Unexpected Visitors

 

Unexpected visitors.

What a lovely day it has been, one of those rare times when nice things happen in a continuous stream of unexpected happiness. You would think it was my birthday or some special celebration day but it is not.

The morning started with Steve and I getting our run kit on and driving a couple of miles to our usual start point on Angmering Park Estate, where it is possible to do a handful of totally different run courses, different distances and different scenery.

 We did our eight mile loop today that starts off in the opposite direction to any of the other  runs of habit. We have only started this one during the LD when there has been restriction as to how far from home you could go for exercise purposes.

 Normally we would drive out a few miles further to start a longer run, using The South Downs Way. The reading we are getting from the Garmin Forerunner, that we have only had since the beginning of last years race season, and we are now finding indispensable, keeps telling us this new run is a best in a year but in fact we have only upped our mileage during this time because of the possibility of doing a longer distance triathlon. Needless to say all the events we had entered have been postponed, some until next year. Today’s run was another best for the distance though, by half a minute off the previous PB. So that was an excellent start to our day, a nice little boost.

It was the first time in ages that there had not been a showy sunrise because it was overcast most of the way. The route we are taking is rather dark in some places now that the canopy overhead is more or less complete with the new season growth; another chance to say ‘The woods are lovely, dark and deep’, to each other. It is probably the most regular remark during the summer runs, so thank you Robert Frost, for having burrowed your way so deeply into our fitness regime that you are always just a breathe away.

There are far less deer about now and I can only think that the estate has culled some of them because, beautiful as they are, they are also pests to the farmers in large numbers. All Steve and I saw today was one main road casualty just before we turned off the main road and into the estate. And then one more at about mile five who was a handsome young male with a set of antlers well on the way to full growth.

The only other change we noticed was outside one of the pretty cottages in Patching village where the cardboard cut out of our Prime Minister that had been there for a while, had been removed. Can’t say that I will miss him from that spot.

After we got home, Steve had a couple of bagels with his coffee for breakfast, since he would be doing heavy work today, packing the first container he has had to work on for four months. 

The weather has been sunny and bone dry for weeks now and yet when the first heavy days work comes along it rained. That was a pain in the neck, if not lower parts of the body. None the less the job has been done and we are thankful for the work after so long with nothing on the horizon.

I had just taken all my clothes of ready to step into the bath when my phone rang. It was a young telesales man from a company that I use regularly. He opened the conversation with; “Good morning Mrs Belt I hope this is a convenient time to have a few words with you”. I  responded by saying that I had one foot in the water and that I was getting in the bath after and 8 mile run and was glad that it was not a face time call! He had all my details to hand of course, including my age, so he remarked that an eight mile run was very impressive at any age let alone mine, and that I had made him feel guilty because he didn’t do any exercise at all apart from walking the dog three times a day and that I was obviously far fitter than him. We continued with a quite long conversation about fitness during which I told him that a good way to start getting some fitness back would be to try a jog-walk between lampposts when he went out with the dog and that the dog would like it even if he found it hard at first.

Eventually I told him that he had best get back to whatever he was supposed to have called me for before he got the sack for his company if anybody was watching him. He laughed and said that he was working from home for obvious reasons right now. But he did have a better than half price deal on offer, that I did take advantage of, so in the end we were both happy. He gave me his name and telephone number. I finally got into my bath.

 I was never so glad that I had been making a habit of getting properly dressed every day and not just throwing on comfy clothes during this time when I am mainly at home, I had even made an effort with my hair, not that that ever lasts long with the strong curl that I am blessed, or cursed with that is a matter of opinion.

While Steve was out at work, I had delightful morning when two of my best friends popped by. The first was Elaine who lives immediately opposite the pool, Littlehampton Wave. She had come on her bike bearing a delicious looking home made fruit cake all wrapped up in fancy packaging and with a pretty greeting card too. Nice little catch up chat to boot. 

 When the front door bell rang later on I though it must be a delivery man but no! It was another face that I have been missing and had only been thinking of a few moments before. I couldn’t believe what a nice surprise it was to see another dear friend Michelle, who has been one of our swim set for many, many years, standing on the front path with an enormous arm full of Sweet Williams, my dad’s favourite flowers.

It was such a delight to have not one but two great surprise visits from friends that I so sorely missed right now. Our swim set, is also a strong social set and we take any excuse to go out for a meal after our Saturday night club swim. Birthdays, celebrations of any kind or simply because we have not been out for a few weeks. Theatre, cinema, events or any of the above.

Friends and family, life blood.