It struck me this morning, as I whizzed through the streets of my town centre at 6:30am today, that winter running makes me feel like I am leading a double life.
In the dark mornings, before the town has woken up and the moon is bright, there’s me, ninja-like in dark Lycra with reflective strips on my leggings and top, stealthily (and sometimes wheezily) running as if on a mission. Focussed. Running. Like a crazy fool. Alone.
By daylight, I am a mild-mannered bespectacled editor, dressed in smart clothes, hair coiffured for the office environment, all business and deadlines.
Anyone else feel like this?! 😂
Sadie-runs (in the dark) x
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Sadie-runs
Graduate10
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Haha yes! I know what you mean (although when I go to work I am very scruffy and by the time I come home I am mostly an absolute muddy mess at this time of year). But it's that whole secret double life that I love - at work, in the bar in the supermarket, people just have no idea that I can run, I do run and what's more I enjoy running
oh! Haha! These days I'm a gardener! I served my time in an office with staff and lots of responsibility for many years, but after having three children I decided to try gardening because it was something I really enjoyed and I thought I would be able to juggle it with home life . 10+ years on, I'm still getting muddy - and mostly still enjoying it But I have to say I never look smart or coiffured on work days!
Oh what a lovely profession, Linda! I am green with envy. Office life is so unhealthy. You may not be coiffured, but I bet you look beautifully healthy. 👏👏👏
Lol. Not sure about that, but I really don't think I could go back to an office environment after so long working for myself outdoors 😀 mostly I'm very lucky ... but maybe I won't feel so lucky tomorrow or the day after if the forecast is to be believed 🙄
Ah yes, at work I am calm, smart, clean and tidy.(quite non descript middle aged woman really) ....running (winter especially) mud splashed and sweaty, laughing, singing along to my tunes and even a little dance occasionally......this is what I love about parkrun.....there is no hierarchy just a love of running....🏃♀️🏃♂️
Well done to you Sadie on running in the dark on those cold mornings, while you are running in the morning do you notice if the sky is clear a very bright "star" shining very brightly in the south east? Its not a star but the planet Venus, that planet is brilliantly bright this year because of the angle in the sky, very nice ' company' for early morning runners. 😊
Yes! Venus was huge in the sky this morning, I am surprised I did not trip up on my run this morning as I couldn’t take my eyes 👀 off it! Beautiful sickle moon, too. Thank you, dear AlMorr. x
Hi Sadie, love it!!! I'm totally with you, especially about the hair. I spend ages on mine (not!!!)
It does feel a bit like we have double lives now, doesn't it? I'm considering taking my running gear with me and having a quick trot round Buckshaw Village on my lunch break. Also, the Barbershop Chorus I sing with are doing a concert in a nursing home in the evening, so it'll be jeans/t-shirt, running gear, back to jeans/t-shirt, then into my trousers and blazer for the evening. So tomorrow will likely be one of those days for me lol
You need to wear all outfits at once, and run into a phone booth to rip off one layer to reveal your next persona, Neil! 😂
I feel most ninja-esque when I also wear my black Buff pulled up over my mouth and nose. I’ll surely get arrested one day...I look like I am running from the scene of a crime!
I love early morning runs, but struggle in the dark mornings. Once I’ve forced myself out the door I really enjoy myself! I love the silence and quiet streets - very different to my walk to work an hour later 😄🏃♀️
Well, not sure I should have been Googling that at work, but I found that it’s a Yorkshire expression, and that sparrows are not known for farting, although there is no evidence to suggest that they don’t pass wind like any other animal.
That’s 10 minutes of my life I will never get back lol
Yes I know exactly what you mean. I run first thing before work shower before anyone arrives and when everyone arrives they are unaware that I was running through the streets clad in Lycra in the dark earlier 😀
Yes! Love this!!! 🖤 From that fantastic description I pictured cat woman bounding through the streets of Gotham completely undetected 😁
I love my stealthy missions into the darkness with my chest torch (that reminds me of iron mans ARC reactor). Exploring the deserted seafront and occasionally blinding innocent dog walkers lurking in the shadows.
Undetected if it wasn’t for my occasional heavy breathing and singing! And yes! A chest torch does pretty much make you Iron Man. LOL! By the way, I edit books on Marvel Comics and other such nonsense, hence the vivid super hero imagination. 😊
I too lead a double life! In the day I’m a grandma taking my grandchildren to school and doing their tea after school. But come the dark of the evening I’m out there in running gear and head torch. I feel a completely ‘ageless’ woman out running, I can conquer the night!
No double life for me as I'm a scruffy mess when running, and also when working as (presumably) another kind of editor. And now I've started running at work too there's even less of a distinction 😁 Being in the workplace dressed as some sort of awkward lycra-clad running sausage does still feel quite strange to me, but no one else seems to bat an eyelid. Not even when I'm trying to casually walk past cameras inadvertantly broadcasting my aforementioned lycra sausageness in the background of the news.
I like to think we are all Lycra-clad under our office wear, ready to spring into a run (after a 5-min warm-up walk, of course, ahem) at a moments notice. 😁
I'm a mid forty year old Accountant. You'd never think i was a runner looking at me!! Running is my secret power!! I love it..(some days)...the highs i get are unbelievable.
Definitely stealth runner here as I am usually tucked up in bed otherwise... and I wear normal clothes on top of my running gear (too exhausting to get changed to run) and peel off the top layer when I get to the start of my run.
Ha ha! I love this post and all the replies! I know exactly what you mean! I actually quite like my dark morning or evening runs! It’s like I’m in disguise! In my mind I’m like my 20 something self instead of a rather crazy 54 year old woman!!
I have a nice wee job in a supermarket bakery icing pastries and baking doughnuts etc! Very few people at work know about my “other” life!! 😀🏃♀️👩🏻🍳
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