The Stuff great runs are made of

Today I had one of those great runs. The kind that feels better and better the longer you go. The kind where you look up to the sky and see the white clouds scattered among the brilliant blue and you say, "Thank you, God." It was so fulfilling. When I got home and opened my log book I wrote, "Whatever great runs are made of, I felt it today."

Here's what I think made my run so wonderful today.
It was the morning sun combined with the cooler temperature of 67-degrees.
It was the first mile feeling so smooth and loosening up my sleepy body, and not realizing until the second mile that I was breathing through my nose with my mouth closed until that point.
It was hitting the dirt path after the first mile and feeling the soft surface under my feet.
It was feeling my ankles and feet wake up as a result of the soft, uneven surface.
It was feeling like ONE with the earth beneath me.
It was paying attention to where my feet fell on the dirt.
It was singing songs in my head and out loud as I ran.
It was looking at my Garmin every time it beeped and surprisingly seeing that I was running each mile faster than the last.
It was that feeling when even though you're getting faster with each mile the run just keeps feeling easier.
It was hitting the turnaround point and actually forcing myself to turn around and go back.
It was hearing my breathing get more rapid yet remain completely calm and under control.
It was not feeling one stitch of pain or fatigue or soreness at all during the run.
It was getting back to the pavement and feeling my legs turn over more quickly.
It was being aware of that and then holding myself back and saying, "It is not about running fast today."
It was waving at every single person I saw on the run.
It was stopping briefly to chat with my neighbor who told me she was training for her first Half Marathon.
It was finishing the last half mile with a few fast, smooth striders and feeling so fresh.
It was drinking iced cold water when I was done.
It was walking the Half Marathon issue of Runner's World over to my neighbor's house to give her the copy.
It was walking back in to my house, looking at the mess and saying, "I'm finally going to clean it all up."
It was writing about it in my running log and sharing my happiness about it with anybody that cares to read this.

What a beautiful run. I thank God for every step!