Two very hectic weeks...

Well, I first need to make some excuses... until Thursday I hadn't run for about two weeks - since completing my January resolutino in fact. My only defence is that the last two weeks have been really quite hectic and stressful. I've had interviews at Warwick and Oxford (the second of which was dreadful), been to the docs (nothing to worry about), had Becca down to visit (a good thing), been to the opera (another good thing) and generally been stressing about my future and if anyone is going to give me a PhD place (still no word form America - bad thing...). So all in all things have been a bit hectic. Add on top of that major work stress over my dissertation and I haven't had a chance to go running.
However, to some degree there is no excuse as since starting running again I've been on 3 runs in 4 days and feel so much better for them. I really like getting away from all the stress and just running - to nowhere in particular and for no reason other than simply to run. I never actively think about things while running (other than something along the lines of 'Oh my god, how the hell am I going to finish this...') but I think subconciously it helps clear things up in my head and I seem to make some of my most important decisions while running.
So on Thursday I went running up to begbroke - I didn't have much of a choice as I had had to leave my bike there on Sunday when me and Becca had cycled up to Woodstock for lunch and got caught in the snow on the way back. It was about about 5 miles but I had to stop about a mile early as my shoulder started hurting but still a decent length of run. It's really nice up that way - lots of fields - and it felt good to 'escape' Oxford for a bit. Then yesterday I ran to college and back and today ran to Marston and back. I was really pleased today as normally I run to Marston and back with an average pace of around 5"40' whereas today I managed to do it with an average pace of 5"24' which I am really chuffed about. It was hard going by the end of it but I managed to power through...
Anyways - back to the dissertation. I'm currently on 4615 words and nearly finished my main example. I had a really good meeting with my supervisor on Wednesday (a turn up for the books) and now have a much clearer view of where I'm heading with it - pretty good considering I have only 5 weeks left to finish it...argh!
Later days...