Against the Wind

Morning, often the hardest part of the day, especially when you have to get up for work… even more so if you dislike the job you do. However, waking up to sun filtering through the blinds always seems to put me in a good mood. It makes getting up easier and a lot quicker.

Running in the morning with the sun on your back is like a mirage, it looks great but it’s actually not what it seems. The heat, the straining of the eyes and the fact you keep thinking you’d rather lay in the garden than be sweating and looking like limp lettuce, all adds to make the run harder.

The great thing about running in the sun with the wind against you, is when you reach the point to turn back, the wind then gives you the push you need and works with you... Perfect, especially if you are about to reach the point of giving up. Unless of course like this particular morning, Mother Nature was not on your side. Just when you turn, the wind turned with you, making you struggle even more against the wind, which once again pushes you back as you try to move forward.

Sometimes you just can't wait for weather to change… you just have to go with it.

Picking up speed, leaning over the edge splashing against the salt soaked ocean and chasing the sun... Sailing perfection, until the wind drops, the rope slacks and the boom swings round whacking you in the face... Making you fall into the water, bruised and remembering exactly why you wear a life jacket.

The weather can be predicted, it can be extremely accurate, help us plan our days and our outfits. The weather can also change, the predictions can be wrong and we have to adapt.

People often run their lives around weather, food can’t be grown until certain conditions allow it and no one wants to lie on a beach in the rain.

Life is like weather. You can plan it in detail, you can prepare for things and it can throw us in many directions. It can change without warning, it can be sunny, cloudy and it can feel like it’s rained for days… and then sometimes, we discover rainbows.

That's the thing about nature, sometimes it will be against you, and sometimes it will challenge you and give you a struggle... But sometimes it's worth the effort to keep going, pushing through. Some things are worth the fight.

Life is definitely like a race, but it is also a race that doesn't just award first place. It is a race everyone can win. It sometimes will cause you pain, put pressure and stress on you, make you compete with others and allow you to excel where others might slow down... And like most things, a race can be hard, but much better if there is someone running by your side... Be them whatever part of your life.

Sometimes you just need the right pair of trainers, a safe life jacket and great support around you. The wind might be against you at times, but it doesn’t matter, we have the tools to work through it.

Don’t let bad weather get you down.