The sunny weather earlier in the week got me thinking of better times. With this week having the heaviest volume of work I've ever had, trust the sun to grace us with its presence while I sit in my room working, what a bitch.

I did have the chance to catch the Runnerslife video of the National Junior cross though. I have to say Simon is getting pretty good at using that camera and there were some great shots. Although me giving him compliments will be few and far between from now on. He mentioned in his blog as I'm a senior we're now enemies which I think is for the best. When we were in different races we used to have a junior-senior relationship where he would look after me and make sure I'm ok, he even tried to sign me up with Saucony a few times. Now it's man-vs-man situation things will get competitive between us and the atmosphere will be tense. Plus I hear in the senior mens category there are no such things as friends. 

At the beginning of week I was at Selly Oak park doing my hill sprints after my Monday afternoon run. As I walked back down the hill I had a perfect view of the sun sitting in a clear blue sky and I thought to myself "what am I doing here?". The weekend before and for the rest of the week I was completely stressed with the amount of work I had to do. Every little minute I had spare from training and lectures was spent working. So much so that when Steve and Maria turned up to Munrow Sports Centre, where we meet for a Tuesday session, I had a pad of paper on my lap and I was scribbling down equations. When I was on that hill sprinting with the sun on my back was when I felt completely calm. It was there and then all I wanted to do was be out in Portugal on the warm weather training stint. There are no stresses of deadlines to meet, no equations to solve, no problems to dwell on. Sandy beaches and scorching temperatures are the worries, and I doubt I'll lose much sleep over that.

There are full time runners out there who go to sunnier places when we're in the cold and run in shorts and T-shirt all the time. All they have to worry about is what trail should they pick to do their next run. What a life that would be! Being paid to go and do something you enjoy in a warm, remote place in the world and not have to worry about the hassle of the working life. To basically get paid for being on holiday all the time while doing something you've been doing for years, something that really isn't a chore anymore. You've been doing it for so long your body and mind just accept that it has to be done and it becomes second nature. When you've been doing it for that long surely the enjoyment factor is high, otherwise wouldn't you have just quit years ago? 

How I envy those elites. It's a priviled position to be in a job you are passionate about. Don't get me wrong I'm sure the training they do is absolutely sick and they take their bodies to the limit. But while I was on that hill I had a brief moment where I was a million miles away. Alas, us mere mortals can only dream and have to try and run while getting an education or keeping a roof over our heads. Hopefully I'll come back to reality before Monday mornings lectures. 

Take it easy,

Goolab xxx