2011 Streak Day 193/365: Today I ran

2011 Streak Day 193/365: Run - 2.93 miles, Time - 28min 12sec, Weather - cooler and changeable

After the hiatus it is time to ease back into running. 

Yet another new beginning; yet another climb towards improved fitness. But I am tired of all the stopping and starting, and despair of my ability to regain any level of constancy. 

No self pity though; that is the worst possible emotion. I have to remain dispassionate and work within my limitations; tell myself to look at what I can do and not become deluded by what I want to do. But it is not easy as I have to keep-on reminding myself to be mindful.

Even though today's run felt harder than it should, I tell myself it is at least a run and that is an improvement.

As my last post was about public art I decided to take a picture of the town's war memorial as it struck me that the most common sculptural form in the country was the war memorial. They are in most villages and towns and almost every one is unique. Most are a pillar with a cross but there is a huge variety in the type of pillar, cross and plinth.

I think the Hemel memorial, with its setting and simple planting, is rather fine. 

Photothon 19: War Memorial

This run is to the war memorial on Berkhamsted Common. I expected to take a fairly straightforward shot of the memorial but was attracted by this solitary wreath.

I used to think poppy wreaths were only laid on Remembrance Day and memorials were bare the rest of the year - but that is obviously not the case. This wreath is fresh and I have seen a number of other memorials with fresh wreaths. Has there been a change of practice? Is there now a policy to honour the war dead more frequently.?

I find it disturbing that I do not know. It is another example of not paying full attention. I pass this memorial moderately frequently and the memorial in Hemel very frequently but have no idea how often they are bare and how often they have poppies. I see them without fully seeing.

This also applies to the inscription. I have run or cycled past here many times, without taking the time to look at what it says. I always thought it a bit strange to have a memorial in the middle of the Common away from any community, apart from a golf club, but never investigated it further. Today I did.

It s for the Inns of Court Officer Training Corps who trained 12,000 officers for the Great War on Berkhamsted Common, 2,000 of whom were killed. One in six is a high number, on average 13% of the British soldiers mobilised were killed (source here)

I looked at the memorial and then I looked at the land around and pictured it swarming with soldiers, digging, drilling, shooting, practising for the Front.

How fortunate we are to be born of this era, in a wealthy country, where we can take our leisure for granted. I can run this landscape without a thought in my head except how tired my body is feeling. I can enjoy being here without worry. It is a privileged I should never take for granted