Wednesday 11 April 2012

Introducing SR: the Secret Runner

Readers from Couch to 5K (C25K) already know of SR's exploits and her furtive running adventures with her new friend Laura.  For the benefit of my blog readers, here's the story.

Unbeknown to me Rachel, aka Coach and Mrs Ramblings had signed up to C25K back in February.  C25K is an NHS backed fitness programme encouraging people in their first steps in becoming a runner.  It's a gentle start helped by using free podcasts and this is where Laura comes in.  Laura is the motivational coach whose voice breaks through the up beat music at the right time.

There was an elaborate web of innocent deception going on when Rachel would disappear for a gentle walk, jog and run all under the guise of taking Poppy Dog for a walk.  Apparently I caused a few panics when I'd call home and say I was on my way home from work soon, or the times when I'd be tidying up Rachel's running shoes from the hallway.  They thought I had rumbled them but I hadn't.

Meanwhile Rachel the Secret Runner had been gathering quite a following on the C25K forum with lots of people in suspense (juicydee, Bxster, Al1Bi and others) about whether I'd discover what was going on and how Rachel was going to spring the news on me.  People couldn't wait.  A few clues had been left for me on my blog, urging me to check the C25K forum and then there was the Easter egg waiting on the doorstep when we got home from the Easter Sunday service.

Sure, I noticed the wrapped up Easter egg but just left it there.  Nobody ever buys me an Easter egg and if I'd clocked it I was bound to have been spoiling someone else's plan.  Somewhat frustrated by this, everyone else (and they were all in on it!) had to resort to handing me the egg (isn't he so dopey) and putting the little note into my hand.  The little note was a bit cryptic with a website, user name and password.  So.  So I logged on and then I came to realise what this was all about!

I'm so proud of Rachel, my coach, Mrs Ramblings for taking these steps and it's another reason why I love her so much that this was all sprung on me (and my apologies if this is a bit too cheesey).  The Easter egg was iced with the message "Love from a secret runner" and on the back it said "will you come for a run?".  Of course, that simply had to be done.

Off we set, the two of us with the Laura the virtual goosebury and we had a very gentle 20 minute jog with Poppy Dog who , funnily enough, seemed to know the way.  I happened to be listening to the MP3 when it announced to Rachel "So now you're a runner".  Now Rachel has "come out" as a runner, it's great we can go together for runs and who knows where this could lead.  Rachel has even started to pick up Runner's World magazines and actually read them rather than just tidy them away!

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