"Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose." - Janis Joplin

You know when you start fantasizing about running again that you are truly coming back. I realize that there are times recently -- say, when a certain "running song" comes on the radio -- that I will picture myself running in that blissful zone. I can picture the repetitive strides, just clipping the miles away. I can remember what it's like to zen, which was something I had come to know, depend on, and ultimately, take for granted. For so many months, nearly the entire year, I simply could not imagine what it felt like to really run. I just couldn't do it. Sure, I tried, but it made me feel sick, an unsettling visceral emptiness. Now, I once again find my mind drifting toward those pleasant thoughts and feelings of running. I can see my feet glide over the road, feel my emotions soar, experience what I know it is like to run and run and run, seemingly forever. I can even see in my mind my upcoming races despite my tentative entries.

It is sooo good to be back to running, physically, mentally and spiritually. It is my religion. I was lost and am now again found.