Searing heat pushes against me as I exit my cool home.   I adjust my hat and glasses, trying to take my mind off the excessive radiating heat from the concrete and the oppressive bright orange orb above.

Over many years of running, I have learnt to fool myself, to ignore the elements and concentrate on my breathing, my stride.  After a brief warm-up walk, I begin running.

Soon I come across a police officer who has pulled someone over for running a stop sign.  Unconsciously my pace quickens as I am reminded why I am training so hard in the 100+ heat.  In a matter of weeks, I commence the Police Academy towards becoming a Deputy Sheriff within the Reserve Command.  The physical training component is demanding and I want to be as prepared as possible to not only meet the demands but exceed them.

I push on, lungs sucking in hot air, my arms pumping as I attempt to get settled into a rhythm.   Then it happens, I find my running focus, that place where I am not having to think about my breathing, my pace – it just happens.  I have my rhythm.

The key is my eyes, where am I looking?  When I am out of rhythm, struggling stubbornly and pushing on, my eyes are mostly down on the path immediately in front of me.  But when I am in the zone, my eyes are locked on the horizon.  Head up, chest out, back straight.  In this place, I can run much longer and much faster.

Actually its the same with my life.  When I am stuck in the immediate, I tend to flail and struggle.  But when I am focused on my goals, on where I am heading, life tends to get a wonderful, smooth rhythm about it.

When life gets hard, I tell myself often: just keep pushing and hustling towards my goal.