Some lightly-used railroad tracks bisect the forest where I run. On rare occasion, my run is delayed by a passing train; it’s always a little thrilling to watch it rumble by as I catch my breath. Yesterday, two friends and I approached the tracks as a train was coming. We were intrigued to see what it was doing: hatches on a number of cars were open, pouring thick gravel onto the banks of the tracks.
That’s a beautiful metaphor for what we were doing in the woods: laying down some miles to make the container for our upcoming training cycle. Once the banks are set, we can stay on track with purpose. More broadly, the freight cars’ job was an image of self-care. Have you taken the time lately to refresh your edges?