Away Weekend Sunday

Getting ready to go on the final run!

In the morning when I woke up, I realised I had nearly overslept breakfast, I had been sleeping so soundly from exhaustion.  That's a good thing though, as it's hard to get a lot of sleep in bunk rooms!

I quickly got dressed and went to eat, trying to pack in the protein for the run ahead.  I went back to my room to pack my things, and then once we were all checked out, gathered with everyone out in the parking lot waiting to start the run.  We ended up standing around for quite a bit, waiting for Roofie to come back from setting the run, and for Roofie's Brother and the others staying with them to arrive.  They finally made it, we circled up, and then set off on the run.

I was surprised when shortly after we set off, Roofie's Brother fell into step beside me, and continued to do nearly the entire run with me.  Every time we reached a check or a pause where I assumed he would wander off and talk to others, he would simply slow up and go back to running with me.  I struggled a bit to pace with him while having a conversation with him, as I didn't want to be panting while I talked, but I still wanted to chat with him.  So when the conversation faltered, I wondered if it was because we don't really have that much in common, or simply because we were both tired and out-of-breath?

Gathered around the hare in the circle

We talked a bit about his childhood in Bournemouth, various construction projects, and where he'd spent time as a kid.  He told me why he was wearing the same shirt from yesterday, which nobody else was because they were all sweaty and gross at this point.  He said that Sister Fister had insisted they had to wear them, and so he had sprayed his with deodorant and air freshener to try and make it smell okay, but I have to admit running alongside him, it all did smell a bit odd!

Pointing out the way to the beach mid-run!

One question I really wished I could have asked him (but of course I couldn't) was why on earth he's friends with a girl who is so demanding, insistent on her own way, of an incredibly mercurial temperament, and just in my view, rather irritating.  Every time I spend time with her, I try to figure out what it is that other people see in her, but I'm utterly baffled.  She's just so exhausting and draining, constantly surrounded by drama, negativity and complaints.  The classic "drainer" as Joel would say.  And I do think we judge people somewhat based on their friends, which really does make me wonder about him.

Yet of course at this point, his incredible fondness for me is certainly not in doubt.  It's all quite puzzling, as I'm not at all sure what he wants.  Still, I have to say I do enjoy his company, so it was quite fun to run along with him!

Going up this hill was insane!

We did fall out-of-step with each other when we reached a massive uphill, a zig-zag straight up the side of a cliff that was more than I could do at a run.  At least today I had remembered to bring a bottle of water with me as I ran, which I was incredibly grateful for, it was so hot and we were all dripping with sweat!

Finally at the beach with a beer!

After that there wasn't too much more to do, and I joined The Blonde for the final run along the beach until we got to the spot for our picnic.  It was great as we came down the final stretch of boardwalk, those who had arrived before us made an arch with their hands clasped overhead, and so The Blonde and I held hand and then ran through the arch, like a triumphant pair finishing a marathon.  I was dripping with sweat when I got to the beach, but at least today I had a lot less hesitation about stripping down to my sports bra and running shorts, and diving in the ocean.  Ah, it felt so nice!

At bat playing rounders after going swimming in my sports bra and running shorts

We had some beers and made sandwiches for lunch, and then I went with a new girl, Polygamist, to go get ice cream.  Quite a decadent treat, but there's something about ice cream on the beach in the summertime.  We had to eat quickly as it melted all around us in the heat, but it was fun to chat with her, a nice person I think could turn into a good friend, or at least someone who I very much enjoy conversation with.

We then played cricket (which I didn't understand), and rounders (which I sort of did) for a while, which was good fun.  The boys of course argued about the rules, while the girls mostly just tried to catch the ball and stay in the game.

Playing rounders

After a bit, the South African Rugby Player was leaving, and came over to me to say good-bye.  He kissed me right on the lips, which I didn't really want him to do, but I didn't protest.  It did make me worry however, is that how Roofie's Brother feels with me?  I hope not.

Finally The Blonde and I decided to go and catch the 4 PM train, and so started making our own good-byes.  Let's face it, the only person I was really worried about saying good-bye to was Roofie's Brother, who after he expressed disappointment that I was going and implored me to stay, gave me a nice kiss on the lips good-bye.  When confusion in talking to others caused a delay, he then kissed me again before we were off, a very sweet gesture.

Beer at the beach

Just as we were about to make our way up the hill, I saw the Scottish Lawyer Guy, and so also stopped to say good-bye to him, wrapping him up in a big hug and kiss.  Much more the way I hug and kiss my brother, holding on tight with affection, but of course he made it a bit joke about how much he likes holding on to me.  It was quite adorable, really!

We got back to the hotel, got our bags and had enough time to change our clothes (as I was still wearing the clothes I'd been swimming in the ocean in, and my underwear was soaked), and then we had the cab driver call us a cab to the station.  We arrived with 20 minutes to spare, and so had time to grab some snacks for the train and run into a few other people who were catching the same train.

Playing rounders with Luke, an 8-year old who asked if he could play with us

On the journey I managed to get seats at a table with The Blonde, and we talked about all of the news from the weekend, and bemoaned that there hadn't been more interesting scandals.  We were talking about how excited we were that Nobby's Nuts was going to become a father, and then I was surprised when The Blonde said, "Well, he already is a father, but for *real* this time, you know?"

Wait, what?

She seemed a bit embarassed to have let it slip when I obviously didn't already know, but apparently Nobby's Nuts had an affair with a girl about a decade ago when he was doing his "selling books" job in the US (as weirdly a lot of people in our running club seem to have taken these summer jobs where they were selling books door-to-door in the US), got the girl pregnant, and she decided to keep the baby.  He obviously came back to the UK, and apparently has minimal, if any contact with his son, who is now about 10 years old.

I'd always had somewhat mixed opinions about Nobby's Nuts, and this was a shocker.  After all, what can you say about a man who abandons his child?

Yet, I do have a friend who similarly had a child and now the father is no longer part of the kid's life, yet I get the feeling she distinctly prefers it that way.  So perhaps it was best for all involved that he removed himself?  Still, I couldn't help but feel slightly unsettled by that revelation.

The final group picture

When we got back to Clapham Junction, we ran into an Irish chap who had been out on the run with us, and stopped to chat with him for a bit, which resulted in me having only 2 minutes to dash down the platforms to make my train.  I made it just as the conductor was blowing the whistle to shut the doors, so got there just in time!

When I got home, all I wanted to do was collapse, but I had to shower and change to go out again to meet a friend who was visiting from South Africa.  Normally there is no way I would have gone out, but it's not like I'm about to visit JoBerg any time soon, and this was my only opportunity to see this guy on this trip.

Since it was a Sunday night, nearly everything was closed, but we went to a McDonald's so he could have dinner, and I had a chocolate shake while we talked.  It was good to catch up and hear how things were going, although I said a silent prayer of thanks when at around 10:30 he announced that it was late and he needed to go.  I hopped on a bus back home (as one going right by my house happened to be passing by), and got home to absolutely crash!