The Running Bug ............ do you think?

Well yesterday was bitterly cold, the wind was howling and the intermittent hail showers were sharp and heavy - seemed like the perfect time to launch my marathon training proper!.

Thankfully by this morning the wind had dropped but it was still cold and it was raining as we left but amazingly I was somewhat excited about it. As I set off with Whitney Houston's 'Run to you' blaring in my ears I can't tell you what a rush of 'joy' filled my heart - yes, I really did just say that. It was like coming home to some place that's safe and analysing this phenomenon I think I do get it. There is something very honest about running, it doesn't kid you or trick you, it doesn't pretend to be something when really it's something else entirely, it just is what it is. Likewise, you can't kid or trick 'it'. You can't make out your good at it when your not, you get out of it exactly what you put in, no more, no less. In that respect it is like being home because these are the only places I can truly be me and that's very liberating.

I have had a few tricky weeks of late, got a lot wrong, mis-read signs, gone down the wrong roads, so for me, this morning, the minute I stepped over the threshold I was a winner. I ran a lot further than I thought I would and I even succeeded with the hairy manoeuvre of stopping mid run without feeling like it was all over. I managed to walk (with purpose - like the book says) until I got my breathe back and take off again and run all the way home. We did manage to find a bit of wind along the way but I greeted it like an old friend, it wasn't going to get me down today.

I got back with a huge sense of achievement, oh I know that it won't always be this way, these days are few and far between but if I keep at it then it will come again. Please 'Will' let this be the start, I'm way ahead of where I was at this time last year so it's something to work on.