Hard In the Rain

Last Friday night I ran hard in the rain. Reminds me of the adage referring to something that was mistreated over the years, "It was rode hard and put away wet." I wasn't quite sure that I wasn't mistreating my body. It was dark, cold (probably about 50 degrees f.), and it was a downpour. I promised myself that I could turn back at any point that I felt it was counter-productive to my health. I ran my whole 5k regimen, and though I was soaked with about 10-15 extra pounds of water in my clothing/shoes, I made it just fine and was fairly warm with all my body heat.

There were several points during the run that I had to reevaluate how I was holding up. I was super-conscious about my health. But what kept me running was the thought, "How many more times will I get the chance to do this in full vigor?" I know there is coming a day that I won't be able to take that risk, or I will be so frightened off by the needless discomfort of the whole ordeal that I won't push myself for the mere thrill of it. I figure with the coming diminishing returns for my passion and efforts, the higher I climb now, will be the longer it will take to fall from the summit later.

While I was running, the Star Wars film score came on my ipod--Luke Skywalkers theme. I felt that I was listening to it, and hearing the story, for the first time. I was reminded that some things in the world come to life only under certain conditions. The meaning of things are not open to us in any circumstance, but it requires us to take certain risks to see from a new angle. Pain and struggle just might be necessary for new senses in us to develop to experience a new reality, to appreciate a new beauty.

I wouldn't recommend running in the dark, cold rain to just anyone at anytime. But if you want to know the kinds of secrets that are only hidden in that place, you might just have to get a little wet. Maybe this is why Novalis wrote, "Why does all that inspires us bear the color of night?" Cold, rain, darkness, sorrow and pain = inspiring? All I know is I felt inspired walking back in the door that night, peeling off 15 extra pounds of thickened clothing, and setting my soppy shoes by the heat-vent to dry for the next few days.