The easy & friendly way

Yesterday, I was out in the dark running a mile as fast as I could. Today I ran in the gorgeous sunshine, supporting three relatively new runners with a gentle jog, followed by some jog/walking.

Both very different experiences but I loved both.

I hope I didn't torture my beginners group too much, as we were supposed to run for fifteen minutes and then jog/walk for the rest of the three-mile route.

I'm afraid to say I got so involved in chatting that I kept them running for nineteen and a half minutes before I realised that we were supposed to stop for a walk.

It's so great to see people stretching beyond their comfort zones towards their true potential.

All three of the runners I was with this morning said that they enjoyed running with others and that they didn't think they'd be able to keep up the running if they weren't doing it with a group who all supported each other.

Striving for your potential doesn't have to be hard, and it is also often far more effective when you've got others supporting you.

Blasting my way

After my 13.1 miles yesterday I was expecting to be quite sore and stiff this morning. However, as I'm now reading "Spark!", I thought if my body was up to it, I might try a quarter of a mile warm up, blast a mile pretty much as fast as I could, followed by a quarter mile warm down.

The result: very little stiffness and I feel more energised and supercharged than I do on most other mornings after my run.

I'm really pleased.

That's not to say that I'm going to do this every morning. It was just an experiment, and I like my experiments.

The lack of stiffness could also be down to the fact that I did some stretching after my long run yesterday. Post-run stretching is something that I know is a good thing to do, but I'm afraid I'm not usually that disciplined about.

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to the day and to see how it unfolds.

The exercise spark

Well, I've done the 13.1 miles half marathon distance now. I ran the race route this morning about seven minutes quicker than I'll need to run it three weeks today.

I'm listening to I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue on the radio while I'm writing this, which is a little distracting.

Since I got home from my run I've had to clear up two gifts that our adopted cat has left us, a dead mouse left on our front door step, and regurgitated cat food on the inside front door mat.

I've just started reading a book called "Spark! - How exercise will improve the performance of your brain."

I must be on the right track.

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.

My school sports rant

A one mile leg-stretcher this morning after a seven mile run with the Harriers last night, which I really enjoyed.

It would have been my Dad's 87th birthday today, but unfortunately he missed it by just over 32 years, but I thought of him nevertheless.

I was chatting with various people on last night's run.

One conversation, which wasn't the first time I'd heard this, was about how one runner hated all sports when she was at school, because she was made to feel that she was no good at it, and consequently avoided it at all cost.

My situation was very different. I was lucky in that I was quite good at a number of sports at school and therefore got the opportunity to play and thoroughly enjoy a number of sports.

I think that my love of physical activity is probably the main thing that I'm most grateful for from my entire school life.

I also think that it is crucial that everyone gains a real appreciation of how important and how much fun exercise and sports can be when they are at school, and I find it very sad when school does the very opposite.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not an anti-competition proponent in schools, in fact exactly the opposite.

I think that everyone at school should have the opportunity to participate no matter what their level of talent. They should be made to feel that they are absolutely good enough with whatever skill level they have.

They should also learn to enjoy striving to increase their current skill level further, and have fun doing it.