Hello. I'm almost ashamed to be back here blogging again. It's been so long, and I've promised people I'll blog so often and not done it. But hey, here I am.
One of the many reasons I've not been keeping up with my blog lately is that I'm not sure I've got much to say of interest. So much of what I write about is running-related, and I've now been out injured for over 3 months. So it's all been a bit strange.
In many ways, the pain and discomfort of my back injury is almost secondary to the frustration at not being able to do something you love - or the disorientation that comes from not doing something that's so much a part of your identity. I'm the type of person who runs for a bus from 300 yards off - not the type who gives up on it when it's 10 yards away! To many people I know, running is what I do. Just now, I've got a great new job, I've read some phenomenal books over the past few months, been to some great movies and gigs.... and of course there's my wonderful family, but half the people I bump into still ask me about running!
I guess it's a kind of common language for everyone who's ever been involved in running - from people who've been elated by finishing a first slow 5K, through to people who've done everything there is to do from marathons to ultras to 24-hour hill races. On roads, tracks, trails and mountains and from the inner city, to the wilds of Scotland, to every corner of the world.
Plus running is an important balance in my life. All too often my life consists of too much work, then back to managing small children with (very strong) minds of their own! Running is excellent me-time, an important escape from my mundane existence where I chill out, and get my thoughts in order. Never mind the need to balance out the fact I love to eat lots of good food and so have to keep the running up to manage my health and wellbeing effectively!
The running community is a great one to be part of. It's healthy (obvs), principled, caring, generous, adventurous, charitable, fun-loving and welcoming. I've not really seen evidence of elitism or exclusivity, which it's occasionally accused of. Even if you're not running, they're very supportive and I am pleased to still be taking part in facebook chat, marshalling at races, and so on. Important to try and maintain a link to an area of your life you get so much from, even if you can't do the core part of it.
So anyway, as usual I've rambled on for long enough. On a final note, runners are generally an optimistic bunch. I'm hugely grateful for all the people who have shared their sympathy and their own injury experiences with me, and their contagious and enthusiastic belief that I will be back to normal sooner or later (albeit with a fair few pounds to lose). And I'm generally optimistic by default too, so I'm looking forward to building back up to full fitness and getting back in the groove again. Lots of exciting plans in development for 2011!
