Thursday, May 15, 2008

awareness training

For some reason I was totally wrecked by today’s run on El Prieto. I could barely make it up the trail and back. And the rest of the day was “game over,” too.

It would be easy to blame the heat or sun as it is quite a bit hotter today than it’s been – about ninety-something. But, it wasn’t that hot yet when I was up there this morning, although the sun was already getting pretty intense.

It could also have been a lack of sleep last night, or the subsequent overdose of coffee that followed, or the previous day’s work, or maybe I’m sick or perhaps something else unknown.

As is often the case, it was probably a combination of factors. It’s a little bit scary to think that little pieces of our lives can combine to sabotage us. Maybe our best defense against this is to be better aware of a situation as it is developing. I knew on the way up the trail that I was getting crushed, but kept going. I probably should have turned around.

I’m starting to believe that a big part of training is gaining this sort of self-awareness. How do I feel when it’s time to turn around? When will I benefit from pushing through this wall in front of me?

Sometimes, though, the crushing is worth it. If I had turned around earlier I wouldn’t have seen the hundreds of butterflies drinking from the side of the stream. Or the mellow rattlesnake stretched out across the path in the morning sun. Or the tracks that led me right up to the deer that made them. Good trade.

4 comments:

Al Diaz said...

Hi

One advantage you have is that you are aware that something else could be happening. The majority of others are asleep with their eyes wide open.

Ilumine Ao,
Al Diaz
www.thetitusconcept.com
http://ilumine-ao.blogspot.com

mindful mule said...

Yes, that openness to the possibility of something else, something beyond what we’ve come to accept as our normal awareness/capacity/potential in our mental and physical and spiritual lives seems evermore significant.

Thanks for dropping by...

amidnightrider said...

Could have been nothing more than a bad day. Lets hope.

mindful mule said...

I was at a wedding last night and the minister said a couple of things that reminded me of this post and comments…

“Challenge is the threshold of epiphany.”

and

“In every moment something sacred is at stake.”