• ≪
• ≫

Eric's Blog: Chasing Moments Posted on December 10, 2013

A few weeks ago I was in Seattle for work. My co-worker, Steve, and I decided to head out for a long run towards Discovery Park in the late afternoon. As we got close to our turn around point, I looked at the street signs and realized that we weren’t too far from the park, so we decided to make our run a little bit longer, just so we could check it out. It seemed silly to do a run to Discovery Park and not actually make it to the park because it didn’t perfectly mesh with our training. Boy, am I glad we continued on. As we ran into the park, we were greeted with towering trees and a maze of dirt trails snaking off in every direction. We picked one and just went. Our talk quickly turned from work and girls, to how unbelievable Discovery Park is. I even quipped, “You know what’s sad? This city is full of hundreds of thousands of people who are missing out on this.” Our breathtaking surroundings distracted us from the fact that the trail we picked was a switchback, gently leading us higher and higher into the trees.

Only the quickening of our breathing hinted at the climb. Suddenly we crested the hill and were nearly stopped in our tracks as the forest gave way to an open field sloping down to the water. Our pace slowed, as we were in awe of the scene before us. With the trees gone, we could now see people out hiking or running on the trails in the open field. The field spilled down to the water, where a single sailboat was lazily gliding back to shore. We looked across Puget Sound to see the sun setting behind the mountains of Olympic National Park. The sky was a watercolor of purples, oranges, and reds – a masterpiece painted by one of the greats, never to be replicated. We slowed, stopped, and took it all in. At times like these I wish I ran with a camera. I think about that often.

Whether I’m exploring a new place in a new city or just catching another amazing sunrise while running with my friends at home, I wish I could capture those moments. I think there’s a part of me, of all of us, possibly, that wants to hold on to moments like those and never let them go. I want to capture those moments, in case no moment is ever as perfect or beautiful as the one I have right now. I’m trying to learn, however, that you can’t hold on to a moment, because no matter how hard you try, it’s already gone. The consolation we have, as runners, is that we’re out there every day – running, exploring.

The odds are in our favor that we will, indeed, come across more moments like this: another beautiful sunrise; another run with friends where you’re not sure if it’s the pace that has you breathing hard, or if it’s all of the laughing. We’re sure to come across more moments like this, because we put ourselves in a position to come across more moments like this. So I try not to lament the fact that I can’t capture these moments. I try to enjoy them, knowing more are sure to come along. Besides, what good would it do for me to post it to my Facebook or share it on Instagram? A moment like that can’t truly be experienced while you’re sitting on your couch and scrolling on your laptop.

*Eric Mellow is a freelance blogger for the More Miles More Smiles team!*