This last year I ran two marathons. The first was my first. It was in a city. Rotterdam to be specific. It was far and painful.

The second was in Snowdonia. It was a completely different story. After all, Snowdonia is in North Wales: Wild and wonderful, magical and mystical, beautiful and brutal. It is a land of songs, poems, legends and dragons. It is still land, not city. So there gathered many of the land’s beautiful people as well as visitors from far and wide, to run around Mount Snowdon, a distance of 26.2miles.

Before the running even started I felt exhilirated as a fellow runner kindly shared with me some poetry!

It was a quote by Elizabeth Barret Browning:

Earth’s crammed with heaven
And every common bush afire with God
But only he who sees takes off his shoes
the rest sit round and pluck blackberries

The words moved my heart, but I was glad for my shoes that day and kept them on! It was a long way around the mountain. Since then, however, I have been more inclined to take them off, even outside in cold weather!

So I’ve mentioned before
I like to run
especially the marathon

The reason for this
is the pain turned to bliss
when all the seperate parts
become one

Beyond the pain
I find a place
where I know
we are marvellous
the human race.

I’d love to hear about the things that make you feel happy, content, elated or transported to a different state of consciousness, a heightened sense of awareness, a place of awe and wonder!