Running in the Moment

This past week has been a bit of a struggle for me. Although I started on the core exercise workouts (Whittle my Middle), I still could not get it together to run consistently. I did manage 2 half hour runs on the treadmill but that was pretty much it.
Since things were looking so grim, I started thinking about going on a holiday! Well, let me explain - Stuart has been seconded to the US permanently, so as of 1 January we have 3 months to put our affairs in order in Geneva. That is a nightmare I cannot even begin to imagine....sell the house etc etc. Right now we need to get all our stuff shipped out here, and a 2 bedroomed flat cannot possibly cope with all that. So, lots of things to sort out here as well. Add in the running lapse I am going through, and sometimes I just cannot get it together to go and run. It's not physical, but mental.
Last night I was thinking about how excited I was when I used to have a good run. Mind you, it might not have been a particularly speedy run, but it is what I think of as "running in the moment". In Buddhism the phrase "esho funi" describes the concept of the oneness of self and the environment. It is the realization that you and your environment are the 'same' - if you change, your environment will change. OK, I am simplifying this terribly, but that is the gist of it.
So, to me, "running in the moment" is the the joining of mind, body, environment and spirit. It is that perfect run when you just feel a sense of gloriousness - the gloriousness of being able to run, to run in such a beautiful place and the knowledge that you can do that again tomorrow should you so choose. There can be few things to rival that feeling of possibility. Yes, even if I have had a rotten week (running wise), I can choose to start again (yes Buddhism has another term for that too!). The point is, it does not matter what happened yesterday, what I did or did not manage to do. What matters is my decision to start today.
I set the alarm for 6:30 but only got out of bed at 7:25. Anyway, finally I was out of the door, and off I went. The weather this morning was very Italian - greyish skies, some mist and no wind. Not cold, but with a slight nip to the air, and the ground a bit damp - perfect. I did not make the mistake of pretending that I was some place else though! This was an unexpected surprise, and I was going to try and make the most of it, as it truly is the perfect running weather.
It was a magnificent run. Simple, straightforward, honest. When I got home, I felt energised, and so thankful that I had the possibility of pushing the restart button, embracing my environment, and running in the moment.