November

[Charliecat5]

It’s been a funny start to November. It started with a party to celebrate my Step Dad’s 70 birthday, which was curry filled with a good topping of Mongoose beer, but was then closely followed by the death of a friend on Sunday morning.

This death wasn’t unexpected as Lou had been ill for quite a long time and in recent months had gone downhill quickly. She was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 1998 and given a couple of years to live… 16 years later it finally got her. She was one of these people who just don’t accept the hand they’re dealt with. She could have, and it would have been completely understandable, resigned herself to the cruelty of her fate and sunk into despair, but instead she decided to embrace everything positive that life could offer.

Over the last 16 years she hasn’t stopped… looking on we have often felt sorry for her husband and kids who haven’t had a weekend, an hour or even a minute when they weren’t up to some great adventure. And yes, I said kids. She also found the time and energy to have two beautiful girls. She lived life to the full and is (was) an inspiration to all of us.

It is very sad when someone dies, particularly someone like Lou who died before her time; but whilst there is our personal grief to contend with, there is also envy, respect, inspiration and celebration to be had as well… about someone who showed the rest of us how to live.

Next time I am on the hills Lou (and I will be up there soon), I shall raise a salute to you and all that you achieved in the last 16 years and I promise to try as best I can, to follow your example.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Well said Charlie, that's a great testament to an obviously great lady. As I repeatedly say in the forum (and here I'm guilty of not following my own advice, yet still believe it to be true) we should never take our good health for granted; when you meet someone like Lou, we owe it to them to make the most out life. The Lou's of this world get the most out of their time despite chronic pain and terminal illness. How much more should we be celebrating our good fortune and health?

Thanks for sharing this; these stories are important.

[marathondan]

An inspiring post Charlie. Thanks for sharing.

[Charliecat5]

New month, new shoes, new beginnings. 3 miles in the dark. It's a start.

[marathondan]

The road to Moyleman starts here! Hope the shoes work out well.

[Charliecat5]

The road to Moyleman starts here! Hope the shoes work out well.

I ain't running the Moyleman - do you think I'm mad! I will probably be biking it tho'

Only 3 miles in my new shoes, so I reserve judgement... but so far, my feet haven't moaned - well not moaned about the shoes, they obv. moaned about being out running in the dark through muddy puddles.

[Charliecat5]

Ramping up...

Second run of the new era this morning. 7 miles (well 6.77 but who's counting) up to the top of the mighty Blackcap and back. Blackcap, for those who don't know it, is a funny run, as you don't really realise how high you climb, until you come back down again.

Reasonable pace at 9.23 min/mi.

Onwards and upwards.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Second run of the new era this morning. 7 miles (well 6.77 but who's counting) up to the top of the mighty Blackcap and back. Blackcap, for those who don't know it, is a funny run, as you don't really realise how high you climb, until you come back down again.

A fantastic run - everyone on RC should attempt to go to Lewes and run Blackcap at least once in their running lives. When you do though, don't do it like I did on the back of three slovenly weeks of food and booze with no running. A little embarrassing, it was, but a fabulous outing even so.

And of course, there's always Sweder's beer fridge waiting for you at the bottom. Or the Pelham Arms or ... well, you get the drift.

Sigh.

[Charliecat5]

As I was drifting off into the depths of my own mind yesterday (the real danger of running which no one tells you about) it occured to me that RC had become bereft of commentary in recent days... I felt abandoned, isolated, left on these hills alone (are you weaping yet?).

Then today... woosh, like London busses, hundreds of posts all arrive at once.

We just need to get old Puffing Billy back out on the hills around Lewes and all will be right again with this madcap world of running.

[marathondan]

Only the real hardcore animals keep going all year round. And virtually no-one around here is young enough to stay injury-free all year. Everyone's somewhere in the cycle. Often the up-cycle comes in autumn, as the excesses of summer fade and thoughts turn to spring marathons.

Dunno about you, but I went for a run this morning and feel like going for another one tonight.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Doubtless I'll get out there again soon too. I can feel those little motivational critters stirring in my ... loins. Or is that something else? Think I'm gettin' old.

But run again I shall. Oh yes.

[marathondan]

Doubtless I'll get out there again soon too. I can feel those little motivational critters stirring in my ... loins. Or is that something else? Think I'm gettin' old.

But run again I shall. Oh yes.

What's the holdup, mate? Sounds like you need a surrogate for London in your race calendar. There's still time to book a different European city marathon to coincide with your trip...

(Actually, I wouldn't advise that. Enjoy the trip to the full and then worry about race logistics when you get home.)

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

But run again I shall. Oh yes.

What's the holdup, mate?

Just me getting in my own way. The usual!

[Sweder]

My running mojo is so deep into hibernation I wonder if will ever resurface.
Enthusiasms have been curbed by injury, of course. I'm curious to see how I feel when I finally get the green light.

[Charliecat5]

I flew out of the house like a crazy thing this evening. Must eat up the miles... must push the limits. Hummph.

This was a run around the streets of Lewes, chosing carefully a route to includes hills... when I say "carefully" it's not that difficult to find hills in this fair town. Just shy of 4 miles and I felt like I was flying, but the Garmin said 8.36 min/mi. I've done better than that out on the proper trails.

Still, it was better than sitting in front of the TV drinking beer... which is exactly what I am doing now, but with that smug sense of 'I've been out there running so I deserve it'

[Charliecat5]

The RC site has been suffering from technical difficulties, but this hasn't stopped me... oh no... I have still been running... if you can call it that.  

Last Wednesday I got up early to run the 3 mile Sweder circuit. It was OK, I had to stop half way up Sweder's hill for a rest but other than that my time wasn't too bad.  Then came Sunday.

I couldn't really decide where to go on Sunday... I lay in bed for a while, listening to the torrential rain pounding on the windows, debating which of the many potential routes I should conquer that fine morning.  After much thought I got up and had some porridge.  You have to stimulate the brain cells.  Then, after a further hour of procrastination I realised the rain wasn't going to stop so got changed into my running gear.

After 2 hours of procrastination and a large bowl of porridge I can report that the first half a mile was agony - resulting in a stop only 100 yards from home.  Bugger I thought.  But I can't go home yet.  So I kept going.  A slow jog took me over Juggs lane and to the gate that marks the bottom of the Kingston Ridge climb.  A quick drink of water and it was all systems go.  The good news is that I ran to the top without stopping... the not so good news is that it would have been difficult to mark my progress without stop motion photography.  

But, but, but, when I got to the top I felt great (that is of course a relative state - compared to lying in bed an our before, I didn't feel that great) and found my stride.  I headed West for a while before dropping back down the ridge, and then in a departure from the plan, contoured around the hillside to come back down into Kingston high street.  It was whilst contouring that the rain stepped up a gear... but to quote a wise old man... "you can only get wet once".  At the bottom I past some walkers who visibly winced as I ran past - Stig of the Dump does running... it wasn't a pretty sight.  More mud than substance.  

I then, because I was still feeling full of the joys, decided to run home past the rugby club.  Rain, rain, glorious rain.

5.5 miles later I was back, soaking wet and up to my armpits in mud.  Good times.  

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Stop it. You're making me feel guilty.

[Charliecat5]

Stop it. You're making me feel guilty.

Well to make you feel worse... I ran another 4 miles this evening around the streets of Lewes.  I do need to get a longer one under my belt though (as it were), particularly as I have my 10 mile race coming up in February.

[marathondan]

Sounds like you're back in the groove Charlie. Good to get back into running habits before the seasonal indulgence hits.