Having passed its test run, I unveiled my new gear for the Friday ‘chat and run’ with Ellie and Suzy. Felt quite the ‘bobby dazzler’ in coordinated splendour. Now there’s a term worthy of my mother not the LCA set! We extended the circuit to 5.5km (navigator Ellie was aiming for 6km but guesstimated short!). The longer run does allow for better discussion of the weeks key topics, usually revolving around the trials and tribulations of 6 teenage offspring between us. This week, homework, how much should one help?, teenage girls obsession with teenage boys and how to push your offspring gently over to friendship groups you feel would be better for them without them realising……now there’s a potentially dangerous path into so-called helicopter parenting. Of course there has to be superbly housewifely discussion moment of either recipe comparison or the merits of bio v non bio washing tablets (yes, we did, really !!) As I know they think of me as the ‘career woman’ I am sure this reinstates my status as just an Italian housewife, which can be reassuring to those who you know find you intimidating at other times.
Oh and back to running, at the resignation we coming short on the 6km planned, Ellie and I determined to give the final yards of the footpath a sprint finish. Despite the personal trainer style encouragement, my colleagues fell by the wayside and I cleared the end bollard with metres clear, loads left in the tank plus a quick recovery. Ellie felt sick and Suzy blamed her back. Secret inner ‘slam-dunk’ fellow LCAs……..but then I am the committed runner, Suzy is quite new at it and Ellie has been out of practice lately. So yes, those threshold sessions do pay off…….or was it the go faster three stripes of my new Addidas gear ?

Check out those go faster stripes!

Categories: Ladies of a Certain Age Running (LCA)