What I like best about a birthday, is the opportunity for reflection and to spend the day kicking around being really grumpy. Better still, take the day off work as I have for many years and make the most of my bad mood, preferably over a coffee and cake. Excellent. Except this year I was denied this opportunity as had to be away in The Netherlands. To acknowledge the passing of time, my birthday, I took a run along a Dutch canal and watched the sun rise. Business as usual.
I've been away all this week, but rounded off last week with an extra long Sunday run, dragging Steve along with me. He insisted on coming with me, keeping me company on my 'solo'. I think I broke him. Result! Ended last week on 47 miles and a trip to Birmingham for the athletics. It's one thing to enjoy the sport, but impossible, I find, to ignore the athletic beauty of these fine human specimens. Professionally, I am a leg man...so it's ok for me to stare! Good iPhone photo.
Later this week, two days in Harrogate. Lovely. I was brought up round here and made time to squeeze a couple of early morning runs in. You know the form...scouring google maps for possible paths and trails, then attempting to commit it to memory as you head out for your first wrong turn. Didn't matter though, a general sense of roughly where I was going and woodland and trails that led all the way back into the town and a cup of tea and a cake at Betty's. Had to be done.
Being away for a few days, knocks you off your plan. Yes, I took my trainers and got some good runs in. And yes, I ate relatively well and didn't disturb my diet too much. But being away from the 'scene', missing the intensity of training and all the chatter that goes with it, just me out on my own, exploring new trails and taking in fresh views and fresher air...it's very liberating. A year older, I wonder how long this passion will last last, delivering the tonic for life that lifts me in the morning when I see the sun rising and think 'yup, I need to be out in that'.
