About 10 minutes into a run – after that unfailingly horrible bit where your body grudgingly accepts that yes, we’re doing this – I never fail to be amazed by the restorative power of simply putting one foot in front of the other at a slightly quicker pace than usual.
I’m running the Richmond Half on March 22nd but my training has not been going well. Every time I push even a tiny bit of out my comfort zone, I get a cold, which means a few days to recover, by which time I’ve lost motivation and the will to haul my sorry backside out of bed to get the miles in before the rest of the household wakes up.
This morning, though, after an upsetting start to the day involving a change in childcare that resulted in both my two-year-old daughter and I dissolving into tears, I struggled into my trainers without giving myself time to think about it and headed for the woods. I didn’t time my run and have no idea how far I ran or how quickly but I came back feeling calmer, clearer and more rational about the morning’s events.
Running’s not just about running. It’s about headspace and perspective. Back to the training plan it is.
Follow me on Twitter @healthyLavelle and keep up with my training using #dailyrunnerUK