I didn't make it to parkrun in Cape Town last weekend, for that is where I've been! I think it's honest of me to say I had 'reasonable' intent, it's just there were other things that demanded my attention. Just getting up the morning after the conference party was challenging enough. Being on duty for 8.00 was another matter. Parkrun never stood a chance, really. But a run or two was certainly on the agenda. It always is, that habitual packing of the shoes and the notion of a run somewhere new.
An adventure awaits! This was indeed somewhere new. An early morning run down to the Waterfront in Cape Town is a place much like any other, I initially thought. Until you turn round and see Table Mountain looming dark and menacing overhead. It's a sight, I must say. A well signed route helps to navigate the jinks and turns around the marina and harbour. And then the ultimate distraction of coffee and croissant. Running around a place like this is one thing. Being somewhere a little more remote is another.
The lack of a detailed map or guide and the simple notion of being here and seeing the beach there, and wanting to get from here to there with minimal fuss, this can be an issue. A well dressed local advises a 'safe' route. You're reminded briefly that different places are indeed just that. Different. It's easier to take the advice and get to where you want to be rather than dwell on what or who is lurking in the bushes. A beach with actual white sand, or a trail with red dirt like you've never seen. Colours here seem amplified.
And the space is vast. Your eyes are left to focus, if that's the word, or maybe just relax to their furthest setting. No boundaries. Of course, this is just a consequence of being here, in this place on the Western Cape. To the East, the Atlantic, the West the Indian Ocean. A little like being a kid in sweet shop, a teenager in soho or an adult in an expansive open space surrounded by nature, there's much to admire here, in every direction. The eyes never settle, unsure where to look next or whether just to focus on where you're looking now.
It's a treat, and yet interrupts the running. But without the running, I wouldn't be here. By that I mean a little further down a path than a walk would allow, a tad higher up the hill because the prize is achievable, being outside because you're not shy of the sun or rain...and because you have your health and your soul. I enjoy my running and I'm often questioned and question myself why I do this. Sometimes it takes something, someone or somewhere to remind you why. And on this trip, I was reminded many times.
