Everything but running ... almost

It has been a rather fraught week with one personal publication deadline overshadowed by the eruption of another more immediate, bureaucratic one. For the Irish readers, think Croke Park Agreement, accountability and transparency in the Public Sector, wonder why noone realised that certain information was needed sooner rather than later and you might get the picture. Add a puncture at 11 O'Clock one night (can't remember which now) a scheduled veterinary vist (for the cat, not me?!), a leaping cat (unhurt), a commitment to a group project with 'stuff' needing doing, the preparations for imminent escape for a week's holiday with family (his side, not mine) while 'school is out', including the need to find suitable accommodation for the aforementioned cat and you might see why I have been a bit slow to blog this week. Still, I have some very helpful colleagues who clarified, coaxed and clucked at all the right times. Some really generous and supportive comments from readers of the blog through facebook and also delivered in person, a lovely evening with friends celebrating a friend's significant birthday, a surprise visit from the brother of Café-Java fame (see last Saturday's post) to my place of work, a completely surprise gift yesterday which will see me running in some cool gear and .... holidays tomorrow! Life is not so bad really.
Running, you say, tell us about the running. Well, I just did a 3mile run this morning. I didn't even time it, but know that it was around the 30 minutes mark. The weather was sunnier than expected because it had rained for a good bit of the night. We are back into quite Wintry weather here. My approach to running this morning was almost comical in its pragmaticism ... it was on the same level as more mundane tasks such as making the bed or brushing the floor; it was a job to do.  I tell myself that's good, that an ease has come. On the other hand, one does occasionally postpone these jobs until it is too late. To be honest, that is kind of what happened to me yesterday. The 'I'll go at this time' got later and later until it couldn't be done. Routine is good. We will be back to routine soon. 
Anyway, I'm out of here (still in my office), I have to keep on eye on e-mails while away so may have the opportunity to blog too. I will be running, but am not sure that I will be running the distances required in the programme. It may be a case of running for an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon ... by the beach/sea, in temperatures ten degrees warmer than here, with plenty of time to stretch before and after. Ah ... shoulders beginning to come down from my ears now. 
I will also be having a drink or two ... maybe even three ... especially tomorrow.