Forgotten but still remembered

Today was very much a day to stay inside. When it wasn't raining the wind was battering the small branches off the pohutukawa trees beside the house. repeatedly the glass in the doors to the deck was hit by the twigs and branches blown off the trees. My extra shows how little could be seen for the whole day.

So I went downstairs to the study to sort out some more to dispose of. And found three red file boxes in a corner. Stuff that I'd put into the boxes a long time ago. When I was still running regularly, and competing occasionally. In one of the boxes were some old certificates. My blip is of the oldest one. Although I haven't thought about it for many years, I can still remember what it was like trying to be a mix of Peter Snell and Murray Halberg; to combine running the sprint out of the competition (a la Halberg), and powering past the opposition like Snell. I didn't manage either at the Club Champs. 

To feel better, I went and threw the discus further than anyone else in my age group. Then I jumped further in both long and triple jumps. I ignored that ability, and continued trying to be a middle and long distance runner. Later on I did become a road racer, at a level with which I was content (most of the time).

I've thrown out a lot of what was in the boxes, but I will keep this certificate (The club was in a small country town, about 9 miles from where we stayed at that time.)