Run quietly

It was a beautiful morning with a clear starry sky at 5.30 as I headed out for my habitual mile today.

I really enjoyed being out there when the rest of the world (the vast majority anyway) were still asleep in their beds. The only souls I encountered were two collie dogs (one of which seemed to fancy coming with me) out for a walk with their owner, and a milkman in his milkfloat making deliveries.

Yesterday I finally had my first physiotherapy session that I've been waiting for since August.

One of the exercises my physiotherapist was a simple instruction. Run quietly.

I like being given exercises like that, although it's not something that comes naturally to me as a runner. Nicky always tells me that I'm very heavy-footed.

Run quietly also reminded me of the opening lines of the Desiderata poem, which I think hold many lessons for me, and probably for others too.

"Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story."