How many best days?

Cold again and quite misty this morning. I found myself adjusting my head torch to try and get a clearer view of the path ahead.

I started thinking, "I can't wait for the lighter warmer mornings."

Then I thought how much of my time I must spend waiting for time to go quickly until something that I perceive to be better or special comes.

Add that to the times when I look back with nostalgia at happy moments, days or experiences, and how much is left experiencing the present?

I am having experiences of life every moment of every day, but how often am I actually experiencing them? When I'm thinking of the future or the past I'm not experiencing what's there now.

So, maybe it is a bit cold, a bit dark and a bit misty, but today could possibly be one of the best days of my life. Any day could.

How will I recognise the possibilities and opportunities that flash before me when my mind is in a different time?

How many potential best days of my life have I missed before?

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 :-)

Act as if

It took me twenty minutes battling with myself to drag my body out of bed this morning to go for my run.

Doesn't that sound weird, "battling with myself?"

It's almost as if there are two of me. And actually, I think there are.

There is the one that feels really good about being up earlier than anyone else, feels proud in getting another run under my belt, one day closer to my next milestone of 400 days (this Friday), and thinks that anything is possible.

Then there's the one that thinks it quite reasonable to stay in bed a bit longer, that thinks, "what's the point of running every day anyway, what does it achieve?", that thinks that if I was awake in the night I deserve to lie in a while, especially as I've got no early commitments.

As I said it took twenty minutes for the first me to overcome the second this morning.

I definitely like the first me better than the second, at least most of the time I do.

And both the me's will always be there.

The key is the whole Act as if technique.

If I feel weak and I want to feel strong, I just have to start acting strong and I start to feel stronger.

I think this works with pretty much any way of feeling.

If I want to feel kind and loving, I have to start acting kind and loving and hey presto.

The other key is the word "start". Saying "I'll just start acting..." in whatever way feels much more achievable than saying "I'll act..."

It cons the second me into thinking that it's probably only for a minute, but once I've started it tips the balance in my first me's favour.

Anyway, enough exploring my schizophrenia. It's goodbye from me, and it's goodbye from me.

Five more days

Out late last night, so this morning's nine miles were quite a challenge.

No overtaking anyone today.

I also haven't run more than two miles a day since last Sunday, which added to the morning's challenge.

Anyway, four weeks today until the half marathon, and five more days until I'll have completed 400 days of running a mile each day.

Pavlov's at it again

It must be something about Saturdays, but my friend Pavlov took control of me again this morning.

I heard the much quicker steps coming up behind me. I noticed my stride lengthening a bit, but I didn't increase my cadence - too obvious.

Then a young lady cruised past me fairly effortlessly. I thought, "She's too fast for me".

My pace quickened and I found myself maintaining the distance between her and me. I wasn't thinking, "I must catch her", honest.

After another quarter of a mile she started to slow a little and I couldn't help myself, I went past her and maintained the pace.

But it gets worse.

Further along I spied another runner ahead of me. He went down a road that I hadn't intended to run down. Guess what, I went after him and overtook him at the bottom.

There's no denying it. I can't say I'm not competitive, but why do I do it?

I think it's probably reminding myself that I am good enough as I am. Although why overtaking someone I've never met in my life before does that, I don't really know.

I will definitely have to keep Pavlov locked in the house four weeks tomorrow when I'm pacing other runners in the Tunbridge Wells Half Marathon. It wouldn't do to race the people who I'm helping to achieve their goals.

Thinking about it, helping others achieve their goals and dreams actually beats competition by a mile (no pun intended) for me as a sense of satisfaction, so I should be fine.