Friend

Running along the rippled sand of an ebb tide.

Before a long base run, rarely do I know where my feet or mind will end up. Leaving the door, we both begin in the same place, generally a beautiful chaotic twirl of leaves twisting in a westerly wind.

There is a separation which occurs, a separation leading to union. The legs become free, the body becomes alive. At the beginning the mind wanders with the feet, in a different place, where there is no time.

Stepping along the stones, there is one breath, one step forward where the separation begins to unite both the feet and mind. From now on, both are travelling together on this run.

Today my run began in a foggy place, with little clarity. Perfect west coast base running weather. I made my way to the stairs, stones, and pebbles of Wreck Beach. A saturated beach graciously greeted me with slippery rocks and seaweed.

Almost always, west coast beach stones look the same, giving no particular consideration to where we happen to be; whether trekking the Southern half of the Juan de Fuca trail, or going for a stroll along Jericho. All wet beach stones seem to emit the same beauty, much like rain seems to sound the same no matter where we are.

How many times has a moment been shared with wet beach stones along the west coast, just as I experienced today?

How far do I run, before turning around, back to the place and time where this run began?

Out to the edge of the sand, almost 100' from the moored freighters. Splash through the flooding streams. Further and further until I look up.

No more than 4' away sits a massive bald eagle, perched atop a barnacle encrusted rock, about to shake off the salty spray. We stared at each other, beak to beak, eye to eye for a moment or two before parting ways. It was time for me to turn around. Now I knew, I had come to meet a friend, share the beach, water, and sand, then return with the wind to a never before seen horizon.

Back to the place and time where we began, having learned and experienced one more piece.

We are continuing with our theme of great training over the past few days.

Yesterdays swim was almost a breakthrough, before my face to face encounter with one of the trees extruding from the big island. Our ride through East Sooke was phenomenal, as the rides out in that area always are. The core change is coming.

All my congratulations to our Canadian Juniors for a great day of racing!

Time for nourishment.

Rest well.