Bliss

If anything could chase last night's ghosts away, it was this morning's long run. There were 6 of us that met up in Skatås and lazily jogged around for 22 km. I had asked the group if we could keep a low pace, because with only one week left to Skövde I didn't want to push my luck and get injured. Still, I somehow ended up taking the lead, got carried away talking to a friend and put in a few faster kilometres on the hilly terrain of the Skatås 10K. The others had to ask me to slow down. That doesn't happen very often. It's usually me who has to ask them to slow down.

It couldn't have been much better than this. The easy pace kept my body strong, so after we were done I felt that I could have gone for another round. The sun warmed us up. We were running in the woods, something that I had missed doing all winter, so I was so full of joy that I could finally do it. My knee started complaining a bit towards the end, but it never hurt.

When I got home, I made some lunch that I hoped would fill my body with nutrients. Quinoa, kidney beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado and Brussels sprouts were laced with Västerbottensost (a strong, salty cheese), oregano, chilli and cayenne. I finished it off with a splash of olive oil. I could eat this dish every day and never tire of it. It truly is my favourite. Hopefully it will also help me resist the onslaught of viruses at work.

This isn't a food blog, but come on. Look at these colours.

But you can't build a strong immune system only on nutrients. Your mood and how stressed you are can make a huge difference too. You have to take care not only of your body, but of your mind as well. I started my day in a great way, chatting with my running buddies and soaking up the sunshine, and tonight, when we go out to dinner with friends, I'm bound to get some abs training from all the laughing that usually takes place when we meet up with them.

This morning's nightmares are but a distant memory.