On Running (Part Two).

I haven’t been sleeping too well recently – either it will take me a long time to get to sleep or I’ll nod off straight away but wake up ridiculously early. Either way, I’ll wake up countless times during the night.

So in a bid to rectify this and wear myself out, I’ve recently taken up running again.

Although there is the inevitable pain, sweat and tears, I actually enjoy running – it is probably the only time that I NEVER think too much. I can’t. I’m too busy concentrating on not slipping in the mud, running into someone or just toppling over altogether.

I’ve enjoyed running from an early age and all modesty aside, I used to be quite good at it. That is, before I got older and lazier!

I started running at primary school, when I was about nine. I remember because my school got new cross country tracksuits for the team which me and a few others had to model for everyone in mass one day. Classy.

I was always picked to represent the school at competitions, either in sprinting or in cross country. This continued into secondary school where the teachers made me do the 1500 metres all the time, despite my protestations that I preferred the 800 metres or cross country. They ignored me.

Then, I think at 16, I just stopped running. I don’t really know why – probably the whole thing with being a teenager?!

I regret this. Not only because ever since I started university the first time round I wanted to take it up again but was just too lazy and/or hung-over, and secondly because now I’m crap.

My good friend Kate Bermingham had a nasty experience with a nice run in the countryside over the Christmas period, and while running can be a horrific experience, I think that the urban landscape can be much more hospitable than the countryside.

But I think my main secrets for running success are good trainers and inspirational music; Rocky Balboa style.

Although, ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ by Queen is pretty fantastic and will suffice!

The Future of Nursing.

As part of my incredibly interesting work experience at Health Service Journal, and I’m not being sarcastic, I attended ‘The Future of Nursing’ conference today.

It was actually fairly interesting, with a lot of big-wig types from the industry making presentations about the challenge of nursing, the opportunities it offers and the need to develop educational resources for example.

And then there was David Cameron…

In his address to the conference, Mr. Cameron asserted that the Conservatives would be making the NHS a political priority.

Nurses are the NHS he said, and if the government can get nursing right, then they will get the NHS right.

Healthcare in Britain is constantly changing and nurses play a huge part in every aspect of that change

Cameron said he believed that past governments have tended to approach the NHS like a machine, thinking that it can be reorganized without consideration for the people.

The conservatives will pledge “no more pointless reorganizations. No more restructuring at the expense of the people who work in the system.”

Currently, there is disillusionment with target culture which is endemic within the NHS, he said. Healthcare workers should focus on patients and not on government targets

Despite this, Mr. Cameron also said that he wants the NHS to exceed European averages in survival and recovery rates. Surely this is a political target, even though he said that he wants to take the politics out of the day-to-day running of the NHS?

Cameron also had some interesting things to say about employment in the nursing field, which can be seen at BBC online.

So to conclude, today was fairly interesting. David Cameron is a good public speaker and really engaged my attention. He was also wearing a nice tie. It was green.

The Answer Is Blowin’ In The Wind.

It took the best part of two hours to get home this evening.

Two hours.

I could have gotten half way to Newcastle in that time, had GNER not cancelled its trains in and out of King’s Cross.

The reason? Wind.

Now this may be a silly question, but how on earth is the British transport system to cope with the inevitable effects of global warming if the entire underground and many rail services go to pot because it’s a little bit blowy outside?!

Forget the threat of global terrorism, it seems that the most pressing thing that Mr. Blair’s government should ‘waste’ our money on is transport and climate change…

Just a thought.

(The picture is an artist's impression of the wind blowing the trees. Don't be confused by the jovial expression on Mr. Wind's face. He is really mean and full of rage. "Grr" was his only comment.)