Running

Over two years ago the company I then worked for was taken over by FransiscoPartners, a venture capital firm. Suddenly, after years of lethargy, I started to run. With hindsight I guess that I was showing that I still was in control of my life, no matter what strange decision making the new managerial team might be doing. I still run to this day.

Or should I say 'plod'. I have never broken the 5 minutes a kilometre barrier, and still start to run out out of breath after the first few hundred meters. Despite this I find that I do overtake others when out on my training runs. A few days ago I was huffing and puffing down the main road, slowly gaining on several runners up ahead.

Without warning a far faster runner shot past me. A young woman. Very professionally dressed in skin tight sprayed on Lycra running apparel. She cast a sort of disdainful look over her shoulder she sped by, easily reeling in the next runner in the procession. From way back I noticed that as she went past him, he pulled in his chest, heightened up, and started to run faster. For a few meters he kept pace with her, and then he snapped, unable to keep up with her. I plodded on, and soon passed a very winded, almost broken man.

Up ahead of us all a father was running with his pre-teen son. I had easily been gaining on them. As the woman runner accelerated past them, the father also puffed in his chest, and started to run faster. Leaving his son behind, he fell into the wake of the woman runner. And he did not snap, rather matching her stride for stride. I watched with interest as the gap between the father and the son grew. It was clear that the Lycra had driven all thought of the son from the fathers head. I had to turn off, but as I did so I heard the desperate son, now close to me, shouting to his very distant farther "Dad, Dad, wait up, wait for me!"

A few days later I was out running again. In front of me the same father and son ran. As before, I gained on them, and soon easily passed them. I was very happy not to hear the plaintiff cry from behind of "Dad, Dad, wait up, wait for me!"

5:26:04 PM