I run because I have to move forward...

Patience is not one of my strong suits. It's a chink in my armor. It's a developmental opportunity.

My patience is supremely tried when I find myself hemmed in. It wears thin when I am in the middle of a mass of humanity going nowhere fast. It runs out when I am stuck in traffic.

I breathe deeply. I try to not let expletives fly. I try to keep it in check.

Unable to move forward, I stew. I feel trapped. The hackles rise on the back of my neck. I have to get out of here.

There must be an escape. Staying here is a slow death. The only way to stay alive is to keep moving.

Life can gridlock you. The way to move forward isn't clear. You find yourself stuck in a morass of motionless frustration.

These moments infuriate. These times try. An alternate route is required, but finding it is not easy.

When I'm neck deep in these gridlocked moments, there's only one way I know to break free. I set it all aside and step outside. There are a million paths in front of me.

Infinite options unfold. Strides evolve into miles. There's little doubt, I'm going somewhere.

Slow or fast, I'm moving forward. The path rolls on over hills and towards destinations I can't see. But, I am free.

There's nothing hemming me in. There's no gridlock. The frustration wanes. A calm washes over me.

There's a way to move forward. The alternate route is out there, I just have to find it. I just have to keep looking for it.

I keep running. Miles pass. Vague possibilities start to percolate.

My journey enters the final phase. I can see the end. I let it fly and the world becomes a blur.

Breathless, I bend over. Lightheaded, I breathe deeply. Fatigued, I haven't found the answer yet. But, a few things have become clear.

I'm not stymied. I'm not hemmed in. Nothing can stop me from moving forward but me.
 
I run because I have to move forward...