So this run was late and this post is even later ๐ ( Iโve got week 9 to write up too but Iโm thinking Iโll have less to say about that one ๐ )
Due to poor weather & bad timing I was edging towards having to ๐ฎ๐ฑ....... โcue the dramatic orchestral musicโ ........ run during the core day ๐ฎ๐ฑ
To ditch my dark nighttime โ vampire runsโ ๐งโโ๏ธ๐งโโ๏ธ after the sun goes down and expose myself to the daylight ๐ฑ๐ and the general hustle and bustle where the people are ๐ฎ๐
Many of you will be doing this and thinking โwhatโs the big dealโ ? but for me I would need throw off the last vestiges of the self conscious runner that I am , but today was going to be that day ๐ .... or at least it was after Iโd dawdled for 15 minutes waiting for the Academy pupils to pass on their way to school , I wasnโt that brave ๐๐๐
As I was deciding what playlist ๐ง would be just right for this brave new venture I remembered that I had downloaded Dermot OโLearyโs podcast interview with Bruce Springsteen ,earlier in the week ๐
Perfect for such an auspicious occasion ๐
So off I went , chin up , to embrace my โBig Dayโ ๐ฅณ , straight into a very long trail of all the neighbourhood playgroup mums .
Later than usual due to the staggered COVID start times.
Luckily this was during my warm up walk so I just smiled and chatted as I passed by, as they wondered why I was out walking in running gear and asked โWhereโs Cooper ? ( the lazy labradoodle ๐ถ)
I thought I did well but I fear my cover has been blown ๐คฆโโ๏ธ๐คฆโโ๏ธ .....
โ So ! The lady from Number 6 has started to run โ ๐ค๐ณ๐ค.
It was the best thing I could have done ! I feel totally โset freeโ .... why did I not just do it sooner ?
The lovely Autumn days will not last and I was missing out on running in the midst of all this lovely colour ๐๐๐๐
So one goal down and one to go ! ( hills ๐)
My goals are less to do with numbers and more to do with environment and enjoyment I find ๐คท๐ผโโ๏ธ Iโm not necessarily chasing time of distance ( although an improvement in both would be brilliant ) for me itโs more about where could I go and how I feel on the journey ๐คท๐ผโโ๏ธ๐
Anyway I had the most sublime run , probably my most โin the zoneโ run ๐๐ปโโ๏ธ๐๐ปโโ๏ธ
Starting off with the totally soul/funk โE Street Shuffle โ got me totally in the mood for this run ๐๐๐ถ the chat between Bruce & Dermot was funny , interesting and I think I ran with a smile for the whole 30 minutes .
They do say if you smile when you run it fools your poor body into thinking โyea , this is all good ! No problem we can do thisโ ๐๐๐๐ปโโ๏ธ๐๐ปโโ๏ธ I passed a myriad of walkers, dog walkers, cyclists and golfers , some I knew , some I didnโt and wonderfully I cared not a jot that I was out there running ๐
I just felt like one more character in the landscape ..... me , the runner ๐๐ปโโ๏ธ๐๐ปโโ๏ธ๐๐ปโโ๏ธ๐๐ปโโ๏ธ
It was a lovely day, bright , not cold and I took my favourite road down to the lighthouse ๐๐ turned at the bottom and ran back to find that this was a perfect 30 minutes worth of running . I suspect I may do this particular run quite a lot as it lands me back just two streets from my house ๐
The podcast is the first Iโve listened to whilst running and I th8nk Iโll do that again too , it kept me engaged as there was the continuity of the conversation , but it was light enough for me to be distracted by my surroundings without losing the thread.
Tracks were brilliant and evoked lots of memories of concerts & set lists.
Stunning live version of Thunder Road from Hammersmith 1975 and my run ended on the rather apt and uplifting โLand of Hope and Dreamsโ with Bruce reassuring us that
โTomorrow there'll be sunshine
And all this darkness pastโ
With all good wishes to everyone in the midst of new restrictions or about to enter a new lockdown ๐๐ stay safe and sound ๐๐