I never understood as a child the merit of the endurance activity. I hated being cold and wondering when the trail would end.
Even now the smooth, cold downhills, the gliding kick of the wooded maze and the hard push up hill feel just as difficult and lengthy as they did when I was younger.
I was reminded this week that very little is important if I’m not happy with my own path.
Pole after pole, breath after breath, the struggle and the reward of accomplishment remind me of my ability to choose for myself.
I am clear-headed in the quiet of my solitude, moving along the trail at my own pace.