Slow Down

Today, I took a trip to McKinney Falls Texas State Park. The sky was blue, the air was warm, the trail was immediate beneath my feet. The perfect day for trail running. My plan was ambitious: I planned to do each loop, about 9 miles in total.

I took off from the parking lot and crossed the stream, hopping boulder to boulder. First up, Highland Trail. I gained a steady pace and fell into a natural rhythm between my body, the animals and the nature around me. I felt good. Onto the next trail loop — Flintwood. I energetically pushed off with good legs.

Maybe too good because half a mile in, I sprained my ankle. Suddenly, my joy ride came to an end. I became aware of how fragile I was and at the same felt that the woods were telling me to slow down.

The next 3 miles backtracking on a bruised ankle brought everything into sharp focus. Every step on my right foot sent pain up through my foot and leg. And I started noticing things about my surroundings that I hadn’t noticed before. The bees and beetles. The multi shades of green foliage. The squirrels that actually resembled squirrels, rather than fat rats with bushy tails à la Manhattan.

After awhile, I neared a clearing and realized that I was about 300 feet away from what seemed like an industrial parking lot. Little did I know that I had happened upon the headquarters of the Texas State Parks and Recreation! I flagged someone down and they were able to contact the park ranger to come pick me up. (In my travels, the kindness and gentleness of Parks and Rec employees has always been a constant.)

Rex was his name and he had grown up outside of Dallas in the woods. His dad taught him to hunt, to fish, and to hike. Lisa, a CPR instructor, brought by a bag of ice to stop the swelling. She grew up in Encinitas, CA and now calls Austin her home.

On the drive back to my car, Rex joked that he should have called a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader or two to come rescue me. I chuckled to myself because I share the exact same name with one of them. She’s only a bit more blonde and busty than I am! I thanked Rex for the ride and he drove off, leaving me by my rental car. “You take care and we’ll see you soon.”

I realized how good it felt to be helped out by strangers in a time of need. Sometimes you need to slow down enough to make yourself less invincible to be able to accept the kindness and love of others. My friends, please remember to take that time. We all need help sometimes.