Run

The first step is the hardest. Lift the knee, hop forward, set off. Repeat with the opposite foot. The shins immediately protest, but the feet must keep moving. Before long, a rhythm is set. The shins settle down. The muscles tense and release, over and over again.

At first the lungs don't register that something strenuous is happening, but soon, a deep gulp of air is gratefully sucked in. A gasp, a small choke. Another rhythm is set. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Two steps for every inhale, two steps for every exhale.

A heel hits the ground. The foot rolls. The opposite knee comes forward. Arms pump, propelling, giving momentum.

Inhale. Exhale.

There is pain. The hard ground is not easy on the shins. The calves are working hard and feeling the burn. Breathing is more labored, and more focused.

The brain empties. Worries simply cease to exist. The prospect of unemployment, the stress of the workplace, the dramas, big and small, of everyday life simply float away. The mind is in its zone, where the only thing that matters is putting one foot in front of the other, inhaling, exhaling.

Make it to that corner up ahead. Now, make it to the next. Don't stop. Don't quit. Breathe. Ignore the pain. Push through the pain.

Everything is working. The sweat drips down the face, down the neck. Clothes become soaked. Muscles protest. But the feet keep moving, and the head stays clear.

Then it's over, and the day is better for it.