Evening all,
Someone asked me today if I often did stuff for charity and this got me scratching my head instead of my beard. Then I remembered I entered the Halstead Fun Run when i was twelve with my mate Gary Harding-Payne.
It was during an era when the revered sportsmen were long distance runners like Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett and Steve Cram....running in those days was cool....and cool meant chicks...or so me and Gary had thought. Unfortunately, we had the appearence of a couple of pencils dressed in trainers, and the only benefit we got from learning to run was that if the women were going to continue going in the opposite direction, we at least had a good chance of catching them up.
Anyway, after a few months training the big day arrived of the Fun Run. I can't remember who I was raising money for, but I do remember that most of the village dived into hedges or drew the curtains at the sight of me crossing the fields with my sponsor form, so i think i ran the six and half miles for about £12.50.
Personally, I think that Fun Runs are just an opportunity for people who don't drink to wear fancy dress. So, Gary and I positioned ourselves at the start line amongst some young mums, with lumps in all the wrong places, purely because they were dressed as the cast of Baywatch. There were at least half a dozen Knightrider's and a poor group attempt at the Ghostbusters crew...what possesses a man who has probably never touched a Henry Hoover in his life to drag one around the streets of Essex? Oh yeah, charity.
Anyway, me and Gary were making good progress (around Halstead, not with the Baywatch mums) when he got a stitch. Ironic that the man with the physique of a needle should get a stitch. So, being a mate, I stood by the side of the road with Gary as we were overtaken by a Womble, Freddie Mercury and three nuns (one with a moustache). I waited 20 minutes for Gary to deposit the last of his Ready Brek on some old lady's front lawn before we were off and running again, but that's what you do for a friend.
When we turned into the home straight, down Halstead's High Street I turned to Gary to give him the old, thumbs up, "We've done it!" but Gary was already thirty yards ahead and determined to finish in front of me. In the last few steps he had shown me a clean pair of heels and a couple of fingers for good measure.
Well, that was the end of the skinny twins running days but I got a date with Wonderwoman (you know, the one with a brace on her teeth and National Health glasses) who was handing out Lucozade in the car park. So, in the end I was a winner as well as a loser. Oh and then there was all that money I raised.
I've forgotten why I started that story but it's got a happy ending and filled today's blog entry. Talking of happy, i added up the money I've raised so far and it currently totals £225.
Whoop Whoop!
Thanks as always to those who have donated.
best wishes
David
