Another frosty, hostile morning to enjoy. As I left the house at 6am to run, I noticed the water-butt was a block of solid ice. First time this winter.
One minor positive about the freezing weather is that the small local hotel now keeps its dining room window shut, so I’m no longer tortured with the smell of bacon and sausages and black pudding and mushrooms sauteed in butter and toast and fresh coffee. In truth it’s only the bacon I ever smell; the imagination creates the rest. Along with a newspaper or two, the perfect breakfast.
Talking of which, I found a copy of the Daily Telegraph on the train the other morning, and came across yet another article grumbling about the use of the word “community”, as in the black, or the gay, or the Jewish community. It’s become quite a popular whinge this season. I don’t mind these vacuous rants; it keeps the grumpy old man community busy, and I prefer to have them somewhere I can keep an eye on them.
Me? I think it’s a pretty useful word. I like to think there’s a community of runners. ‘People who go running’ just doesn’t amount to the same thing at all, even though it’s what the running community comprises. And it really is a community, known for its supportiveness. That said, there are distinct types. Competitive runners, feel-good runners, once-in-a-lifetime-charity runners, slimming runners, social runners, hardcore body-beautiful runners, aesthetic runners, and more. Some people belong to several of these groups at the same time. Sometimes we start in one and move to another. We run in different ways, for different reasons. Sometimes these reasons change. Your reason for running is no better or worse than my reason for running.
These seem like rudimentary truths to me, yet still I read and hear a surprising amount of intolerant silliness from people who should know better. The London marathon seems to inspire a disproportionate amount of bile and petulance within this fraternity, and particularly at this time of year, when aspiring entrants discover their fate in the ballot. London is a great celebration of anti-elitism and of the inclusiveness of running. It brings together Paula Radcliffe with the humblest of new runners and those running to raise money for a cause. Those five hours of live TV annually inspire millions.
If you’re in, well done: you’ll have a great day. If you’re not in, bad luck, but there are plenty of other great marathons to do. Above all, a bit of magnanimity is in order. Running is supposed to be good for the heart, but sometimes you wouldn’t think so.
