It's been quite a week since that little race thingy. First of all - and I can't remember if I have mentioned this already - but I have acquired a place on the Berlin Marathon on 28th September. Note to self: lots of weeks in which to train, and get ready to show those Germans a thing or two!!!! Then - Martin and Susan, great friends of ours, from what we (in Switzerland) call the big canton - Germany - called and mentioned a possibility of me taking part with them on an Ironman competition in the vicinity of Nürnberg in mid-July - Susan will swim, Martin's responsibility is the biking, and my little task will be the full marathon!!!!! OK, that's in about 12 weeks. Hmmmm - oh dear, oh dear, oh dear........ I know I'll give a positive answer: this Marine answers in the positive Sir, yes Sir!!!!!!!! Bloody hell, I could have had such a quiet little life with my camel spiders - collecting bodies, reading, doing the ironing and watering the Triffids. But, no, not me - off I go, running and doing silly things in the Sahara and Germany!!!! We won't even mention Libya, Mongolia and South Africa at this stage. I mean: my mothers, in their plurality, even sent me a training programme for the Comrades Marathon in South Africa!!!!!OK, let's get back to the recent past, and think about post-Bündner-Frühlingslauf......What the buggery hell happened after I crossed the finishing line? Nothing, really. The camel spiders and I shared a bottle of wine; Kurt took over the Bündner Nusstorte I received as a prize; friends, Rolf and Brigitte, arrived late, and I was able to give them huge, wet, sweaty hugs; we popped off to a pub for a swift pint. There were lots of compliments in the pub, 'til I took off my one Nike shoe to inspect a suspected blister, and offered Brigitte my socks as a souvenir, when the smell police arrived, and I was ordered out. I thought my feet had a certain je ne sais quoi.
Once the photos and fingerprints had been taken and dutifully recorded, the handcuffs removed, and the manacles taken off, we went home, and I lay in a hot spa bath for about an hour, while the camel spiders enjoyed the sun out on the veranda. I was tired, but incredibly happy, and that had nothing to do with the glass of SA red next to me.
Later that afternoon, we popped into town for important shopping - smoked salmon, Veuve Clicquot, blister plasters, and Aspirin. A quick visit to my favourite watering hole, Calanda, in the middle of town, was not out of the question, and a glass of local white went down very well indeed. I was still in my element, and almost drove Kurt mad with my tales of every step I took.
Anyway....... that evening, we went out to dinner in one of my favourire restaurants, Va Bene, in the complex in which is situated my wellness centre, to which I go each Wednesday evening for a 1000-metre swim, and a lot of time in the Finnish sauna, steam bath and caldarium, followed by a large glass of the best red, served by Anna, the barmaid of note.
Sunday was a happy day, full of rain and cloud, with thunderstorms to the north of us. The usual thousand litres of coffee over, a ton of müesli and organic orange juice, and the day began. I had no stiffness from my race, and felt energetic and happy - until a 'phone call came through, followed by another - DEATH!!!!! And all this, on a day, when we were supposed to go to the christening of a great-niece of Kurt. Ah, what a shame that I could not make it!!!! All that religious nonsense is worse than toothache, so I happily agreed to do one of the death cases, and to organise for one of our hideous employees to do the other.
My one was up in the ski resort of Arosa - high above Chur, absolutely beautiful. The driving distance is about 25 km, with about 365 curves (literally) in the road, but the views are beyond belief. I took it easy, and drove slowly up to this mountain paradise. I almost forgot the reason why I had gone there. I finally reached the house of bereavement, and did what I had to do. As I was about to leave, with the body in the back of the hearse, the little old lady, whose husband had died, suddenly clutched on to me, and started crying woefully. I put my arm around her, and she held on to me, face on my chest, crying hysterically. I felt so incredibly sorry for her, and put both arms around her shoulders, holding her to me, while she howled out her eyes. I have to admit to several quiet tears myself. Finally, she withdrew, thanked me from her heart, and I walked off to the hearse, my shirt dripping with salty tear-water, and smothered in make-up - why do women wear that stuff????? One does one's best!!!!!!
Back in Chur, Kurt arrived home around midday, after what, he claimed, was a horrid experience (serve him right, for getting involved), and I proclaimed, that I was off up Känzeli - the mountain in front of our house, for MdS training, complete with rucksack (Al Silcock will be happy to hear!!!!). The skies had cleared, the day was warmish (sort of -35°C - almost), and there was no way I was going to miss out on this. I dressed in sensible Bermuda shorts, a Ron Hill vest, my Nike runing shoes, and underwear beyond belief, but best left unmentioned........
With iPod/Nike and Garmin 305 gadgets functioning correctly, not to mention gear from the Karl van den Bergh Bondage Club, I set off..... The route sets off straight up!!! No warming-up, just straight-up. I shall add photos later. I started off running, but was soon reduced to a booze-induced crawl, it was that steep. Finally, I was in the forest, and it became even steeper. I am starting to hate Patrick Bauer!!!! Anyway, I had done this route a number of times, but not avec rucksack filled to capacity with food for the camel spiders!!!! The little buggers had so much fun, running all over the place, and can you imagine what a problem it is, trying to keep track of them?
Up and up we went, enjoying the views down to Chur (see flickr.com/injasuti). Like Mittenberg a week or so before, I/we was/were (those buggery camel spiders!!!) at the top of Känzeli in a time which made the mind boggle - not sure, anymore, of exact times (I'll look them up later, and add them), but it was something like 43 minutes instead of the usual 1:30.
So what? - at the top of Känzeli, but it's not the end of the world. Keep going, buddy. Onwards, and upwards.... MdS. And off I/we went................
Methinks, I should leave the rest 'til tomorrow. I have consumed 12 litres of fine SA red, a bottle of kirsch, 96 beers, and a quart of cream.
Whatever, it's all for the MdS, and buggery Patrtick Bauer. I shall continue. Belief me, the life of Craig Braithwaite and the Camel Spiders is not a quiet one. 'Til the morrow then.......
Cheers, and dune greetings,
Craig and Friends........
P.S. I shall do typing corrections tomorrow.......
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