Guest Post: A Kinda of Christmas Post ...by Pat Walsh

 * A Kinda of Christmas Post *

Hello to all who visit my page and may you have a peaceful and enjoyable Christmas. 

‘Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you had fun
The near and the dear ones
The old and the young’… Lennon.

It is indeed a time to be grateful for the privilege of being able to run. Not everyone is so lucky and when we are injured, we get a glimpse of what it would be like to be denied a head-clearing social run. Not the greatest start to a year personally, so to finish and I’m running is a bonus. Jaysus I nearly went mental, well more mental than normal as some wouldn’t notice the difference.

I have long since given up that competitive edge and quite content now to just be out there. It is a balance between keeping yourself going and not doing too much or chasing the watch too hard. Never take your eye off of your birth certificate. Lesson for the year, do your strength work. Thanks Santa for a few dumbbells.

It is a time to be thankful to those who work to facilitate our running. Race organisers, our own friends who organise training runs, the photographers who turn up to capture the best and worst of us. Also be thankful for everyone who shared the road with you whether in training or a race. We are a Community of our own and it is important to be respectful to all who run, regardless of pace. 

Thanks to everyone who made contact when I couldn’t run. That was important to me. It does help.

Next week or two don’t be too hard on yourself. Get out when you can for a run but go easy and not too far. That way it is possible to get out a few times and knock off the previous day’s excesses while creating room for more. 

Hard to do a long run on a bellyful of chocolate and a few glasses of alcohol. 

Walking in the fresh air is Ok. Just get out when you can.

Look back on the highs, ignore and forget the lows and know that you have added another year to your running career. What will next Year bring? 

AI is supposed to be the answer to the future of humanity doing tasks that were previously manually done. It will never replace one foot in front of the other…!

I have no idea what is ahead, and we can discuss that in a future post.

‘I'm not singing for the future,
I'm not dreaming of the past,
I'm not talking of the first times,
I never think about the last’… Shane

For various reasons it may not be the happiest season of the year for some people due to personal circumstances. We all need to mind and help these people. Be kind to all and be a positive influence on those around you. Message someone who might need a cheer up.

Share kindness and just be nice. I do hope Santa will bring you the fancy Garmin, the re-chargeable headlight, the Nike Zoom Flys and shorts or leggings with go faster stripes on the side of them. If he could give a present of a good set of knees or cures for a bad back they would also be most welcome.

Be kind to yourself. Be kind to others. xx

Reposting my fav pic of PWR and the Round Tower in Cloyne taken a few years ago. We are the same age.

#pwr #HappyChristmas