We hadn't seen our run club mates in ages, so since this week's Run Director had just completed a 100 mile race last weekend I thought it was a good time to go and catch up.

To Fodder Forest parkrun went, where the mosquitoes and midges have a tendency to bite me, so I go prepared to keep them away. I slathered myself in really strong (natural) midge repellent cream and then piled the layers on. I knew I'd warm up and pull most of the top layers off, so my arms, neck and ears got extra special attention while slathering.

![received_1978094655717062](https://images.ecency.com/DQmWyvoC3NxfvqKNH1upDi8Nexu4otyMwNHFK6PEkkDw2hk/received_1978094655717062.jpeg)



I had wanted to do a speedy 5km this morning but my belly hard other plans. So rather than berating my body for "not behaving" and then ignoring it to do what **I** (read: my mind) wanted, I did something radical: I honoured my body.

I'm getting better and better at this self care thing, you know that thing where you ask your body what it needs, listen to it and then actual do what it asks for?

Crazy, I know! 

I'm getting better and better at it. And since this morning my body didn't want to run hard I didn't warm up thoroughly beforehand or aim for a course PB. Instead I *barely* warmed up at all and just used the start of the run to ease into it, keeping the entire run to an average of 5:45 min/km pace. This, for me, on a course as flat as that one, in cold weather, is suitably cruisy. In fact, it must easily be within my talking pace because I ended up running the whole way with on run club mate and we chatted easily and I didn't think about my breath once.

![received_550070993231355](https://images.ecency.com/DQmcauLs58D8UMLKRpbqo1Ltj5yWzQ9Zbw5UAEjoEPmJFzH/received_550070993231355.jpeg)





Once we finished I initiated Part Two of my Anti-Midge Plan by peeling *off* the sweaty top (and socks and grass-wet shoes) and piling *on* several dry layers. I then put a head-to-toe pink onsie named "LOVE" on, just to be sure 😃

The onsie was partly to keep the midges away and partly to keep warm but I also figured it might be a good way to make people smile. It worked 😀☺️😍

![received_837534157209843.jpeg](https://images.ecency.com/DQmPyKN6ga8JfXGUHoH2J1CpXwFRcirGmECgaGkuXUWGoTr/received_837534157209843.jpeg)

parkrun number 176, done 🎉

Thanks body, you did great 🙌

Thanks to the volunteers, we couldn't have done it without you 🤗

And thank you, as always, to Brad (@new.things) for capturing all this morning's photos 🙏