Eddie the Eagle

Well now Blog,

         After the usual Saturday evening swimming session with my granddaughter and grandson, the former had a sleep over with us because tomorrow she wants to do the Centurion Running Club monthly Fun Run over 2 kilometres. Her mum can’t take her as mummy is taking part in the Midland Counties Masters cross Country Relays at the same time but at a different venue. Being a devoted grandfather I was volunteered to watch the television set with her. I have to confess Blog that I was not aware that there was so much rubbish on the television on a Saturday evening. I really must pencil in another Saturday when I am free to watch a similar riveting evening of entertainment. Bugger, what did I do with my pencil??? Anyway, one of the programmes had ‘Eddie the Eagle’ on and we were told on more than one occasion that he was tough. Very tough, with a capital ‘T’. At this point I had to explain to my granddaughter that I once volunteered to take part to help a tandem ride from John O’Groats to Land’s End for a children’s charity for disable children. Eddie the Eagle was the star of the ride. We rode from town to town, stopping off at each Renault garage (the overall sponsor) for refreshments and to collect donations which each garage had collected, with the usual photo shoots with local high profile sportsmen; the charity utilising well known sports people as part of their fund raising commitments. Anyway, we gets down to Devon with ‘Eddie the Eagle’ being ‘tough’. One afternoon was a particularly hard hilly section. Really hilly with a mega hill included. Eddie was on the front of the tandem and I was on the back and we were really, really pushing it, no holds asked for and none given   …… until nearing the summit of this mega hill, Eddie actually asked if we might throttle back a bit!!! GOT HIM!

No way mate. My legs might have been about two miles behind my body. My lungs might have been on another planet. My guts might have been hanging over my handlebars. BUT NO WAY MATE! Suffer you bastard. Suffer. SUFFER BIG TIME tough boy. Mind you, it was then over the top and down a mega downhill. Boy was I scared. Overtaking cars! I felt as if I was about to find out if there really was a God, with a capital ‘G’. It did flick across my mind that Eddie was quite prepared to sacrifice us both just to prove a point. The point being a touch of revenge, maybe????

This reminds me of another sporting occasion … a marathon. I had dragged another runner well clear of the field and neither of us was willing to give an inch. My legs might have been about two miles behind my body. My lungs might have been on another planet. My guts might have been hanging over my jock strap. At 25 miles the other runner suggested that we might run in together. No way mate. Suffer you bastard. Suffer. SUFFER BIG TIME little boy. I cleared off and won with ease ….

Must finish now Blog, to catch the last post with this letter and then to get my head down … if I am trudging with my granddaughter tomorrow, I need a few ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzs

                                                   Colin

P.S. Watch this space for the result of the Fun Run tomorrow.