​Good old chafing!

There's nothing like going for a long run on a hot and humid day and, halfway through, realizing you're starting to chafe. Today, I ended up with two red marks under my armpits that look and feel like burning scars.

It brought back memories of my Guinness World Record run on the treadmill. I still don't know how my team managed to alleviate the pain and chafing.  

As Muhammad Ali once said, “It's not the mountains ahead that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe.” Indeed, even small things like chafing can bring you down. 

One of those busy days...

​This morning I woke up feeling letargic, with hunger pangs and a sense of weariness from the long workweek. 

Nevertheless, I stuck to my morning routine, following the trail of breadcrumbs I'd left for myself around the house:

Pick up my notepad & pen from my bedside table
Walked to the bathroom where my running gear was already laid out and got changed
Walked to the kitchen, grabbed my AG drink from the fridge
Sat for my 15 minutes guided meditation, ready on my phone
Put my shoes on and head out of the house

This routine has become so automatic that I barely have to think about it anymore. I love it because it removes friction and opportunities for excuses. 

However, once I started running, I realized that my body wasn't up for the planned workout.

I thought I could just hide this run under the rug, nobody would know. 
But then I realised I would know.

So I carried on with my run and the intended session (10km with 5x500m pick ups). 
It wasn't a standout performance, but I didn't let myself down. 
I did the best I could today, and sometimes that's enough.

​As I run alongside my kids on their bikes on our way to school, I can't help but feel grateful for the life I have and the place I live. I am grateful that my family and I are safe and have access to everything we need and could ever possibly want, from food and water to social and infrastructure services, education culture travel and entertainment, and all at our disposal, often at the click of a button.

I am grateful that I was born healthy, in a time of abundance, in a wealthy country with a rich culture and history, and with the freedom to pursue my dreams. I have met the love of my life and together we have two beautiful, healthy, and intelligent kids.

I know that I have won the lottery of life, and I have done nothing to deserve this kind of head start. In the grand scheme of things, I have done very little to progress forward either, it all came by itself.

Today, I acknowledge my good fortune and the abundance around me, and I am reminded that I am truly blessed.

​This morning, I woke up early to tackle a challenging uphill training session in the trails before work. 3 repetitions of the 3.6km climb up Mount Tinbeerwah, which has about 250m elevation gain. The route is a mix of trail and road, with some short & sharp climbs. 
The focus was on improving my running form, lifting my knees and not fighting the hill. I also tried to keep my heart rate and breathing in control, which was a bit of a challenge today.
As expected, the first repetition was nice and easy, I was able to maintain a steady pace and my legs felt strong. The second repetition was a little bit more challenging and on the third one I had to work hard to maintain focus. 
Surprisingly, on reviewing the overall stats. All three climbs were within 30 seconds difference between them over 42 minutes. Not bad! 
This gives me great confidence on my training progress and the tuning of my internal compass of perceived effort. 

Now coffee please!