Short post: Wishing you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas!
Long post: A 9am run in the freezing cold (feels-like temperature -2); I’ve never before had an issue with a runner’s runny nose! Thankfully, I had a proper cotton hanky with me. Sun was breaking through an interesting cloudscape - tinged gold and bronze.
M’s latest injury meant he pulled out just as we were crossing the threshold (btw these glitches in his fitness to run are all caused, one way or another, by his rowing machine!) Being solo, I headed in the direction I knew M would have vetoed: via the minipark and the orchards, to the destination park (it’s actually the crowds here that he dislikes), returning to the old lane, the green with the statue to Mary Wollstonecraft, back up part of the same lane, along the snicket orchard, through minipark and ending at the street orchard. Although sharing many components, the route was different to the one taken last Sunday.
It took quite a while to settle. I reflected on how confidence or worry influences the whole feel of a run. My short midweek foray in the dark had not been a good experience. Was this carrying over, I wondered? Probably. I’d also become hyper-conscious of the niggle in the hip. Previously, I’d been in the opposite frame of mind, and had gone into each run with enthusiasm, which showed, I think; while they varied, I actually enjoyed them all and even seemed to sail smoothly through the toxic 10. So today, realising a bit of me was apprehensive before I even set off, I took things very steady. I reminded myself about being patient with my body at the start of a run. I noticed that I was landing rather heavily, so tried to lighten my steps. But I was definitely having to coach myself!
Again, I tried nasal breathing, which I perhaps introduced too soon, and which meant slowing down further to accommodate its demands (and the contortions of handkerchief retrieval). Having now listened to some recommended podcasts on this, I understand that my sense of ‘breath hunger’ is not oxygen starvation... so I persisted as best I could, approaching it in relaxed, non-stressy manner. I’m thinking I’d like to get a better handle on this approach to breathing, as a foundation; it might be my priority - or one of them - before focussing so much on building up my distance.
Bingo update: ✔️Xmas run; ✔️ wishing other runner Merry Christmas; ✔️carrying something from a Christmas carols/ song (ashes and soot from ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, when Santa comes down the chimney... good job I wasn’t subjected to stop and search!); (✔️) can I count a photo as my collected item?? (Mary W - or rather, the naked ‘everywoman’ that is used to symbolise her ideas, who has been given a wonderful Christmas cloak to keep her warm; she is wearing the hood down). Still to do: ☑️ 25 walks or runs over December (I fear I’ve left this one way too late!); (☑️) something properly collected, photographed and posted (if my photo of MW is inadmissible).
Off now to retrieve dinner from oven and do all the finishing bits. Horatio Clare’s walk in Northumbria has just started - I love his walks. Maybe that can count as one of my 25?? (Ok Probably not.)
week3run1 ✅. 3 x 17 mins with 1 min walks. 
How did your parkrun or (not)parkrun go?
