Reading into the future with the help of cat tarot cards - 7 weeks to go
On a rainy run around North Asheville the other day, I was slogging out a rough ten miles when I came across this very out of place vending machine. I swear I’ve ran around this area numerous times and had never seen it before. It felt like a sci-fi movie. I even did the cliche thing of stopping and looking around like, “anyone else seeing this shit?” I was somewhat worried that I would get sucked in if I approached it and would time travel or get Jumanji’d.
After inspecting the contents, which were all over the place, including Narcan, drug testing kits, Doritos, little toys, Scrabble tiles, and Takis, I found my eye catch a little deck of cards. After closer inspection, I discovered they were cat themed Tarot cards. I had to have them. The vending machine had a card tap reader (insane), and I bought them. They fit perfectly with my phone in my SpiBelt and I ran the last 3 miles with them slightly annoyingly banging against my waist with the extra weight.
So. Now I’m officially a witch.
Just kidding. But I have gotten really into googling how to read tarot cards and every day I do a little cat tarot reading and reflect on the cute little feline themed illustrations.
The one I pulled this morning was a reversed Emperor (which was an adorable little black and white cat wearing a crown). It can “ suggest an abuse of power, stubbornness, or an inability to handle responsibility. Alternatively, it might indicate a struggle with authority figures, a lack of self-discipline, or even a desire to avoid taking charge”. If I read a little in to this, it kind of matches my defiance lately towards being super strict with my training. Even though I’m still banging out the distances, I’m not running super strong and I have allowed myself to have a little more fun over the past few weeks. Maybe it is a little bit of a lack of self-discipline.
Or maybe it’s just a silly cat wearing a crown.
But I can see the finish line and I’ve gained a lot of confidence in my ability to run on fatigued legs. I think that’s why I’ve been a little less strict lately. I have seven weeks to go. Three weeks until the 50 miler. I’ve been putting in 60 mile weeks for the past two weeks and am somehow managing to stay injury free. I’ve got two more big mileage weeks coming up but then thankfully the tapering phase will kick in soon. I know I shouldn’t let up on the gas but at the same time, I think I’ve just become accustomed to the mentality of what I need to do and I’ve managed to figure out how to balance it with my life a little better. I think I’ve just become a little more efficient and maybe a little more refined.
I’ve truly enjoyed the challenge, the routine, the grinding it out, the pushing my limits, the countless hours out in the forest, and I’ve even enjoyed meal prepping and being more cognizant of my eating habits. But I think the biggest takeaway has been realizing how much time I am spending on this goal. I have been daydreaming during my runs about how I’m going to utilize this time after the race is over. It’s made me value my free time so much more and made me miss everyday things that I used to take for granted, like making dinner with my wife, grabbing a coffee with a friend, going out for drinks on a beautiful summer day, and even just walking the dog. These things are so much harder to do when my life revolves around running, showering, eating, recovering, strength training, and driving to and from run locations.
Even though the race is still multiple weeks away, I’m already thinking about what’s next… Running will always be a part of my life but I’m curious if I’m going to switch gears and put all this effort and dedication into a different avenue. Or maybe just appreciate the free time more fully.
Or maybe this is the perfect question for tomorrow’s cat tarot reading.