Wildflower clouds

As I turn a corner on this new route
I am rewarded by a burst of wildflowers
Fluffy white clouds
Interspersed with poppy red blushes and
Streaks of buttercup yellow
Occasional kisses of squashed plum distract me
Until I reach the gravel path
Here, my ears receive their reward
The familar crunch puts a spring in my step as
I am transported back to a memory of a much younger me
To push bikes re-imagined as motorbikes as they skid across similar paths
To imaginary horses, imaginary powers and limitless energy
As the memory manifests I find myself running further, faster, stronger
I give a silent salute to the trees as I pass for giving me the breath
To keep on keeping on
and although I can feel the strain on my lungs
As I push myself out of the comfort zone
I remember how it’s always been when I’m running
That I remember to breathe.

Be more

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...