Monday 24 October 2011

Karma Chameleon

Last Thursday as i sat in my office with it's big windows, gazing out into St Andrew's Square i thought. Wow, what a beautiful day. Yes it was a bit baltic but it was a beautiful winters day, sun shining in the bluest sky. Lovely. In fact in was a lovely day for a run, a long run. I'd already ran to work but kept it at a short 4.5miles because i'd been lured along to club run by a Gav on Wednesday night with the promise of Intervals and *around8miles* in total.

8 miles in total turned into 10.8 miles, with 3xmile intervals. Was great run though, but meant we didn't get home til 9.30, and still had to eat. Late for school night.

So thats why i only did 4 miles. And it was dark, pitch black dark. As it is every morning of course. Hence my longing for blue skies and sunshine. So i pushed my luck a little and mailed my Ops Manager to see if any chance of Friday off. Luckily my luck didn't need pushed  too far and i secured Friday off. Bonza.  Plan formed in my head to get train to Linlithgow on Friday then run back, in the glorious winter sunshine.

Had worked a bit late so took staff out for couple drinks then met Ian for dinner and few more drinks. Well i was off next day after all!  No lie in for me, holiday or not/ Up in morning and opened curtains expecting my glorious sunshiny winters day to find the trees swaying erratically and rain battering window.  Best Laid plans and all that.

Oh well, i'm no fair weather runner lets face it. Ian was being lazy and taking car in so i got lift into town then headed to train station for my wee  train trip to Linlithgow. 20mins later i was at canal, buffed up , gloved up and jacketed up. Half a mile later i was down to my vest. Obviously not *just* my vest, i had shorts on too.

Typical Scottish weather gave me, drizzles, wind and sunshine. But it was altogether quite pleasant weatherwise that is. I'd forgotten how tough a flat long run is.  Flat canal runs just start to do your head in after a while. It was fairly muddy and wet right up til i escaped West Lothian then the paths become dry and easy to run on. Not that i'm  prejudiced towards Edinburgh oh no.

Ian called me as i was approaching Ratho to find out where i was, his plan was to run out and surprise me but i spoiled it by asking if he was free for lunch. Was good to see him when he appeared though as i was starting to struggle a bit. Thank goodness we canned any ideas of running Marathons this year, i think i'd find them a real struggle right now.

I thought run would be around 23miles but turned out to be 20.5. Finished in 3.06 and was happy to get to house as i started to feel sick. Wasn't til i was in house that it occurred to me i hadn't eaten. i don't normally eat before i run in morning so i just completely forgot. No wonder i was running out of energy, all I'd had was bottle of lucozade. When i said to Ian i was going to stop at shop for drink he told me * i only had 1/2mile to go and to keep going*  He's all heart, really.

Took my total to 59 miles for week which is most i've done for ages.

So i vegged out for rest of day, so much so that when Ian got home i was still horizontal on sofa and he announced we had 1/2 hour to get ready. :-O Luckily I'm low maintenance  and i was indeed ready in 1/2hour and ready for night on town with some friends.

Saturday Ian was heading down to Newcastle for footy and picking his boy up at station, I'd  offered to come along and pick up his boys bag so they didn't have the schlep all way to the Toon and back with it. So at 11am we were standing in station waiting. I spotted a wee old man with a beret and some medals on collecting for something so i went over to give him some money. He was very sweet to me and I'm glad i did.I even got a sticker :-) Ian's boy arrived and they headed off for supplies for train and i headed off to Burger King for a kids meal after getting the munchies. Ate that then headed off for my bus. Waited about 2 yrs for bus (slight exaggeration perhaps) and was happy once on and heading home to chill. Got 3/4 way home and decided to get my keys out my bag and put in pocket. One problem. I had no bag :-O fuck, fuckity fuck. After scurrying around floor on bus the sinking feeling in my stomach confirmed it must still be sitting in burger king. That'll teach me for sitting colouring in instead of looking after my bag :( ( that was the toy in kids meal)

I panicked then got off bus planning on jumping on anther back down to Waverly Station. One problem there. No money, of course you've no money you dipstick, it's in your bag ffs. Which is in the station. Well at least you'd better hope so. Panicked call to Ian to see if he was on train yet so he could go check. He was. Panic a bit more and go on Internet to find out station number. 3 calls later and not only is my phone about to die, I'm in minor state of panicdom. Relief as i speak to person in BK who said they'd found my bag and it was now safe in lost property. Phew. Now only problem i had was getting back there with my big fuck off heels on.

Lightbulb moment made me realise i close to Natalia's house so quick call to her and she saved my life (or my feet at least)with £1.30 Got to station to find my bag intact. Didn't have much money in it anyway but house keys and cards would've been major hassle as would not getting back into house til Ian got back from Newcastle. I popped in M&S and bought box of chocolates and handed them in to BK to show my gratitude.

So there it takes me back to title of blog. Maybe if i hadn't given money to that wee man, maybe i wouldn't have got my bag back. Who knows. Karma.

On way home from lunch yesterday we stopped off at shops for few supplies, quick decision was made for Ian to go in alone as it would be quicker. So i sat in car playing with phone.
This is what climbed back in car.
Vice Chair of Sports Scotland. Race director of WHW. Still a big kid at heart.

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