The Veterinary is a chatter. He chats a lot. About anything, never listens to you or anyone else and even interrupts himself on occasions. That's quite a thing to witness. He's always a smile on his face, cheery and chirpy and that's why we love him and his ways. He's good company on a run, one of those people who brings the entertainment with him...we just listen. He joined Pete and I for a run last Sunday. It was his idea really, and therefore his agenda and timescale, though I was tasked with actual planning.
Jon, for that is his name, Jon the Vet, or JTV, couldn't or wouldn't be ready to start until 9.00. That's almost the afternoon...so I took a walk down the Bollin to watch the sun rise beforehand. I think the pictures say all that needs to be said. We all met up and set off...and listened, and listened and listened...then it went quiet. Jon was done. Except I was drawn to the sound of his foot fall. He wears Hokas. I've often wondered what they must be like. I'm told I make no sound when running and It appears effortless. It doesn't feel that way, I can tell you.
Jon was making a sound. A disturbing sound. You may recall it was he who broke his leg a while back, a sound I shall never forget and makes me wince every time I recall it. I'm wincing. A hollow pop, like when you click your tongue on the roof of your mouth...then the shrieking and wailing of a man wreaked in pain, holding his leg as it were about to fall off. Desperate. As we are running, I'm reminded of this as his foot fall is quite asymmetric. Thud thump, thud thump... He cycles more now, rather than running, and very soon he's turned back for home.
We carry on, a run I'd planned to be 8 miles ended up 14, but we still seemed to arrive at coffee at the same time and I'm pleased to see he still has both legs connected. My running for the remainder of the week has been pretty much all or nothing. Poor planning resulted in 2 double run days, I went to runclub on Tuesday but never got off the start line and 2 morning headtorch runs but without my headtorch...an unstructured week! But it is my Sunday morning walk I remember most...and a reminder of that night at Goyt Valley. Still wincing.
