April 2017.

[Sweder]

It's been a funny old month. It took me seven days to get a run in at all, and not many since, thought two of those have been consecutive ParkRun PBs at Bevendean. Work has kicked in with a vengeance and shows no sign of letting up, so the long runs will have to wait

Today, 16th April, is a poignant day. A day for looking back, for catching up. 

Ten years ago, not exactly to the day (the 2017 event Ran today), four friends set off on an epic journey that became the Tale of The Two Oceans. It's well known in these parts, mostly for the time required to wade through one of the longest race reports in RC history.

Eight years ago, my good friend and running partner, Moyleman, left us. That these annivesaries should coincide today, on Easter Sunday, seemed like a good excuse for modest commemoration, so I marked the day with a suitably solo Twitten Run. CC5 and OATR were Oop Narth visiting family. James McCauley was crocked, having torn his calf, skiing, Tom Roper similarly incapacitated after bring dragged over the hills by Mr Le Chat on Good Friday.

Off I went, draped in my Two Oceans shirt, under bright and breezy skies. Ordinarily, being alone, I'd have taken it easy, chugged around the 12 ups and downs at a leisurely pace. But this one was for The Man, so I pushed it, hard, barely resting at the tops. I heaved myself up those steep, narrow streets, sweating, puffing, pumping my arms, grinning as I imagined Chris's 'encouragement' as I felt like easing up.

James joined me at Ground Coffee, where I learned of his suffering on the Piste. I told him strories about Chris, he smiled and listened. It was a good day.