Follow the Yellow Brick Road

I'm writing this pre run which seems pretty good actually! Before every run, much like the film, I know I'll need:

some courage (to get through difficult moments), some heart (to feel the joy in all that running brings) and my brain (to help me change plan or know when my body is giving me signals). What will my Emerald City be? What will yours be? Sometimes, like all of us I hope for a PB, most times it's the challenge but all the time it's the 'me' time benefits it brings. So I think of every run as a step on the yellow brick road and a step into the unknown. As I've got to run regularly now for a period of time, I've really learnt to run happy and take positives from each run. I hope you all find running the same too. Keep going, one step at a time.

[ForbiddenPlanet Graduate10]

Congrats on a thoughtful and imaginative post GTFC! I need courage because I wonder if this will be the run when I injure myself once more. The rest is all heart for me; wonder that I can expect to finish what may be a longish (10K) run, and life affirming joy because I feel I can endure any discomfort and run, run, run. My brain is mostly not on the running. I always run the same route to the same music, and my mind just wanders off somewhere - kind of meditation while running. I am always on a hilly approach to my Emerald City. Each time I crest a rise I am facing another upward slope, but the view is always beautiful, and not just forwards and upwards, but also looking back on my journey so far.

[Hidden in reply to ForbiddenPlanet]

Love this 😊

[ju-ju- Graduate10]

Lovely words, and the main reason I run is for my mental and emotional wellbeing... you can’t beat it 😎

[MartinKH Graduate10]

Great, thoughtful, and thought provoking post.

I run initially for improving my fitness, but equally important are the mental wellbeing benefits too.

Happy running 🏃‍♂️ 🏃‍♀️👍

[SaskAlliecat Graduate10]

What a great thought- provoking post GTFC. Thank you for this. My running has been challenging lately with the huge amount of stress to just get through each work day taking all my energy and knowing that today is the day I find out if my HM in June will be cancelled (I will be shocked if it isn't) taking away a lot of the motivation to continue on with the training plan. But knowing how jumbled my brain has felt this week and how I am teetering on the edge of keeping it all together, this weekend is all about self care! Time to detach from work for a few days, get 2 quality runs in (I'm still trying to convince hubby to join me on the shorter run), spend some quality time with the family (hubby got called into work for a meeting today but will hopefully have most of the weekend off too), and get back to taking time for "me".

[Hidden in reply to SaskAlliecat]

I think this is so important. To take time for you without feeling guilty and trying to keep moments in the day for you. Running can give you that mindful approach that you deserve. I would do the HM alone if I were you. I've done the distance on my own a few times just to prove to myself that I could do it so I hope you do too. The most important thing is looking after yourself so that you can look after others. All the very best.

[SaskAlliecat Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

That was what I did last year but was so looking forward to running it with my closest friend in beautiful Banff. Oh well. It is important to keep some focus so I should plan on running it myself regardless. I've just found a new uplifting playlist on Spotify, have pulled out my trail toe socks and my Salomon running vest with some Tailwind in one bottle and am going to hit the pathways for my scheduled longer run. Thanks for the little push I needed to get out the door 😊

[Over62]

Great post, I agree, when it gets a bit tough I look around me and think this is for me, my space and the benefits are enormous for my health and wellbeing. I read and write posts on this site and the inspiration and encouragement from everyone is amazing and you realise it’s for them, their space and health and wellbeing too, no matter what time, what speed, how far getting out there and just doing it one step at a time is all we need to do. Have fun and enjoy it.

[Jazzyrunner Graduate10]

I love this post! Thank you for this, my next run I’m going to be skipping along, singing the song 😊