An 11.5km run of pure delight this morning in the spring sunshine; one of those where you nod to other runners, say ‘Good Morning’ to the elderly, smile at babies, quite genuinely full of the joys of spring….I know what that expression really means now. It’s the feeling that all runners want to bottle in readiness for a gloomy day or give to a friend as a gift to really appreciate what you endlessly bang on about when they say they can’t imagine why, ‘at you’re age’….or any age for that matter, you’re crazy enough to run. My spring delight nullified my runner rage as a motorist casually pulled over the pavement right in front of me to get to the local shops like I wasn’t there and even the two LCAs on a walk who looked over at me like they wished me dead on the spot after I flashed my sunshine filled smile at them, didn’t dampen my joy. Ladies, it clearly proves that lacing up your trainers and grabbing your huge water bottle for a stroll simply doesn’t give you that ridiculous high of a run.

The capri pants ventured out from the confines of the gym into the public view, is that the running tights away for a few months? I even dug out the ‘running shades’……a touch pretentious but they do stay on your face (aviators don’t and hurt, I’ve tried!). An LCA can’t squint, think of the wrinkle risk. Today though the bright, but low spring sunshine would have been magnified by the glare from my newly exposed and virtually transparent legs. I couldn’t look down, I may have been dazzled. They were possibly a risk to passing motorists and it must have felt like I was approaching other runners with un-dipped headlights. Still just think of the Vitamin D I was manufacturing today.

Certainly got a running push today by spotting a much younger but slightly chubby chap ahead, decided I would ‘run him down’…….I’m pleased to say that the competitive streak doesn’t dwindle with age! The sun alas was behind me at the time and despite his stereo, my shadow and swinging pony tail (must have looked like Genghis Khan on the offensive) was spotted and he speeded up just as I was about to overtake. Felt like I was on the motorway about to overtake a boy racer. Still, once committed, I went for it and took the pace to beyond threshold.I had to keep it up for long enough to put a distance between us. A little further and I sensed him coming back for pole position so despite the approaching bridge I had to pace up again to keep a lead…….he was spent, so I hit my favourite riverside route well ahead and feeling smug…..cheeky young whippersnapper ! 

Categories: Ladies of a Certain Age Running (LCA)