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!

How to transform a day

Not for the first time, my morning run completely and utterly transformed my day today.

I woke up with an unusually negative frame of mind this morning and found it really hard to drag myself out of bed.

As a result I got up late, drank my tea and did a couple of small jobs on my laptop before pulling on my running things, thinking that not even my run would be able to shake me out of my downer.

How wrong could I have been!

I set out on my 3-miler with the question in my head, "What was it that has had such a negative effect on me since this time yesterday?" I just left the question "out there" while I tuned in to my breathing, the process of running, and the scenery that I encountered.

Now, I've done a lot of work on values, particularly my own, over the last 8 or 9 years of being involved with coaching. However, somewhere along my route this morning, it hit me that one of my core values is adventure.

I have uncovered the value of adventure for many clients over the past few years, but it had never occurred to me that it is a key value of mine.

But when it hit me, and hit me it did, this morning, it all made sense. My value of adventure has recently been suppressed. I also realised that knowing this, I have an opportunity to find out what I could do to increase my experience of adventure in my life.

And my day was turned on its head. Yet again, I returned energised, excited and my day totally transformed.

Choosing what is

I chose to run a little longer this morning, just over 4.75 miles, which was really nice.

While I was running I thought about how I have been frustrated over the past few days, since my holiday, that I seemed to have been freewheeling and not taking actions that reflected moving towards the objectives that I want to achieve.

Then the thought occurred to me that while I was being frustrated and trying to work out why it was, and what I could do about it, I was resisting the situation as it is. Another thought occurred, "what if it is OK that I have been freewheeling, and yet I still do want to achieve my objectives?"

As soon as I thought this I felt immediately lighter, which was why I actually decided to extend my run.

When I resist what is, I seem to only be able to concentrate on the situation that I don't want. When I choose it exactly the way it is, I am able to let it go and move on to what I choose next.

The funny bit is on the last road I ran on before I got home, I went past a van that announced "Choice Vehicle Rentals" on its side, so I knew I'd found the right topic for today's blog!

What if it isn't all about me?

Day 228 of running a mile each day today. I also calculated on this morning's run that this is my 20,223rd day alive. Not sure whether that's scary or not? I guess it is what it is.

I'm back into my local routes again now after our week in Cornwall, running round the spectacular Nare Head. I think I slightly overdid it as I was so excited by the amazing scenery and it was extremely tough terrain with some brutal climbs.

This is where I have to be careful of running every day without a day off. It seems to be important to scale back for a day or two after doing one or two tough runs. There was a point on holiday where I had an ache in my right leg for a couple of days in a similar place where I suffered a stress fracture a few years ago, which was a slight worry.

On my run yesterday I came up with a blog title of "It's not all about me". It came from thinking about a recent coaching session I conducted where I asked a couple of questions and when I didn't get answers that matched the format I expected, I tried the questions in a different way, rather than being curious about the answers I did receive and continuing from there.

So yay, I celebrate my failure to remain curious!

It is an interesting perspective or question though, "What if it isn't all about me?"

Stuff my Dad taught me

A 5K run in the sunshine again this morning.

It's the second time in a couple of weeks that I've thought about my Dad on my morning run, even though he's been dead now for nearly 32 years.

What came up for me were the things I have learned from him, even if some of them I'm still only learning now. It just goes to show that your influence and effect on others is not just in the moment but can impact them forever.

Some of the key things my Dad has taught, and is still teaching , me are:

- not to worry. It can actually be bad for your health;

- not to smoke. It's definitely bad for your health;

- a good laugh, especially with Morecambe and Wise and Tommy Cooper, makes you feel good and connects you to others;

- honesty, truthfulness, loyalty and politeness are important;

- family is very, very important;

- do what you love to do. Life can be short.