Soul Food from the Sole!

Over the last couple of years, running has become one of my best friends. At school I was an avid cross country runner, but sadly somewhere down the road (it was probably the road to the wine lands in Cape Town...), I got distracted by life and my passion for the sport started to dwindle.

However, rediscovering running has been of the best things that could have happened to me. After a busy day in the office, or even bright and early on a Sunday morning before the world has woken up, I love nothing more than grabbing my trainers and hitting the open road. I'm very fortunate to have miles of beautiful countryside literally on the doorstep, so within five minutes I can find myself surrounded by nature in her full resplendence without any people or cars in sight for miles. Bliss!

It's not just the endorphin kick that makes running so rewarding - I also find it does wonders for the soul. My mind has a tendency to permanently race around at about 1,000mph and running really helps to slow it down. I use my time out on the hills to work things through in my head (whether it's something that's bothering me, something I need to find a solution to, or even just creating a to-do list for the day!) and by the time I've finished my run, my head is cleared and my legs have had a good stretch!

In June this year I ran my first 10k at Westonbirt Arboretum and despite the fact that the weather was beyond atrocious (think mud bath...), it was such a liberating feeling. I've already set my sights on The Wolf Run in Leamington Spa in April 2013 (Wolf stands for Woods, Obstacles, Lakes and Fields...) and plan to complete a similar challenge every year.

It takes time and commitment to get back into running after having had a break from it, but if you can push through the initial difficult bit, then there's no looking back. I know I certainly haven't.

Image from dreamstime