One of the most satisfying things about this whole technological age we are living in is the pure pleasure that can be derived from hitting refresh. The simple act of clicking on that little icon and watching the screen change to something new brings with it a sense of clarity that few other things in life do. After all, how many times over the past six months have you just wanted to hit refresh and have a clean slate appear before your eyes?
One of the many gifts of long-distance running is the way it allows for us, in very real time and on a daily basis, to hit our own internal refresh button. Each time we lace up our shoes and head out onto the road or trail, we have the opportunity to be renewed and find something fresh in the midst of what can, at times, be a monotonous workday existence. Through healthy physical exertion, steady and vigorous breathing, and the consistent pitter patter of our footfalls, running brings us to a place of equilibrium, a place where we can revel in the very real possibility of starting over.
Now, don’t get me wrong, using a daily run to hit refresh is not always easy or straightforward. Sometimes, after just a few strides, I know that my run will be a slog. I know that, for whatever reason, this will be one of those runs that will be just plain hard. And you know what? That’s okay, for even those arduous slogs can clear the way for better and more effortless runs ahead. And, with that hope, I can get myself up off the bed and out the door the next day, and the next, and the next.
Because invariably, those sloggy refresh days will give way to that day when the slate is wiped clear. When the fresh air in my lungs and the blood flowing through my legs brings with it a touch of transcendence, a little piece of energy borne out of the effort and honed over years of doing the same thing, every day, to find a way to become a better version of myself.
When I tap that little icon and my screen refreshes, for some reason I just feel a little more hopeful. And, when I successfully finish a nice morning run on a cool autumn morning in September, as I did today, I feel much the same way. It certainly doesn’t make all the worries of life go away and at times the hope can be tinged with accompanying despair but for me, much like that little icon, it represents something that is worth striving for. And that is a very good thing!
Bottoms up!
AJW’s Beer of the Week
This week’s beer of the week comes from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California. This past March they released on to the mass market a delicious new beer, the Wild Little Thing slightly sour ale. A highly refreshing, lightly fruity beer, Wild Little Thing is a mold breaker for sours. At 5.5% ABV, it drinks like a light lager but has a robust flavor that will brighten up just about any late summer soiree.
Call for Comments
- Does your daily run serve as a form of hitting refresh for you, too?
- If so, can you share how that works for you?
