Dear Intimacy,
What would you have me know today?
will you join my running photography club? (seriously)
I’ve always wanted to be the fastest runner. I wanted to win. I competed in road running races until I started trying to get pregnant, about 10 years ago. I still run all the time. I can’t help myself. I love running so much. I love how I feel when I run. I love the stories I tell myself when I run. I love the thoughts and conversations I have with myself when I run. I love to run.
A few months ago, I (along with my photography mentor, Jenna, who does not run!!) decided it would be neat if I started a photography project about my experience running. What does a running photography project look like? I know many runners take selfies of themselves when they are running, and I tried this. It did not go well. Not for me. I also know many runners take beautiful photographs of the scenes they see while on the run, again not me. This is when Jenna and I came up with gritty black and whites, out of focus photographs of what it feels like to be on the run with me. These photographs are paired with straight forward colour photographs of me and my shoes after the run and voice memos of my running reflections so you feel like you are on the run with me.
Earlier this week I was running while doing airplane arms and singing along to AC/DC’s Thunderstruck (My brother played baseball at a very competitive level. His team was the Thunder and Thunderstruck, I think (unless I’m making this up), was their team song. I can’t help but have wonderful memories with I hear AC/DC). I started my warm up before a speed session, and just like that I couldn’t run. Something happened to my foot. I hobbled up to my husband, Den, and asked him to take a look. Den is the best emergency room doctor in the world, so of course I trust his opinion. He did all the tests and did not press lightly on my foot, but no pain. He suggested I go into see his colleague at the sports medicine clinic and get an x-ray. The photograph below is me for the next 4 weeks. I’m in a boot. I have a tiny fracture on my third toe (although the radiologist couldn’t tell if the line was a fracture or blood vessel). Regardless, I’m not running or even walking for 4 weeks.
The doctor said these 4 weeks will be tough. No cross training, no biking, no water running (even though I promised I won’t touch the bottom of the pool with my foot!). Nothing. I have a lot of feelings. So after reading the introduction and first chapter of Suleika Jaouad’s The Book of Alchemy, I’ve decided to take her suggestion of using one writing prompt (cringe, I know) each day for 100 days and see what shows up on my page. Here I go.
If you are still reading, back to my original question: will you join my photography running (and writing) club?