Resolve Gets Rewarded (Day 23)

Run - 8.4km, 34 minutes

I woke up this morning and it was pouring with rain. “Oh not again!” was my initial thought. “I don’t really want to go out in this. I need to find some excuse” Then I looked out the window and lo and behold  there was someone putting me to shame - running with complete disregard of the conditions.  I then had no alternative but to give myself a good talking to: “You cannot be so feeble. There is no excuse for being soft.”

I told myself that if I went out I would have an enormous sense of moral superiority and bask all day in the glory of showing resolve. So I forced myself get ready and go out of the door.  And then ..  well and then it stopped raining and the sun came out. 

There was no moral superiority and it was just an average run. But nevertheless it felt good.

Taking It Easy (Day 11)

Walk - 3 miles, 55 minutes

There was something extremely pleasant about this morning - the equivalent of a rest day but with some token exercise that puts a tick in the Janathon box. A gentle walk amid the long shadows of a low January sun - just the ticket.

Just because you are trying to exercise everyday does not mean you have to do everything full bore. In fact it is important not to as we are not machines capable of reproducing the same performance day after day, always working to a specified level. We work in cycles, we get tired, we need to recover. That is why one of the basic principles of training is to alternate hard and easy days. Rest is necessary.

So today has no pressure. I walk; I breath in; I look about: I see other people enjoying the respite from the weather that has kept them indoors; I see the sun lighting up the landscape in dramatic ways. It feels good and I sing to myself Robert Wyatt’s “A Beautiful Peace”  (which is actually uplifting and downbeat at the same time). Mainly I repeat to myself “It’s a beautiful day” and do not finish off with “But not here”.

Afterwards iI have a coffee and a read of the paper, where I read, amongst other things, more about the weather: pictures of high seas,  people who follow storms, extreme cold in America, and a mild winter in Scandinavia that has confused the bears.

The climate might be on the brink of being truly messed up but I put that aside as for now “It’s a beautiful day”.

P.S. I have messed around with the photo a bit. Reality is not so green and orange

Looking More Closely

Today was one of those beautifully calm autumn days, clear and bright with a slight sharpness in the air - perfect for running. On days like this I want to see further, notice my surroundings more, look people in the eye and face the world. I keep my head up and my posture is improved. I look about me and reflect on the way the weather affects my mood and how much of the summer has been overcast or wet.

Recently running has been a struggle. The memory of the day when I was totally washed-out stayed with me for some time and all the gloomy days have made me feel – well … gloomy. Injury further lowered my spirits and so my only ambition has been to keep going - in whatever way I could, even if that was not much.

So days like this feel good.

I did not go for a long run and had no aim other than to enjoy myself. I ran at whatever pace I felt like, which actually varied quite a bit, so did not check my watch or hrm. If I felt like stopping to look around – well that is what I did. It was not a run you could categorise in any training schedule. All you could say was that I was out and about.

The picture gives some idea of the peacefulness of the day but for me it is another reminder about the need to pay attention and think about what you see. I have run over this bridge countless times as it is on my stock route, but never once noticed the mini arch. Why is it there – a passing lane for ducks? It is not as if the span to large for one brick arch.

I still do not know the reason but at least I have asked that question and have looked more closely at my surroundings

The Problem was Mainly One of Timing

I wrote earlier that my runs tend to be temperate. Although they can be a bit better or a bit worse the variation from the mean is not that great. Yesterday however was horrible. So unpleasant that I started to wonder what on earth I was doing.

As is the as in all such stories It all started so well. The plan was for a longish run and I set out at an easy pace feeling relaxed, Although the sky was grey and damp the air was still and the temperature was pleasant. It was perfect weather for running and I started to think about the differences between good running weather and the general definition of good weather: cool is good as running in the heat is sapping; still is excellent as I hate battling the wind; damp is OK, as soft rain or drizzle can be quite refreshing.

Most of the run was unremarkable. I passed a number of fishermen and wondered what was good weather for fishing. In season they are always out. Even if it is raining hard they will continue to sit patiently by the banks, bundled up, under an umbrella. Nothing will stop a keen fisherman but when is it most enjoyable? This is another area of life of which I know nothing.

I reached my turn round point and it started to rain more heavily but not unpleasantly. The sky though was very, very dark. About 4 miles from home everything changed – a sheet of lightening, a rumble of thunder and an enormous downpour of heavy rain i.e. big droplets that stung when they hit you. I sheltered under a bridge hoping it would pass over but as I got colder and a bit shivery the rain showed no signs of stopping so I set off again.

This was not at all pleasant. Not only was I a bit stiff, I couldn't get a rhythm because I was dodging puddles, trying to find places to land my feet and all the time the rain was getting harder. The towpath eventually became completely covered with water and it was increasingly difficult to run. I had the bright idea thatt the road might be a better surface but this was a mistake. I had no idea how completely the drainage system had been overwhelmed. The roads and pavements were a mixture of fast flowing rivers and lakes with water up to or over the level of the kerbs. The manhole covers had popped up and were gushing water and every time a car passed it sent up an almighty whoosh of spray.

It was impossible to get any wetter - my clothes were stuck to my body and my trainers slurped every time they moved. After struggling along for a couple of miles I suddenly admitted to myself that I was not enjoying this at all and I lost all heart. I had no desire to go on and stopped running. All that was left was a long trudge home. The sky was still gunmetal grey, the rain was still hard, there was still thunder and lightening. My limbs felt heavy and my spirits felt even heavier.

Photothon 13: Rain

Today's run was in the rain, so instead of looking around for an object to photograph I thought I would show the wettness. The first idea was just the obvious one of rain spattering the surface of the canal but water droplets on leaves is more fun.

However there is nothing to stop me putting both pictures in the one photothon. So here you have it two for the price of one.

A Touch of Spring

The weather over Easter has been terrible: cold, windy, rainy, sleety, snowy, in fact a full house of bad stuff. Yesterday the hailstones fell so heavily there was a cover of white outside my window. Yet today – well today is mild, the sky is blue and clouds are fluffy.

I went out for a run this morning and the first thing I did was smile. Suddenly it was good again. Nature felt benign and I felt part of it.

Amazing what a touch of spring can do for your spirits. Every year the hope of the new.