Tulum. Free.

My feet felt free, my toes churning up the powder white sand as the warm water splashed up and hit my calves...which were, by the way on FIRE in spite of the 17 classes I teach weekly, and the 50 plus miles I run every week with shoes on.

 I saw my target, the flipped over yellow dinghy up ahead and turned it up.  I find the groove, the rhythm and feel my arms start to take over for my legs on the final stretch.  My breath kicks in and the sand hits higher and higher.  I see people along the beach begin to look at me as if I must be on some serious crack.  I not only ignore in it, I relish it.  Faster and faster until I hit my mark and begin to slow to a stride.  I stop, breathe and look to the sea.  Mexico.  Two of my closest friends getting married.  Awesome group of people.  Beautiful spot. And a truly amazing place to run.  Even though my brand new, SO awesome, yet ghetto for my Greenwich ass, black and turq asics were hi-jacked from this very spot yesterday when I realized I needed to be "freed" of shoes mid-run,  I realized I didn't even care.  About anything.   I have no garmin, no goals, no anything, here.  No schedule, no have to's, no should be doing's.  It's all about the run.  I have never run barefoot.  In fact, as a runner who has lost a potential significant PR as a result of serious stress fractures, I have always been pretty vocal on the importance of supportive footwear.  That was years ago...and a whole lifetime away.  I remember feeling devastated at the time but now, I can't even imagine caring.  In this moment, post run, where I am ALWAYS a total geek and take a minute to reflect I recognize the metaphor or irony...or whatever it is.  I have never been good at distinguishing between the two...maybe my shoes were stolen for a reason.  Feel the freedom.  Find the freedom and appreciate it.  Five days with no schedule, just friends and a beautiful spot to enjoy in its simplicity, barefoot.  I take a deep breath, look towards the turquoise waters and reach for my phone, my second favorite part of my day has ended.  I dial the numbers and wait for the voices..."Mama?" I hear it and coupled with my cheesy realization, I well up.  "Hey Mays,  what did you dream about?"  I breathe the warm air in and begin to enjoy the best part of every day.  "You." she says.