This morning I hopped out of bed before 7:00 a.m. eager to run. (Trust me, hopping out of bed is not standard for me. I’m  more of a “drag my sorry ass out of bed after hitting the snooze button half a dozen times” type.) I haven’t run since Wednesday, so I was looking forward to it. I don’t run every day, because I think it’s best to give my muscles a bit of a rest and because I’m a little nervous of overdoing it and dealing with shin splints again.

On the days in between, I’m trying do yoga, because I know that I do better work (writing, teaching, etc.) when I add some movement into my day, but I’m not always successful at motivating myself to get on the mat. Plus yesterday was a full day of teaching with art class in the evening, which doesn’t leave a lot of time for movement (except that I usually go for a walk at lunch time).

Back to this morning… I hopped out of bed, dressed in the layers it takes to run outside in Winnipeg in the winter time, got my water bottle and iPod, tied on my shoes and stepped out the door. And that’s about as far as I got.

There was a thin layer of ice over the hard-packed snow. It seems it rained during the night, and the sidewalks were treacherous. Bummer. No point in risking my neck to go for a run.

So I came back inside and sulked a little.

But I was determined to run anyway, so later this morning, Marcel and I went to the local YMCA and I ran just over four miles on the treadmill. And now I’m sweaty and tired, and enjoying that lovely little taste of adrenalin. I’m pretty sure I’ll do some good writing this afternoon.

I don’t like running on the treadmill nearly as much as running outside, for a few reasons. When I’m outside, I am much more mindful and meditative. I am mindful of the way the seasons change, the way the weather affects me, the way the river looks in the morning sun, and the way my feet hit the pavement. It gives me things to look at and a sense of peace that I am alive and well in the world.

The treadmill in a busy gym just doesn’t have the same affect. It’s still good to move, and I’m glad I have that option, but it’s just not the same.