Marty
Siwy in her English country garden in Vienna - photo by Nigel A JAMES
Marty
Siwy
Charging
Boars and the Big Wide World
There's
something that shows in the eyes of a runner. It's an expression
of depth that comes from success. For they who go running are
everyday winners; and winning, when running, is reaching a goal.
Short to begin with and getting longer with fitness. And Marty
Siwy's first goal was from here to the corner, and that was a
long time ago!
But
soon, the corner was a long way behind and Marty was putting on
distance. And, with distance comes peace. For the first time in
years, she had time to not only think, but plan and make schedules as
well. Whatever the weather, be it sunshine, lightening, rain or
snow, she was out and alone with her thoughts and her feelings.
There were no phones to answer, no boys and no husband. She was
there for herself, and that was a wonderful thing! But, the Vienna
woods where she trained every day were full of surprises, and not
always nice!
And,
Marty's surprise was the pigs! And, wild boar can be very
wild indeed! She had just run into a clearing, and, there they
were, in their hundreds, blocking her path. And, worst of all, they
were protecting their young! Marty had no time to think! With
charging boars on her heels, she fled back the
way she had come. She was no longer thinking of patterns and
recipes, she was thinking of getting out of the park in one
piece and alive. Her life was the prize, and she wasn't about to
give up! And then, with just seconds to spare, she was over the
fence and in safety. Her running had saved her!
And
speed and condition were essential for her next stage as well. And,
that was the world. The biggest goal of them all!
With New York in her sights, Marty
went up in gear and took her training to serious new heights. And, it
paid off! She not only came first in many of the city runs
she went in for, but crossed the finishing line in very good time in
every one of her 21 marathons. She had won! Her prize was the
world, and it stretched from Hong Kong to Europe with New York and
the States in between!
Of course, there were medals and cups and great
praise, but, the best things of all were not only the people she met
and the friendships that followed, but also the discovering of
the little known and out-of-way corners of the far away cities that
she went to. Running is fun. It's social, it's slow and it's fast,
and you can do it wherever and whenever you want! It's all up to you!
And the future? Marty, with her many years to
her credit has no intention of stopping. And, anyway, running won't
let her! It's not only essential for good health and clear thinking,
it's the best anti-ageing there is! So, why not follow her perfect
example? However old or how young you may be, simply put away the
creams, forget all the promises and put on your running shoes
instead. Just go for the corner, start winning, and the rest will
come on its own!
Vocabulary
charging
– stürmen
clearing
– Lichtung
discover
– entdecken
expression
– Ausdruck
fled
– (to flee/fled/fled) – fliehen
heels
– Fersen
paid
off – (to pay off/paid off/paid off) – zahlt sich aus
patterns
- Schnittmuster
protecting
– schützen
recipe
– Kochrezept
sights
- Sicht
wild
boar – Wildschwein
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