And then one day

He looked up and he noticed that it was 6:00 p.m. and it was still daylight. It caught him off guard, because he hadn't really been paying attention since about Halloween, but it made his heart lighten just a little and then his brain started to smile and he started his run, for the first time in a long time, being able to distinguish so much more than just headlights. And there were other people out, too, and they were running and walking their dogs and enjoying the additional daylight. The broken sidewalk and the encroaching cars at the business driveways and various sidestreets were less dangerous. It actually felt good just to be outside. The air tasted different and felt warmer in his lungs and he knew that the training had just gotten a little bit easier, even as it was about to get just a little bit harder. He knew that the long hours of running still ahead would be bearable, given the fact that the days would lengthen in cogress with the training requirements. His mind began to wander a bit and then, at 18th and Patterson, he realized that he was bouncing - almost imperceptibly, perhaps - but nonetheless bouncing up and down. He was not bent over with his hands on his knees, waiting for the light to change, he was actually jogging in place. He rounded another corner and trotted on toward home.