Reflection on 1st May

My children :

Nick, Gabi and Matt

The farm at Byron and the bottom paddock with orange trees and pecans

The deck for breakfast and reading catching the early morning sun

Isn't it wonderful to be alive, healthy and running early in the morning. As I was running this morning I took sometime to reflect on what I was doing and what was around me.

It was predawn around that Bay, cool but nothing a layer or two couldn't fix and then as you eased into the run a layer came off to remain pleasantly warm. How different to the hot humid weather when you start off with the least possible and that becomes uncomfortable before you are out of the front gate.

I also like to start in the predawn and then have the day awaken as I run. In summer it is just too early to be out before the sun rises.

As I run each morning I feel any residual stress from the day before recede as the run progresses. Then I arrive home absolutely battered each morning (my training at the moment only has 2 types - intense and very intense, then into a hot shower to remove the chill from the extremities, a healthy breakfast and drive to work waiting for those wonderful endorphins to kick in that allow me to float through the day and ward off most of the stresses of the day.

And before I know it the cycle starts again.

Oh I did 1 loop of 13k @ 4.35 and then a lap of the Bay. I thought I would struggle to be under 31.30 for 4.30 pace but managed 29.25 - so there was a heavy flood of endorphins later in the morning and I was just plain happy with life.