Happily Ever After

Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running

Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.

The Camera Never Lies

by Russell Turner - 18:37 on 27 November 2017

The tunnel vision of the proper marathoneer was made plain today.

Matchgirl and Cathy the Runner finished the event just two seconds apart – something that left both of them baffled as neither had seen the other since about halfway round the course, and they certainly didn’t see each other at the end. A mystery.

Then the official photos were released, one of which showed Cathy straining towards the finish line and Matchgirl seemingly touching distance away.

What was even more baffling to Matchgirl is that she was certain she’d crossed the line alone. In her own world she did, but the photo also shows several other runners ahead and behind. Her steely focus must have put everything out of her mind except getting to the end. That’s proper determination.

The running half of the holiday is now officially over (which may be why the sun shone so strongly today). This afternoon Matchgirl and I bid farewell to the departing Full Potentiallers and moved into the huge flat in one of the medieval apartment buildings that will be home until Friday. It’s all on one floor, with wooden-beamed ceilings 20 feet high. All except the bathroom which features a more modern ceiling height – always a nuisance for the tall person taking a shower.

Regarding health, I continue to improve although Matchgirl urges me not to do any runs while I’m here. Shame. As for the girl, her remission didn’t last and she’s now full of the cold. But not flu, which she failed to understand. If she got it off me she should have the same.

“Maybe you didn’t get it from me,” I suggested. She thought for a moment. “That woman I sat next to on the plane was coughing and spluttering all the way across. Perhaps it was her?”

So maybe I’m not to blame after all for Matchgirl’s holiday woes. Sounds right to me.

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