I like ramshackle. To me it suggests something that is run down but still serviceable – so long as not too much is asked of it. Sounds about right.
I’m an ageing, well, everything really. I’m getting old but don’t quite believe it. Way back when I first became involved in running male runners became veterans at 40, women at 35. For all this has since been equalised at 35, (from my 60+ years both sound ridiculously young) having been running for over 35 years I think I do now qualify as a vet of some sort. Illnesses and accumulated injuries have started taking their toll this last few years but I still dream running and strive to find ways to keep going for all in reality I shuffle rather than flow these days.
Running was not my first passion. Originally, I was a climber and the running began as a way to be fit for that activity. But as solo climbing was all that really appealed to me I soon found that mentally I had gone as far as I could in grade climbing, whether on rock or ice, and found myself more interested in simply spending long days in the mountains, tackling anything that was in my way on whatever route rather than seeking out artificial difficulty. Naturally, the background of grade climbing helped hugely with this.
As life – work, living with the partner I’m still with, doing an Open University degree and running with a club – took over, spending hours travelling every other weekend in the hills became less attractive or even possible. My running had also quickly blossomed out from traditional road and cross country to include ultra, ultra trail and triathlon. And my partner having kids, both she and I were happy for me to leave them alone for periods to scratch my mountaineering itch both on solo winter camping trips in the UK and abroad.
I first retired from running, triathlon, all that sort of thing, when I was in my early forties. Nothing to do with age, I still thought I had as equal a chance as training, mental strength and physiology would allow of running as fast as ever, at least at longer distance events. No it was just that the dog we had had for fourteen years had died and my partner’s children had left home, seemingly for good. As Di said, it was the first time she had been without dependants for twenty-five years. So we both quit the jobs we had had for years and went travelling for six months; first in Southern India and Sri Lanka then onto New Zealand. When we returned to the UK, we both got jobs at an animal shelter and rehoming centre. The deal was 40 hours a week at minimum wage with as much unpaid overtime as we wanted. I was also staying onsite for a couple of nights per week. It left little time for much other than the work and looking after the two dogs we had immediately adopted from the place.
I don’t think I ever intended it as a end to running. But after a move to new jobs in a different part of the country as I looked to return it was with a deliberate attempt to redefine what running meant to me. Although I couldn’t forget my PBs, events were more to be measured in relation to the experience, the challenge, rather than by time and position. I guess this was an acceptance of the lessened ability that came with ageing but it appealed to me more than getting heavily into the whole age group thing. As my mountaineering became more about fast-paced ascents and travelling in the hills than grade climbing in full gear, I also felt freer to experiment with canicross and swimrun. The adventure was more important than competitive ability
Illnesses, accumulated injuries, yeah ageing notwithstanding, I intend carrying on adventuring in some fashion for as long as possible.