Harbor & Horizon
Evening light, after a day that needed outrunning.
How running is not only a trend but a necessity
Zuiderstrand, Den Haag
A beautiful summer day, not too warm, not too cold, the perfect summer bliss. Sunshine, temperatures around 24 degrees, and a slight breeze cooling the house and the body. A day full of work, the mind bloated with new ideas and errands to be done, plans for future projects. A natural way of concluding a day like this would be to go to the beach, soak in the warmth, occasionally jump into the slightly wavy sea to cool down, with the added thrill of not getting stung by a jellyfish. And to top it off, after drying a bit, to chug down a couple of beers or a nice rosé with a view over the bay, letting the soul wander.
But the body and mind are demanding something more action-filled. All that cortisol from a stressful day, the mind still racing, ready to let loose. And just at the perfect time, my new running shoes arrive. Unsure of the feel, the shape so different from my worn-down tennis shoes, I get an extra boost of energy, ready to make myself a name in unboxing and product testing. A definite sign, sent by the running shoe company: go run! One step after another.
A couple of stretches, a nicely composed running outfit topped off by my new orange running gods, and I march away. Up the small hill by my house, through the harbor neighborhood, where a group of business-convention types block my way across the bridge to the seaside. But my adrenaline and the sheer happiness of moving are so intimidating that they leap aside, delegating and warning others to make room for me. By now I am almost flying along, a bundle of pure energy. A short wave of thankfulness, full of pride and an extra boost, and I sprint away toward the second harbor and on to the sea
Off toward the North Sea, past the harbourmaster's post.
Now my muscles tell me to calm down. That first phase, coming out of the starting blocks like a rocket, pays its dividend in shortness of breath and a few muscles tweaking. I slow down and settle into a sustainable tempo, one I can survive for the next half an hour. I soak in the environment around me, looking at the boats in the harbor, from small sailing yachts to the big coastguard cutters and fishing trawlers. A fresh sea breeze hits my face, and tells me: just one short ramp up past the harbor, and the seaside and the harbor entry are in front of me.
Magically drawn to the sea, my tempo increases, but more rhythmically now than before. A big smile runs across my face when I see the wavy sea and the beach washed in that perfect summery yellow. A wide stripe of open sand runs right along the water. The perfect arena to jog along the coastline.
Open sand, right along the crashing waves
Watching the crashing waves, trading runner's greetings, I observe the dunes and the people roaming the beach. I feel superior as a runner right now, almost snobbish, striding along the coastline, taking in nature's beauty, an uncontrollable feeling of happiness and bliss overcoming my brain and my body.
That is what running is about. The perfect moment when you surrender all the thoughts from before, clearing out your mind and ending up completely in the here and now. The further I go, the more kilometers I stack up, the more I feel myself resetting, further and further, back into some default baby setting.
On the horizon a big ship enters the harbor and blows its horn. A sign? A greeting? Sometimes we do not have to chase the deeper meaning of everything around us, or everything about who we are. Sometimes the solution is just a run, to see the beauty of it all.
Coming home, a feeling of calm and relaxation washes over me.
Reset complete. Life is good.