It's impossible to get bored with Radioheads "No Surprises". Those bells. It is, however, possible to get really bored with your life, which I had done for a while, so lately I have been throwing in different things to see how they go. I think it is called "making an effort". Anyway, I really did not feel like running 26km up and down a mountain in the cold and rain and wind last Friday night after another busy week of work and the daily three hour commute. But I was worried about letting friends down and also about my mood if I didn't go. I was worried I would get even more down. So I went, and I will admit that when we got off the train at Woodford at nearly nine O'Clock at night, in the wind, the cold and the dark, I really questioned whether this was a good idea. The train had been nice and warm, and TALKING about tough runs we'd done was fine, actually DOING one was another thing. However, once you are in, you are in. There was no turning back, so sucked it up and got moving. I think it proved to be the best medicine possible. It took a while to sort out pace - some very fast people and some slower and then me, really slow, but we fell into a nice pattern and to be honest, with all that has been on my mind of late, I was happy with my own company, my own little circle of light and my own thoughts. It was a great time to reflect, and the conditions were actually PERFECT for running, cool, dry and eventually the moon peeked through the clouds. There is something magical about running at night, you really have to concentrate on the trail which really keeps everyday stresses far from your mind. I really liked that aspect of it. At one point, I thought it would be good to come out and do this on my own some Friday night. Then I wised up and caught myself on, when the Bogey Man leapt to the forefront of my mind....
Anyway, did the run, the car shuffle, the huddle round the campfire at the end, and driving through the sleepy town of Glenbrook, next thing I see sirens and police lights flashing behind me, urging me to pull over. Not again!! Every damn run I do, I get followed home by the cops! Having been stranded in the middle of woop woop with no phone reception and no way to get home from Mudgee and a pocket full of two and a half grands worth of fines because my rego was three days overdue, I was not keen to catch up with the NSW Police again so soon. However they had different plans. This time a breath test (all clear) and my tow bar for my bike rack is apparantely illegal. So he fined me for that. Which makes me think (a) he was a prick and (b) the events in Mudgee might have got a little tick beside my registration in the COPS system. Now I am a law abiding citizen, and admittedly I am a crap driver and even worse at parking, but fines, demerit points, near arrest? Or am I delusional and should I just get off the roads? I managed to drive around for twenty years without losing one point and suddenly over the past few years I seem to find myself on the wrong side of the law WAY TOO OFTEN.
Anyway, thanks to a busy weekend, I had no time to dwell on whether the NSW Police Force had me in their sights or to dwell on the fact that I couldn't really move my legs come Saturday morning. Saturday was spent with absolutely no thoughts of running, had lunch with an old friend and an early night. Sunday I ran 10km, only because I got lost in the forest and only planned to do about six. But it was nice and Buffy the wonder dog came with me. Getting lost made me late for my Sunday afternoon catch up with friends, shop till you drop, eat till you burst, drink until you can fit no more in extravaganza. Actually it was more like a moving feast, after we gave up on the shopping we grazed and grazed and grazed, accompanied by beer. Until I got so cold from so much beer, so I had to have an Irish Coffee. It was kinda a nice afternoon. Wierd, but nice.
This week I am doing a crash diet. Silly I know, but I eat well and healthily and love my veggies, but would love to lose a few kilos quickly. So am on day two of "meat and eggs only". Which was fine until I read the email I got from the RSPCA today that the ACCC are investigating a number of chicken processing companies who claim their chickens are "free range", but aren't. The footage attached to the email was upsetting and basically says that no shop bought eggs are from chickens that are treated humanely. This upsets me greatly. The most upsetting thing to read was that they only want female chicks and the male chicks are ground down ALIVE. Please god, who does this stuff? Who thinks this sort of thing is ok? Where are these peoples minds at? Sorry, getting wound up now. Time to sign off.
Anyway, did the run, the car shuffle, the huddle round the campfire at the end, and driving through the sleepy town of Glenbrook, next thing I see sirens and police lights flashing behind me, urging me to pull over. Not again!! Every damn run I do, I get followed home by the cops! Having been stranded in the middle of woop woop with no phone reception and no way to get home from Mudgee and a pocket full of two and a half grands worth of fines because my rego was three days overdue, I was not keen to catch up with the NSW Police again so soon. However they had different plans. This time a breath test (all clear) and my tow bar for my bike rack is apparantely illegal. So he fined me for that. Which makes me think (a) he was a prick and (b) the events in Mudgee might have got a little tick beside my registration in the COPS system. Now I am a law abiding citizen, and admittedly I am a crap driver and even worse at parking, but fines, demerit points, near arrest? Or am I delusional and should I just get off the roads? I managed to drive around for twenty years without losing one point and suddenly over the past few years I seem to find myself on the wrong side of the law WAY TOO OFTEN.
Anyway, thanks to a busy weekend, I had no time to dwell on whether the NSW Police Force had me in their sights or to dwell on the fact that I couldn't really move my legs come Saturday morning. Saturday was spent with absolutely no thoughts of running, had lunch with an old friend and an early night. Sunday I ran 10km, only because I got lost in the forest and only planned to do about six. But it was nice and Buffy the wonder dog came with me. Getting lost made me late for my Sunday afternoon catch up with friends, shop till you drop, eat till you burst, drink until you can fit no more in extravaganza. Actually it was more like a moving feast, after we gave up on the shopping we grazed and grazed and grazed, accompanied by beer. Until I got so cold from so much beer, so I had to have an Irish Coffee. It was kinda a nice afternoon. Wierd, but nice.
This week I am doing a crash diet. Silly I know, but I eat well and healthily and love my veggies, but would love to lose a few kilos quickly. So am on day two of "meat and eggs only". Which was fine until I read the email I got from the RSPCA today that the ACCC are investigating a number of chicken processing companies who claim their chickens are "free range", but aren't. The footage attached to the email was upsetting and basically says that no shop bought eggs are from chickens that are treated humanely. This upsets me greatly. The most upsetting thing to read was that they only want female chicks and the male chicks are ground down ALIVE. Please god, who does this stuff? Who thinks this sort of thing is ok? Where are these peoples minds at? Sorry, getting wound up now. Time to sign off.
Braver than me if you head down that track solo. I kid you not when I told you at the end I heard giggling coming from the bush just before the gate. If I had been by myself at this point I think would still be in the foetal position rocking back and forth in the middle of the track.
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