The Runners Prayer 2015
We were clambering up a steep sandy hill; more than a hill, it fell away on one side to the jungle below us, and it was extra steep and solid, slippy, orange, sandy...
We were already very much off the beaten track and were now following the road less travelled....
I was leading the way, when suddenly I leapt very much out of the present moment and projected ahead to what I saw in a flash as the precarious return journey...
'Oh no... I said to Anadi, ‘whenever I follow you on these adventures and clamber up and up, I always forget about the getting back down...’
'For the record' Anadi said 'can it now be noted that I am following you...!'
We had set off from our Orchid home this afternoon, and as soon as was possible we had turned off the main road and followed a little sandy path; it wound itself through the trees and then out onto a smaller road, a magnificent bull was tethered there, we followed the road to a beautiful area with a waterfall coursing through the trees and rocks...
There is a party advertised here for Jan 2nd, the venue looks awesome, but I prefer seeing it in its natural beauty...!
We carried on trusting the path which was taking us further into the jungle and now it had started to climb and climb....
We were running and walking.
I am keen now to get out training for long stretches; today was just under two hours. I intend to allow my body to ease back into distance by taking walking breaks and never over stretching my ‘getting stronger by the day’ Achilles... And by heading out for regular 'long slow distance' runs to build my system again...
The sandy track got steeper and we were both with our heads down striding up, when suddenly springing towards us came a local man holding a small machete and a bunch of small bananas...
He was surprised to see us; he asked us how we had got there, and did we have a moped anywhere? 'No, we are on foot' we said 'good exercise' he smiled, and then he pointed to the top, 'beautiful view... I am trekking too'
He then offered us a banana, we enthusiastically said ‘Yes please’. He cut off two with his machete and gave us one each... and then we watched him skip and jump and run, in sandal shoes, down the big hill I had been 'worrying' about descending just a couple of minutes earlier...!
We carried on for a while longer, the view was spectacular, and we could see that there is so much more to explore and discover...
'Look' Anadi said 'look up there, there is a little shack...'
High, high up there it was, a little shack alone in the Jungle, on top of the world...
I suggested we come back another day, having set off earlier and explore by going higher...
We hadn't set off until 3pm today and we had already been out for an hour, so we decided that we better turn for home
'I don't want to be out here in the dark' I said
'I agree' said Anadi 'and we had better allow for "getting lost time"!’ We made out way down the steep path, I was inspired having watched the local trekker leap and bound down and so I approached the descent with more confidence...!
As I grabbed Anadi's hand on one occasion to avoid falling! He said to me 'Another one for the record when we are scrambling up here again, that it was you who suggested further exploration at a later date...!'
And now we are sitting on our terrace, here in our Orchid home. We have watched the sun setting over the sea and there is much preparation for folk going to the party on the beach...
Orchid resort is full up, Nuch, the owner says that this is very unusual. People have been hanging out here, all day and lounging around the pool.
I did my pre breakfast pool session again this morning. I swim up and down until I have covered about 400 metres, I have judged the pool to be 15 metres long! And then do lots of stretching in the pool and some running on the spot and kicking my bottom...
It seems to be having a good rehab effect...
I have cleared the way to run in the sun, to run in the sun free of pain...
I have cleared the way to live as I have always dreamed...
Nearly fifteen years ago I was driving back home having been to visit my sister Rosy and meet my little baby niece, Jess for the first time... I had been talking then with my sister, about how it was still running, it had always been running, and it was still was running, that I loved to do, preferably in the sun and definitely free of pain…
I had stopped at a motorway services and written down my 'Runners prayer'
It went something like this
Let love and light shine from my heart,
And as I run,
Let me become,
More me,
More free,
So others can see it,
And find it for themselves.
