"Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you riding through the ruts, don't complicate your mind." - Bob Marley

Jamaica: 2012

One would think 85 degrees and tropically sunny connotes beautiful, uninterrupted beach running.  Unfortunately, this One would be wrong.  First, the beach, while perfectly arched against the blue water, is less in distance than 1.5 football fields strung together.  Second, there is no running (or walking) beyond this perfect little half moon.  And finally, it would make the job of the beach cocktail waiter that much harder if he had to try to catch me in order to deliver my 2PM Dirty Banana. 

So with the beach ruled out, three days of rest and no where to turn to but an open air workout room the size of my kitchen at home, I set out to run five miles on a treadmill that is easily a decade older than I am with its giant "faster" and "slower" arrows, complete inability to retain a workout summary and refusal to "pause." 

Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the machine not only turned on but also purported to keep track of pace and distance - the only necessities as far as I was concerned. And this is where I remained, uninterrupted, for the next 44 minutes, facing out at a wall of palm trees, no music, with only the sound of waves and the little coqui frogs to lull me into a calm, steady pace. 

This first run and those that followed in that private little corner away from the rest of the resort (and what felt like the world, my anxiety, troubles in general and any thought other than "left, right") was a wonderfully focused experience and meditative beyond its own four corners.  The path, once again, felt uncomplicated as I left that quiet niche and opened my eyes to the road with all of its signs.