Amy Is A Star
Today I ran to the off road circuit; the path leads off the main road, down a stony sandy track to Barbati Beach, then along the pebbles by the sea shore for fifty meters, turn left and uphill to the road again; it is about 800 meters in length and I ran it 10 times with a walk/jog recovery along the 200 meters of road to the start again…
I ran alone as Anadi felt that a cooked breakfast was more what his body needed than an interval session with me…!
So I jogged down the road; feeling very… ‘As I walked out one midsummer morning’… there is something about the Mediterranean energy that gives me a feeling of ‘setting off… and maybe not returning for a long time’
I did return though, nine miles later…!
Anadi appeared at the door, when he heard me doing my exercises on the steps that lead to the appartment…
I loved my training session…
A story has emerged in more recent years that I am not good downhill, that I am not great on uneven terrain and that the two together are a combination that floors me…
As I was running today, I relaxed on the uneven ground - which is so much easier to run on that the wild terrain in St Lucia - I reflected that the story has emerged as I have been often carrying chronic injuries in the last – I’d like to say few, but its nearer 28!! – years…
This has meant I have been running more gingerly as a habit…
I have been working to heal my left side imbalance for all of the twenty eight years, sometimes with more focus than others; and increasingly deepening the healing process over the past twelve…
My recent sabbatical has leant itself time to deepen even further…
I was running well… Letting go down the hill, working well on the flat and the uphill - and on the 7th repetition I had an ‘in the zone’ experience. I felt agile and light on my feet, I felt young and free; the running was effortless, no pain in my body - and I suddenly had a thought…
‘The story used to be that I was good at this…!’
I gained my first international vest as a cross country runner; I had a few seasons where I was a force to be reckoned with…
As I ran today I was suddenly taken back forty years to the national intercounties x country race… Three of us had broken away from the main field and we streaked ahead, a long way in front of hundreds of other runners; locked in the spirit of our own race; we were seemly joined together….
Not long from the finish there was a ditch to jump… Kim Trunley got there first, or was it Ruth Smeeth…? One of them did, and I got there second; we finished the race in the order that we got to that ditch…
I have many memories of races like this… and I was very good on uneven terrain…
Remembering this today released something in me; the aspect of me that has remained hidden; lost even… is rising again…
So often we can lose and hide and even disown aspects of ourselves; for all sorts of reasons. We may have been told these aspects are not acceptable; or we get into trouble when we let them be expressed; or we see that aspect over amplified in a parent or someone else – perhaps excessive anger or a loud voice - and we hide away the part of us that could express this in a way that works better…
Or we are an artist born into a family of sports people of doctors or accountants; or we are a mathematician born into a family of actors… and so our expression may not be recognised and so it can get lost…
It is important that we connect to ourselves and notice the stories we tell about ourselves and that others tell… Are they the truth? Could another story be created? What do we want the story of our life to be…?
Just as I was about to set off onto the seventh repetition; a voice called out to me… ‘Do you want a running partner…'?
It was Nikos from Kassiopi…!
I was so pleased to see him… We last met up in January when Anadi and I were here to experience Corfu in the winter; and In September he guided us to the top of Mount Pantokrator…
He is one of the organisors of Kassios dias, the awesome trail race, which is taking place in May… And one of the reasons I was practicing on uneven ground today!
We talked about the trail race in Metsovo and the urban marathon in Corfu town; the other two races that I am running here….
‘Amy has entered us for Metsovo’ I said…
‘Amy is a star’ he said ‘she has entered you in a race where the website is all in Greek…’!
Amy certainly is a Star…!
Later...
Anadi and I went into Corfu town, ostensibily to shop for a few things… But we arrived to find most of the town was still shut having an Easter break…
We had a long lunch instead... My kind of shopping!
