No miles on the board last week. Too many things to do, too many places to be. Sorting out stuff that needed to be sorted. The one time when I had time was the time when the weather decided it wasn’t my friend and I really didn’t have the get up and go in me. So today was going to be a significant number of miles to make up for all that. That’s the theory. Let’s see how we got on with the practical.
Looking forward to listening to the end of the 3rd day of the Test match in India but, unfortunately, it was all done and dusted by about half past eight. Waving goodbye to any radio sport until the afternoon, I walked quickly towards the usual coffee break, and for a time was walking about 20 yards behind a bloke vaping an unidentifiable fruity flavour with sufficient smoke for any Captain Extinguisher to potentially appear suddenly and squirt all over them.
I was accompanied by my shadow for most of the morning but it was pretty chilly nevertheless. I took coffee at something close to 5.5 miles in Hedge End next to Next. This was my second visit there but my first serving after the previous one had seen me give up at the sight of a lengthy queue. A few prospective customers there too today but some did leave after a few minutes waiting. Eventually I sampled the new cinnamon bun flavoured latte. Not awful but not as nice as any of my usual favourites. Very few however will match the fantastic creme brulee latte that I bought in Newport last Christmas.
To build up a bit of distance, I took the roads to Horton Heath and Fair Oak and kept a reasonable pace while saving some energy for later. I am used to being overtaken by young lads walking briskly and friskily like you might expect 16 year olds on the way to their girlfriend’s house (with her parents on holiday) but I had been going for about nine miles when a young runner passed me. He skipped effortlessly along the path like a gazelle, in the sense that he seemed to be training as a pacemaker for a forthcoming marathon. He wasn’t on all fours and there was no big cat chasing him. He was a real athlete and I would not have caught him even in my twenties as a decent runner, let alone now at 60.
I was slightly startled myself at one point as a rabbit galloped across the road and across my path. Incidentally, I was once recommended rabbit meat as an alternative to the usual chicken or beef. I went down to the local butchers and bought two whole rabbits and stuck them in the fridge. A week later there were fifteen of them. Absolute bargain but they taste just like chicken anyway.
My feet were feeling a bit raw and sore as I neared Eastleigh via Bishopstoke. That road always feels a long one and with a lengthy slight incline. I paused briefly to pick up water and a couple of small snacks for sustenance. My hands were certainly feeling the cold and my left hand betrayed a blue tinge. I wasn’t especially entertained by the football on the radio but we picked up a useful point. If hitting the woodwork counted as a goal it would have been a 3-0 win rather than goalless. Not a bad result for us at all and yes, we’re still top with 9 games remaining. Counting down.
The 9 or so miles from Eastleigh to home were longer than long with my feet. A bit of rugby on the radio as I staggered up Sarisbury Hill but I was more intent on finding some decent head music. I wouldn’t be dancing, that’s for sure, but it can help in building some sort of rhythm into my stride. Ok Elvis has left the building….and gone home to another building after 23.80 miles. Over 200 for the year, a bit behind schedule but not by much.
Spiceboy's Very Long Walk 