If you're in the South of England you'd have noticed we just had a glorious weekend. It felt like Spring out there. Coats and jackets were left behind and fresh air was taken in large doses. Here are Three Good Things I did on a surprisingly sunny and warm February weekend.
Ran a different Parkrun.
On Saturday morning I headed to a different Parkrun than usual with a friend. For those of you who haven't heard of Parkrun, it's a free weekly timed 5k run that takes place in beautiful places like seafronts, parks, around lakes and more. Anyone can go. It's free to take part - you just register online to get your barcode so you can build up towards milestones. You can walk, jog or run and you'll never finish last because they have volunteer tail walkers who take that place. Visit Parkrun.com for more info and to register. It makes Saturday mornings beautiful. You can get a 5k run done before brunch! This one was particularly special for me as I haven't worked on my speed in ages, I've been focusing on endurance - running longer, slower runs. My friend Jo helped coach me and encourage me along to almost reach a speed that was nearing on my PB from before when I was running shorter distances, and faster. It felt great to finish. It was tough work, but she was filled with just the right level of encouragement to keep me going. It was nice knowing she knew I could push myself harder than I would usually.
Ate lunch outside.
This is one of my favourite things in the world. To be able to eat outside makes food taste better, I swear there must be some sort of science behind that. Anyone else agree? It was my dad's birthday on Sunday and we strolled along the seafront (along with what seemed like everyone else in Portsmouth and surrounding areas), we picked up some food from Southsea Pier (I HIGHLY recommend GyroLand on South Parade Pier if you want a delicious snack for an impromptu picnic) and sat on the beach for a picnic. The first of the year for me! Everything just felt better. It was easier. We felt the sun on our skin and it couldn't have been better weather to celebrate my dad's birthday.
Dreamed of the Summer.
I'm not one to wish away the days, I know too well how quickly time flies to be doing that. Feeling that feeling for the first time of the sun warming my skin through my jeans and making my cheeks pink just reminded me that Summer will be here again. Anyone who has ever had to deal with Seasonal Affective Disorder knows how hard the Winter can be. It feels like it's never ending. Sometimes it never feels like it will be warm and sunny again. This last weekend was a game changer for me. I woke up with a spring in my step. I felt full of energy. I squeezed a lot into my days. I felt warm enough to not bother with a jacket. I remembered how lovely Spring and Summer are. Every year Winter comes, and then it goes. I wish I could remind myself of that in the depths of Winter. I'm sure we will have some more cold weather, it's the end of February after all. But for now? I'm more than happy luxuriating in this little taste of Spring we're having. The air smells different. Everyone seems happier. The world is coming alive again.
When Sunday evening came around I was exhausted. I'd packed a lot into my weekend. I didn't even mention baking a cake, chasing my niece around, movie night with friends, reading, coffee with a friend or any of the other things I crammed into this sunny weekend. I've started my week feeling light and bright. Ready! What did you get up to on the weekend?