Boxing Day Recovery Run

Boxing Day pre-breakfast bash on the summit

I have been a less regular participant at the weekly meet of the local running group this year but managed the Boxing Day bash up Lime Craig before breakfast. Our resident Met Office weatherman, Colin, had advised of the best window for the run between the frequent festive storms which were generously laced with heavy rain and winds. He called it right and we were becalmed on the summit for what was my 180th ascent of the hill.

I had taken a flask of gluhwein and this was drunk more out of politeness than any desire or need to warm up, it was another of those feverishly warm wet days that have smothered us in December. Despite managing my best year of running since 1993, with 1300 miles clocked so far, I was slower than I hoped up the direct steep path, it may have been the flask of gluhwein, but then I am the old-timer in the group. The women are still in their late thirties and the men mainly in their fifties. We took the longer scenic route down the zig-zags which loosened me up for breakfast.

On arriving home there was an ambulance at the house, Ellie, my 92-year-old mother-in-law, who was staying with us over the Christmas/ New Year holiday, She had not been able to partake in Christmas dinner and had retired to bed in the afternoon. She had been very ill on awakening whilst I was out running. The Doctor had been called and he immediately requested an ambulance.  The house was empty in the afternoon. Aileen was at the hospital, Gregor had returned to his flat in Glasgow, Amy was on a ski holiday in the Alps and Eva had gone to her husband's mother's house for Christmas. I was all alone on Boxing day for the first time I can remember, it had always been a time to relax and play games in the reassuring embrace of the family. It felt like the end of the family Christmas as we had known them.