I got the bike out of the bomb shelter last night and pumped up the tyres, so I’d be able to ride down to the parkrun (assuming that the good weather would hold). This activated La Serpiente’s Anti-Racing senses, so at about midnight she kicked off and yelled at us for an hour, assuming this would prevent me going racing this morning. Her plan was outwitted by me being dumb enough to go out after only 5 and a half hours sleep, and try to run a 5k and ride 20km on the bike for the first time since the 20th of June (after which the arrival of our second daughter put a real crimp in my running schedule, even before the haze arrived).
Today I finished the run in just over 21 minutes – way off my personal best, and I had hoped that after all the recent spin classes I’d be a bit quicker, but then specific-training will always beat riding on a stationary bicycle in a darkened room to terrible music. I went off like a rocket at the start, and then blew up; my first km was a 3:53 and then I got much slower for all of the rest.
I rode home, unable to get my heart rate up, being utterly knackered. As soon as I got home, I changed and then we went straight back out for another breakfast at Ronin of scrambled eggs, and after that I bought a new pair of cycling shoes, to ensure that I can start to break my record for the commute to the Parkrun, and then went home. I passed out on the sofa and woke up an hour later feeling deathly, then attended a Halloween party that was an efficient way to deliver orange sugar straight to La Serpiente’s gullet. This did not seem like a very good way to finish Saturday. However, as with the Hari Raya party we went to earlier this year, La Serpiente went mental from all the sugar, burnt through it and then fell asleep at 8 tonight. I’m an efficient parent even if not a good one.
The haze, meanwhile, after being low for the last two days, has begun to creep up again. I despair of being able to take La Serpiente out in her new jogging stroller for a few more months.
I’m also pleased to announce that I’ve inculcated in La Serpiente the belief that if she’s bad, the Bungletruck will come. I’ve got no idea what the Bungletruck is, but I’ve told La Serpiente that if she runs around outside the apartment when she’s meant to go inside, the Bungletruck will come and collect her. La Serpiente has taken clear notice of this. Her mother asked her if she was mugging me off today in the taxi. “Tissy mugging Daddy off” she replied. “What happens if you mug Dad off?” “The Bungletruck” La Serpiente said. Is it a good thing that I’ve created a new and imaginary bogeyman for her? Probably not. Although it could be very funny if this becomes a meme she spreads across all the other children she meets…
One response to “Running from the Bungletruck”
21 minutes sounds plenty fast to me, especially bearing in mind lack of training.
I have pain in the foot at the moment after having switched to a mid-foot style with more minimal shoes to try to save my back and knees. (Back and knees are great now!) Seems like you can’t win.