Yordi - A Lifelong Journey of Growth

My weekend run started like any other. I already had it mapped out in my head: starting through the forest, then across the land, and back over a lovely dike along the water. It’s a route I’ve run many times before, so off I went.

The forest: check. As wonderful as always. The lands were a bit windier than usual, but with the morning sun it was still great. But in the distance, I saw something that made me gasp for breath. Without any prior warning, fencing had been put up right before the turnoff to the dike, and a bunch of heavy machinery was parked in the field behind it. I slowly approached the bend I normally take with ease to the right, but this time, it was blocked off. For a moment, I considered being a badass, squeezing myself past the fence, and continuing on my usual route.

In the end, I didn’t. Which meant I had to run a long detour, making my planned route longer than expected.

I kept running, a bit annoyed. They could’ve at least put up signs in advance that the route was closed. How hard can that be? Apparently, clear communication remains one of the hardest things. Fueled by adrenaline, I noticed my pace picking up. A kind of primal response before rational thoughts kick in.

Okay, calm down. It’s a beautiful Sunday morning, the sun is shining, my run feels good, I’m not hurting anywhere... I might as well enjoy the extra kilometers that were unexpectedly added to my route today. Every downside has its upside, and you can always turn a setback into something good.

And so it was. A good twenty minutes later than expected, I arrived back at my front door. Not even that exhausted, and in good spirits. Sometimes, it’s better to accept things as they are and make the best of them, especially when they’re out of your control. It’s much better for yourself and for the people around you.

On to the next running adventures. Let those closed roads come!