On my run this evening, for the first time in a long time, it felt easy. Not effortless, but focused honest effort. The trail wound between the pines, and my legs responded exactly as I had been hoping they would after these past few months of training. The ache in my knee is manageable, my heart remained steady, and the second guessing of the path ahead subsided. All I felt was the steady rhythm of my feet on the dirt and the cool air urging me forward. It was not from the beginning but it came shortly thereafter as the trees opened up and I realized I wasn’t fighting the run anymore, I was part of it. All those late nights and long stubborn treks have finally turned into something real. Now I am doing nothing but celebrating the run ahead of me at the end of this week, the longest of my life. The vision I have been refining for months has become clear enough to feel. My success impending, my day of celebration.