10k

 
Today I joined a crowd--
over thirty thousand souls
(twice the population of my town!)
in the pouring rain
and chilly wind
to test ourselves
running the streets.

What insanity is this?!

Why the quest for
speed
distance
trophies
personal bests?

Is it a dissatisfaction
with our own mediocrity?
A search for some elusive excellence?
Or is it a human drive
to find our limits
and then exceed them
again and again?

All I know is
while dodging the walkers
and slower runners
and being passed by the speedy ones
dripping rain and sweat
filling my lungs full
pounding my knees all to hell--

I didn’t worry
or even think
about anything else.