so long.  We saw the trees swaying softly to the tune of the wind, as children’s laughter filled the air.  We heard the ducks quack as they scampered from one pond to the next.  We felt the world slow down as we engulfed ourselves in the moment.  For a while we were no longer runners…we were walkers.

Sometimes as runners we forget to enjoy the world around us.  We focus our energy on time or exceeding limits, but forget that we’re all a part of the spinning earth and, that no matter how fast we run, life continues to move at the same pace.  I know many of us enjoy experiencing the world at a faster speed and we forget that sometimes it’s good to slow down in order to catch our breath.

I have always enjoyed running with my wife, but I also really enjoy walking with her.  There’s something about allowing the world to slow down long enough for me to notice her angelic eyes, or how wonderful it feels to have her hand in mine.  For me on Sunday the concrete paths didn’t seem long enough and I wanted nothing more than to just keep walking.  I guess I can’t always say that about running.  Sometimes the paths seem too long and I want nothing more than to stop.

There are joys I get from walking and there are joys I get from running.  However, I feel that with running I am able to break through barriers and sometimes that feeling is essential.  But, taking that walk on Sunday and really absorbing the world around me helped me understand one important thing…it doesn’t always matter if you run or walk, because both will eventually get you to your destination.

By Raul Alanis