Going back to basics

I've been thinking a lot about the way we live our lives recently and how different our world is to that of our parents, grandparents and great grandparents; how much has even changed since I went to school. We've advanced so much in many ways, particularly in terms of technology, but sometimes I wonder if we're beginning to lose track of a few basic human needs that contribute to making us happy, healthy, well-rounded people.

I had an interesting discussion with some friends about how much the way we communicate has changed from when we were much younger. When I was in my late teens/early twenties I didn't have a mobile phone so spent a lot more time phoning people, either for a chat or to make an arrangement to meet up, which itself was quite simple: we arranged the time and place and turned up. It wasn't complicated.

Now with all the texting, WhatsApping, emailing and Facebooking, I find I'm not picking up the phone to call people as often, and I certainly don't think I'm alone. It's just so easy to use other methods of communication. However, this convenience comes with a price: often our messages result in misinterpretation. Without being able to hear someone's voice or recognise their tone, there's so much room for confusion. How many times have we asked: what did they mean by that? Are they annoyed at me about something, because usually they put two kisses at the end of the message, but this time they only put one? Why did they start the message without saying hello first? I've spoken to many people about this - particularly women - many of whom have questioned a text, email or message on social media at some point. The concerning part is that it can lead to unnecessary upset and worry and I wonder: is this really an effective form of communication? I don't recall anything like this happening in my pre-mobile phone days: any fallouts I had with people would have been over something tangible, not a bunch of misinterpreted text messages or posts on Facebook.

I think the reason for the change in the way we communicate all comes down to convenience. We look for convenience in many aspects of our life: in the way we shop online, drop our kids off at school as close as possible to the front gates and watch TV on demand. Who can blame us? Our lives are busy, hectic even. We simply have so much going on, what with our jobs, family, houses to run and friendships to maintain. And once we've taken care of all this we must find some time to keep ourselves active. Exercise, if not particularly convenient, can become a low priority in our busy lives. My aunt made an excellent point recently about how previous generations kept active simply by living their lives, which reminded me of stories my grandma used to tell me, about how she went to the shop every day to get groceries - with two little boys in tow - because they didn't have a fridge at that time. There wasn't the same need to find extra time to exercise.

But keeping ourself active is a basic human requirement. We were not build to sit in cars and at desks all day. We need to move. And if we don't move, we become lethargic and groggy. Our backs ache, our hips become stiff and we may even develop injuries. We become less motivated. And the more we sit, the harder it becomes to find the motivation. Just like picking up the phone to speak to someone, exercise requires effort.

This is why I love running so much: its convenience. I don't need to drive anywhere and sit in traffic to get there: I put on my running gear and shoes, grab my phone and keys and go. I can run in the rain if I want to as I'm not governed by weather. It involves the least amount of hassle and faff that I can think of. And I'm a big fan of cutting out the faff.

Of course, as convenient as it is to go for a run, it does still require some form of motivation to put one leg in front of the other. In particular when it's freezing outside: it would be too easy to get under a blanket and drink hot chocolate instead. However, this would only lead to an extreme level of grumpiness and general dissatisfaction with the world and everything in it. Which is why I manage to find the motivation to run. The same should apply to picking up the phone more often. Social media, text messages and emails are all great and have their place, but they are a bit lacking in soul. Nothing quite compares to having a great conversation with someone and there are no emojis in the world that can replace people's individual quirks and nuances. Going back to basics may well be worth the effort.

Wiped out

I always look forward to having some time off over the Christmas period: catching up with friends, cleaning and decluttering the house, spending time with family and enjoying a few runs during daylight hours along my favourite tracks.

Instead, this holiday season brought snot, sweating, persistent coughing to the point of muscle-tearing, a clogged ear (and subsequent vertigo symptoms), the inability to walk up stairs without sitting down midway to catch my breath and a headache reminiscent of someone standing on my head, giving it a little kick every now and then.

This holiday season has been utter bollocks.

I had hoped my misery would at least be justified with a diagnosis by the doctor of which particular brand of 'itis' I had contracted, but, alas, I was left feeling cheated when I was told it was 'just a bad cold'. It was at this point I thought perhaps I should man up and take myself out for a walk. I left the house, walked about 10 metres and broke into sweat. Bad cold, my arse.

When the fever stage finally passed and I started feeling a bit more alive again, I was left feeling so utterly exhausted that it was dangerous to sit down for 5 minutes, for there was a very real possibility that I would fall asleep for an hour. After about a week of this I decided I had had enough. It was time to take some control of the situation and go out for a run. I had no idea how this would go but I felt positive that it would be ok as I was now able to get up the stairs without feeling out of breath. I managed to plod along for a whole 5 minutes and the next day my hips ached.

It's very hard to accept the toll that a respiratory illness can have on your body and that you may need more time to recover. If you're anything like me, it's a struggle to sit and do nothing for 10 minutes, let alone for a week and a half. I'm currently convinced that I've lost all the fitness that I built up over the summer and autumn period and that training for my next half marathon in May is going to be extremely hard work.

Sometimes, however, it's better to accept that not everything is within our control and that it might be better to start afresh. In the end I was glad to see the back of the holiday season and return to work, to reset my mind and look forward to what this year will bring. It's going to be hard work but I'm determined to get back to half marathon fitness...and then see where the journey takes me after that.