I Found Mindfulness in Running

When I ran in the Hood to Coast a little while back, mindfulness sort of clicked for me. It was near the end of the race, but I eventually got there. I had some tough legs and, being in school, I didn't train as much as I realized I should have. Pretty much every step of the way through my first and second run I was having an internal battle. I was trying to enjoy the moment, enjoy the scenery, and focus on the accomplishment. But at the same time I couldn't help but think, "what was I thinking, this was so stupid of me, I should have trained more." I went back and forth like this for quite a while. Finally, about a mile into my third leg, which was the hardest only because I hadn't slept in 30 plus hours and had been sitting in a van letting my muscles tighten up, something suddenly felt very peaceful. The internal battle carried on but the positive side eventually won, and I was able to just enjoy being present. Even though I was tired and in pain, I just kept letting my body do the work and I was able to let go, almost like my body and mind were separated for the rest of the run. I hope that I can continue to return to this practice, because it truly was serene in a moment of chaos.