By the skin of my teeth

Last week at work, trying to get mentally prepared for all the emotionally taxing goodbyes, hugs and well-wishing, I've been fighting the tension headache from hell. In a way I wanted it to be over and done with, because goodbyes suck, yet in another way I didn't want to have to say goodbye to any of these people, whom I've spent almost every day of the last 3 years with.

The headache reached a crescendo half an hour before I got off work for the last time yesterday. I think I might have been trying to stop myself from showing any emotions, because, once I started, then I'd collapse into child's pose (my otherwise favourite yoga pose) and have to be escorted away by the men in the white coats. So I held it together and got a headache instead. That's how neuroses start, you know. Just don't be surprised if you see me checking for the thousandth time if I locked the door, is all I'm saying.

When the traumatic experience of separation from meaningful people in my life was over and done with, I drove home completely calm. Not pain free, not yet – but I guessed that a run might help with that. I changed into my running clothes and tiptoed to the woods in my VFF.

Short update on the knee situation: I now run 5 minute intervals and it's going great. No complaints from the knee. But then again, there hasn't been a thunderstorm in days.

While I was taking one of my walking breaks, a guy jogged slowly past me. A few seconds later, it was time for me to start running again and the little devil on my left shoulder whispered in my ear that wouldn't it be fun if I caught up with him and ran past him, preferably with my thumb placed firmly on my nose and singing nah-nah-nah-NAH-nah? The little angel on my right shoulder said that it was the stupidest and most childish idea it had ever heard. I didn't want to have to argue with any of them, so I settled for keeping him in sight, staying 10 meters behind him. But then he realised I was breathing down his neck and, apparently refusing to let a woman pass him, he put in an extra gear and ran away as fast as he could, looking over his shoulder right before he disappeared around a corner.

I guess his little devil won.

The headache did not disappear immediately after my run, but so far this morning I've been pain free. It's a good thing too, as it would otherwise have put a spanner in the works of today's plans: a duathlon of sorts, with 250 meters swimming followed by 2 km running and then grilling with friends.