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Only Connect

Sunday morning and I’m out running. No music, no company (more about that later), just the rhythm of my footsteps to ground me and the rise and fall of my breath to rebalance during what’s proving to be a very busy time. I love this time of year when the lanes foam with white blossom and cow parsley and jewel-like studs of pinks, purples and blues glow in their green setting. There’s something new to look at every day. I’ve written in ‘Running Kind’ about how this reconnection to the natural world always creates a sense of well-being and especially so on day when I’ve been processing news about friends who are going through a tough time.

The changing seasons are a reminder that nothing stays the same. Tom and I have had the great privilege of looking after one of our little granddaughters and tomorrow I’m off to Cardiff to spend some time with two more little girls who are growing up fast. I love listening to the funny things they say as they learn to express themselves and it’s an absolute joy to watch their characters emerge.

When Grandad has to push your cuddly parsnip on the roundabout too.
What else have we been doing? Tom’s been training hard for his Ride London 100 event in August and thanks to the generosity of so many kind people, he’s raised much-needed funds for Pancreatic Cancer UK. We’re beginning to see results from all the effort we’ve put into our garden and I’ve been putting in some long hours in my freelance work writing up the stories of some wonderful homes for The English Home and 25 Beautiful Homes.



Running Kind is gathering some really lovely 5* reviews, but to make it a bit more discoverable, you can now read it for free through Kindle Unlimited. I’m a great believer in running’s capacity to heal, which was one of my reasons for writing the book, and to encourage anyone who is able to run to go out and give it a try. It’s been incredible to be told by readers that 'Running Kind' has given them to the confidence to begin running, to return to running, or simply to get back on their feet and, in doing so, to discover for themselves the physical and mental benefits that running brings. I’m not saying that book sales aren’t important, but, my goodness, making that connection to readers is priceless.


And finally - to go back to the beginning - my lovely running buddy and dear friend Helen, is in need of a healing connection having been in the wars, well, the Brecon Beacon Half Marathon where she fell and cracked her pelvis. Being Helen she finished the race and drove home before realising the extent of her injuries. Here’s to you, dear Helen, may you mend quickly. We’ll be out on the roads again together soon, taking it one step at a time


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