To prove I’m so very English, in my weekly update I’m talking about the crazy, mixed up weather we’re having. Lockdown life still seems very strange and yet the summer seems to make it easier.
Right now the weather is damp, breezy and I’m cold. In fact we have the heating on – in June! Hard to believe a week ago it was so lovely and warm with me flopping around in shorts all the time.
Running
On Monday I went running with my good friend Jon, socially distancing of course. We ran over my favourite hilly course although as I kept us on the roads (so we could be alongside each other) it was slightly shorter at 6.5 miles. Nevertheless it was hard going for me, I felt a tad drained because of the heat and needed to stop at the top of Hollicks Flippin Hill to catch my breath.
Jon and I have run with each other quite a few times before, though the last time was a few years ago when we trained and ran the St Albans Half Marathon. I was a little fitter and faster than him in those days. Now he seriously has the edge on me!
We talk about a wide range of things. Our family relationships, faith, fitness, careers and so on. If the run wasn’t so hard, the miles would have drifted by unnoticed with those topics.
Although I do like to have the occasional run with a friend, mostly I prefer running on my own – I love having the space to get lost in my thoughts. The exception is the Saturday morning Parkruns which I seriously miss. Most of all I miss the chatting with friends afterwards over coffee and homemade bread rolls.
Cycling
Friday saw me meeting my friend Wallie in Burford for a cycle ride in the Cotswold Hills. We normally do this once or twice a year and we both cherish it. Mind you, we are like a pair of grumpy old men ambling our way around putting the world to rights. Our 30 mile route means we can spend most of it side by side, only rarely encountering any cars. The only time we separate is when bombing downhill or plodding up.
We generally stop at an idyllic place for our packed lunch, right by a little river. It is very beautiful, classically English and there’s something so reassuring about it. It doesn’t matter how crazy, mixed up and bonkers the world is, the peacefulness and beauty remains the same. It makes me reflect on God and how we can hear him in moments like that; perhaps we all occasionally need places like this to reset our minds.
The weather, by this point in the week, had changed. It was breezy and only with sunny intervals. There was a tiny bit of rain and that brought a lovely fresh smell into the air.
A trip to the seaside!
On Saturday, we drove to Weston to meet up with my Mum. Becky and David (her hubby) drove up from Exeter to meet us; we were still compliant with the rules. It was another long drive, about seven hours altogether.
The weather was crazy and cold. The thought of shivering on Mum’s patio for several hours didn’t appeal to any of us, so we drove up into Weston woods for a barbecue. It was still cold but reasonably sheltered and about the best we could hope for.
It was a lovely time there in the woods. While we were having our lunch, I remembered being there as a child. Now I was there with my wife, my mother, my and two daughters; I reflected on this in my own thoughts.
I glanced at Becky and David standing there, both bright and clever, looking so carefree and beautiful; it was very poignant. I wondered if my life’s work was complete in some way. My family was there, three generations and there was a completeness about it. I can’t really put it all into words here but I do feel quite emotional about it.
So a lovely week, some memorable time with those who mean a lot to me. I’m thankful. I have so much I could write about, including other times spent talking with friends and my family and yet these are too personal for a blog. Perhaps I’m becoming more, reflective in recognising these extra special moments….