Gloop

I’m running along, jumping over the hurdles. Clearing them quickly, really rolling. Then all of the sudden after catching air over one of the hurdles, my right foot comes down, instead of landing on a hard, cinder track, I land in gloop.

Gloop is the consistency of a mammoth bowl of sticky oatmeal. It’s quicksand. Plop. The mud grabs around me, sucks me down. I’m sinking, stuck, legs and arms descending, movement is difficult. Veins popping, slow, swimming motion with my arms, just go forward. Slow struggle or my mouth and nose may descend to where I can’t breathe. I reach the edge of the gloop; feel some hard ground through the muddy oatmeal. Pull, fingers first, straining, triceps aching… pull… push up motion to drag my body out of the quicksand. Strain, struggle, pulling… upper body out, pull legs free.

No time to rest. I wipe off some of the gloop, get up, and get running down the track. Clear the next hurdle, the next, then blop! Back in the gloop.

How many of these gloop sessions until I’m out of energy? How many of these gloop sessions are self imposed? How many are out of my control?