Park Run
I am just back from experiencing perfect happiness...
Which I bought :)
The quote on the blackboard in a coffee shop in Malta read... 'You can't buy happiness, but you can buy coffee and it's pretty close'; today, on seeing the lovely squidgy almond croissant in 'The Larder' coffee house, I announced to Michael, the proprietor of this fabulous place, 'Ah ha, I can actually buy happiness! Coffee AND almond croissant IS absolute happiness'
Anadi and he laughed, and then we settled into a lovely breakfast experience.
We had just come back from me having run the Grovelands Park 'park run'...
The dawning of a cold March day, meant it was tempting to have a slow morning, but I have had this park run in mind since we saw it in action whilst staying here in September... And so instead I opted for the fast start to the morning, and have slowed down now!
Anadi and I jogged the half mile to the park, where we ran one lap, and then I made my way at ten to nine, to the start... A few runners were ambling over, as well as a 'volunteer official' or two... Within ten minutes there was a throng!
Lots of colour and chatter and 'brrrrr it's cold', our race director Caroline gathered us to give us last minute instructions, and to celebrate one of the athletes 50th park runs! We all cheered and clapped, and after Caroline had run down the path to alert some walkers that a crowd of runners would be hurtling towards them any minute - they leapt off the path - 3 2 1 we were off.
I wore my GoPro and Anadi has created a film from it...
The run was three laps round the park, which meant we ran up a hill three times! I felt strong and relaxed and finished in 21.54, which is 5 seconds faster than my last 5k outing... I was the first woman home and 19th overall, but if we are taking age grading into account... Then my performance was the best in the field, ha ha! One of the benefits of having been alive for many years!
Park run is such an incredibly positive experience... There was a wonderful feeling again of 'esprit de corp', knowing that as we all raced off, we were running in spirit with other runners in parks all over Britain...
Friday...
I met up with my friend Wends in London yesterday, we had a wonderfully magical healing time together... I won't say which eatery as we shared our corner with a cockroach, sitting quietly on the wall for the entire time we were together. We however saw this as a very positive thing, and so enjoyed our little friend's company, and appreciated receiving his animal totem magic
Apparently Cockroaches as a spirit / totem animal are about survival and adaptability. They are about thriving in any condition, and making the most of current resources, of moving with speed and agility.
they are about perseverance, tenacity and discerning, about clearing out useless and dead parts of our life and knowing when and how to move, and take a step forward.
Wends and I always have creative times together, where we look to expansion and possibility on our journey through life...
We have been journeying together for 53 years now and it just gets better and better!
I celebrate the day I started at Miss Brewis's nursery school and met my wonderful friend Wends...
Later today...
I caught the train to Central London as I was meeting up with Chloe who had asked me for some more development work...
I first met Chloe five years ago when she was in her gap year...
Her dream was to be living in London as a model, and after working together for two years it was no suprise to see her featuring as a top model in a Fiat advert...
We have kept in touch over the years and it has been wonderful to see her growing and living out her dreams... And so today I found myself sitting opposite a beautiful young woman willing to go deeper into clearing anything within her that is holding her back from fully living out all she wants to; so that she flys free, expressing all that she is...
