Lightness in the Dark

I managed to eek out a 3 mile run last night after dinner.  I went to a nearby lake that I enjoy running around on the weekends, although I'd never before run it at night.  But yesterday we finally got a taste of spring, and it just seemed silly to go treadmill at it with this wonderful weather.

I hit the lake at the tail end of dusk, with just a few streaks of light remaining in the sky.  It was an amazingly nice night.  No heavy clothing required, no gloves, no jacket - just shorts and short sleeves and a nice cool breeze.  It was nice to feel 'light' again. 

Towards the end, I hit a patch of the park where it got pretty dark.  I really couldn't see much of the road beneath me.  In some ways, it was a little like floating through the end of the run - mainly because I had to keep my footfalls light and quick so I didn't bust my ass on an unseen rock or pothole.  But I had a good song on the Shuffle, the weather was fantastic, and my legs were happy with me.  I found the zone and got lost in my run, even if it was only for a short time.  It doesn't get any better.

After finishing, I walked for a few minutes around the lake, enjoying the night air and the peacefulness.  When I started running three years ago, we were in a different city, and running at night unnerved the hell out of me.  I was frightened to run on the sidewalks in our neighborhood, certain that some evil person was lurking behind the next tree.  In case you are wondering?  That doesn't lend itself to dropping into any zone other than one associated with a heart attack. 

Last night, I was able to let go of most of that fear and uncomfortableness.  When I was younger, dusk giving way to evening was probably my favorite time of the day.  To me, that time of day lends itself to reflection, hope, and possibilities.  Last night, I was able to conjure up just a taste of that again, a few fleeting minutes of the younger, more idealistic me.  Just add that to the many reasons I run...well, that and chocolate of course!