May 2007 - It All Starts Here

[Sweder]

Spring has sprung. Winter's cold kiss is just a memory; warm summer breezes stir the dust on the dry mud trails over the Sussex hills.

The hounds dragged me to Blackcap early this morning, happy to see me stagger down stairs in running garb. My legs were understandably wobbly after ten days of sloth, and if I'm honest I found the going a little tough. Ring rust perhaps; we'll see. I couldn't have picked a finer morning; strong early sunshine tempered by a cool zephyr out of the west. Clear skies, perfect views of the Sussex lowlands, the Big W shining across the Kingston valley.

Track du jour?
Well, I got through a fair amount of Girlschool - I'm really fond of this band. Their early stuff is good honest rock 'n' roll, never quite matching the growling menace or raucous pace of Motorhead, but given my long association with them - blimey, over 25 years now! - it's like running with old friends. Recent offerings - 21st Anniversary and Believe - show maturity and depth, providing some rollocking good running tunes.

As I crested Wicker Man Hill on the return leg, the stables and sunlit cliffs beyond and below me, Rick Wakeman slipped in to steal today's accolade. Roundabout by Yes with its rumbling bass and skittering, fairground keyboards offered the perfect, somewhat lighter soundtrack for this idyllic scene. Give it a listen if you get the chance, and watch out for the unmistakable riff from I'm Just A Love Machine flowing through the song. I kid you not.