A Blue Sky Run

[Birdlady64]

I last ran 5 days ago due to a combination of work, weather and weariness.

It was such a beautiful day here today - a relatively mild 7 degrees, very little wind, sun and a brilliant blue sky - I knew I absolutely had to get out there. I’ve had a ridiculously busy week work wise and I need to de-stress and unwind.

So, another lunchtime jaunt for me. I managed better with the wardrobe today – tights, lightweight long-sleeved top with t-shirt on top and sun-visor. No gloves or neck buff today. In hindsight a single layer would have been fine.

Finishing my warmup walk I set my ELO playlist going again and start running. I’ll probably get fed up with these songs at some point soon, but I’m still enjoying them for now. There doesn’t seem to be so much traffic today and I’m loving being outside in the fresh air and sunshine. Appropriately I’m running to the sound of “I’m Alive” playing in my ears. Yes I am!! 😁

I’m planning to run around 5km but I must have been on autopilot from my weekend run as I find myself doing a lap of the Leisure Centre which I hadn’t intended to do today. That’s adding an extra 0.5km onto my distance. Oh well!

I see several dog walkers, an elderly couple out walking, a young family having a kick-about with an assortment of balls stashed in a corner including a rugby ball and 2 basketballs. There’s only one other runner today who suddenly appears in my peripheral vision, coming at me like a steam train. He cuts across my path right in front of me to reach a track off to the side, forcing me to do a “ hoppity skippety” (aka Jools2020 ) to avoid coming to a stop and avoid a tangle of legs. Gah! 😡

Mr Blue Sky comes on and I forget that I’m cross and lose myself again in the music, enjoying the real blue sky and sunshine.

Reaching the point where I usually start my cooldown walk, I carry on for a bit to reach 6km. The time doesn’t give me any personal records today as I slowed down considerably over the last steeply uphill part of my run (that’s why I normally do my cooldown walk over that stretch! 🤣😂) but I did manage the first 5k in under 40 minutes again and it’s roughly the same time as the 6k run I did at the end of December.

The photo is taken at around the 5.5km mark. I had to stop and capture that brilliant blue sky!

[Jools2020 Graduate10]

What a lovely run for you today and so pleased that my hoppity skippety Jools dance is catching on! 😂

Well done for the sub 40 minute 5K, too. Maybe running is starting to get easier! 😊

[Birdlady64 Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

Thanks Jools. Assume you are running as I reply to this so hope it's going good 🏃‍♀️Keep mum 🤫 but yes it seems my times are slowly improving without me trying too hard

[Grannyhugs Graduate10]

What a brilliant destress run, so glad Mr Blue Sky was on the playlist today. I saw ELO in concert in Glasgow a few years ago - tremendous, sang along to every song, and their light show was incredible. Happy running 🤗

[Birdlady64 Graduate10 in reply to Grannyhugs]

Yes it was the perfect de-stress. Apart from being cut up.Am jealous of seeing ELO - must have been amazing and a great atmosphere

[Grannyhugs Graduate10 in reply to Birdlady64]

Phenomenal, but must admit it's the one and only large concert I've been too - couldn't believe the number of people. But great seats. Had to take my hearing aids out 🤣🤣

[Birdlady64 Graduate10 in reply to Grannyhugs]

😂Last gig I went to was Simple Minds. The audience was, as you would expect, of a certain age and afterwards I lost count of the number of people I overheard saying "That was sooo LOUD! " 🔊

My ears were ringing

[Grannyhugs Graduate10 in reply to Birdlady64]

Yes this audience was very similar although a number had teenager children with them and I'm sure I wasn't the only one taking out the hearing aids. Will days of large concerts or any indoor concerts return, a very long time in Scotland I think, we're a canny lot

[Birdlady64 Graduate10 in reply to Grannyhugs]

Indeed. You certainly seem to have a much better grip on things up there that's for sure.

Yes I do wonder when and even if we will see the return of mass events like that.

[Oldgirlruns Graduate10]

Great run there Birdlady64! And you’re right about that sky - it’s gorgeous!

[Birdlady64 Graduate10 in reply to Oldgirlruns]

Thanks! The sun and blue sky certainly lifted my mood

[Indielass00]

Beautiful blue sky Birdlady64 , love your pic . Sounds a lovely run and just what you needed 😀

[Birdlady64 Graduate10 in reply to Indielass00]

Thanks Indielass. It was the perfect tonic after a busy week. And that blue sky was wonderful

[nowster Graduate10]

Hey there Mr Blue...

I did a late lunchtime walk with my other half through the local Parish Church graveyard. Wonderful blue sky then, too.

[Birdlady64 Graduate10 in reply to nowster]

Ooh! You mean you went out twice in the same day?....But that blue sky certainly lifts the spirits doesn't it?

[nowster Graduate10 in reply to Birdlady64]

The walk was only about 15 minutes, at a very slow pace (for me). I'm going to see if I can drag her out this afternoon for a little longer, once the snow stops.

[Leosmit Graduate10 60minGraduate]

Great photo and great story about your run. Made me smile!

[Birdlady64 Graduate10 in reply to Leosmit]

Thanks. Always nice to make someone 😁

[Peter44 Graduate10]

Sounds a great run, but fancy being cut up, by another runner, wasn't very nice, weather in the picture looks lovely too, your 5k time is similar to mine, nice and comfortable! 😊

[Birdlady64 Graduate10 in reply to Peter44]

It was a good run, apart from being cut up like that. I can only assume he was going for a PB as there was no way he was going to slow down at all.It was just so lovely to be out in the sunshine

[Peter44 Graduate10 in reply to Birdlady64]

Runners road rage 🤣 i'd sometimes get that in the pool, at my gym, when trying to do lengths! 😡

[Birdlady64 Graduate10 in reply to Peter44]

Don't even get me started on that one! Some people seem to have absolutely no spatial awareness 🤬

[Mormor1 Graduate10]

Running is such a simple, effective way to de-stress, especially when the shy is as blue as yours was. Well done in getting out there.

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

What a great run I had Mr Blue Sky come on when i was flagging the other day and what a great intro beat! speeded me up nicely 😀It’s good to be alive and run in sunshine and blue sky

[Birdlady64 Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

Yes - it certainly is. And what a difference a day makes - hovering around zero here today and miserable grey skies. The sun is trying, but it's a bit late in the day now.

But I did get another little bit of blue sky today -Mr B got his first dose of vaccine this morning, though we did have to drive a 75 mile round trip to get it!

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Birdlady64]

Crikey that’s a long trip but well worth h going I was lucky and got mine through work Weekends are even busier fir running though

[9weeks2Run Graduate10]

What a lovely descriptive read I really felt I was running with you sounded like a lovely run (apart from the other runner!). What a beautiful blue sky. Happy Running

[Birdlady64 Graduate10 in reply to 9weeks2Run]

Thanks Rebecca ! It was just nice to be outside in the sunshine.

Are you felling any better now?

[9weeks2Run Graduate10 in reply to Birdlady64]

Oh yes I bet the sky looked beautiful.

Still very fatigued and feeling rough but hoping to feel better soon. Have had to take another week of work