Happily Ever After

Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running

Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.

Dancing And Walking

by Russell Turner - 16:18 on 25 July 2021

I’d forgotten how much two consecutive gig nights can take out of you. No wonder I got so many PBs when City Limits wasn’t playing.

Last night’s wedding reception followed tradition by running late; the masks were definitely a something new. After the happy couple’s first dance, for which they were later joined by the parents, the gig became a performance, played to guests who stayed at their tables unless they went outside or to the bar (where social distancing was conspicuously absent).

Lack of movement meant that the vibe was one of those gigs where the crowd sit on their hands and look unimpressed. We knew that wasn’t so – a few people were jiving in their seats, others were dancing on the lawn – but that’s how it felt. A couple of times, people made forays on to the dance floor, only to be reminded by polite hotel staff that such enjoyment was not allowed.

Restraint became too much halfway through the second set, when Don’t Stop Believing filled the dance floor, and the staff either turned a blind eye because there wasn’t long to go or knew there was no way of getting everyone back in their seats. This was just as well – our finale of Loch Lomond and 500 Miles would have been a huge anticlimax without audience participation.

So a good night, and the rust is coming off our playing (in most places). I also managed a cramp-free night’s sleep, but not enough to feel ready to run today. Instead, I completed my planned 5k as a brisk walk, in warmth that made me glad I’d had no running for a fortnight. My cramp-hit calf seems completely recovered, my testy tendon less so, but with only a low-level grumble. Let’s hope it stays that way. The bonus was that I earned Garmin’s highly sought after 3-Mile Walk badge.

Whether my return to running is tomorrow or Tuesday I’ve yet to decide. Rain is forecast Wednesday to Friday, which may affect my plans. At least the predictions of thunder and lightning have been lifted.

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