On The Run

I learned, one, you shouldn’t ever quit. And I learned, two, you’ll never be able to explain it to anybody.

Lace up.

Let’s go for a run.

I’ll introduce myself.

I’m a sister, daughter, aunt, friend. And, I’m a runner.

Mile 1 always seems to fly by, doesn’t it?

Welcome to my path. My road. My trail of life.

Watch out for the mud that I’ve slipped on. The puddles that splash knee high. And the holes, I swear you’ll fall face first.

I’ve been running for about 12 years. I’ve been running away for about a year.

This long, narrow, and bumpy Columbus route we are on is just for training. My race is somewhere else.

Mile 2, you’re warmed up right?

I usually turn around here.  Today we can keep going, he’s not waiting for me anymore.

I said I would be back in an hour too many times.

The longer I run, the more they forget I’m even gone.

Mile 3, aren’t the colors of the trees beautiful?

The orange tones of where I should be. The blues of the sky like those eyes you’ll never forget.  The feeling of being out here on this run, is like being back in his arms.

I’m still in love with this view.

I wish I could take a picture.

Maybe then, we could look at it and remember what a time we had.

Mile 4, how’s your heart rate?

Sorry, I like to pick up the pace a little.

 I just want to feel my heart beat like it did. I want to lose my breath like I did. I want those butterflies in my stomach like I had.

I leave my heart out on every run.  I leave one of his t-shirts at the starting line of every race.

 Some things I’ll just never be able to get back.

You’ll be waiting for your heart beat to catch up for a while, that’s what they say at least.

Mile 5, do you mind if we cut this run short?

I’ve been out here running for a while hoping this looped back around.  Hoping I’d end up back where I started. Like I had never left at all.

  But, I got lost along the way.

I’d like to go back home now.

Mile 6, same time and place tomorrow?

Because, it seems the only thing I’m good at is running.

Out here wondering how I got miles away from where I need to be.

Did I forget to mention, my name’s Audrey.

Nice to meet you.