This morning I woke up, as you do, put on my running clothes and then took them off again. I really wasn’t in the mood and felt low on water and energy after a hot night in the bedroom. Temperatures hit 33 degrees outside yesterday.
I had one of those mornings when you wake up feeling like you’re already running behind. I didn’t think I would enjoy my run, or that I would get a good workout out of it. I felt like I had to get cracking with work. So, rather than go for the run that I promised myself I would go for, I went to the shop, had my breakfast and did a bit of work. After a couple of hours I started to want the run I hadn’t been for. My breakfast had given me energy and the coffee had woken me up. I’d had time to get a couple of things sorted that I wanted to do first thing. But just as when I’d woken up my thoughts were still all over the place. I didn’t feel like there was enough time to do anything and I thought about how the run would set me back an hour and a half. As I was debating whether to do my run or not D came back from his and I knew I needed mine. So the running clothes came on and this time they stayed on.
I ran a different route to what I normally do and the peacefulness down by the Grand Union Canal and locks was amazing. It was the best – and the longest – run I’ve done in ages and it felt so good. With every breath and step I took I could feel the worries fall off me and my mind quieting down. The music was pumping, my legs felt strong and I was running, running and running whilst taking in everything around me. Like the beautiful cottage to the left that I ran past.
[image url=”https://www.annadahlstrom.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/IMG_000596-e1375445735739.jpg” width=”455″ height=”405″]
[image url=”https://www.annadahlstrom.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Screen-Shot-2013-08-02-at-15.23.22.png” width=”455″ height=”405″]
[image url=”https://www.annadahlstrom.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/IMG_000595-e1375451811824.jpg” width=”455″ height=”405″]
Back in 2008, when I trained for the London Marathon, I was addicted to running. I loved it and looked with envy at other people who were running in Hyde park as I cycled past them. Even if I’d just been for my run. Unfortunately I got injured a month before and never got to run the London Marathon. It took a while for my leg to heal and since my injury I’ve not run nearly as much, or as far as I used to. It’s mostly been 20-30 mins run at a comfortable pace. The occasional interval training but not the kind of run I had today.
Today I ran at a good pace. Slightly faster than I normally do and it felt good. It was long enough to get the endorphins running through my body, and I could really feel the run. It brought back those feelings of love for running that I haven’t really felt since 2008. Or perhaps I have but just forgotten. Either way today’s run reminded me of how sometimes, even if it feels like a shore we just have to do it. The experience we think we’ll have and the one we actually end up having aren’t necessarily the same. No matter how many excuses our mind tries to come up with, sometimes doing is the only way forward.
Images – all spots from my running route:
www.flickr.com/photos/mualphachi/5020370427
www.flickr.com/photos/dfisher81/3772996146
www.flickr.com/photos/mualphachi/5020370865
www.flickr.com/photos/markhillary/3672250995
