Esprit De Corps
I am sitting on the floor of the 'official kitchen' where our porridge emerged from this morning, of Ravilious guest house....
Anadi is washing our very, very muddy shoes in the sink...!
I am giving him moral support!
This morning we drove to Bewl Water to run the 15 mile race around it....
According to all pre race info, the course had been bone dry and perfect for running all week...
This morning the heavens opened on our way to run, and continued to do so making the paths and trails a mud bath!
The starter set us off, and after half a mile I decided that this would be no fun at all to race around! Spending the morning with Anadi, even if it were in the mud was much more appealing... So I stepped to the side and waited for him, he was on his usual photo run...
And then we slip slided our way around, stopping to takes photos as we went, and chatting when we weren't concentrating on staying upright...
The joyful aspects of the morning were meeting old friends... Brioni, Tim, Anadi and I all arrived in the car park at the same time, and so we hung out together in the sports hall, talking about the weather!
Then I spotted Roberto! 'You're real and in the flesh' he exclaimed as we greeted one another and hugged... He and I raced a lot together in the nineties when we were both much faster...
And then I saw Judith and Cathy, my Brighton team mates.... Cathy said to me that she remembers us talking at Goodwood after a race some years ago, when she was struggling with injuries and that I encouraged her to keep going, to keep working to get free of the pain....
'And so I did keep trying ' she said 'and now I am free of my injures...'
She is running so well now; one of the top over 50 year olds in the country...
And then Tom appeared, her husband, our X country team manager and a very good runner himself....
At one point in the race, I was delighted to see Jeremy Hemming, a very old friend. We first met when he joined Nigel's and my gym around thirty years ago... Our paths have been crossing ever since.... He has been very involved with the vets running scene, editing the vets AC magazine for many years. He is also an accomplished photographer and proof reader, and some years ago he took photos for the website I had then.
He has also just proof read 'A Girlfriend for a year' for me....
And there was Anna...! We last saw one another at the Beachy Head marathon last October. Anadi and I were watching the race and there she was.... And now today!
Running brings us all together... It has been wonderful to watch the rise in the participation in running events and recognise how apart from the physical and emotional wellbeing that running brings - even in the mud and rain... ! It is even more about the spirit of the group, the love, support and sharing that occurs simply through turning up to run from A to B....
As we ran I said to Anadi 'what is it about running in races I can't run freely in at the moment...?'
I was thinking of the mountain races where I found it difficult to run downhill and now a muddy path that was difficult to stand up on....
'What do you think it's about?' Anadi responded....
'I think it reminds me I like racing on the road and the track better....!' I laughed...
'I am glad to be getting out to run fifteen miles though' I said.... 'I'm not sure I'd have run as far if left to our own devises today, as we've been so busy I might not have felt much like fifteen miles in the rain...!'
But the planned route, the huge efforts Albert the race organiser had gone to, to ensure we were so well looked after.... The organisation was second to none, every detail thought of.... And the other runners, all of us in it together, meant that we had an experience I won't forget and most of all I will remember and treasure the tangible Esprit de corps...
