Rosedawn Ramblings

I don't often run listening to music but a couple of times this week, I've connected my fancy new Bluetooth headphones, turned up the volume and tuned out with my latest running playlist . It always seems like the shuffle option knows exactly what song to play at what moment, either to make me smile, give me a sense of perspective or just make me run that little bit quicker when needed. And today was no exception: Life of Riley (The Lightning Seeds) - I've been very busy lately with work and other commitments. It's been difficult to find the time (or energy) for running. But when I do make the time, I never regret it. When the alarm went off this morning, it was tempting to snooze for a few more minutes. But a run always clears my mind - even more so when it's raining - so I got up, got ready and set out on my run. I still believe that in this world, we've got to find the time...  Why Does It Always Rain On Me (Travis) -  after running up to Burslem for...

Sometimes the unexpected happens... This morning I pinned my race number to my t-shirt, did a very gentle warm-up amongst the crowds around Media City in Salford Quays, waited an age to cross the start line in a very narrow funnel and then... I ran my fastest 10k in over 3 years! How did that happen?  I've been trying to work that out all day. Perhaps it was being back in Manchester - the location of my first marathon and a race that couldn't really have gone any better. Today's route took in some of the same streets and it was a really positive reminder of a special run. I managed a negative split that day as well. Perhaps it was getting a good night's sleep and not having to get up too early - we stayed in the Premier Inn just 5 minutes from the start line. I'm never good with really early starts so that suited me perfectly. We could see Salford Quays from our window and didn't have to leave the hotel until just before 10 for the 10.15am...