Guest Post: The Mental Change ...by Pat Walsh

 * The Mental Change *

I’m writing some of this on Thursday morning with the wind and rain lashing at the window. The clocks changed last weekend to put us in Winter time, but have we changed our mental process to help us cope and to keep running?

I normally run on a Thursday morning as part of my weekly recovery plan but seeing the forecast and the fact that I’m a snowflake, I went yesterday evening before it got dark. And I had a little lie-in this morning.

This can be a time to test our resolve, cold mornings, dark evenings, leaving a cosy bed in the morning or a fireplace in the evening to head out for a run. You can do it and you will be proud of yourself but a little positive mental thought process is no harm.

I will run, because I’m training for something important and it doesn’t matter what the conditions are, as maybe that is the way the event might be.

I will run, as it is important to overcome any obstacles that may appear and that can only be positive reinforcement for myself. Running in wind and rain is character building.

I will run, but slightly adapt day and time so that at the end of the week I have achieved all I expected.

I will run, because I have a few boxes full of tops, coats, hats, leggings for whatever the weather is and a working washing machine when I get home.

I will run, because if I give in to failure I will only feel bad about myself for the rest of the day.

I will run, because my friends are going and I don’t want to be a wossie. 

I will run next Thursday morning.  (Miss B 😃 )

Please be careful, wear bright clothing or hi-viz. Get a rechargeable light for night time. There is a fantastic range of options available nowadays.

Be warm and err on the side of too hot rather than too cold.

Get changed and showered ASAP if you are cold and wet. Yes, the coffee afterwards would be nice but the ensuing head cold isn’t worth it.

Finally, it is about the positive, YES I WILL, rather than mopping and procrastinating about whether you will or not. I WILL

'Cold sunlight glinting on the rocky fields of cloud,
The high shrill note of Winter's happy piper
Rises and lifts my dreamer far above the crowd'....Kavanagh.

Have  a lovely weekend and #keeponrunning

#pwr