Negative ions and 6 miles

My shoulders are in rag order – I think it’s desk-related and I have booked an ergonomic review at work, but I woke up with a stiff and painful right shoulder. A bit of stretching and a warm-up helped, but either way I was going out. The last time I ran 6 miles was the Aware 10k before Christmas, and I’ve only being doing 3 miles since then, but it was ok this morning. All those 3 mile runs have kept my fitness up, so I’m in a good position to start running a bit longer on Saturdays.

I ran down the Royal Canal for a bit and, as usual these days, I thought about my father. Years ago Dad told us how beneficial it was to stand beside falling water, because it generated negative ions that were good for humans. Whatever the science of it, it certainly is calming and restful to stand beside canal-water falling through a lock. So I did it at every opportunity today. Even on a dull winter’s day, there are plenty of things to admire and be grateful for.