runningin3time

It’s not so much a matter of seizing the day, I think, as ensuring it hasn’t rushed off so quickly that you haven’t had a chance to grasp it in both hands.  I guess that’s the point of the saying though – perhaps if you try to pack the day too full you end up not being able to seize it.  Even so, I do think that life is for experiencing and it’s a pity that there isn’t more time (and sometimes money) to do all the things I want to do.

What brought this philosophical thought to my mind was my friend Kath being here yesterday evening.  After a few glasses of wine in front of the fire and a lot of putting the world to rights, she slept soundly in Edward’s bed – and when we both surfaced this morning we put the world to rights some more.  She’s one of those generous, supportive people who asks you (well, me) a question and then lets me rabbit: and then denies that I’ve done all the talking and not let her get a word in edgewise.

I started the evening doing a good hour of singing practice after dropping the boys at David’s house (Bella was at Film Club at school so I haven’t seen her since yesterday – Friday – morning).  When Kath turned up she and I went for a run in the dark – a couple of laps of the Tarn.  I was rather hoping she’d change her mind about going as it was cold, wet and dark, but – of course – once I’d got out and run I felt great and was really pleased I’d done it.  Kath asked me why I run – or perhaps why I attempt to keep fit – and the answer is twofold.  Firstly, it makes me feel good, physically and mentally: secondly, I love getting out and seeing the views (which has the same effect.  So perhaps the answer is that  a) exercising  and  b) seeing views  both make me feel good physically and mentally).  Interestingly enough and of no surprise to anyone who knows precisely what I mean, I came across some research while I was writing up my feature on Nordic Walking which said that being outside can help improve mental health.

And every time I run in the dark it feels like a microadventure – thank you Alistair Humphries ( http://www.alastairhumphreys.com/microadventures-3/year-microadventure/) whom I interviewed over a year ago when he was coming to talk at Rheged (http://rheged.com/).

For children in particular getting outdoors can also mean that they get more exercise.  I was especially pleased last weekend when we had snow that Alex and Isabella spent most of the day outside.  I took Isabella and Edward sledging in the morning, and then Alex, Bella and two friends spent the afternoon building snow walls across the road.  Unfortunately we never got to find out what our neighbours and their cars made of these as the children then started demolishing each other’s walls and throwing snowballs made from them.  Nor did I manage to get photos of the walls before they got demolished!

At least – to my knowledge – the Reivers didn’t throw the blocks from Hadrian’s Wall at each other when they demolished bits of it to build farmhouses.