Beltie's Race Preparation

Yesterday, even after the postponement of our first big race of the summer 2020 season, for reasons that we are all feeling I bit jaded about, my husband, quite the individual, still went about going through the motions of race preparation that he would have made had the event still been open for the business or racing.

He went upstairs and got both of our race transition bags out and one after the other he emptied them out checked them off and repacked, first his bag and then mine. In my case he changed the gel heel inserts in my trainers, for a new pair and then replaced the insole. He changed the elastic laces and set them up how he knows I like them, not too tight over the top of the instep. 

After we had finished all our TV classes he ran a bath and when he came out, he flashed open his dressing gown for no other reason than to show me that he had shaved down all the body hair; chest, back (Yuk) legs and arms were all as smooth as a baby’s bottom as the saying goes. 

 A while later he got ‘Dressed for dinner’ as he put it…. Shorts and a long sleeved race shirt, that I noted was 2008 Timberman70.3 the race swim was in Lake Winniepesaukee, in New Hampshire USA that was a holiday that we absolutely loved; we met some more wonderful people who are still on our social media friends group. We had stayed at The Temperance Inn which was a marvellous experience.

Then he asked me if I would trim his hair, beard and moustache up, nice and short, how he liked it for a race. I have cut Steve’s hair and beard since we were first together, these days I do his eyebrows and ear hair too. So far he has resisted nose hair trimming but it is on the cards soon.

A few days ago when I was searching through My Pictures, I had shown Steve and few old photos that I was intending to use and had remarked how nice he looked with shorter hair, years younger than the pulled back tight in a pony tail that he has worn for many years now.

So having planted that seed I said “How much do you want off your hair”. He raised his gaze to meet mine and said “Do what you like with it I don’t mind one way or the other”. So Permission Granted! 

Stephen Belt never was a short back and sides man.

Steve got the full works, (apart from the nose) and didn’t look in a mirror until I had finished with the scissors. I put a few of the photos on FB expecting a flood of complaints from our friends who are used to the way he has looked for a very long time. Well surprise, surprise, everybody like the new Steve; even Steve, which was a great relief. Full race preparation completed.

He did ask me this morning if I had any plans for him when the next cancelled race came up onto the calendar, not much left to trim…….

Next up would have been two UK events, A fun fancy dress 10km run in Brighton, the really fun Run 2 Music and the week after that would have been the 30^th Anniversary of The Windsor Triathlon, our favourite UK tri and then the big one we were looking forward to most. That would have been new event for us; Ironman 70.3 Graz. But… Hey Ho, there you go, all those races are rescheduled for later this year or twelve months away, as far as we know. Bummer and a half, no; double bummer.

This morning was run day again and we left home at 5.15am and started our 10 km run in Angmering Park at bang on 5.30 am. Summer it seems has been and gone. Cancelled like everything else. But hey! We are alive, happy, fit as flea’s and we are not listed in with the well over 30,000 people who have died in the UK from the deadly Covid 19. Bless their everlasting souls. We have stayed indoors apart from our, crack of dawn run, every other day for the past nine weeks.  Let us stay sensible shall we.

So back tracking there a bit, summer, had deserted us this morning. The wind was blowing a hooley as though it were mid October. There were trees down after the overnight blast, there were branches and twigs almost covering the woodland trails and there was hardly and animal to be seen anywhere all hunkered down. For the first time in recent outings the sun was already up, though still low, and we really like those tall thin people who run along in front of us only attached by our feet when the sun shines on our backs.

At least it was not raining but we had to watch our footing because of the fall of woody debris. Nobody else was out at the same time as us today, too bloomin’ windy and we felt it more because of the beautiful warmer weather in the last couple of weeks that we had quickly taken for granted. This is England. That is what happens. We should get used to it but we all live in hope of better things don’t we?

Once home, it was bed linen changing and washing day. Then coffee, one hour of Qigong with some very long held positions, they are getting slowly easier though and then an hour of ballet workout class. That concluded the morning.