Withdrawal symptoms

My apologies for not blogging very much lately.  I've missed you too.  It seems there is always so much to do these days at home, at work, wider family and church demands all squeezing my time.  Please don't take that as a grumble; it's not.  As much as I love running and cycling and blogging about it, I wouldn't want it any other way.

I think I'm suffering some withdrawal symptoms, particularly from cycling.  This picture was taken this morning as I popped into the garage for something or other.  Like so many in the UK, we don't actually use our garages for parking our cars in as instead, we use them for all kinds of other things as you can see.

The MK Marathon training schedule is proving very hard to keep up with 4 or 5 runs a week.  I just don't seem to be getting the opportunity to run that often.  I do manage about 3 or maybe 4 runs each week: 2 are generally on a treadmill in the gym and the long run at the weekend is spent running through the countryside.  Weekend before last I went running for 2 hours 20 minutes in which I must have covered about 14 or 15 miles.  It was hard towards the end with plenty of snow around; I ran across some fields through previously unbroken snow.  It was wonderful.  It was uplifting, inspirational and humbling.  Humbling for all kinds of reasons.

As for cycling, I'm getting out of the habit which I'm feeling increasingly unhappy about.  I have done less than 70 miles so far this year and must snap out of this.  There are some occasions when I could genuinely have cycled the 13 odd miles to my office but have chosen to go by car instead having justified it in some way.  At least the days are getting longer and the icy weather won't last for much longer.

I need to keep reminding myself of all of the real benefits of running.  The Runner's High and those feelings of elation and profound satisfaction; rising above all of the challenges, the niggles and feelings of self doubt.  The peacefulness and beauty of being the first to run a particular trail one day; the first to leave my footprints and be inspired by just being there.  The physical health benefits of burning 700 calories an hour, the benefit of putting my body under a little bit of pressure to make it stronger for the next run.  Tomorrow I have to go to London and won't get back home until 9.00pm, so not much chance for a run for a run until the day after.  I just have to keep believing I can work through this dis-jointed training and know that the right opportunities will arise.

So once again, please accept my apologies for not blogging so much lately.  I really value the bits of encouragement that come my way from friends, family and colleagues.  Here's to clocking up plenty more miles in the near future on two wheels as well as two feet.