If you run at length, you may experience periods of time when you’re unconscious of your legs moving. You’re just running without thinking about running.

In many ways, this can be good. You’re in a groove. You’re in flow. There’s a natural rhythm to what you’re doing.

As a metaphor, there’s another side to this phenomenon. In some situations, you may find yourself having been running — without the awareness that you’ve been running. Some moment will prompt the realization that your unconscious running is at the expense of your physical, mental, or emotional health.

If ever you discover such things, practice self-compassion. Be a gentle coach. Remind yourself that exertion needs the balance of rest. Even a river, whose flow is constant, will have wide sections of calm. Rest is part of the equilibrium in every natural system, your schedule included.