Ealing's Reluctant Runner Has Not Been Well

And it's not one of my 101 excuses

Yep, I have been felled by the dreaded February lurgy which appears to have affected rather a lot of people I know.

It's basically a very bad cold virus that goes on and on and on (get the idea?!) and makes you feel rubbish. Ok, so I managed to go out a few times to pre-arranged social engagements (the alcohol was purely for medicinal reasons you understand ) but I was not my usual 100%, more like 45%.

Anyhow, today was the first day I was able to actually run again.. it has felt like a very long week. Bizarrely I was getting annoyed about this virus because the weather has been so good and I wanted to go for a quick (or in my case very slow) run.

Now that is odd.

Previously I would have welcomed the respite from running and had a good enough excuse.  But the thing is, I've started to think differently about all sorts of things, not just running.

I mentioned the green tea briefly last week and that's all I can think has changed my mindset. I've gone from listening to that voice in my head telling me I CAN'T run to shutting it up and saying 'well I AM running actually, so there!'

Despite lots of rubbish stuff happening (so many things have broken down over the last week - including the car which has had to be scrapped) I REFUSE to be negative.

I have gone into a strange new zone, it's full of positivity.

Instead of thinking that I'm not a good runner and comparing myself to everyone else who seemingly is, I have started looking outside at what's around me, and there really is so much to be appreciated.

So, yep I know all this green tea (what do they actually put in green tea?!!) is making me sound like a new age hippy ( perhaps I mean old age) - maybe I am. Who cares?

Hey! Maybe I will actually get back on the case and talk about running next week!!

Annemare Flanagan

24th February 2016