Falling into spring

April began with the safe and joyful arrival of a new grandchild. The tally now of 2 girls, 2 boys gives the next arrival, due in May, a deciding vote in the generational gender balance. I’ve had little time to sit and reflect, I’ve been busily engaged in family life.

My running progresses at a steady pace. I was running by the sea when the news of the birth arrived. The frequency of my runs is lower than I’d planned; recovery times are longer now than when I first began to run two decades ago. With 5 miles safely in the comfort zone, I increased my distance this morning and ran further out of town. I chose my route strategically and headed out uphill, saving the downhill for my return.

It was a perfect day, not only for running but for sightseeing too. Our town is surrounded by grassland; two hundred acres, give or take the bits shaved off over the years for traffic flow. In early spring, the grass comes to life with crocuses, later in the season it is criss-crossed with cherry blossom. In recent years, the trees have become a tourist magnet. A canopy of pink blossom against blue skies creates a beautiful backdrop for selfies and more formal portraits.

It was busy today. Dog walkers, couples, families, office workers with their sandwiches. The ideal opportunity for a granny to trip over the tarmac and crash to earth, skidding along the ground on hands, knees and elbows. My very active fall was no doubt caught in many pictures.

‘No, I’m fine,’ I lied to the young man rushing towards me to assess the damage. With super-granny effort, I dragged myself up and forced myself into a slow jog to hobble the rest of the way home. I’d covered half of the half marathon distance. And the bruises will be awesome.