You may want a a bucket standing by, its a bit of a romantic feel this one!
When I turned up at the recreation ground I found that I was the only one going to be running in my group. Although the members of group 2 encouraged me to go with them, I know my capabilities. "Maybe next time" I thought, although I didn't really believe I would be ready any time soon.
It was a gloriously sunny morning, and the talk on facebook was all about how perfect it was for a run, we have been too long waiting through the winter and spring months, all eagerly waiting for our warm summer days to start. It was time for us to start our run and just to clarify, in my own mind, I started to run along with group 2. DiscoRich's group had grown over the winter, with some of group 1 fledging to join group 2. I wondered again if ever I would get fit enough to join them.
Just by the short run up to the entrance of the woods, at Dog Poo Ally, I knew that I was right...this time...! not to continue on the run with them. I was already out of breath and they were still on their warm up mile! We parted ways as soon as we got through the other side of the ally.
From that moment on it was like a switched had been turned off from the 'outside world'. The noise of the streets, the radios in cars and lorries, the children in their nursery at the rec, had all been switched off. I waited for a few seconds more for the plane overhead to disappear and then just listened. As the sound of the engines faded so the noises of the woods turned up. The birds, the rustle from animals in the bushes, all heightened by the silence they were en captured by, that is the only way I can describe it. I knew this was going to be a wonderful run. A run where I can just free my mind, not think about anything, just enjoy the total experience of solo running, a time where you can just drift off to far flung places, imagine different places, countries, times!.........
Running through the woods I had wondered if I would see the 'Woodman'. I remembered the first time I saw him as he worked on some signposts at the top of the woods near his house. I was with some girl friends as we enjoyed our Thursday morning run. We all noticed him as he busied himself with the signposts that he was making, with the sweat just visible on his brow he brushed it away as he stood to say good morning to us. It totally threw me seeing him there, I don't know why and I ended up going the wrong way, but I didn't mind as we turned around and went back again, to use the other path, behind the woodman. Another chance to see him' The other girls didn't see to mind either.
I smiled as I thought about that day. I was running along the wooden path, the evidence that the he had been busy was plain to see. The broken plank that had been there for what seemed like years had been replaced, along with a few others that needed replacing. There would be no need to shout "Hole!" when I bring a group through here any more.
By the railway track I saw a couple walking with their dog, I slowed down to a walk. I am always dubious about running towards dogs and their owners. Either the dog may think you want to attack them or they will just think you are playing, but in either case the animal could still jump up at you! "Morning" I said to the couple politely "Morning" they replied. I think summer bring the best out in people, or maybe 'dog' people are particularly friendly. I've never known a dog walker not to say good morning to me if I pass them through the woods.
I wanted to take another walking break, the morning sun was doing it's job perfectly, bringing me out in a sweat, but I decided to keep going. The song birds filled my ears again and I was glad that no trains had come along to take that away from me. The sky looked so blue and the clouds as white as white could be, just hanging in the sky like cotton wool. I remember as a child wondering what it would be like to stand on a cloud, not knowing back then that they are just big clumps of.....of......gas? But to me right at that moment, they were places where you could stand on, sleep on, bounce on, like huge cotton wool balls as you watch the world and the people underneath!
I smiled. By this time I was at the little river. I stopped for just a few moments and peered into the river to see if I could see any wildlife. No, nothing. My hubby, the Old Boy, now he has a fisherman's eye, he could spot a carp or pike twenty foot away in a pond. Just a dark shadow in a dark pond. He would point it out to me "There, there, just there, going into the Lily pads" I would peer into the pond, trying to make my eyes adjust as I followed the line his eager wagging finger points. Very few occasions I managed to see what he was pointing at.
I carried on with my solo run, feeling totally free and invigorated, I needed to feel like that at least invigorated, as I looked up at the hill. "One go, no stopping" I said to myself you can do this. I started up the hill, trying to remember everything that anyone has ever told me, and what I tell those in group 0 on Tuesday nights. My worst thing is always my head, I have got to keep my head up. As I was running up the hill another lone lady runner was running down, ear phones in. I couldn't help feel sorry for her for missing the most important part of solo running through the woods.
Why would you want to miss out on the whole experience of our beautiful woods. Even the sound of the running water is just music to your ears. In that silence of being away from the bricks and mortar of noisy homes and businesses, and the tarmacked roads full of traffic, to listen to the flow of water running through a meadow is all the music you need and so very relaxing. I got to the top of the hill and stepped through the gate to be greeted by a most unusual site! A Peacock! It was just a shock to see it wondering about, freely, pecking here, pecking there, looking as if it owned the place. Of course he owned the place, everyone owns this place! It's just to beautiful to keep to oneself. I reached into where I normally keep my Iphone, and searched frantically for it!
I stopped suddenly and couldn't help smiling to myself as I realised I had forgotten to bring it with me! You see, I keep my phone....very close to my heart, and so my hand when into the top of the running shirt, 'feeling' around for my phone! What if the woodman had been around, or anyone for that matter, what if they had seen me with my hand inside my.....bra! I laughed out loud, and giggled to my self as I ran up to the top of the road.
