Adjusting As You Go
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Sunday morning. Anstey's Hill, with Rob.
The trail kept changing under us. Sealed path gave way to loose stone, then real ascents and descents. The climbs felt fine. Solid ground, sure footing, easy to trust my legs. The descents were different. Going down should feel easier. It never does. My focus sharpens, my pace slows, and I only let myself ease off once the ground flattens out or tips back upward.
Halfway through we spotted a family of kangaroos off to the side of the trail, watching us about as much as we were watching them. The bush went quiet except for birds and our own footsteps. Good reminder that the run isn't only about the running.
Downhill should be the easy part. It never is for me. The moment the ground tips forward I have to concentrate harder, not less, because one wrong step costs more going down than going up. Used to think that was a flaw, something to push past. Now I think it's just accurate. The terrain changed, so the effort changed with it.
That's the real skill. Not holding the same effort the whole way through, but reading what's underneath you and adjusting as you go. Staying sharp on the technical ground, letting go the moment it allows for it. Confidence that ignores the terrain isn't confidence, it's just risk.
Where in your week are you running on autopilot when the ground beneath you has actually changed?
P.S. Running for something bigger than yourself is close to the heart of the Community chapter in Habits for a 1% Better Life.
Each week I donate a hard copy to a local street library, because a good book should keep moving. This week's run puts another one out into the world.
