as good as a rest

i've had a blah sort of week. apart from sunday's epic long run (5.5 miles, woot!) my other runs this week were either completely rubbish, or non-existent. i planned runs that never happened (it's raining. i'm too tired. my chair is SO COMFY!) and attempted runs that just felt like crap (i can't catch my breath. my legs are cramping. this hill is HUGE!). & along with other life stresses, i felt like i was getting stuck in a pretty big rut. so i took to twitter for some advice, and the one thing that folk kept coming back with was "change". change your route, the time you run, even your socks - just do something different.

& although us folk on the autistic spectrum aren't awesome with change (massive understatement!!), i decided to give it a go, & drove a few miles to the local country park for a change of scenery.

 

 

i didn't plan a route, or try to run quickly, or spend the whole run keeping one eye on my pace time. i didn't worry about having to take the occasional walking break, or slow down for uneven ground. i stopped to say hello to a few friendly dogs, and to take some pictures of interesting things.

 

 

i ran down hills like a little kid, arms & legs flailing wildly (the park was pretty empty - i may have been a bit more reserved if there had been lots of people around!). i didn't try to stay out of mud puddles (i did try to avoid the horse poop, though, although i'm not sure i was entirely successful), but just splashed right through the middle (some of them were pretty deep, too!). i ran through fields & through deep, dark woods.

 

i enjoyed the rare sight of the sun, & the gorgeous sights & sounds of the countryside. i got soaked to the knees, splattered with mud, & drooled on by the aforementioned friendly dogs (they were VERY friendly!). & since i wasn't that familiar with the park trails, i got a little bit lost, & ended up running nearly four miles without even noticing.

 

& i remembered something that i'd forgotten, because i may have been focusing a little too much on Serious Training....

 

running can be fun, especially if you get to do it somewhere like this.