Originally Posted by
Tindersticks
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.....but you can learn a thing or two from an old dog.
Nellie our 13 year old Border terrier is adorable. There’s not a day goes by where she doesn’t bring immense joy into our lives. In equal measures there’s not a day goes by where I don’t think, “I can’t believe you’ve just done that”. Today’s ‘I can’t believe’ moment occurred just as I’d sat down to start this ‘race report’.
Alison had gone to a Zumba class and we’ve got the house to ourselves. Which can only mean one thing: Nellie and I are going to indulge in some heavy metal. I couldn’t decide what to listen to so I closed my eyes and had a ‘lucky-dip’ at the cd shelves. Get in....Thin Lizzy ‘Live and dangerous’.
I sit down to type and I’m in full karaoke mode singing away to the first track: Jailbreak.
Tonight there’s gonna be a jailbreak
Somewhere in this town
See me and the boys........”Hey! Nellie, what the hell are you doing?”.
At first, admittedly, I laughed...as I watched my beloved pet dragging her hairy arse across the living room carpet, the newly fitted living room carpet. And judging by the look on her face she must like Thin Lizzy more than I do. Blimey she’s enjoying herself, I bet Alison’s not doing this ‘shimmy’ at the Zumba class.....eyes closed, head tilted slightly back and mouth open as she glides across the carpet. I watch her longer than I should’ve but she looks so content, it seems a shame to interrupt her. What am I thinking, it’s a new carpet and this shit has gotta stop. My shout of disapproval does the trick and she grinds to a halt: back legs up in the air and arse planted firmly into the carpet. She glances over to me: yeah she knows who the boss is, she knows she’s done wrong....and off she goes again without a care in the world.
”Hey! Nellie....behave”.
She stops, reluctantly, and walks towards me. Sheepishly she nudges my hand to prompt a stroking. Of all the cheek, after what you’ve just been doing....not a chance. She nudges again and puts on the sad eyes....I succumb, after all she’s adorable...most of the time.
So what have I learned from my old dog, disregarding the carpet shenanigans. Every morning the first thing she does once awaken is a stretching routine. I have no stretching routine...Nellie knows best. Nellie will regularly self manicure her feet, especially after a walk. My feet are battered, preventative maintenance would make running more comfortable...Nellie knows best. At every opportunity she’ll have a drink with striking regularity throughout the day. I drink little and not often enough....Nellie knows best.
It’s another scorcher and the beauty of being a shift worker is paying dividends as I’m off work on Tebay race day. I’ve a few jobs planned but they can wait till another day as it’s too warm. But I should be ok for Tebay, I’ll squeeze it in. At 9.5 miles 2500ft is Tebay the hardest midweek race in the calendar?....I think so.
During the day in anticipation for the evening race I’m taking Nellie’s lead. When she drinks...I drink. She cleans her feet...I attend to mine. She does the stretch...I stretch in time. She licks her bits...I draw the line and don’t lick mine, more stretching required!!!
Driving up the M6 and I’m looking over to Blease Fell, the last climb of the race, and the car temperature gauge is reading 29 degrees. It’s going to be a warm one. My back is ‘wetter than an otters pocket’ even though I’m sitting in an air-conditioned car. A car goes past with England flags all a flutter and the occupants are going ecstatic inside...the final whistle has just been blown at the South Korea v Germany match, the Germans are out.
There’s a good turnout and Paul the organiser informs us there’s water at 3 locations on route thanks to the local farmers taking water up on quad bikes...many thanks, it was a welcomed relief. Surprisingly the fells where actually quite wet underfoot in isolated areas and it looked like most runners found the occasional bog, I know I certainly did. Having to work that bit harder than most was Howgills Sean Robinson. During the day Sean is a burly builder, pencil behind ear, tape measure by his side, silicone on his work clothes. At night Sean runs the fells in ladies footwear....pink ladies footwear. In true fellrunning camaraderie Sean was offered the use of a spectators shoe when mid race one of his shoes ended up worse for wear with the sole hanging on by a thread. After the race, quite a while after the race, Sean’s guardian angel made her return from the fell in Sean’s destroyed footwear, the shoe exchange was done....brilliant.
Great race, a midweek beast of race. Many thanks to Paul and all helpers. Thanks again to the farmers for supplying the water and what a fantastic spread of food and cakes in the social club.
When Alison came home from Zumba I told her about Nellie’s carpet manoeuvre. She asked if I’d checked if anything looked ok.....”yeah I’ve checked her out, anal glands look fine, she just had an itchy arse”.....”I’m referring to the carpet”.....whoops!!