You know those days. You have planned a run but you feel a bit sluggish. Mind and body are not quite up for it and the temptation to take off the running shoes and hit the sofa is strong.
However, giving in to such temptation can become a habit. I am not a slave to running schedules, but if a quick MOT (Measurements, Observations, and Tests) of the body suggests no physical reason why I can’t run, I will push myself out the door.
Now, I admit, this does not sound like a great way to have fun in your spare time. But you know what? That sluggish feeling disappears soon after I start my run. Fresh air is required, the body wakes up and the reluctant mind responds in kind. I am in my stride and feeling good.
Sometimes I have to remind myself of how this tends to pan out, and my main reference point is a race I ran over twenty years ago.
An unexpected medal
You don’t always feel bang on the money before a run. Before a race in Oxfordshire two decades back, I was feeling so out of sorts during my warm-up that I was getting a bit down on the prospect of running at all.
This was a 10 km race. And while one side of me was getting downbeat, the other more practical side was saying, “Well, you’re here now, so you might as well run.” So run we did. And thank God…
