like old times

there was an ad i pulled from a running magazine, years ago, that really inspired me. i saw myself in it, though the image was only of a woman’s shoes.

her feet were running alongside the water line, with the tag revealing that it was dawn, and that that morning, like every morning, the tide line asked her if she wanted to race.
i lived next to the beach when i found it and i was young enough to do things like rip out sport ads and tape it to my wall, so i did.
i’ve long since rid of rip out decorations and i can’t find it anywhere online now, of course, though this may be more to do with having exactly zero patience for internet ‘research’ then it not being accessible. this said, i know it’s image by heart. more importantly, i remember how that fictional ocean challenge resonated with me. even more importantly, i recognize that it still calls me by name.
this Sunday, decades since i was a young athlete and could legitimately be called a “runner”, i ran along the harbour in the morning, in the fog, in the mist, with just my breath and the waves.
the tide won, rest assured, but, in a way, i did too.

“The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.
Don’t go back to sleep.
You must ask for what you really want.
Don’t go back to sleep.
People are going back and forth across the doorsill
where the two worlds touch.
The door is round and open.
Don’t go back to sleep.”
– Rumi

Tags: inspiration, ocean, race, running, tide