January 2009

[Sweder]

So, if you wake up one morning and it's a particularly beautiful day, you'll know we made it.
[SIZE="1"]Capa, Sunshine[/SIZE]

Brass monkey stuff out there this morning, a pre-dawn departure in sub-zero temperatures. The frozen darkness had me pondering the wisdom of Monday lunchtimes’ impetuous New Years convict cut – oh well, no use crying over split follicles. Yesterday’s snow lay welded to the hillside, a crunchy white carpet on which to plod. Sensing a change in the light a mile or so in I looked back to the east. A grapefruit-pink blush warmed the horizon, a handful of fluff-ball clouds lit up in perfect pink-orange neon above the Lewes cliffs. Oh, for a camera! I plodded westward on tired pins, residual lactic acid sloshing lazily around indolent hamstrings and lethargic quads.

This was always going to be a recovery run of sorts. The infirm footing ensured caution, every tread laid carefully, dulled reflexes on high alert for the first signs of groin-tearing slippage. As I struggled on up Black Cap Tom Petty appeared in my earphones, cranking out American Girl. This gave me the kick up the arse I needed to make the summit, glance at my Garmin in mock horror and set off directly for home sans breather. By now the Earth had rolled sunward enough for the orange orb to clear the cliffs. Sunlight raced up the slopes to meet my thundering feet, casting tiny shadows on the snow-packed ground in a scene reminiscent of the final act of Sunshine, Danny Boyles’ excellent solar re-boot flick, my hometown standing in nobly for the Sydney Opera House. It was as if the ground were waking up, springing to life before me. I felt privileged to be there, alone save for my trusty hounds, feasting greedily on natures’ finest hour.


[SIZE="1"]Let the clip load then watch the last few frames, unless you want to watch the last 2 minutes of the movie[/SIZE]

Home in a leisurely forty-seven minutes, steam rising from my sweaty back. Another five miles chalked off and a good deal of weekend rust expelled. Less Is More kicks in this week, preservative behaviour taking over from fitness recovery to help rest my battered knees and add zest to my Sunday outings. A little knee pain today but nothing more than usual.