As is often the case when I get back into blogging, I have been a bit down. Not 3 weeks into motherhood and so sleep deprived, I couldn’t see for tears down, just a bit ‘bleurgh, everything is a bit shit’ down. It’s probably related to the fact that our son is three next week. Three! How the hell have I helped to keep a small person alive for three years?! Edit from Craig: ERM Hello! I have helped too. I am fully aware of this, and I appreciate and am grateful for his never ending support throughout all my hair-brained schemes and changes of mind, the running, the blogging, part-time work.
Anyway, so everything has kind of stopped; my latest university module ended, I did my 2 half marathons in 7 days (more on those in future posts) and I just stopped. I’d completed my own personal challenge of doing Leeds and Manchester half marathons within a week and I was exhausted. I turned to TV to fill the void and got sucked into Grace and Frankie. This is now one of my all time favourite things I’ve ever watched on Netflix. It is genuinely laugh out loud funny, sad, emotive and crazy. I have binge watched nearly 5 seasons since I stopped running and once finished, I’ll have to wait until next year for the next season. I’m not sure I’ll survive.
Anyway, after moping about for three weeks and having nearly finished Grace & Frankie; three things happened this week that turned my outlook around. Firstly, I tweeted about writing a book and got some really lovely tips of how to do it and some great insight into being a writer. It gave me some hope that I could actually do it. Secondly, Global Running Day was today and the lovely guys at Ramsbottom Running Club went on a little outing which I agreed to go on just to try and clear my head. It worked. I feel so much better and I am glad I have running to keep myself sane. Thirdly, Chinese food. Thank the Lord for takeaway food, just what I needed after my run and….oh wait, it should be something lovely and fluffy. OK, thirdly; my lovely friend and colleague, Abby, basically told me to suck it up and get on with it today. She is one of my biggest cheerleaders and the one person who regularly gets away with calling me a bitch. She basically told me to shut up and start blogging again, especially after I told her about the novel idea. I love to try and find positive things in crappy situations, and she was the positive in the crappy situations today; even if she has got a terrible ear infection and I’m not sure she could quite hear what I was talking to her about!
Anyway, I did a few scheduling thingies in my phone calendar and put in when I’ll run and when I’ll blog, do my degree and fit in a few hours of writing a novel (plus work, see family, co-parent a child, spend time with the supportive one).
Another lovely friend said at running tonight that everyone has busy lives, it’s just learning how to deal with your busy. It’s so true. Everyone is busy, everyone has things they don’t want to do after work or on the weekend but they do it because; that’s life. We just have to get on with it, enjoy it as much as we can and take the bad times with a pinch of salt as they don’t last as long as you expect.
Anyway, enough of the life lessons! The run tonight was lovely, a little hillier than I imagined but I don’t think I’ve ever done a ‘flat’ run in Ramsbottom! It’s a route that I’ve done parts of before, but not the route as a whole and it’s one I’ll definitely do again. I love the running club for this, putting on ad hoc runs and always making sure everyone is ok and even if not an official run, that no-one is left behind. I had some great conversations, got some good advice as always and just relaxed. There was no pressure about deadlines, or month end, or times or whether I’ll sleep on my son’s floor for the rest of my life and if he’ll ever eat a vegetable ever again. I could just forget about all my worries and cares for an hour. It reinforced my belief that running is great for my mind, and I should really remember that when I’m feeling blue.