RED January - Day 6&7

While I have been keeping up with the running I'm still catching up with the writing. Something had to give to fit everything in.

Yesterday I got up bright and early to run as I was heading to Oxford to attend a workshop. It was based on The Alexander Technique and Contact Improvisation dance so I knew I would get plenty of moving in, but getting outdoors feels an important part of RED January for me. The fresh (ish. I live in the city), air and daylight are so easy to miss out on in the winter months.

It was just getting light and really cold. The cold air hit my face with a sensation of sting but invigoration. I felt more alert from the sensation but also a retreating into myself as if to somehow maintain my body temperature.

While I know that my body will respond to the cold physiologically. I also know that extra tightening doesn't help this process to work. ie. tense shoulders don't help in keeping us warm even if many of us do it! Slowing down of our nervous systems, vasoconstriction (blood moves away from the extremeties to ensure our vital organs temperatures are maintained) and shivering all do. Our bodies will do their job, we don't need to interfere.

So letting go and trusting that my body would warm up off I went. And how worthwhile it was. The moon was beautiful, the sky a crisp blue and the frost adding a sprinkling of white sparkle to the world.

Something to remember next time I try to persuade myself out of an early morning run.