A Midnight Ice Cream, a Heavy Run and a Morning at the Market

Last night, my girlfriend and I were watching Anthony Bourdain in Bordeaux when, at around a quarter past midnight, she suddenly came up with the idea: “Let’s go and get some ice cream.”

So we did.

After the ice cream, we went to bed. I woke up early this morning and started my morning run much earlier than I have been over the last several days.

Honestly, today I didn’t have such a great flow.

I wasn’t exactly struggling, but my body felt heavier than normal. The sky was dotted with clouds, and although the heat can slow you down, I have to admit that I miss the sun when it isn’t shining.

Up and down I went, listening to a podcast, although I wasn’t quite as enthusiastic about it as I had been on previous days. Some mornings you simply don’t have the same energy, and today was definitely one of those running days where everything felt a little harder.

Still, regardless of how I was feeling, I focused on one thing: not being tense anywhere in my body as I moved along the trail. I tried to stay relaxed, pay attention to my breathing and simply let the run unfold.

Sometimes, that’s the best you can do. You don’t necessarily have to feel great. You just have to keep moving and stay aware of how your body feels.

I also made sure I took my photograph for this post. In fact, I took quite a few before finally settling on one I was happy with. Apparently, even getting the right running photo can require a little patience.

Afterwards, I jumped on my bike and met my girlfriend, Thao, at the market, where I had a glass of local red wine and some fresh seafood.

It was a nice way to finish the morning.

Not every run has to be a great one. Some days feel lighter, some heavier. Today was definitely one of the heavier ones, but I still got out there, put one foot in front of the other, paid attention to how my body was moving, and kept going.

And, in the end, that’s enough.