The other day as I was driving home, I passed two young women running along. I guess they were in their twenties or thirties, in bright running gear, one of them had a water bottle in her hand the other ha taken off her cap and was adjusting her pony tail as she ran along. I was stopped behind a bus on the narrow road leading to our drive, and could see them running towards me.
They were running so easily, quite quickly but not absolutely racing, but they looked perfectly comfortable, and in fact the girl with the water bottle was chatting away to her friend who was pulling back her hair as she ran. She put her cap which she had been holding in her mouth, back on and as they passed me she answered her friend. They were obviously having a good old gossip as they ran, laughing and joking about something or other… an all the time they did not break their stride, just rad fluidly past me… if you can run fluidly… well, they ran fluidly!
I was so envious! I used to be really sporty – especially when I was a teenager; I swam about 40 miles a week, cycled everywhere, including eight miles to school and back, did circuit training and weights, played sport at school, especially netball and rounders… and yet I never could run like that. I could run quickly here and there within a game, I could dash around the netball court, or run to catch a ball at rounders… but actually running… I just couldn’t do it. later in my life I played squash; admittedly I didn’t play it very well, but I could race around the court, flinging myself after the ball.
I sometimes dream of running; not running a way from something, not running because I’m pursued, but just running for the sheer enjoyment and pleasure of it. In my dream I am often running through trees, sunshine slanting through the branches, or running uphill across a sunny meadow. The sky is always brilliantly blue, the colours are vibrant, and I’m striding out, the miles flying effortlessly by!
In the meantime, I just notice others running, and watch the London Marathon each year!
Lois Elsden 