"Run!" he said. "OK, well just walk quickly then"

In a clear sign that I have been consumed by a raging madness (as opposed to those calming, zen-like madnesses, I guess), I got up at 4.45 a.m. today to meet my friend, Fahmi, for an hour of full-on, footpath-pounding, other-hyphenated-words power walking.... the air was crisp and clean.... well, crisply cold at least... with all that smog, clean is highly unlikely.... and as always I actually enjoyed it. Of course, I would rather be snuggled in bed with a significant other, a few bars of chocolate, a novel and a rainy day, but given that unique confluence of events and items, I have more chance of marrying a Yeti and traveling with him to Mars on vacation, so walking is probably a more likely use of my time....

It's been weeks since I walked with Fahmi, stopping all exercise as he did for Ramadan, and after getting used to walking my butt off (disembodied body parts are a little talked-about side-effect of power walking, and more than a little unsightly) with just my iPod for company, it was great to get back to the somewhat surreal situation of walking along like a madman at 5 a.m. while having an animated conversation with a good friend..... Fahmi though did not seem to appreciate just how mad we are remarking as we passed some cyclists that "they're keen".... at this point, I pointed out to him that we were also out at the same time, which quieted him fairly quickly....

Alas this morning there was no sign of the regulars we see on our route, all of whom have a quirky nickname, which no doubt if they knew about them, they would embrace as signs of great affection on our part... no, not slight bitchiness.... affection .... there's quite a difference, thank you.... there was no sign of 'Red' (a woman who exercises at a nearby gym with bright red hair), or 'Pecs' ( a cute guy who passes us each day with a chest to die for.... although it's unlikely I would frankly) or even our old favourite, 'Zombie Gay", who is always immaculately attired but walks so ramrod straight and never blinks, that he is the harbinger of a zombie outbreak to come..... trust me, when the streets are overrun with well-dressed undead, remember where you read the prediction of their coming.....

Given that I am back into the swimming too, I am thrilled that I stand a very good chance of developing some sort of Exercise Addiction, which will cause me to exercise morning and night, forgoing all food, in the quest for the 'perfect body', my life consumed with the idea of being thinner and thinner till when I am almost almost skeletal, my friends intervene in a dramatic late night moment replete with stirring words and violin music, and save me from myself, shoving a jam donut and half a tub of Sara Lee French Vanilla ice cream in my mouth while they make me sit down in a comfy chair with my feet up...... phew! Gotta say that while it would make a great bestseller, as I describe my heroic return to sloth and fatty indolence from over-exercise and carrot-eating, it sounds like far too much hard work..... better to just get up at 4.45, walk like crazy for an hour before rushing off to work to almost my train.... hmm, the Exercise Addiction could almost be more relaxing......