Watch your step

Last week I was running with my local running club and while trying to go past a small group of people (unusual I know), I somehow stumbled, lost my footing, and after several cartoon slow motion moments of trying to recover, sprawled headlong and then got to my feet with blood running from both hands.

My first thought on my slightly stiff run the next morning was that sometimes I can focus too much on the vision of where I'm trying to get to and I lose sight of taking the next step.

Now admittedly it had just got dark and I was also trying to manoeuvre (albeit spectacularly unsuccessfully) my way round some railings designed to keep pedestrians away from a hole left in the pavement by a maintenance crew, but even so I could have paid better attention.

Following that run, whilst struggling to wash my hands, and my hair and body in the shower, I realised that once again it was a great reminder of how lucky I am, to be able to do all these things with ease on a daily basis, and that I do take it completely for granted.

This was magnified by me being completely awestruck and inspired on a nightly basis over the last ten days by the extraordinary feats of the amazing Paralympians on my television screen each night.

So maybe a healthy fall or failure can be a good thing to remind me how lucky, and indeed blessed, I really am.

So remember that it's great to have an inspiring vision, but don't forget to always keep an eye on your next step too.

And if you do happen to fall, then perhaps it's really happening to point out that you are indeed blessed (in my case I know several people my age who are physically no longer able to run at all), and it doesn't hurt to be reminded of that every now and again.