Do more of what you love. Can you fly?

I love to run.

Have I told you that before?

I started doing it in 2006, probably not for the reason other people take up running. I wasn't trying to lose weight or get fit. Quite plainly, I was in a very gloomy place mentally and I needed to do something to get me moving and outside and away from being Mummy and away from the pressure of running my business with my husband.

So I started to run and it worked.

I couldn't do it, to start with. I'd always believed I could only run on the treadmill and only for 5 minutes at a time; I couldn't possibly run outside where people might see me! But run, walk, run, walk, run, walk and gradually I started shortening the time I walked for and lengthening the time I ran for.

Fast forward a couple of years and I'd run fair few Race for Life 5k's and a couple of 10k's and then the Nottingham Robin Hood Half Marathon.

I loved it! I honestly bloody LOVED it!!

Only thing was, my knees didn't.

So, fast forward a couple of knee surgeries and here I am now. I realise now that when I was running my long distances, whilst I was careful to always eat the right food, stay hydrated and wear good quality running shoes, I did not want to do any other form of exercise. It was boring. I needed to be a bit out of breath and a bit sweaty (yuck, sorry!) to get that buzz. My surgeon told me it was quite fine to continue running but to make sure I cross-trained. What that means was I was ONLY exercising and putting strain on the muscles that carried me through my miles and something had to give.

My yoga was perfect.

I have had a regular yoga practise for many, many years but when I was too scared to do the thing I loved, yoga was there for me.

(If you come to my yoga classes and you happen to have issues with your knees, I feel I can offer support and guidance with a degree of personal experience. Been there, done that. I have some great modifications using props etc that I've learned along the way.)

Fast forward huuuuge number of hours of studying anatomy & physiology, yoga teacher training, reading anatomical blogs about knee injuries and good alignment and I'm back in the saddle again, only this time sans the pressure of increasing my mileage.

And it feels So. Good. 

Seriously, it makes my heart sing and given the right music in my earphones (thanks to the likes of Freddie Mercury for the gift that is "Don't Stop Me Now" and Don McLean for "American Pie"), I believe I actually fly when I'm out and about.

So many of my blog posts are created right there as I notice the things around me and ponder different aspects of life.

The best time by FAR is to run really early in the morning. It's an absolute joy! During my last 5:30er, I saw 1 x squirrel, 2 x rabbits and practically 0 cars or people. Perfect when you just want to notice. It perfectly brought up for me the niyama, santosha which means absolute contentment. 

Happy, happy me is delighted to have gotten a space in the Nottingham Sunrise 5k in July this year! I love this city and I get to run around it by the light of the sunrise in one of the most glorious summers we've had in a long time, here in the UK.

So this got me to thinking, not just what makes your heart sing??

And are there variable circumstances or environmental considerations that just provide the cherry on the cake? Something that makes it just perfect?

Tell me, I really would love to know! Comment below, drop me an email or post on my Facebook page because I love having contact with you and knowing that you take the time to read my different offerings. Sincerely, I appreciate you taking this time.

Share with me, connect, let's talk.

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