Life has an annoying habit of throwing you some curved balls, some seriously difficult to deal with, others less so. As a child I hated my name and wanted to be called Sophie. Then I fell in love with Troy Tempest and wanted to be a mute mermaid called Marina.
Spending most of my time in Italy, I often have many names given to me, never Sophie or Marina funnily enough. I have been called:-
- Jam
- Jane
- Jean
- Janna
- Ian
- Yan
With my vast number of years under my belt, I am okay with being called Jan. It is very useful when having to spell your name, complete forms etc., and I’m not sure that Sophiecanrun or Marinacanrun has quite the same ring about them as JanCanRun. So whilst I hoped to have a different name, the reality is that I’m happy with Jan.
Today’s curved ball was yet another bloody migraine, which really put paid to my hoped for 15km run today. Taking the nuclear grade tablets and a necessary 4 hours sleep to shift it, I was able to go out and have a run.
Our Italian cyclist friends were on a multi hour ride called appropriately enough The Italian Job – this was giving me loads of time to run. Except the migraine curved ball changed things a bit. With a slight drumming in my head off I set, through the City and West End to Trafalgar Square in which there’s a concert celebrating all things Musical. Yesterday, we heard show tunes from Mamma Mia the Musical, when we passed with our Italian friends, who then gave an impromptu singalong and hand waving in the central roundabout to the amusement and bemusement of passers by, buses and general pedestrians. I’m not quite as extrovert, so today I just sang along in my head, as I ran past this time.
Heading towards the South Bank, things got a little hectic, load and loads of tourists around and not much space to run. Can’t complain though, as it was entirely my own fault I was running so late in the day. I’d promised one of our Italian friends that I’d drop by a Japanese Design Shop to get hold of some very difficult to find incense sticks. Now when I made this promise, I hadn’t really thought through the logistics of a runner (mid-run), appearing in a neat, pristine, precisely ordered Japanese art and design shop! I hoped I didn’t look too bad, and then I caught a glimpse of the galumphing, red, sweaty runner trying, mostly unsuccessfully it has to be said, to look educated and interested in the various scents of the sticks. Having seen my own face, I ordered two packs hastily, was effusive in my praise for her help and more than apologetic for my physical state. I couldn’t get out quickly enough!
Back out of the Oxo building, (where this lovely little shop can be found) I ran along the South Bank, towards the East, when I was challenged to a run/skate off by what looked like a little Japanese boy on a mini scooter. I didn’t really realise I was being challenged, until he looped past for the third time crowing in delight at having overtaken me. I didn’t stand a chance, as a minimum I’ve done 55 years more living than he has. But he was a gorgeous little boy and chuckling away at his success – who could get peed off at being beaten by a three year old?
Today’s playlist (just to amuse fellow runner Cat) was my country and place name inspired one, and of course I had Tokyo Joe by Bryan Ferry playing during my run. Three hints of Japan today. So I’d hoped to do 15km and only managed 10km in reality. But the 10km was much better than I’d hoped after getting a migraine.
Playlist
(it has three Japan themed songs n it…)
A New England – Billy Bragg
Une Nuit A Paris – 10cc
Maid Of Orleans – OMD
Strawberry Fields Forever – The Beatles
Rio – Duran Duran
Belfast Child – Simple Minds
Going Down To Liverpool – The Bangles
Tokyo Joe – Bryan Ferry
Black Eyed Boy – Texas
Massachussetts – Bee Gees
California Dreamin’ – The Mamas and Papas
Grease – Frankie Valli
Africa – Toto
New York Minute – Don Henley
Streets of Philadelphia – The Boss
Downtown – Petula Clark
Pleasant Valley Sunday – The Monkees
Wonderful World – Sam Cooke
Avalon – Roxy Music
Midnight Train To Georgia – Gladys Knight & The Pips
Solsbury Hill – Peter Gabriel
Strong – London Grammar
Stats
Distance 10.11km
Time 1:12:00 (including bread shopping)
Average Pace 7:07
Elevation Gain 55 metres
Alzheimer’s Challenge
Kms Run 1049.99
Kms To Run 968.01
