I Ache All Over

One of the side effects of being in a social group like the Pink Singers is that you meet people who have other interests. Case in point: Celso, one of the new tenors, jogs with the Front Runners, and, partly out of politeness, I agreed last Sunday to give this group a shot with Johnathon. By yesterday afternoon I was already chickening out, but Johnathon, very slyly I might add, decided to call me while he was already on the way down to the meeting point.

Great.

I was comfortably sitting on the sofa with a nice cup of cha and the Simpsons on telly, but had to then pack my running gear into a bag and head down to the South Bank.

To cut a long story short though, I had a really good time. I haven't really run properly in years, but the stretch along from the Houses of Parliament to Tower Bridge is wonderfully scenic, especially in the failing light of a London autumn. Johnathon is a little more out of shape than I, but I was actually quite glad for the excuse not to run at the pace of the rest of the group.

The biggest appeal of such groups though, is the people, and I met some really wonderful members yesterday like Steve, Nicholas, Dylan and Toby. Interestingly, when we went to the pub later, all the new members sat together while all the older members congregated elsewhere. Thankfully, there were some who made the effort to come across and involve us, and conversation flowed smoothly.

It is a situation I noticed with the Pink Singers when I first joined all those years ago. This has changed over the years, and there is now a much larger contingent of gregarious souls who make the effort to engage new members. At the same time though, it really is a two way street: being a newbie means stepping outside your comfort zone (as Johnanthon likes to say) and requires you to reawaken the dormant socializing genes.

Really glad I went, and will go again tomorrow, and even on Saturday. I ache all over, but it looks like I've found a new hobby.