I went on a Mindfulness Run and I ended up running 10 miles.
As you can imagine, physically training for a marathon is stressful. Despite all good intentions, life happens. For me, it’s family and work (fortunately, it’s really just those 2). The day really is very much one full-time job to another full-time job. The running is a side hustle in between the 2 full-time jobs.
This week’s challenge is Maya’s school Induction – 2 hours in the afternoon, all 5 days. This meant I had to cut out of clinic early, run down to nursery by 1230 and got Maya dressed into her school uniform in the boot of the car, drive her down to her school by 1300. Go back home, get some more work done, back to pick her up in 2 hours, back home, then pick up Xave at nursery. That was me on Monday and Tuesday as David was on long days. Maya’s new nanny, Carolina, picked her up on Wednesday. David on Thursday. Me again on Friday as David is on Nights.
These periods are marathons by their own right, where you somehow just stop thinking and just go on and do it. I am fortunate that I work in a job that is super supportive. I managed to review all my dictations and approved my letters, do the jobs from clinic, and see some inpatients.
One very important event this week was that I got to say goodbye to a patient I admitted a couple of weeks ago, who was dying. I saw her on Monday, trying to get her to hospice but we had missed the boat by the time a bed was available. On Wednesday, I stopped by her room before leaving to pick Maya up. She still recognised my voice but she was already becoming more drowsy. Her breathing was slightly laboured but calm, her movements were slow. She died peacefully that day with her friends around her.
That evening, I went for a run. I call it a Mindfulness Run. At the beginning of my run, I decided to just turn off everything and really just be present whilst running. I sometimes forget that running was meant to be my escape. It is so easy to get caught up with keeping up with a desired pace, looking at my watch, head filled with all the other things – To Do Lists, logistics, blogging, fundraising, school/nursery runs, etc. Distracting me from the pleasure of the run itself. So this run was different. It was very calm, the temperature was a lot cooler, the sea was also very calm matching the mood. Except that I was listening to a Mixtape I made a very long time ago called To Dance With. I just kept going… no water breaks, no gels. I ended up running 10 miles and it felt great. I need to go on more Mindfulness Runs.
I would have kept going but it was the kids’ bedtime. Sure enough, they were still wide awake when I got back, waiting for me. Straight back into the chaos.
Reach for the Seven Stars 