Rest, renewal and troughs

I've not posted for a few days - broadband has been down, as well as the telephone line, at home.

So I'm typing this in a local coffee bar. I do love the energy of these places.

Even when I'm working on my own there is a buzz and an energy in a coffee bar that I find far more creativity-enhancing than working on my own in my home-based office. Also, variety adds freshness, which is an ideal nurturing environment for new ideas.

Anyway, on the running front I'm very much ticking over on my daily mile-and-a-third each morning at the moment. The mornings are lighter but still pretty cold for this time of year, and my energy levels have temporarily settled in a (fairly shallow) trough, but that's OK.

I always used to struggle with, and resist, any form of energy dip, but I can't actually think of any manifestation of nature that doesn't work in up and down cycles. And you don't get the up cycles without the downs. They are the opportunities to rest and renew.

The more I resist the troughs the longer I consign myself to stay in them.

The work of rest and renewal requires me to be present to the process. Resistance simply delays my acceptance of it being OK to be where I am.

So now that I know I'm here, it's time to acknowledge that the dream of the last Half Marathon has now gone, and maybe the time is right to be open to the creation of the next dream...

Yay - four hundred!

Another "mile"stone. My 400th consecutive day of running at least a mile.

It feels good!

It was quite an early one this morning as I had a business networking breakfast, so I was back in the house by 6.00am.

It's always great (well, nearly) to get a head start on the day!

I had coffee with a friend and a business contact who has been very helpful to me over the years. He was telling me about a networking training session he attended yesterday, where the presenter's first words were, "Do you brighten the room when you enter it or when you leave it?"

I really like that line.

It illustrates nicely how we do infect others with our energy, whether it is positive or negative, when we walk into a room or even when we talk on the telephone.

My energy is pretty good today so I hope to be brightening the spaces around me, at least for today.

A friendly place

Day one of my 14th month of my run-a-mile-each-day streak.

Read a free download of the first 4 chapters of "The Very Cool Life Code", a new book by a U.S. coach who I really admire.

The book reminded me of the whole quantum physics theory that everything in the universe is made up of energy vibrating at different frequencies.

That includes people, mountains, water, buildings, trees, our thoughts and absolutely everything.

Energy that vibrates on a frequency automatically attracts other energy vibrating on that same, or a similar, frequency.

This means that our thoughts create our reality.

So the big question is, "Do you see the world as a friendly place?"

Apparently your answer to this question has a direct effect on your chances of being happy, successful and at peace with your life.

I definitely buy that idea!

And I bet it comes with free gifts :-)

Secret of sustainable energy

I didn't get home until 1.30 this morning after a total of 8 hours driving (there and back), in appalling weather and traffic conditions, to see my son's band, Burning Shapes, compete in a competition. Very satisfied though as they've won the right to support The Stranglers and Mumford & Sons in 3 weeks time in front of over 6,000 people.

Due to my commitments I still had to get up pretty early this morning, so it was quite surprising that after a reduced amount of sleep and some stressful driving yesterday, I posted my fastest mile and a bit I think I've run this year!

I put it down to the fact that I was still energised from last night's excitement, having accepted the adventure that was offered. This recent adventure discovery is really interesting and enlightening.

In a time when much of the talk, and concentration, is on our limited global resources and the challenge of sustainability, it's inspiring that the energy we generate by tapping in to our own values and taking steps to satisfy them is completely renewable and therefore endlessly sustainable!

Game of 2 halves

Wish I could shake off this cough that has followed on from last week's cold.

I have only been doing the minimum distance apart from a gentle 5K I did with Nicky on Sunday. I think that the October marathon is looking very unlikely right now, and yet the vision of an eventual ultra still remains strong. Who knows exactly what and when, but it doesn't feel like it matters right now.

I did some preparatory work on foot toughening on Monday, walking barefoot on the stony beach - really quite painful.

Today has been like the proverbial football (soccer) match, a game of two halves. I was struggling with a problem that needed to be resolved today and couldn't see a way through this morning. The result - reduced energy, feeling of me on my own against the world, inspiring vision evaporated, only able to see two to three feet in front of me.

By this afternoon, I had taken the problem apart piece by piece and addressed each small chunk individually and dealt with it. Result - energy supercharged, I'm back in alignment with the rest of the world, excited by the endless possibilities (and heard some positive news about a new business opportunity), and I'm now physically looking across the tops of the trees at the vast and amazing sky from my desk.

Talk about the power of the inner game being so much more critical than the external one. I think so!

Happy Birthday Cyd!!