I came out on to the road, and already I could feel the mood change from peaceful serenity to hustle and bustle. The vans and cars sitting along side the kerbs, with their engines running, drivers busy talking with the passenger. The fumes from the exhausts filled my nostrils, I could feel myself 'making a face' as I tried to turn away from them.
"Just this bit of road to do, and then I can get back to my beloved woods" I thought. Running along to the main road I passed the entrance to the private estate. Illustrious leader has taken us down here before. I am going to do this now. I turned right and ran through the estate. The beautiful house towards the end of the road is simply stunning. It reminds me of houses and homes of a bygone era.
I daydreamed of what life would have been like in there during times before cars and planes. Would the house have been for just one family, one very well off family. Maybe they would have had staff to work for them. I could image the children of the house playing hide and seek, the house seemed huge and I could imagine there were quite few rooms to hide in. Maybe it even had a secret room, or a basement, with tunnels! My mind went into over drive thinking of the lovely huge house.
At the end of the road was where the entrance of the woods is, it was hidden behind two parked lorries. Two different 'worlds' just a foot apart from each other. The noise and fumes of the outside world and the peace and tranquillity of inside world. I squeezed my way past the park vehicles and entered again into the woods.
Which way should I go. Should I stick with the same way the Illustrious leader went or shall I venture off somewhere different, albeit in the general direction of where I needed to be. I opted for 'the adventure' and who knows, maybe the woodman would be repairing paths and fences along here. I knew that he had already made safe a place near by where the stream was. Just a little wooden structure that bridges across the stream, it hadn't been there for that long.
I ran past the backs of the house, the spiders had been very busy as I felt the soft almost invisible threads of the webs across my face. I looked up through the trees and saw the sun light just reaching through and lighting up the thin strands as the spiders floated from tree to tree. Like a very fine lacy veil for a waiting bridge to be, ready to worn, it seemed as if the woods themselves lacing a the veil. I felt more threads across my face as I ran along a narrowing pathway. I was beginning to wonder if I had made a mistake, Maybe this path will just suddenly stop and go no further.
It didn't get much narrower and I came to the end of the path, which then tuned left or right. Going left wasn't an option as that looked as if it lead out into the private housing estate. I could hear the main road, I knew my time in the woods would soon be over. I turned right running along a wider path, keeping the noise of the traffic on my left I stayed as close as I could to the left hand side of the woods.
I saw the same couple I had seen earlier, down by the railway, walking along. I greeted them with a smile again as I ran past them. I was still on a path I hadn't ran along before, just taking pot luck with which way to go as the options of left or right came before me. I hadn't seen the 'woodman' as yet, just the tyre tracks he had left behind at some point.
I saw a path that went to the left of me and I darted into there, again my face felt the fine gossamer threads of webs as I passed under the trees. I looked ahead of me and I saw another clearing, a clearing I knew well. In the middle of this clearing is the sundial. I turned left along the path and followed it through. I would be passing by the Woodmans cottage soon, the place me and the girls first saw him. I smiled again to my self, there seemed to be a lot of smiling on this run.
Just then I had a mills and boon moment. I could see it all unfolding in my minds eye, of young love. The well to do family in the big house at the top. Her parents wanting her to marry the son the rich landowner in a neighbouring borough. But on her daily walks through the woods she had met up secretly with her handsome woodman who lived and worked on the estate her father owned.
She would met him a midday by his cottage, and then one day they promised themselves to each other. One day he will be able to marry her. The woods seemed to come alive for them at just that moment, the birds sang sweetly as she made her way through the trees, which some formed an arch over her. The spiders floated back and forth covering her with a beautiful lacy veil that shone like silver as the rays of sunlight breached through the trees drenched her in golden sunlight. The animals scurried around in front of her dropping flowers at her feet as she walked towards her handsome woodman.
And back in the room! I got to dog poo ally, the smell of the 'doggie bin' filled my nostrils and the moment was gone!
How I have really enjoyed my solo run today, it was amazing. As I started to run back to the rec I thought of why I was here, not in any universal or spiritual way, this day was not about deep heavy thinking like that. But why I was here, running through the woods.
It was seven years ago that the female section of my family all got together and walked our very first Race for Life, some of them that is the only time that have run or walked a race. Yet here I am now, running, on my own for fun. What if mum had never got cancer, what if mum was still here! Would I have been running, would I have been cycling? Seven years and seven months ago she was cruelly taken from us, and yet here I am, running through these beautiful woods.
It is excruciatingly hard to say this, but I am fitter because 'the wind came and took' my mum , but that is a fact. I would never have thought it was possible for me to run. I always thought I was too fat, too unfit, weak ankles! Yet, here I am seven years and seven months later, two marathons under my belt, quite a few finishers medal's and even a couple of trophies for coming first place in club competitions (although not first in races, just in points accumulated!) I can't say "If it wasn't for mum leaving us" but what I can say is "every cloud has a silver lining" but the cloud that has my mum sitting on is has diamonds around it!
Back at the rec I stretched and bent, and twisted my muscles back and forth, I felt really good. Is it because it is summer, has the great vibes of the woods done is magic, or was it because I left my 'brain' in the car while I took a solo run through the woods. Who knows!
Geeky stats.
No comments:
Post a Comment