Home Thoughts From Abroad

Well that was a long year – a leap year to be precise. Much to celebrate on reflection …. over and above our national Olympian heroics. Importantly, we all did it………….

......... some with pace, some with panache, some with pain, some with injury and some with a smile. Some went short, some went long, some went ultra, some went trails, some went hills, some went highways and byways and some went daylight and some went overnight and in darkness. But we all did it. Some went local, some went far away; some went solo, some went relay, some went Tri.  Some went fun, some went competitive and some went representative.  Some coached, some cajoled and some just took their medicine – track, fartlek or handicap. Some won, some finished, some started and DNF ………. So they are still out there. But we all did it.

Some wore black, some wore white and many wore our claret and blue ……… but we all did it.

As for myself, one year ago today, I huffed and I puffed, stop-go,  all the way round Richard’s route just to get to his mince pie table but I had a friend who didn’t leave me alone in my suffering…….. step in Maggie, helper of all, never afraid to hold hands with the tardy. Now 366 days later with a little pump adjustment procedure thrown in, I am doing it better again …….. and out here in New Zealand completed  a mini-tri in Hawkes Bay with my son, without drowning, crashing or stumbling (too slow for that) then  finished my year off yesterday with a solo 5k trail visit to Picton’s native woods. So, I guess I did it too!

And what did we??  We all went RUNNING.  For this is DRC and we are proud of it!

NOW we have a brand New Year to start all over again and enjoy our running afresh in 2013, and for those that for one reason or another didn’t or couldn’t do it in 2012 we  hold out the worn treads of our running shoes to you and say ………. we missed you, come on, dig them out, get them on again and wear your own treads in DRC company and friendship this 2013.  There will be a feast of running for all of us in the months ahead whatever our own particular brew of choice ……….. and usually there will be a claret and blue buddy to enjoy it with.

So, Happy New Year to all in DRC, to you and your family and friends and may the miles go by quickly and with pleasure.

Best to all for 2013.

Peter