The thud, thud, thud of running, running, running
The aching sheen of a blistering sun
The dry parched tug of the throat
The mind-numbing drumbeat of legs pounding into hard-packed earth
Galloping footfalls, lithely dancing through branches and tangles that encroach the path
Leaping from rock to rock with the chaotic freedom of a wild animal
Climbing so high that the world becomes a pirate’s map of storybook simplicity
The superhero strength of overcoming exhaustion and reaching a point above physical achievement
A misty drizzle
Soft like velvet on the nose
The ears
The mouth
Rain splashing down on sprinting feet,
Drenching hair and bringing an unexplainable kind of primitive joy
Mud
All empowering and overcoming
The glee of it covering every inch of the body
Leaping to the sky
Arms stretched upwards
Swinging around
around
around
And back down again
Jumping for joy, for no reason at all
Bounding and hopping and skipping
Celebrating life itself
Smiling up at a rain-soaked sky
Utterly free
Utterly soaked
And liberated from all worry