I wasn’t even half a mile along my usual circuit of Pollok Park this morning when I realised that it really wasn’t going to be a ‘good run’. The rain and wind didn’t help at all, and the prospect of very little improvement in the weather, and a busy schedule, for the next few days didn’t lighten my mood. Very dreich indeed, as the folk up here might say (There are plenty of wonderful Scottish words that need wider acclaim). I was also feeling rather tired, and I had to dig deep to find some enthusiasm for a half hour of wind and rain lashing, even though I resolved to take it easy.
All in some contrast to my run on Monday morning, where I’d finished as I suspect every runner likes to finish, feeling you could have kept going for a lot longer and bubbling with optimism. I’d made a good time, had enjoyed it well, and paced myself nicely. I’ve probably been looking to increase my set distance times, rather than focusing on running for longer. So I’m setting myself a goal to run slower, but further.
It’s just that this morning it managed to go horribly wrong far too quickly, even though I thought I had caught myself. But I just couldn’t find my ideal pace, so found myself plodding along - taking frequent walking breaks - and deciding to take the easy options to get my run over sooner.
I had been earlier struck by a comment in No Need for Speed, by John Bingham, that was along the lines of “there’s no such thing as a bad run”. The point being, you learn something from every run. So even though this morning wasn’t a terrible run, it was certainly rubbish. But along the way - and in writing this - I’ve realised a few things, and have taken them on board to hopeful still meet my goals.
Much as with my learning the Piano, I suppose I’d started off this running lark almost six months ago thinking it’d just be a case of plodding along and picking up a new skill. But you soon realise there’s a lot more to it than first appears. In running, it’s not just putting one foot in front of the other (although, that’s clearly a key part ;-), but preparation, thought and even some strategy.
An example: I’ve recently ‘discovered’ (some might call it blindingly obvious!) that the previous nights dinner has a noticeable effect on your energy and feeling the next day. An ‘easy’ pizza or fish and chips doesn’t help, but a solid pasta based meal helps immensely. Obvious when written like this, but not something I’d really thought would really affect me, a mere recreational runner. Careful eating isn’t just for serious runners. This all comes to light when you’re plodding along having a think about things. And there was me all pleased with my stew and mashed potatoes last night. But it’s not the only factor, and probably wasn’t one today. I think today was more about a general feeling of gloom, and rain, and wind, and just rushing off a bit too quickly.
So is there a moral here? Nope. Other than to note that running is about a lot more than simply getting fitter. It’s also proving an interesting way into finding out a lot more about oneself, and what I’m capable - or not - of doing, and how notable various influences are on things. Certainly not what I’d been expecting, and a great ‘extra’ I’m relishing. Plus, you also get about 30 minutes to think about all this sort of thing every few days 
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