For Foof

You are in control of your own happiness if you choose to be - no matter what. I’m reading a self help book. Not because I was looking for one, but because it came into my hands and is written by a Lochaber man. He is telling me the same kind of stuff my mum used to - ‘energy breeds energy’ for one. A particular favourite of my mums was “if you want something done, ask a busy person”.
There is no doubt I’ve got lazier and lazier as I’ve got older. I also spend a lot of time saying ‘I’m not really an artist” despite going to Art School, and “I’m not really a runner” despite running in 14 Ben Nevis races. Which is kind of true as I have never consisterly trained (or painted). And as a result neither of those activities have ever been built into my routines.
In the book, he would say to write down your values and what you want to be. The White Witch of the East has been saying that to me for years. In fact she painted it in my shed many years ago….

But I still don’t say it. So today, having not run anywhere since 4th of January, I told everyone that I encountered that I was going home to run for 30 minutes no matter what the weather. Taking off warm clothes to put on less warm ones, to go outside into the cold just isn’t right. I told Foof - Ironwoman extraordinaire and beautiful person to boot, and she said I had to blog it. Would I be going with Running Girl? No. She was half way up Ben Nevis with the fit girls and had dumped me on the running front. Well, that’s not quite true. But she has given up on the persuasive front as that gets quite draining for a pal. Yesterday she took me and the dogs out for a walk. I’m not as unreliable as the dogs and I’m always first back In the van after the walk. So I’m still fine there.

Loch Lochy and Ted

Curtain of hailstones

However - she did issue a stark warning. “If you don’t start running this week, you wont be ready for the Ben Nevis race” (early September) She’s done 21 of them. She’s a past Scottish Hill Running Champion. She knows.
So - I put it out there to most of the people that I met whilst visiting the No Fuss IntroEnduro at Nevis Range. I’m hoping I didn’t come over too needy.
Once I’d gone to all the bother of putting less clothes on, I’d settled for an hour of running.

A Mink ran across my path, got a fright and dived back into the canal. The ducks got an even bigger fright.

There was light at the end of the tunnel. Once through here I turn and head for home. Just as Heron Valley’s ‘Home’ came onto my playlist.

If this doesn’t make you feel happy to be live in Scotland and lift your feet up to run a 9minute mile instead of the first 3 sluggish 12 minute ones, then maybe the power of music doesn’t do it for you.

So, Foof. I managed a very happy 5miles. Running Girl may take some of the credit, with her tough love approach. And maybe the self help book. And you Foof, because you told me to blog it. That often works.