100 Word Story

For the runner, the first inclines were always the toughest; breathing being outrageously demanded upon and ankles being pulled in multiple planes. But first views were surprising, delighting: faded terracotta roofs and narrow, sun-defending streets. His pace settled, breathing adjusted, head angle and focus aligned and the sun was at the back. Muscles worked hard to manage power and dispel effectively the side-effect toxins of effort. A few eagles soared, new layers of mountains appeared and the most gorgeous of meadows manifested: butterflies cart-wheeling, flowers abundant, fragrances not yet dispelled by the intense heat of the later day. The Pyrenees.