Being lapped by a Lady Boy...

My first week back to picking up running seriously again went pretty well; as did the dive into exploring a more low-fat diet.  Now I am not going to sit here and boast that all was a cracking success.  A month off running and in fact any training of any kind whatsoever clearly revealed itself to me within the first ½ km of my Monday evening run.  It was hot - I know, I know a reoccurring theme that I am sure you are getting fed up with.  But in the absence of any comment available to me about the terrain or even changing weather patterns you just have to give me the one constant to my running at the moment – it is hot here, hot and humid and about 35C.

So I was running, in the heat, hoping that my foot was properly healed, wondering if it was possible to sweat any more than I currently was, and dreaming whether I would ever attain a graceful flow to my stride when I was overtaken by a sight that you would probably only ever see in Thailand.  I was overtaken by a Kathoey.  A Kathoey wearing itsy bitsy denim cut offs, waving very flappy hands and in deep animated conversation with her running buddies.

 

The most beautiful ladies of them all

For those unfamiliar with the term Kathoey, you are perhaps more familiar with the term Lady Boy.  Kathoey are I think very particular to Thailand and perhaps also Cambodia, and are probably best considered as a third sex or third gender - they are most certainly not drag Queens.  Kathoey are strange and mysterious to the outsider but seem to be accepted and part of life in Thailand.  They cause heads to turn (foreign ones), and laughter to be hidden and are one of those iconic images people have when they think Thailand - along with fake Rolexes, just ask Lady GaGa.

Though not a naturally competitive person, being lapped by her brought home to me how unfit I am at the moment and that it will be a long hard journey back to happily running 11K around the park in just over an hour.  That first run/walk on Monday of 5.5K took me 52mins 34 sec. So I extend my heartfelt thanks to that Lady Boy with the great legs (and flappy hands).  She has given me the push to get back and get faster. Perhaps one day soon I won't be being lapped by the Lady Boys but I will be running with the Lady Boys.

If you are interested in reading about Thailand that is beyond the sleaze visit my friend Greg's blog - http://gregtodiffer.com