Treadmill nevermore

When I went to the gym today, the overcast and breezy weather told me to skip the elliptical machine and go for a run on the track. It's not so much a track, and more a packed dirt path that goes around the soccer fields, but I didn't care; it called to me. The moment my feet hit the ground, it felt so good I almost cried. I never realized how much I missed running. Not just running, but running and actually going somewhere. I ran, not knowing the distance traveled or the calories burned, but it didn't matter, music playing in my ears and a prayer in my heart as my fingers twirled the ring rosary on my key chain clutched tightly in my hand. The clouds seemed to pulse with every beat of my heart, and the sweat rolling down my face made up for any tears I didn't shed. I thought about those nights in college, running around and around in circles, trying to find my place, trying to catch whatever it was that would eventually make me happy. Upon moving back home, I missed that indoor track that kept me sane and helped me find myself. Now that the weather is nice, it's time to take my running shoes back to the track and my mind to that place where it finds calm and peace and maybe sometimes a little wisdom too.