Girl runner

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focus

Yesterday was devoted to running.

I started by running 10.5 km early in the morning, before and then during the rain. My Tuesday running partner couldn't meet up, so I headed out alone. It was very dark and extra-early, because I'd taken swim girl to the pool first. On early dark mornings I stick to neighbourhood streets, when what I really want is to run out toward the open sky. But on early dark mornings that path feels isolated and unlit; I err on the side of caution. I'd gone a dull 4 km when I saw a familiar jacket ahead. I ran faster to catch up. A friend! (Not my usual running partner.) Running with her livened up my route immensely.

Basically, aside from the odd evening out, my social life is anchored by early morning exercise with friends. And texting. And threshold conversations, such as when dropping a kid off, or waiting on the sidelines/poolside/at music lessons. Does this sound familiar to anyone else?

I spent the day reading through the Girl Runner galley, sharpened pencil in hand. This is gruelling work, I'll admit. Because I'm still reading as the writer, still working to improve (not to say perfect) the words on the page, I can't read as a reader. After many hours of this, all I wanted to do was run.

Maybe I was inspired by Aganetha.

Kev and I were tag-teaming supper prep, but it wasn't ready in time for soccer girl to eat before soccer practice. I was taking her. I grabbed a handful of almonds, dashed upstairs and came back down in running gear.

Kevin, in the kitchen, puzzled: "Didn't you already run this morning?"

Yes, but. That seemed ages ago, like it belonged to another day, another season. Plus, at soccer practice I can run out under an open sky. And it had stopped raining.

So I went, and I ran. And as I ran, I didn't think about anything in particular. I didn't think about punctuation or trimming words from sentences. I didn't think about publicity planning. I thought about running. I repeated a few key phrases that remind me to improve my form, or push harder, or to relax. Quick feet. Tuck in. Shoulders down. I decided I would complete a half-marathon distance in one day, this run being the second stage. And so I did. And that's what I thought about, really. That's all.

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change of focus

Daily life is a mixture of noise and quiet, connection and interiority, an ongoing attempt to stay focused on whatever is the priority at the moment. To not get distracted. I spend a lot of my daily life trying not to let myself get distracted. Maybe I need a few key phrases, like those I use while running. If I'm with someone, I want to be with them. If I'm working on something, I want to be working on it. It's where squeezing everything in breaks down, attempting to do too many things all at once, splitting one's focus. Am I tuning out the right things? Tuning in to the things I mean to? Our brains seem wired to get off on distraction. Quick hits of excitement. But really it's focus that's deeply satisfying. It's running and emptying the mind. It's reading a stack of picture books to a kid before bed. It's listening to what a friend is saying, not jumping ahead to what you'll say next.

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