Smile!

My hubby is a cyclist. As such, he is certain that he is superior in every way to all of us who squander our lives on the bare earth. Run? Why would anyone do that when they can ride? Why travel 10K on your feet, when you can cover 2-3x as far in the same time on a bike? Why, why, why? He considers running a subpar form of physical activity reserved for the culturally unrefined, and superbly grumpy people of the world. Why grumpy? Because, it turns out, cyclists like to have a snicker at runners when they pass. "Was that runner having fun??" "Nope, not smiling" Running MUST make people miserable because ALL runners are frowny, sweaty, grimacing, well, you get the picture. So I make sure to grin and wave at EVERY cyclist who passes me. So there. I do not smile at every point in my runs. But I like to think I wear a pleasant expression throughout. Running is one of my greatest pleasures, and as such, catching myself with a slight grin when I turn the corner and see the sun rising over the local country roads is not rare for me. I have been know to grin, cheshire cat-like, at some delightful sight on my route, or skip a little and laugh when my Garmin watch tells me I'm WAY ahead of pace on a tempo run and I'm still feeling great. I try my best to enjoy all the sensations of a run, and to not let the pains, aches, struggles and tribulations that can come into every run, become the run itself. For me, the experience and the accomplishment are a sum greater than the smaller parts, the joys and agonies alike. And as such, I make sure to allow the realities of the bigger take over my body. And smile, if only a little. My favourite running picture is taken in the Mexican desert, of Ultra Marathoner Scott Jurek and Tarahumara runner Arnulfo Quinara.

They are nearing the END of a 50KM Ultramarathon in the scorching heat of Mexico. They are smiling. Not obviously grinning, just with an expression of quiet joy. Wish my hubby and his cycling club could see them.