Rainy tempo run

A few days ago I planned to go running on my way home from the office in Huntingdon, Cambs.  As it had been raining CATS AND DOGS all day, my colleagues thought I was a bit daft, to say the least, even though they should know better by now.  In fact those CATS AND DOGS turned into STAIR RODS at one stage, with rain drops dancing off the ground.  I drove from our office, turned south onto the A1(M), then right at the Black Cat Roundabout and across to Marston Moretain.  This is where the Forest Centre is, a lovely regenerated area with a couple of sizeable lakes and a network of trails to run along.

During the drive there the wipers were on, off, on slowly, off, on full speed and so on.  I got to the start of my run and the rain had stopped for just a few seconds while I started.  Within no time at all the rain started properly, first as a drizzle, then as light rain and eventually as proper rain.  Naturally I was soaked but I loved it all the more.

There were a few other runners there and one or two cyclists.  Every single one looked as if they too were enjoying it!

The funny thing is that it turned out to be a faster run than usual.  It wasn't a long run, just 4.5 miles but I loved every minute of it.

I have run at the Marston Moretain Forest Centre a few times this year already and I had been looking forward to this.  It is an opportunity for an after-work run to leave behind all those concerns and worries of the office, the stresses of the Transforming Rehabilitation agenda within the Ministry of Justice.  These stresses are very real to me.  The implications are also very real to me and I'll blog about that again soon, in a little more detail.

For now - and for this particular rainy run - I was left feeling, well, here's the list:

• Feeling so alive!  Must be that Runner's High once again; makes me feel great, on top of things, euphoric
• Whatever is being thrown at me in terms of my job, career and so on, I will not be beaten and although the outcome might be different to what I might want, I know the right doors will open in the long run
• Knew I had run a faster run compared to normal
• I guess it would have counted as a tempo run, had I intended to make sure I got the pacing totally correct
• It reminded me about why I should run faster from time to time.  I am getting a little stiff and a faster run tends to loosen me up a bit
• I appreciated my surroundings: fairly quiet countryside, good surfaces for running, trees and bushes looking lush and the grasses were bleached yellow
• Another reminder of how beneficial even a short run is for me in terms of my physical and mental health.  This is SO important and having my 1,000 mile target for the year is helpful to make sure I don't give up.  Every run, no matter how long or short, counts towards my 1,000 mile target and each run is positive for my health.