8... Time for a change of shoes, it seems. Runs are mostly in the evenings in the week, and the last couple of weekends have been races or frosty, meaning more roads and solid ground on the trail. Not this morning, I could barely keep upright, my trail shoes no longer cutting through the usual seasonal gloop. And I guess this is where it may have gone wrong last year. I was tardy in respect to not mixing my runs, running continuously in grippy but un-cushioned shoes that I feel led to my stress fracture.
7... Got a bit too close to an alpaca this morning, there was a bit of hissing,..but I was in his field! 6... The week of running around has been good, my streak is still going...I mean really, why? 5... Tuesday runclub was tough, again it always is, but I ran there, then back. It adds a fair distance on, and of course takes a whack of energy out of you, energy you need for the actual session. 4... The runclub is down a short hill, just down a bit, not much...but it's a good 2 to 3 degrees cooler, down there.
The fog and mist hangs, and this week it was the most surreal vision of misty layers illuminated by the pitch lights. Running through it left little vorticies and runner shaped holes. Special. 3... I was parkrun RD again yesterday. But it was also good friend Joe's birthday. 8 years old. A parkrun veteran, he was again concerned about his age graded average going down with his elevated age and higher level of expectation. 2... And so as a special birthday treat, I gave him a birthday shout out.
Then I handed him the starters whistle-of-power as everyone clapped and wished him happy birthday. We made a big count down to the start from 8. ...1..., the triumphant finale. He drew breath and blew...but nothing, no sound, except the faint gurgle of lips not quite sealed, air escaping round the sides, a bit of spit, snotty bubbles and a lot of laughter. A second puff, better, and those who hadn't already started were soon on their way...everyone, especially the birthday boy with big smiles on their faces. A great start to the morning.
