The Director

On a number of occasions over the last few months, when doing my loop through Western Park, I have encountered a procession of runners heading in a number of different directions on different paths within the park. Some go bounding up hills with gazelle like springiness, and some, poor souls, struggle manfully or womanfully up hills that at my age and status I now choose to walk. If they dare walk, the Director (I presume a well paid personal trainer for this group of perhaps 50 persons) suddenly appears when neither they nor I had noticed his presence, and shouts them back into the shuffle that indicates more than a walk up the hill.

This morning, not far from Western Park, I spotted him on the other side of the street shouting at someone and waving his arms to indicate "Down here". By the time I got the camera out and focussed that runner (slim, fit, fast) had gone. These four had been sent down the hill to the Park and its winding hilly trails after him. while the Director waited to ensure that no one opted out.

Only I, not in his group, could ignore his directions and head the other way to the park I had chosen for this morning's run.