Sunday run (and a game of weather roulette)

I'm guessing a lot of runners are getting fed up with the relentless gales, rain, hail, mud, flooding and general feeling the apocalypse is nigh. I certainly am. It's exhausting, not to mention the S.A.D-induced fights breaking out in stuffy offices across the country.

Today was my long-run day and I desperately wanted to get outside and enjoy some fresh air. I've always extolled the virtues of treadmill running, but by god I've never felt so sick of them as the storms keep coming... and coming... and coming.

So when I saw the hail stop and sun break through, I was reluctant to believe it could last. The clouds continued to zoom across the sky and I knew - from painful experience - it could turn nasty any minute.

I took a gamble. Armed with enough gear for an arctic expedition, I braved the outside world that I'd almost forgotten.

And you know what? It actually paid off. The clouds continued to disperse and I felt the sun on my face. And it felt warm. I felt reborn.