Happiful – August 2019

Heartbreak sent Jenny

spiralling into negative

thoughts and doubts, but

the mindfulness of putting

one foot in front of the other

helped her to rediscover

her rhythm

T

ick tock. The clock counts up

the seconds as I count down

the miles. It’s September 2018,

I am 58, and I’m running the

Loch Ness Marathon.

Sweat runs into my eyes. I blink away

the tears, the fears, the years. Today, this

is what I am: sinews, muscles, a furnace

burning fuel. My breath and feet keep

rhythm with my pumping heart. This

heart that was breaking.

Running is my way into mindfulness.

I need an extended stretch of steady

pacing to find a rhythm, to let my

thoughts ebb and flow, while feeling a

part of my surroundings.

Five years ago I progressed from being

an occasional jogger to a regular runner,

and I was finally able to come off the

Writing | Jenny Richardson

>>>

The healing

power of a

marathon