pickupthepacepaul

I usually write quite serious blogs, usually about my events, but today this post is slightly different. This is intentionally provocative, sarcastic… well I’m frankly taking the piss. If you are easily offended please stop reading now… you will definitely fall into one of my 4 categories of runners.

I started working in central London a couple of months ago, and since then my running routes have changed and everything has got much more busy. I’m not yet used to running through through crowds, and I’m having to get used to start/stopping every few feet as I try to make my way past numerous people taking up the entire path. Everyone is so rude, and look at you like you are crazy trying to get past them. I have to keep myself from shouting at people, and I am finding it very hard to relax and enjoy my run in these busy parts.

But there are numerous runners, and the other day I seemed to meet all the red lights as I made my way to Hyde Park. I know that once I get there I can do a nice loop and enjoy the run.

At each light more runners joined me, I raced off ahead as soon as we could cross, and would be met whilst waiting at the lights. Towards the end I was in a line of 4 runners, and we must have looked like a comedy sketch… are we runners, or are we dancing I thought to myself.

At each light I stopped. I literally stop and wait, I used to bounce and jog on the spot. But after many years of running, I now just stand still. Part of me used to think that there would be benefit of keeping warm, or supple. Not wanting to get cold and risk injury. I now realise that all of this was unnecessary, and achieving nothing. Why was I dancing on the spot, when I was supposed to be running?

It made me smile as I looked around and all of us were doing something different, and it looked ridiculous. So, leave your comments and tell me, what kind of runner are you:

Stop and wait: me

The bouncer: bouncing up and down on the spot. Wasting energy, usually bouncing far more vigorously than the running part of this routine.

The jogger: jogging on the spot, like you can’t possibly stop or you won’t be able to start again. Knees coming up far higher than when you actually run.

The dancer: my personal favourite, and one that you don’t see that often. Bouncing isn’t enough, running on the spot isn’t enough. The dancer needs to keep forward momentum and even when waiting at a light will keep running up and down, around in circles, not stopping for a second. But that still isn’t enough, they have to shake their arms and start doing funny twist? I bet they don’t do that whilst running.

I am still smiling to myself thinking about the scene. 4 guys all wearing dri-fit, Lycra, looking at our watches. Me stood still clearly staring at the others. The bouncer, I wonder if they were picturing being on a bouncy castle? The jogger, doing high knees, and the dancer running around us.

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m running, not dancing 😂