Went for a run this morning with my Dad around a five mile loop that somewhat encircles the large development called Brierwood which he and my Mom call home. Ran and talked on and off, as we did the day before; I usually let him more or less dictate the pace as he's now in his mid sixties and also not in as good of shape as I am currently. Though for his age, he's one of the best runners in the area as evidenced by the age group wins he regularly picks up when he competes in local races.

Its another warmer morning, though I do remark about a mile in that it seems a shade cooler and less humid than the day before (my Dad is not convinced). We do catch a little breeze out beyond the country club and large pond as we head out into more of the back country section of the sprawling community... scattered in amongst the old woods and wetlands of southern Brunswick County. Every run is like a snow flake; no two are ever the same. This pearl of wisdom occurred to me a few days ago... where-else, but during a run.

We got done with the loop in a little over forty-five minutes; he eased into a cool down walk up the road past his driveway while i slowed into a trot like jog to talk a few moments more with him. He asked if I was going to continue on with the run, and I answered in the affirmative that I was, so we bid adieu for the time and exchanged a "good run" and I circled back, checked my wrist watch, took off my sweat drenched t-shirt and placed it under the mailbox... and was off again headed back to whence i had come from.

Decided to take the five mile loop again but run it in reverse (runners can be creatures of habit; my Dad, and I when I run this loop that includes a couple different roads will always run it the same way) and also to pick up the pace and lay down some quicker miles and see what the body and mind could handle today.

Have been cycling up mileage wise the past two months or so, but had wisely taken a few easier days this past week that had just ended to allow my legs to recover a little after two fairly intense weeks prior to the last. Hit a bit of headwind on the straight drag of road about a mile in that parallels the road on across several golf holes from my parent's house, and had to dig in a little to maintain the fairly good pace I felt like i was running. I knew once i got up around the turn and into the "back country" part of the run that the wind should be at my back. Of course experience has taught me never to assume wind directions and to never assume any part of a run may or may not be easier than what it may or may not turn out to be.

Held the steady clip I was running and the wind perhaps did come at my back a little, at least it wasn't in my face and the warmth of the mid- morning wasnt too much of a bother... so I pushed it down the tier of straight shots and bends trying to maintain the current pace while alleviating the physical discomforts I was in by focusing on the patterns in the gravely asphalt... the way the road meets the grasses and vegatation on the side I was on... the greenness of trees, shrubbery... the beauty of a stream rolling back out of a small swampy interlude in the trees. Seeing things exactly as they exist in thier own undiluted nature

Thinking then too about how I want to be a tougher runner; the chasmic seperation between voicing the thought and the actions to necessitate the potential outcome. Tougher, stronger, tougher ... step by step by step. Then a vision as I look up ahead and see an old fence shrouded by over growth of the natural woods by a turn in the road... I'm back in Franklin Township running the run i ran some random day fifteen, twenty years ago... and this run is the same as that run... time and space are irrelevant... everything is nothing anyway. I smile inward, again the smile of people slightly mad... but who are quite comfortable in their own sphere of madness... the smile of those who realize they love some God or divine being out there a little more than they'd ever let on to in cocktail party conversations... the smile of those who know what it is like to chase a love to the four corners of the globe knowing they'll never quite catch her and that's exactly the way it supposed to be... after all, muses seldom lie still by the gate.

Then its back onto the main road past the club house and the golfers and the golf carts... I pass a woman out running we say hello and for a split second I wonder about her run and wonder what she may wonder about my run today. One more street one more stretch and I hold firm and strong moving swift counting off the mailboxes in the back of my mind as I near the last bend in the road and the end of the run, with one last thought that "the alleviation of suffering is possible"... and this carries through to the last step of the second five mile loop in a little under thirty-six and a half minutes.