Hi, I'm Melissa and I'm an annoying runner. I'm one of those people who tells everyone around them to get out there and get their bodies moving.
Do I do it to sell diet shakes or short shorts that only look good on the truly muscular?
No. Not at all.
I do it because for me exercise and fitness are the only ways the world makes any sense.
For instance, today I woke up slightly hung over and cranky that two beers render me unconscious in the middle of an episode of Orange Is the New Black. Normally at times like this, I will mindlessly cruise social media to distract myself from the "meh" of a crummy Sunday morning. But as of late that realm has become an abyss of hateful trolls and mindless imbeciles screaming for attention.
So I headed out for a run. All the signs told me not to. My head ached. I felt fat. My boobs hurt. Did I mention it was that time? Oh that too.
But despite that off I went.
First the music hit me. Who can resist Matt and Kim? I can't. And suddenly my head didn't feel as heavy anymore. My shadow, which had just looked like a wildebeest shot with a tranquilizer dart looked sleeker, her movements more confident like she knew what she was doing.
I saw a butterfly flitting from one plant to the next and the sun winking behind clouds. And as hippie dippy as it sounds, in moments like this I realize the world is so much bigger than my TV or the the little screen on my phone. And man, it can be beautiful.
Then came something truly awesome. About a mile out I ran past a garden where fresh mint was growing. The cool scent washed over me like water. The air filled my lungs and I could feel myself rising above the things that were certainly beneath me. I didn't care what hateful spew was flowing on the internet, or about missing a show, or even about my hangover. I wasn't thinking about all the muck that had been until just then threatening to ruin my day. None of that was important.
It was just me breathing.
One foot after another.
