Running...

She measured her breathing with her steps.

Five strides per inhale.

Five strides per exhale.

Thinking to herself: Keep your pace. This is what you trained for.

She looked at signposts trying to decide how far she’d already come.

Then chastised herself for thinking about that.

Just keep your pace. One foot in front of the other. You can do this.

She’d run in the rain.

She’d run in snow.

She’d run when it was hot and humid, and every step felt like a slog.

Training didn’t take days off.

All so she would be ready for today.

One foot in front of the other.

Five strides per inhale.

Five strides per exhale.

She spotted a runner ahead of her.

A friend called it rabbiting.

Pick someone and make passing them your goal.

Pass them and pick someone else.

It was harder than you’d think.

As soon as they heard footsteps behind them, they sped up.

Nobody wants to be passed.

Five strides per inhale.

Five strides per exhale.

Closer now. They were definitely speeding up.

But she would just keep her pace.

They could sprint for a bit and wear themselves out.

She had trained for this.

Run your own race.

She passed them.

They would fade now even more having spent so much energy trying not to be passed.

Five strides per inhale.

Five strides per exhale.

Just keep going.

Don’t look back.

Don’t pay attention to the sounds behind you.

It’s not you.

It didn’t catch you.