Breathe in. Breathe out. Focus.
Blood pumps rapidly through the body’s vessels and arteries. A cloud of little winged insects temporarily throws off the semi-constant rate of respiration, as they assault the breathing passages of a man, struggling to catch his breath through an open mouth. About 2 miles in, as perspiration begins to sting the eyes, seeing the path ahead becomes more difficult. Focus.
Breathe in. Breathe out. One step after the other.
A wandering mind can easily throw off the pace. Focus. Still lucid, no cramps, no signs of dehydration. Fatigue though, is setting in. Lower the gait. Shorten the stride. Catch that second wind. One step after the other.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Persevere.
Every day, millions of people around the world get out and run. One step after the other. The reasons are plentiful: to lose weight, to clear the mind, to train, to get away. Running can be a personal pursuit, or it may tie you to a community. But whatever the reason, running is generally peaceful. Persevere.
As I struggled through my routine jog along the south end of the San Francisco Bay Trail, over 3,000 miles away in Massachusetts, the 117th running of the Boston Marathon was taking place. Nearly 4 hours and 9 minutes into the race, two explosive devices were detonated along the finish line. Three people died and over a hundred were injured. Horrific. Tragic. But not a defeat.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Focus. One step after the other. Persevere.
Morgan McKnight is an undergrad majoring in Communication Studies at San Jose State University. While he may come across as serious, Morgan is a huge comedy fan and enjoys finding the humor in just about everything. Raised by a pack of hyenas in the Sahara Desert, he once caught a pit viper with his bare teeth, in order to feed his young. As a student, he’s relentlessly diligent in his studies. As a writing consultant, he strives to bring out the best in the students he works with. And as a person, Morgan’s a thoughtful dude with a good heart.
The Bolt Magazine 