Still sweating from my run, bent at the hips, fingers touching my shoes, I noticed the artwork on my legs. An old scar from a bike accident. A newer scar from falling while trail running. A pair newer than that from tripping while running up stone steps. And a large bruise from last week. We were jumping from one box to another in parkour. I only missed once, and only one foot missed, so more like half a miss? The bruise is my receipt.
Running hasn’t been feeling great lately.
As I stretched my hamstrings and looked at my knees and shins, the smattering of imperfections reminded me how fortunate I am to have a healthy body, to have means to spend time and money exercising regularly, to have the drive to do it regularly, to have the knowledge that I need to just do it when I don’t have the drive. And that the less I want to, the more I need to.
Even a bad run or a half-miss in parkour is evidence of mobility and health.
Here’s to another workout, whether it feels good or not.