In My Mind. . . . . I am an Olympian

I had one of those moments on my run last night where everything just seemed to click. My intentions were to run an easy 6 miles (my second run of the day), but about 20 minutes into it I felt like I was gliding. I ran past the 3 mile turn-around point and just kept running. Some people describe this feeling as a "runner's high". I have never really liked that description because I don't think it does justice to the feeling that comes over you. It's a moment of clarity; a point where peace, beauty, art and spirituality intersect. These moments are often short-lived, but not this one. I ran like I was floating; there was no pain or stress; no worries.

I'm not sure what triggered it. Perhaps it was the welcomed cool in the air, the breeze holding my sweat at bay, or the Rolling Stones communicating to me You Can't Always Get What You Want through my IPOD. Maybe it was just that my legs felt fresh and my body was at equilibrium. Most likely, it was a combination of all of the above. I ran effortlessly. I was no longer excersizing or even running; I was simply existing. I felt as if I were a part of nature, like a leaf blowing in the breeze. I ended my run at 8.5 miles.

Still feeling great I went inside and turned on the t.v. to catch Michael Phelps swim the Olympic 200 meter free. I watched in amazement as he gracefully slithered through the water to capture gold for the U.S. You could see it on his face after he finished. He had felt it, he had one of those moments. It's passion for a sport that allows you to arrive at this state of athletic bliss. It's a combination of this passion, God-given talent, intelligence, and maybe a splash of good fortune that gives an athlete access into the world of elite sports. My run didn't take place in Beijing, it was on the country roads of Krum, TX. But on this night, I wasn't much different than Michael Phelps. For 8.5 miles, on a lonley road in a country town. . . . in my mind. . . . I was an Olympian.