Running

I’m getting back into running again.  It’s been a while; I barely did any exercise over the Christmas break… Actually, I may as well be honest and say I barely did anything resembling exercise for all of December.  I’m sure I’m not the only one… 

So, early (well, early-ish) on the first Sunday of this year, I ran around Victoria Park for the first time in over a month.  I started off at a fairly reasonable pace and to begin with, it was fun.  Then, after a relatively short time (ok, about five minutes), I got tired, I started to think about how slow I was going, how unfit I had become, and how long it was going to take me to get all the way around the park.  That unhelpful voice in my head was loud and clear – I wouldn’t be able to do it.  So I gave up.

No, I’m joking.  I don’t give up that easily.  I just kept going.  I didn’t have any music to focus on, so I just told myself, over and over, ‘just a little further, just a little further, just a little further…’  I got into a rhythm and started to enjoy it.  The frost on the ground, the cold wind on my face, as I started to run faster, feeling my muscles tightening as I ran, all of that.  By the time I got back to where I’d started, I didn’t want to stop! 

Sometimes I run in the gym, but I always prefer to be outside when I can, and since that first run, I have been going at least twice a week.  I still can’t run that much further, or that much faster… yet… But for me, that’s not the point.  It’s not about how fast I can run, or how quickly I can get to my destination.  The most important thing is just that I keep moving, and enjoy the moment while I’m in it. 

Obviously, this is not me. Just thought it would be nice to have a pic here...

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Snow soaked journal

A while ago, I ordered a copy of Keri Smith’s book, ‘Wreck this journal.’  I was really excited when it arrived, and, as the instructions dictated (well, suggested is probably a more accurate word…), I carried it everywhere with me, and wrecked it… a little…  Then I left it on my desk one day and kind of forgot about it.

Last night, I found this journal, and noticed it wasn’t really very wrecked at all… 

So I took it out in the snow, and kicked it about with a snow covered football… 

That was fun.  Evidence of further destruction will be posted in due course.

 

You’re amazing

I just got an email from Future Me.  It was a summary of how I was feeling at the start of October, and advice for the new year.  It reads like it was written by someone else!  I was clearly in a good place then.  Now, not so much, but all things pass…

So, I thought I would take the nicest thing I said to myself back then, and share it with you.  Because we’re all amazing, and sometimes things happen and we can forget that.

‘You are amazing.  Other people being amazing doesn’t make you any less so.  Celebrate their successes, and remember to celebrate your own too.  There is room for all of us to Shine.’

I thought it might be a nice way to start the year.