Like a kid on a swing.

After the Two Bays event I went into recovery mode for a week which is a necessary evil. After such a buzz there is a bit of come down and the slow, shuffling recovery runs can be really boring. Also in the week before an event the slow taper runs can be equally mind numbing. I was getting a little bit ho hum about my running but three things have got me right back on top of things.

Realisation: Since getting fit and healthy I have come to realise that the ‘down times’ don’t last very long. I still go on a bit of a roller coaster, that’s just life. But things that used to be problems or issues and have an effect on me, no longer do. Sure work can be tough at times but it always picks up. Bills keep coming, cars keep breaking down and at times you feel financially stretched but things always get easier down the track. I still feel flat every now and then but I know for a fact that there’s no chance it will last. The ‘down times’ or the ho hum, boredom in running or work or anything are almost humorous now because this realisation is so strong. So you just go, ‘oh yeah, here we go again, she’ll be right’.

Speed: You can get into a habit of runing slow. I still clock up the kms but it’s all a bit cruisy sometimes. This can be when running gets a bit boring. This week I laced up for another trot and when I walked out the door something in my mind just clicked and I thought about doing a quicker run. So I started off and the first km was a 5.10. That was 30 or 40 seconds quicker than I had been starting at recently. Straight away I was feeling excited about running again. No ho hum today. Next km was a 4.40 then a 4.27 and I was like a kid on a swing. Was having a ball and wanting more and more.  My fifth km was a 3.53 and I thought that might be enough. I slowed down thinking I’d cruise home from there. But km 6, uphill and into the wind, as I had hit turnaround, was still a relatively quick 4.40. This was getting to be very fun so the next 5km to home, all into the wind, still got a smashing.  4.30’s, 4.15’s and a 4.03 to finish. I felt on top of the world.

Inspirational and passionate people: The third thing that has got me all pumped again happened last night. I caught up with a great group of people to celebrate and remember the life of a mate, Dan. Dan died 13 years ago and each year his family welcomes us back to their home for a bbq and drinks. Every year when driving home with Leah we chat about what a great time we’ve just had. On what could be a sad occasion, the overwhelming feeling is always joy.

Last night I spoke to Mike and Noni who are just absolutely passionate about Swing dancing. They teach it, they go interstate to dance camps, they dance several nights every week. They love it. Mike was saying that just finding that one thing that you love to do is the key. Dancing aint my thing but these two people inspire me.

I also spoke to Nik who is a research scientist. He spends a fair bit of time in a lab trying to figure stuff out and writes detailed papers that in the end will maybe lead to cures for diseases. That’s awesome in itself but also he passes on his knowledge to younger people and he’s only 30 himself. He’s also got people all over the world who look at his work and see that what he’s found out can help them to figure out their own stuff. This is a very non-sciencey  way of explaining it but I could tell clearly that he loves it. He is passionate about it and that, to me, is inspirational.

Everything last night was positive. This is a group of people who, years ago, went through a horrible time. It seems a common response to that time has been to live life with passion and to find your thing. My thing is running and I am very lucky to have found it. If you haven’t found something yet that you love maybe just head to the park and go nuts on a swing. That is pure joy.