by Deborah Rogers –
Do you know the expression “bitten off more than you can chew”? That’s how I’m feeling these days, with more responsibilities than I know how to handle. I’ve been having trouble sleeping. My brain’s never-ending “to do” list appears at 3 a.m. each night, which, ironically, is the absolute worst time to try and think rationally about anything!
Today I took myself out on a long trail run. That’s not unusual on a Sunday, but the friend I normally run with was away doing a race, so I thought I’d better do something substantial by myself. My husband kindly dropped me off at Goldstream Park with a promise to leave the car at the other end. On a glorious sunny day, the prospect of just me and the miles (and three big climbs) that lay in front of me seemed like the mental break I needed.
I hit the wall about a third of the way through. That phrase “I’ve bitten off more than I can chew” circled constantly through my mind. More than feeling hot and out of breath, I felt under resourced. Despite having a pack with plenty of snacks and water, the climbing had left my legs weak and the descent was challenging my balance and agility.
It becomes a mental game to keep going when your body tells you it can’t. To distract myself from the endless trail, I worked my way through things that are feeling insurmountable in my life right now. Puffing my way up another hill, I played out an intimidating meeting in my mind. Picking a route down a rocky descent, I answered an overdue email in my head. Slogging through the last few kilometres, I started thinking about this column.
In 500 Days in the Wild Dianne Whelan embarks on an epic journey across Canada: hiking, biking, snowshoeing and paddling. As she settles into the rhythm and challenge of keeping moving forward, she finds that the reasons that sent her out into the wilderness – her dismay at the state of the world, and disconnect from modern life – become lost to her. The focus became each footstep, each paddle stroke. Readers, I did four hours today, but I got a little taste of her experience. Those worries weren’t big enough to sustain me; they shrank out there in comparison with the trees and hills. I’m pretty confident that I’ll sleep through tonight too!
This puppy may have already found a family before this issue hits the streets, but there are many animals waiting for their forever homes at the Victoria Humane Society. For information, visit www.victoriahumanesociety.com.
Photo by Janis Jean Photography.
