There weren’t too many things I missed about England when I lived in Switzerland. Proper beer, proper football, proper fish and chips of course. And the sea. Switzerland is well-equipped with most of life’s heart-stirring natural essentials like mountains and lakes and waterfalls and magnificent hiking routes. But a coastline is one item someone left off the list, and this helps me appreciate it more now.
Today’s C25K Week 1 Day 3 jaunt was another coastal venture. Despite the blustery conditions, being a Saturday meant having to share the seafront path with plenty of other outdoor enthusiasts: fellow red-faced, plump plodders, proper polished runners, dutiful dog-walkers, kids on scooters, cyclists, and wretched looking, dripping swimmers. Nothing good comes of winter sea swimming. But we were all out there, this colony of thrill seekers, this community on the move. Except we aren’t much of a community at all. Lost and lonely among the crowd, each a captive of their own headspace.
A group with plenty of headspace was the paragliders. These lunatics must have launched themselves off Beachy Head, a couple of miles along the coast, and drifted towards the town. Looking up at these hovering halfwits floating above us, communing awkwardly with the shrieking gulls, I felt sort of embarrassed on their behalf.
The C25K W1D3 plod itself wasn’t a great challenge, and yet I can see myself struggling once it pushes into longer runs. I’ll be OK next week I think, and have to hope that my daily walks are helping to put a bit of resilience into my legs.
2 comments On C25K W1D3 – Each to their own
Might as well go out with a bang.
What the devil is this? The mighty Gordo getting out there, well done old timer.