I Helped the Dawn to Break

A cool October morning
My breath hangs in the air
The leaves hang on the trees - just
Next month they won't be there

I jog along the pavement
And push just up the hill
To enter into woodland
Damp shelter from the chill

Dog walker treads his circuit
His pup grins ear to ear
I leap a fallen tree trunk
Come out into the clear

And see the sunlight streaming
Lift souls from off the land
I raise my palms up skywards
Let light pour through my hands

A field once full now flattened
I race along its side
Bright shoes across the dun earth
The plough marks straight and wide

On to a narrow bridleway
My lungs about to burst
I run right through the cobwebs
It seems that I am first

I caught the horses dancing
I made the rabbits wake
I heard birds herald morning
I helped the dawn to break

You are the Quarry

A summer's morning - cool because we're talking a UK summer.  Light mist over farmland, lapwings whirling and skylarks singing to their mates in the nests below.  The sound of my feet on a gravel track.

I veer off right onto the Ridgeway, marvelling at the expanse of land in front of me, and giving a nod to the remaining towers of Didcot Power Station - grey top hats away in the distance reminding me that I'm not entirely in the sticks.

There is no-one else around.  Or is there?  Hard to tell until half a mile on I come across some bird watchers, readying their lenses on an old train bridge, turning them towards the landscape.  I wonder what they're looking for but they've already been distracted from their efforts by another runner who has voiced my curiosity.

Feet push further through grassy tracks, nettles sticking out with the express intention of stabbing me and cow parsley that is up to my shoulders - how does it get so high so quickly?  And then I spot her.

It is another runner.  A woman. 

Pad-pad-pad-pad... 

We're a little way apart but an incline slows her down and I begin to catch up. 

Pad-pad-pad-pad... 

Getting closer now, should I say something?

Pad-pad-pad-pad... 

I spot the ear phones.  She can't hear my footsteps.  The track is too narrow for me to zip past so I call out a gentle "good morning".

She says "SHIT!" as she jumps.  I jump.  And the rush of adrenaline makes me feel like an animal that has been surprised.  A cat that has pounced only to find the mouse has sharp teeth...  I laugh and say sorry and use the extra energy to race away, down a blossom covered track that leads me home.

Soundtrack: You are the Quarry by Morrissey

Match Report: London Irish vs Harlequins

Blue skies
Tricolour hats
Club ties
Pints of black stuff
Irish eyes

A beautiful game, but not quite the result we were after...

Piper, drummer
Battle cries
Game on
The crowd rise

Shields and sinews
Strapped-up thighs
Explosive power
Gasps, sighs

'Quins fan turns
says "No surprise"
Half time
Hot pies

Second half
Game ties!
Pushing forwards
Exiles vies

For home team glory
Last minute tries
The time's run out
There is no prize


(If you prefer your match reports a little more, well, sports-like, click here: http://www.london-irish.com/news/gutsy-exiles-defeated-by-harlequins/bp871/)

Errant Fly

*Burp*

Errant fly
I don't know why
You zoomed into my mouth as I was running
Was it a premeditated act of cunning?

Or did my ill-timed intake of breath...
Draw you, buzzing, to your death?
And as you travelled towards my gut
I think we both wished, I'd kept my mouth shut.

Move Your Body

What do you want? A medal? (of course I do!)

Some things I've discovered I can still do aged 40 thank to the encouragement of my children:

• Ride a bike 'no-handed' (but only for 3 seconds on the flat)
• Do a cartwheel (painful, but possible)
• Flip myself over using a pair of gym rings
• Get across the monkey bars on a children's climbing frame (without touching the floor - I did not cheat!)
• Run 10k (again - painful, but possible)

There are some activities that I avoid doing, partly because I don't want to injure myself, and partly because I often can't be arsed (swimming especially - too much chlorine and other people's body hair floating about for my liking).  This is fair enough if you're on your own (cartwheeling around the garden could be viewed as a little regressive, and hanging out on a children's climbing frame could be viewed as alarming) but when our children are asking us to do something active with them I think we should be obliged to at least give it a try.  How can we reasonably expect our children to be active if we avoid activity?  Or expect our children to "give things a try" if we won't try what they suggest?

With that in mind, I decided that when my son suggested I "go down the skate ramp on a scooter mummy" that I should give it a try.  Here's what happened:

I stood poised at the top of the ramp thinking "I can do this, I do Pilates so of course I'll have good core strength and balance." before making the twin errors of:

Not for grown ups!

1. Balancing the middle of the scooter on the lip of the ramp
2. Forgetting that I am 40 and that the scooter is set up for a six year old child

I maintained an upright position for all of two seconds before the scooter slipped left, leaving me to skid right - on my front, with my palms outstretched.  Tarmac and palms are not a good combination and I managed the magic trick that is tearing the skin on your knee but not tearing your jeans - how does that happen?

It led me to the conclusion that I do want to continue to challenge myself, but perhaps it's better done when the equipment is set up for adults.  So I've signed up to do a silly assault course in October - I'm hoping it doesn't involve a skate ramp.....

Soundtrack: Move Your Body by Xpansions