Requiem for Two Runners

Dave Chanter laments the passing of two of his “sole mates”…

The twins died last weekend and I mourn their passing.

They were faithful friends, always ready with their support until last Sunday, when one of them had a terrible accident. And since one depended so much on the other, that accident meant that both had to die.

And it was I who had to decide their fate.

I thought of enshrining them in some prominent place, but my wife complained that they smelt — and I am afraid it is true.

They were Norwegian, known as Hoyre and Venstre, which simply means right and left. They were not quite identical: Hoyre's toes were bent to the right and Venstre's to the left, hence their names.

I do not suppose that you have ever heard of them. They were not sporting stars, but I do not believe that you would find more reliable, workmanlike sportsmen.

Being Norwegian, they were at their best on the high moors, and their best performances occurred when the conditions were at their toughest.

Last October, on a terrible weekend of horizontal rain, they ran for twelve hours across the bogs of the Pennines. They did not win, but sport is made up of thousands of individuals who never win, but who nevertheless get as much enjoyment from finishing as the winners do from winning.

Last March, when the snow blanketed the high ground of the South West, they had their finest hour, coming second in the Bodmin 5 Tors race.

After that they should have retired, but I persuaded them to carry on, engaging the services of an expert in plastic surgery. He laid a new skin over their ageing wrinkles and, with this, we went on a long training run across Dartmoor last weekend.

Alas, it was too much for them.

After two hours Hoyre fell apart. I was with them at the time, as I have been on all their sporting occasions, and I thought it was the end.

Luckily, the Dartmoor Rescue Group were encamped only a few yards away and, as I called for bandages or surgical tape, they sprang into action. Within minutes Hoyre was bound together in a pink cocoon of plaster.

But the treatment did not last.

Half an hour later he was in a bad way again and the rescue group stationed at Widgery Tor were summoned. They were magnificent. An entire roll of three-inch surgical tape was applied to pull the wound together and I thought that Hoyre would last until we got home.

But these Dartmoor tors can be savage, and on Baggator the wound was exposed again. The wind howled across the bleak tor and I sought shelter behind a rock to consider our predicament.

We had not seen anyone for nearly an hour. The day was now advanced and the wind unrelenting, whipping away all the warmth.

If Venstre and I were to get home, then it seemed we would have to abandon Hoyre — and that was a treacherous thought.

Danger clears the mind wonderfully, and I suddenly remembered that my compass had a nylon lanyard which maybe I could use to stitch the wound.

The result was not pretty, but it sufficed.

Hoyre hobbled over White Tor, through Cudlipptown and on to the welcome of the Peter Tavy Inn.

I brought him home and then I disposed of him, and of Venstre too.

Harsh? Callous? I suppose so. But when two such hardy individuals, with whom I have enjoyed so many exhilarating moments, reach such a state that they will never leave the house again, I believe it is my duty to give them a decent burial, lest others, who know not their worth, kick them into a corner.

So farewell, Hoyre and Venstre.

You have given my feet a sure grip on the hills of Britain and never once did you give me a blister.

They do not make the likes of you anymore because they say it is not economic. But what do economists know about the pleasure and comfort that a good pair of shoes can give to a runner?

The moral of this story is that it is best to invest in quality gear, as it will always repay you.

A story by Dave Chanter

A Philosophy We Share

Dave's closing thought is one we wholeheartedly agree with. Investing in quality gear can repay you many times over — through comfort, performance, durability and the confidence to keep doing what you love.

At ABSOLUTE360®, a passion for quality and performance has always been at the heart of what we do. From the fabrics and technologies we choose to the way our products are designed, tested and made, we believe performance sportswear should earn its place in your kit.

For us, quality isn't about creating something to be admired on a shelf. It's about creating kit that can be relied upon when the miles get longer, the weather turns against you and the conditions become challenging.

Because the best performance gear isn't necessarily the gear you think about most.

Sometimes, just like Hoyre and Venstre, it's the gear that quietly does its job, mile after mile, until one day you realise quite how much you've asked of it.