Up and running for joy

Well, the website is up and running now.  To celebrate, I took the kids out for a little run in the park, my twelve-year twins on foot (my son proudly wearing my old Bikilas) and my little eight-year old tootling along next to us on her bicycle.  Just a mile, but they needed a bit of air and exercise after spending the whole rainy day inside!!!

In a desperate attempt to occupy them over the Easter holiday, we went to the Transportation Museum yesterday.  The whole time they were running here, running there: not because we were in a hurry, but because they were having a great time, loving every moment of it.  Running, for them, is still an expression of joy – the joy of life.  ‘Papa, come and look at this!’ ‘Papa , come and look at that!’

My son and me more than ten years ago now…

It made me think of when my son was just two years old, and he ran alongside us for a good mile as we went for a walk in the country.  He didn’t have to.  He could have walked.  He could have hitched a ride in the cart I was pulling.  But why walk when you can run?  Running is so much more alive!

I remember how my wife and I just watched him, waiting for him to stop.  But he didn’t.  After a while we couldn’t believe it.  He just kept going down the old road, on and on…

Let’s all try and keep the child in us alive!  (Here’s a photo we took of him so many years ago.)

Winter returns (5-6 miles)

Today is a national holiday here in Hungary.  To celebrate, mother nature blew in a blizzard last night, causing a 40-car pile up on one of the motorways and leaving countless people stranded in their cars all over the country for the last twenty four hours.  In fact, ten minutes ago I received a text message from the Interior Ministry, telling people that help is on the way, and that they shouldn’t abandon their vehicles.  If people have used up all their petrol trying to stay warm, they should get into somebody else’s car…

This morning’s run was, well… primal.  That’s the best word I can think of to describe running into the fierce wind, with a few snowflakes whipped horizontally through the air.  When mother nature is flexing her muscle all around you, it draws you into her power, like a ship into a whirlpool.  Her power fills you with that same strength.  Feeling her life surging through your veins, it becomes impossible to separate her from you.  Wow, I loved every minute of it!

I felt the urge to head up into the hills on a 5-6 mile run.  As much as I love running in the snow barefoot, I put on my Vibram FiveFingers for safety’s sake.  First of all, when there’s a lot of salt on the pavement or in winter puddles, they help protect my feet from getting dehydrated.  Second, this was a route I’ve not done in a couple of years, since beginning to run barefoot, and with the fresh snow completely covering the unknown ground below – complete with all the surprises which can lie in wait on city pavements – I decided to play it safe.

This was the first time since getting injured two years ago that I’ve done a proper hill run.  At 50 minutes, it also turned out to be my longest run.  Until now, I’ve been averaging only 40-45 min. a day, because any more has aggravated my plantar fasciitis (left foot) and Achilles tendonitis (right foot).  But I feel like both problems are finally under control, even if in the morning I can still feel them both.  I’m even starting to entertain ideas of a barefoot half marathon in the autumn and then a full barefoot marathon next year.  Having run several marathons in shoes, the challenge and appeal had worn off – mostly because I didn’t love running in those days.  But that’s all different barefoot!!!  Will keep you posted!