2018 Season: Part 2

[Bierzo Baggie]

The Autumn season gets underway.
 
Steady unspectacular running throughout the year but most importantly I’m avoiding injuries. Find myself needing that extra little bit of motivation that accompanied running can bring. Yes, I’ve started to meet up with others to run, much more so than in the past.
 
In fact we’ve formed a running group. No, running group doesn’t do us justice. It is a “concept”. We are the running equivalent of an experimental community theatre group or an eccentric jazz fusion band.
 
And the name of this “concept” is “Old Men Running”. This is because Old Men is what we now are and as yet we haven’t found any Old Women to accompany us but we are always on the lookout if you know what I mean.
Old Men Running is a group without rules, timetables or structure. 
It’s a Whatsapp group actually.
 
There are 7 of us in the Whatsapp group. There were originally 8 of us but one guy disappeared after finding out who the other integrants were.
 
Apart from Bierzo Baggie there is Rolly the Flying Dutchman, our senior most member having just entered the veteran 60+ category. Rolly FD is long limbed and elegant in stride and resembles so many of the great Dutch cyclists for his inexplicably good climbing ability.
 
Next in order of age and experience is the man I call Terry McDermott. Terry has somehow maintained a superb perm over the years, a perm which graced pubs and clubs all over Merseyside in the 1980s.
 
I am in fact very jealous.
 
Having spent most of his working life working in stone quarries Terry is a wiry, well muscled chap with the ideal constitution for running hills and mountains.
 
He’s also got great hair.
 
Wild Oscar is the youngest active member of the group. He is far too fast  and keen for his own good.
 
Other occasional members are:

Alf: Always injured. As I tell him frequently his legs are too skinny.

Alberto: Morrisey-worshipping cyclist who can’t run for toffee. Laid off from the slate quarries after almost chopping his own hand off. He’s a decent climber mind and the nicest bloke you’ll ever meet.

Miguel the Prof: Back in El Bierzo after some years working in Morocco. Sub-3 hour marathon runner a few years ago and is probably far too embarrassed to ever be seen out running with us.

First event; Ponferrada 10k road race.