Seen on the Run: Scoreboard Sunrise

Yesterday, I had the luxury of a late-for-me run.  Heading out at 5:45 on this long summer day meant that my entire run was awash in sunlight.  I slogged through many (many, many) cold and dark 5:00am runs this winter, which make me all the more grateful for this summer's sunshine.

While I made a lap around our neighborhood park, I watched the sun rise through the hills and trees, bathing the entire park in its warmth and golden glow.  The view was remarkable, and I debated stopping to take a picture.  But doing so would involve wrestling my iPhone out of my armband and stopping my GPS, not to mention derail my running groove.  So I took a mental note of the scene and moved on.

Life is good.

About a mile from home, however, I noticed the sun coming up over the football scoreboard at our local high school.  Again, I ran on.  But then I thought about my mantra of 2014: "I am here now."  Wherever here is, whenever now is, I'm trying to be truly present in the moment.  By fixating on my pace rather than appreciating the beauty around me, I was missing a chance to be present.

I stopped and retraced my steps to capture the image.  I'm certainly not a photographer and my sweaty fingers on an iPhone camera can only do so much, but I love the stillness of this image: a peaceful world and a day full of possibilities.  Stopping to capture that moment was worth losing a few seconds on my GPS, and I'm glad I have lasting evidence of this morning's beauty.  And evidence that I can pause my go-go-go brain long enough to soak up a moment.