It’s OKAY to go “slow”- whatever that means for you!

Caroline Trimble

Once again, I find myself in a lull. It’s not “Writer’s Block” or “Writer’s Resistance” this time. It’s more like “The Trip Is Starting To Fade And I’m Losing The Details Syndrome.” Writing is all in the details. Anton Chekov said, ““Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” As the details fade, so does my writing. But I get so much personal joy out of writing, that I know it is something I must continue to do.

I think one of the reasons I like to write so much is to remember. After losing her father during college, my roommate started crying one night because she couldn’t remember what her dad’s voice sounded like. It had started to fade with time. It was a sad moment to realize that it can all just go away. Writing remains. It is why I love the notes you wrote me- it’s your story with your details.

I have Cal to thank for inspiring me to write again this morning. She shared the above quote in her Instagram post. I decided to take her advice and go “slow.” To me that means to reflect on the voices of all of you because I “heard” you a lot during the trip, and this brings back memories which in turn give me the first line and then the next and then the next…Cal said, “The most important thing is to get those miles in, spending time on your feet and building an aerobic base.” Writing and running, two seemingly unrelated activities, seem to have a lot in common.

Cal makes a good point- taking the easy runs easy is the only way to up weekly mileage. So, I have “slowed” down today, dropped the hard-core expectations, found my legs, jotted some notes about some topics, and got my writing mileage in. I apologize that this post isn’t about the details of the trip, but it is certainly about my Way. Thanks again, Cal. You’re a wise woman!

Note: Cal’s running blog can be found on Instagram @Cal_runs