It was a war out there tonight...

The run began calmly enough from my lofty perch above the sea, the run down the hill very pleasant, very... easy. A mild breeze caressed me as my day flashed through my mind and I looked forward to a calming run.

How wrong I was.

Getting to the beach road was easy and then I saw the see. Fuming. High tide and pounding seas pushing up the beach. I was entranced. And as I ran past the beach I the quiet narrow tree lined road beckoned me. Its velvety darkness called.

Feeling strong, and injury free, I gladly ran into this deception.

All of a sudden the wind was everywhere, blowing the trees around me. The quietness became danger. The darkness no longer velvet but cold. The surf was pounding to my right as I ran on. And then it happened, I was attacked. It hit my hip a glancing blow, and my heart pounded until I saw the little fruit skidding away.

The bats were out in full force and I feared for my neck, there was someone running beside me, until I saw it was my shadow. The moon, an eye opening glaring at me, waiting for me to trip before it pounced.

As I turned the halfway point the wind took its turn. The southerly knew I was now against it, and went all out to stop me.

But I pounded away and made it through that narrow street of imaginary terror, past the beach willing to snatch me away into the dark sea, and toward the safety of home. But the run was not over.

The wind died down as I neared the hill. And the first part of the hill played its usual battle of steepness but I beat it, and halfway up the wind knew it was on a winning side and helped push me up the rest of the way.

The thrill to have defeated my imaginary fears, and still clocked 48 minutes for 9km’s, was fantastic!