The Church of the Sunday Morning Run

A week or two ago, in one of our typical rambling conversations, the subject of church attendance came up between me and M. the Reasonable. Turns out neither one of us is particularly "religious," though we both described ourselves as "spiritual." I joked that I attend the Church of the Sunday Morning Run, and this got an understanding laugh from my trainer.

While I was being kind of silly with that statement, it's actually rather true: my Sunday morning runs are becoming almost like a spiritual experience for me. What could possibly be better than spending a quiet Sunday morning doing something that is so good for my body, improving my health, my heart, my mind and taking time to appreciate the community I live in?

It's not uncommon for me to see various animals along parts of my route--wild hares, hawks, and the standard variety of finches and hummingbirds. Even a passing walker and their dog make me smile--this community is filled with people who want to be active, who walk their adored pups daily. In warmer weather, the lizards dart across the sidewalk in front of me--it's not uncommon for me to see more than a dozen of them in a typical run--and I'm always watching for snakes.

There is something almost therapeutic about being alone with my thoughts on my Sunday morning run--and for some reason, this run always feels different than any other day of the week, even though I always run the same route. It comes after my rest day on Saturday, and it's my first proper workout of the week before I dive head-first into Monday's training session with M., choir rehearsals, endless job-hunting, and all of the other tasks and responsibilities in my life. On Sunday, fewer cars whiz by me as I run, making the neighborhood quieter, more peaceful.

Tomorrow morning, while other people are dressing up in their Sunday Best, I'll be lacing up my Mizunos and hitting the pavement. My particular brand of spirituality wouldn't work for the church-going crowd, but it makes me a better person. Kinder, more patient, healthier. More aware of the world around me. I don't think there's anything bad in that.