Relieved

A popular running podcast is entitled Running From The Reaper. As I type I imagine - after my downbeat post below, that my personal running reaper has decided to chill, sit down, have a fag and leave me alone a while longer.

After an OK-sorta early morning week of 2.5 miles (Mon), 3 (Tues) 4 (Thurs) and 4 (Fri) I set off with some trepidation for my long run this morning. Grumpily I had to haul my lazy ass out of bed early doors due to events happening at Santry later on. A warm morning and humid with thunder in the air. I trotted off very cautiously with a view to a standard 10 miles, downriver to Blackrock. On my iPod I had Phedippidations 190 - A Longer Life With Purpose. A nice episode, and spiced up again with further feedback on Steve's recent tirade against Jim Carey and Jenny McCarthy because of their stance against the MMR vaccine. And for all of Steve's spirited defence of his position (which I tend to agree with) I'm not sure he has come up with the facts to convince the waiverers.

But how pleasant is it to be just plodding away along Dublin Bay, the sun shining warmly on the ships out in the bay, Howth Head to the north and Dun Laoghaire harbour down the coast, and my hat dripping sweat. It is a long, long time since I have felt 'in the zone' where everything is effortless. And it didn't happen this morning either. But at least I finished up my run nicely tired and satisfied rather than feeling like I'd been in a train crash.

And I have finally put aside my Asics Gel Cumulus with about 1250 miles on the clock, and have broken out my new pair. I have had a little knee niggle and, just in case everyone else is right and I am wrong, I am playing safe. Annoyingly the niggle is suddenly less apparent...

Maybe I am wrong - unlikely but ...