Wide Open Spaces

There are a lot of purportedly benefits of physical exercise such as jogging or brisk walking. Stronger physical constitution, healthier heart, weight loss - among others. But, me? I jog to be somewhere else.

Sure, it'd be great if I gain all those positive effects. But mostly, I do it just to see wide open spaces. Just to see the sky above. There's a horizon of high rise buildings nearby (including our own office building), but you can overlook that. You look way up and you see the infinite sky. You don't hear passing vehicles with their blaring horns and roaring engines. There are no shoving commuters. Just a handful of fellow joggers who mind their own business and just go round and round the oval. Like clockwork with different paces.

Today was the first time in the last few months since I went to the oval. I used to go weekly with Luz and Macha. One of the most memorable times was when we went there and it rained unbelievably hard. We got stranded in the covered platform. The soccer teams who were playing in the field continued with their game and we just stood there to watch and took turns to take shots of them from my camera phone. The stadium lights as they hit the rain made a pretty sight.

When it's not raining, it's a nice place where you can write, too. Just sit down on floor, on the outermost track with a pen and notebook and just take in the openness. It's a literal breath of fresh air and a change from the sometimes claustrophobic environment. A different perspective is a good perspective for someone like me who needs to be more imaginative and write better.

I alternately jog and walk every couple of meters or so. I don't have the endurance to keep a fast pace all throughout and there's the issue of my nagging right knee, which I hurt from stupidly tripping a couple of months back (don't ask how). I listened to my play list as I went around the oval today. Maybe I should've customized the order of my songs to match the rhythm of the steps I take. All I remember is that the last track playing after I decided to finally stop and slump down on the floor was “My Favorite Mistake”. And I thought it was an appropriate closing credit soundtrack to the day as I sweated profusely and the ache of not-so-well-conditioned muscles started to settle in.

But as I hung my head to rest, I get a glimpse of the dark sky above. And took a deep breath. Even just the smell of fresh grass made it worth all the trouble.