“Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to
get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because
once you get there, you can move mountains.”
Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs
You are an explorer. Your mission is to document and observe
the world around you as if you’ve never seen it before. Take notes. Collect
things you find on your travels. Document your findings. Notice patterns. Copy.
Trace. Focus on one thing at a time. Record what you are drawn to.
Ponderings and observations on today’s run.
On today’s run I noticed (well, I always notice it lately)
the precariously hanging branch that is suspended right above my head whenever
I run past a particular patch of trees. It has been pretty stormy/ rainy/ windy
here over the last few days and every time I run past I am surprised that it is
still just hanging there, biding its time. It is quite a big branch. I do hope
it continues to hang around and doesn’t fall down whilst I am actually running
underneath of it. This is actually quite a big fear of mine. Not with regards
to this particular branch (it isn’t that evil), just any precarious shrubbery.
Being hit by falling branches, wacked in the face by leaves and branch, falling
acorns, large tufts of grass upon the moors and narrow pathways lined with
stinging nettles are all very valid obstacles of the plant variety that runners
face.
On my run today I explored. A little. I dodged a lot of
snails. This is odd because during a run last week I dodged (funnily enough, my
spell check just put that I ‘judged’ the slugs…maybe I am) a lot of slugs and
now snails. What determines whether or not there are more snails than slugs out
there and vice versa? One thing is that snails are ‘prettier’ than slugs. And
there is more crunching if you fail to avoid them. You’re not simply destroying
the creature…you’re wrecking a home! It is a much tougher game than ‘Sludge’
(slug dodge). Not only are you stepping on them, but there is both visual
impact and sound effects. It is more traumatic all around. So on today’s run as well as properly
philosophising about shrubbery, I also spared some in depth thoughts for snails
and slugs and slimy creatures. Runners are thoughtful.
Running up a particular road and a particular long hill on
my route I tried my best to keep a steely look of determination upon my face. It
is an excellent test of willpower. You can’t stop. It is quite a busy road and
your inner voice screams ‘NO, you cannot stop up here, you have to keep on
going, they expect you to stop because it’s such a strange hill that seems to
drag on…even bus’s and some cars (my little banger) struggle up this hill, you
HAVE TO keep running!’ And so you do.
And I notice my arms swinging much more ferociously as I get to the
mid-point and my heart is beating much faster than before. I’m pushing out
strange breaths and my lips are making an ‘O’ shape…I imagine. But I get to the
house at the top and I can’t help but grin. Like some manic crazy mad woman I
am stood there in the dark, in the drizzle, alone and grinning. Smiling to
myself. And to the hill. In this moment I am pretty satisfied with myself.
I’ve dragged myself out for the second night on the run to
run up the hill I have avoided running up for quite some while and now I’m on a
little streak. And it’s a really great feeling. I stop for a moment and turn
around and know that I now get the best feeling. I get to leggit down the hill.
This type of running is like being a small child and just going with it. I’m
not sure with what. But you just go with this feeling you have at that
particular moment and you’re free to run full pelt down a hill, in the dark. It’s
your own little adventure. You dodge fallen twigs and little stones and there’s
no-one else about. Sure I was running in a place surrounded by countryside, but
I was far from the most idyllic place in the world. It is a big road. It is
countrified, but it is still a road. And yet, it’s a really good run.
I didn’t collect anything I found on my travels. Well, a
daddy long legs flew in the house when I got back home. Did I collect him? Maybe
he just needs a place to camp out for a while away from the wind and rain. I
did think about pulling down the overhanging dodgy branch, but I probably wouldn’t
have brought it home. It was massive. I don’t know what it is about branches
and trees today. I also made myself laugh whilst simultaneously scaring myself
(I jumped) as I skipped over a weird spider-shaped (yes, really) rogue branch/
plant/ thing. I laughed because I realised it was way too big to ever be a
spider; unless bird eating spiders have moved to Britain. Also, it was without
doubt on second glance, a plant related obstacle. Silly me.
A useful thing I learnt tonight and something that someone
has told me before is that I like to run whilst holding onto things in my
hands. When I completed the Brathay 10 marathons in 10 days challenge I nearly
always held a banana or a bottle of water or a buff in one or both of my hands
during my run. I got to thinking: Is it a comfort thing or a practical thing? I
actually think it helps me position my arms better and run better. Tonight I
had a fleecy buff in one hand, as well as my mp3 player in the same hand; my
nose kept running, invisible spider webs kept getting in my eyes and I needed
something to wipe both away. Music wise, I have an annoying habit of sticking
my mp3 on shuffle and then skipping pretty much all of the tracks that come on,
before settling on a truly motivational tune that’ll get me running at my best.
Maybe I should change my music, but I kind of like it the way it is. I mix it
up.
Anyway, in my other hand I had my torch. My hands were both
clenched and I don’t know, it seems to make my lower arm muscle more taut and
angular to the elbow and I just end up swinging my arms ‘better’; more
efficiently. Thinking about it even more, I seem to straighten my posture and
look ahead more, rather than down (I have really bad posture and slouch a
lot…long body) and my running feels smoother. See, the simplest of actions can
provide revolutionary thoughts and answers. Well, it was quite insightful to me
anyway.
Today I was drawn to the simple things. It is easy to
overlook the simple things. In fact, sometimes all the massive crazy things
that happen in the world and in our lives demand that we neglect thoughts surrounding
the simple things. Every now and again it is refreshing to think about the
simple things; about the snails and the gravely sandy bit on the bridge over
the canal; upon which I dramatically fell over once on a run and ended up with
very bloody knees. It is relaxing to let
your guard down and just ‘go with it’. It is liberating to look a complete mess
and like I have been dragged through a wet hedge backwards and still come out
smiling. It is ok to smile to myself out in public along a long dark road. It is
fun to dodge puddles. It is fun to splash into puddles. It is amazing to be out
in the cold biting air and to see all the nice cosy warm cars driving past and
be certain that you would never want to switch places with them at that moment
in time (okay, on the Grand Union Canal ultra I did want to snuggle up on a
nice warm barge…there was crazy torrential rain & I was wearing a bin bag
& I had about 90 miles left to run and they look so cosy).
So there we go. That was today. I rediscovered the simple things. I also
rediscovered my mega padded, furry hooded winter coat. Not for running in.
That’d be interesting. But it is snugly. Hey, it’s even okay to write random
bloggage that won’t make too much sense to others. Just exploring.
