Yesterday's Truly Inspirational Run!

I must tell you about the run I had yesterday morning although I'm sorry I don't have any photographs.

Here goes.  I had been looking forward to it because I just needed to get out there in some daylight following a week mostly at my desk at work, having driven there each day.  Mentally I needed to get out there, physically as well and dealing with all those emotional things as well.  I had one of my colleagues on my mind.  You see, within ear shot of my office door there is a photocopier / printer / fax and I could hear a colleague off-loading to another about how worried she was about one of her cases and "I spent all last night worrying about what this guy is doing because I don't know where he is and all of yesterday trying to get him recalled and faxing all the paperwork over, then today they want more and this ****ing machine keeps getting jammed".  I felt for her.

Back to the run.  I knew it would be cold and frosty, so on Friday night I got out my gear:  shorts, base layer, Montane featherlite jacket (ugh) woolly hat and gloves.  I was out of the door at 7.30am just as a glow of light was getting a little brighter on the horizon.  I ran slowly through the streets (wow there were two other runners out besides me, we said "hi") and then up a high to the escarpment, a climb of a couple of hundred feet.  A nice steady climb.  Got to the top and wow, oh my Lord, what an incredible sight.

I could see for miles, looking down on the frosty landscape with muted green fields stretching away into the misty distance.  Here and there were cottages with, what must be coal or log fires, and I could see the plume of smoke rising vertically for about 50 feet, then cooling, sinking and surrounding the near area with a pocket of smoky mist.

Sure it was cold but I loved it.  I could feel the cold air against my legs and face but I was about right inside, not too hot or cold.  For once I had managed to get the right clothes on - so often when it's cold I either have too little or end up roasting myself!

I was running well, dealing with the things of the week, my own short comings, feeling for my colleagues at the front line.  As I ran over frosty grass I could see I was the first along there that day, such a privilege.  I was running well but deliberately not too fast.  I was wanting a steady paced run of about 80-90 minutes and that's what I got.  I also got some hills, including a different one to my usual circuit and some unexpected ice to creep over, fearing another fall and injury.  Did I tell you I had a fall in January last year and it STILL hurts?  The Doctor said it was nerve damage, neuralgia or something.  I'd say it is 95% better but sometimes it really does STILL hurt!

Getting back home I felt so alive, so invigorated, so thankful, so blessed, so undeserving.  That feeling of well being, an inward quiet confidence and reassurance was something I needed and appreciated all day long.