“You aren’t going to slow down on the hill are you?” he asked.

I was tired. I was sweaty. I was uncomfortable. I was growing. I was strong. I was powerful.

I shifted my eyes to the road right in front of me. I took a deep breath and released energy that wasn’t serving me. I found my pace again.

“That’s right, run harder.” he said.

It was figurative and literal. I was literally running up a hill on tired legs but I knew he wasn’t really talking to me about running. I was dealing with a typical lions gate energy issue. It was a pattern I was working on breaking and lions gate energy wasn’t going to let me avoid it.

I cleared my throat as I ran. It also was figurative and literal. I wasn’t using my words. I wasn’t speaking with any level of power. My throat needed to be cleared and my run was helping me to do it.

I was out for a run because I knew that I needed clarity. Running has always been a place where I find balance and clarity. It is a space where I receive messages and direction. Today was no exception and I welcomed every ounce of the run. The reality is, growth isn’t comfortable. Slowing down on hill training has never helped me grow. I often find myself asking myself on the hills in life, “do you want to be comfortable or do you want to grow?” figuratively and literally speaking.