SPRING RUNNING

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by Arundhati Basu

When I run, everything feels better. It truly does. I write thoughts in my head when I am running, if that makes sense. I make lists. I think of a thousand things I want to paint. I watch the angler stand for hours by the bay, patient in his endeavour of a good catch. I stare at the ducks and wading birds that glide by in the bay and I wipe away dark thoughts if and when they prey upon the mind. When I feel troubled, for the mind is such a cauldron of thoughts bubbling away, I run longer and harder. Let’s put it this way: I literally pound away all my frustrations. Running has been a great tool to keep my mind engaged all of last year, except for that awful period right about this time in 2020 when I took a tumble and skinned my knees. But the sorer my body feels, strangely enough the more alive it feels. This does not however mean that I recommend running one’s knees out. As in everything, I believe in listening to the body. I do not believe in weighing myself on the scales and feeling awful. Instead, I simply let my clothes speak. And these days my clothes are being mouthy, so I am trying to curb my insatiable appetite for all things baked.

Anyhoo, as I was out today morning, trotting in the cool loveliness of this hump day, I saw that the boughs were thick with blooms. The magnolias have blossomed though some buds are yet to unfurl, and this promise of tightly curled-up beauty makes my heart thrill even more. The heart’s eyes (because I believe that the heart can be persuaded to see) are filled with the sight of pear tree blossoms thickening away in clusters of white, daffodils winking prettily in patches of gardens alongside carpets of sweet droopy bluebells, and I am filled with wonder all over again. How the seasons march on relentlessly and how the beauty of each goes down a treat in the face of life’s challenges! And because every feeling of joy is almost always balanced out, it seems, with a tinge of pensiveness/ wistfulness/solemnity, I am irked by the thought that my running locale shall change by this time next Spring. What will I do without the bay, the vast sparkling swathe of water by which I run and watch the migration of the birds from the sidelines? The heart stumbles. It feels as it did a few years ago when I had to leave behind the mighty Racecourse. But then I had this beautiful park in Bayonne to soothe away the heartache of leaving those beloved trails behind. Who knows where I shall be running next Spring. But maybe it will not be all too bad. Maybe I will be quite alright. After all, it is the one constant in life. Change.

P.S.: The books have arrived and I am excited to announce a few giveaways soon for my readers.

If you would like to participate, do pop by later this weekend, and it should be up.

Happy Hump Day! ❤️

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Arundhati Basu

The great affair in my life is to travel. I count myself immensely fortunate that my partner shares this passion. We are a team that likes to spend time planning and plotting out places to go. Destination check, flights check, accommodation check, cheesy grins check. Off we go.

13 thoughts on “SPRING RUNNING”

      1. I’m fine, thanks, especially since I have now received both vaccinations. But like most people, I’m getting tired of just sheltering in place, and hope things will start opening up pretty soon.

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  2. Your book looks as pretty as the cherry blossoms on this blogpost! Hope you do find a great place to explore and do your running. I really miss strolling nearby a dam in our area but it was turned into a Covid testing and later a vaccination center and not accessible to the general public. Perhaps it will open again soon and I can see our duck friend Moe and his girlfriends quacking away near the trees – Neek

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    1. Thank ye Neek! Hope you will enter the giveaway. Would love for you to have the book.

      I am apprehensive about finding as beautiful a trail as I have now. But fingers crossed about the future. Only a few months left now to our move. I am sorry to hear about the dam being inaccessible. One cannot be split from one’s duck friends, especially if they have names like Moe and come with sweet mates. ❤

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    1. Hello Brianji, sorry for the hopelessly late reply. I did not check the blog for some time. Terrible, I know! I am sorry to hear that the book is throwing up problems. I hope you had not paid up for the ebook.🙂

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      1. No problem at all. Sorry I misled you. The e-book is fine. It’s just that I haven’t gotten to read it yet. An e-book in an I pad is not as visible as a paper version which I have several (others) on my reading table. No problem whatsoever. Just time. I will let you know when I start it… All well? Phir milenge.

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      2. All well Brianji. No worries at all. You read it when you got time. It is after all recreational. I always have a dozen books waiting on my bedside table and dining table. Distributed evenly. Makes my nerves tingle with pleasure.

        I hope life is picking up pace at your end. We are off on our first road trip this upcoming long weekend! 😃

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