2015 January is Go

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

January 1st, 2015. 4 a.m.
 
I live across the road from a busy train station, and the trains have been running all night at fifteen minute intervals to bring the New Year’s revelers home from the city. Now however, as I break into an uneasy run it is relatively quiet.
 
After  two weeks of (it must be said) slothful  but joyous carousing in the MLCMM household, it is time to shake off the traps of gluttony and return to a life of fitness and regular running. The 4 a.m. start is not due to some harsh self-flagellating training scheme but rather a 6 a.m. start at work. Working in the glamour industry of media and broadcasting is all well and good when rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous in the corridors of the broadcast centre, but at this hour of the morning, trying to get a run completed before another insanely early start, it all seems a little tres ordinaire.
 
Never mind that, I’m here to run, and run I did. It was actually a delightful morning for a plod, mild in temperature and with no wind or rain to concern me.  Despite my recent festive excesses, the run presented few problems, and for the most part was an enjoyable 5km jog around my local streets. I’m not saying if there was a choice I’d actually choose to run at this early hour, but when forced to do so by circumstance I’m always impressed by how much more enjoyable running in the middle of night actually is. Or at least appears to be. Perhaps I’m just trying to make the most of a difficult situation, but I rarely have a bad run at this time of ... day.
 
With dawn still a long way off, I happily complete my run, with the only unusual thing of note being two groups of young girls I passed obviously returning home from the night’s festivities. I wasn’t sure whether to be alarmed at the sight of girls roaming the streets at four in the morning or to be impressed that they thought it safe to do so.
 
I returned home to a large drink of cold water, a hot shower and the satisfaction of having started the year in good form with a clear head and five gentle kilometres already in the 2015 running log.
 
Happy new year to you all.