This past week, our weather hasn’t been great. On Tuesday, I got properly soaked during my track session, and afterwards, I had to rush straight home — no coffee, no lingering, just wet shoes and that quiet frustration you feel when the day starts too fast.

Then on Sunday morning, when it was time for my long run, it was pouring again. And for once, instead of pushing myself out the door, I realised I actually had the space to pause. So I decided to get another cup of coffee, catch up on some speeches I am writing for next year, check the weather later, and told myself that I’d run from home if the day allowed it.

The weather didn’t really improve… so I postponed again.

Meanwhile, many of my friends went out and ran the local race anyway. They showed up in the rain, and I could feel their discipline oozing from a distance through my phone.
And that familiar guilt settled in — that little voice that says you should have gone too.

In addition to the weather, my eldest daughter hasn’t been feeling well. She was the reason I couldn’t stay for coffee after track last week, as she had an operation last Monday evening and was still in the hospital Tuesday morning. She’s recovering, but she has another one coming next week. Even so, she still managed to make me laugh.

She: “It’s strange how the operation affected my sleep. I just can’t sleep in anymore. I wake up early every morning.”
Me: “How early were you awake today?”
She: “From 7h00!”

I couldn’t help smiling. And in that tiny moment — where she was wondering about waking up “early” when she can sleep in because of exams — something softened in me.

Because I suddenly remembered that my “normal” isn’t everyone’s normal. Waking at four to run feels routine to me. Feeling guilty when I don’t? Eeeek, also routine. But for her, seven is early. And she feels no shame, no pressure, no guilt attached to it at all.

I may need to relearn that.

Most days, I try my best. Maybe more than I realise. And on the rare days when life permits me to shift things, to breathe a bit, to not run through a downpour just to prove something to myself — maybe that’s a gift, not a failure.

Because the truth is simple: the more willing I am to adapt, the more sustainable this whole lifestyle becomes.

I did catch up on my run yesterday morning. 
The rain held off — just, just. The day was gentle. And it reminded me that sometimes things still fall into place, especially when we give them a little space.

When was the last time you let yourself adjust your plans without feeling guilty about it?

#GraceIsAStrength #RunningInTheRain #PermissionToPause #MindfulMomentum #SustainableRunning