Tired, stressed and tired!

The events of last week are still casting ripples (or tsunamis) through our little world here. I got an email from the school yesterday inviting me to interview for the position of science teacher next week. After some soul searching we came to the conclusion that I could not apply for the job. It wouldn't be fair to my son, and I couldn't give of my best in an interview. Added to that, I am not entirely sure I want to be a teacher at that school.

I think the stress has made us all a bit tired. I've been going to bed early and sleeping badly. And I'm not the one being bullied! My son was attacked at school yesterday and threatened today - on the day he had his first GCSE.

So, running, the only thing that seems to be keeping me sane.... On Sunday I set off early (well 9am - I'd intended to leave earlier but bed was so lovely!) and ran up Brockham Hill, intending to do a loop round through a neighbouring village and back home. In my memory this was 'quite a long run' (I haven't run it since last summer) but as I got near home I realised that it wasn't going to be much more than 6 miles, so I had to add a run to a nearby village (2miles away) and back again. 10.5miles in 1hr 33minutes. Was a lovely run, the weather was so sunny I got the best part of the day and even caught the sun a bit.

I didn't run on Monday. My goal is to get to a stage where running 10 miles is 'no big deal' and I don't feel at all stiff afterwards - I did a bit on Sunday, so took a rest on Monday. I was talking to a friend, who used to run ultramarathons and has coached lots of people to their first marathon, today. He says that the important thing is to concentrate on time on the road. So I should be concentrating on increasing the time running rather than worrying about mileage.

Today I ran in my new trainers. I was so angry when I set out, all the stress of the last few days bubbling away inside me. I plugged my music in and just ran. Only 3.3miles, but quite speedy - 26minutes. I have decided that Lilly Allen is good for interval training - sprint like mad during the chorus and then jog through the verses! Which is fine until she repeats the chorus at the end when one is already knackered!

I booked places for husbando and I to run the Berlin Half Marathon next April! Should be fun! I had to complete a medical questionnaire before I could register my place, and had a minor panic about remembering what ailments husbando and members of his family had suffered, but I needn't have worried, the system allowed me to register him without any reference to his health! We've also booked a hotel room - just flights to look into now.