Blue Monday

I've had a great week in the training stakes. Having trained Monday, Wednesday and Friday with club, been sweeper at Bradford parkrun with Dave and topping it all off with a tough cross country on Sunday. I'm not dwelling on the cross country as I was just pleased to get round the muddy, hilly, 3 lap course given my lack of training due to recent illness and not so recent injury. I had vowed I was going to title this blog 'hills bells' in keeping with my Christmas one where the elf out ran me, as she did this time but it didn't feel nearly as painful since she wasn't in her previous get up! I should also mention the fantastic support from fellow club and non club runners throughout the race. It's uplifting when someone comes up behind you and says ' keep going Julie, you're looking strong' even though you know damn well you're not!
My spirits were not even dampened upon turning up at parkrun to find that the race was included in the Eccleshill Road Runners club championships, just how I had managed to overlook that escapes me but hey ho 42 minutes plus for a 5k was never going to get me any points was it? So following such a good week, why then did I feel down in the dumps all day today? I didn't have an explanation, until that is, my regular Fetcheveryone newsletter dropped into my email inbox! Today was 'Blue Monday'. That explains everything then, or does it? Many people subscribe to the psychological theory that today -- January 17th -- is the most depressing day of the year. If we chose to believe such claims, apparently a theory dreamt up by academics then surely we would have lots of blue Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays.... You catch my drift.
Apparently you can boost your mood by helping others, it's also suggested that receiving an unexpected compliment; listening to the sea; sitting in the sunshine (hmmm); listening to music; eating your favourite food; hearing laughter; winning money; going for a walk on the beach; and having a snowball fight can all have a positive effect on our well being! What would you recommend? A duvet day? A touch of New Order? Or is it simply a matter of ignoring dubious formulae and getting on with things? Well for me, there's simply nothing better than a run with friends to lift my mood and I can honestly say it works every time! It really is no wonder then that we runners become down hearted, depressed, frustrated or whatever other emotion springs to mind, when we cannot for one reason or another run.
On a brighter note, I'm on track with my cross training goals having kept up regular yoga sessions on my Wii fit, I've yet to find further discipline in swimming or be it something else, but am confident in attaining this. Another sports massage with Peter May tomorrow will hopefully iron out any issues since before Christmas and stand me in good stead for the Brass Monkey this coming Sunday.