Month: November 2008

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Man Down!

It was another flat-grey, wet and slightly misty morning and I had forgotten about running until I prepped the espresso maker.  The shorts duly made another appearance and I jogged off into the surprising stillness of the world outside.

As I stretched out towards the Royal Oak, I had a sudden change of mind about where I was going and crossing the road, I headed up towards the Magical Path in the opposite direction to normal.  It really is amazing what you see and think when you look at something from a different perspective.  And, I thought as I tripped and flew through the air into the mud, what you don’t notice!  In this case, a low root.

As the seasons change, so does the environment and what was not a hazard before becomes more dangerous and visa-verse.  For example, there are always low branches to duck under, but on a flat-grey day, when they have lost their leaves, they are almost invisible against the patchwork quilt of colour behind.

The different viewpoint meant that a path that I seldom even register made itself clear to me and as a result I ran across to Hundred Acre Lane and up towards Wivelsfield for a way.  Missing the path I was aiming for I turned left onto another which took me back into the woods where I then ran right again until I reached Wivelsfield.

I realise that I am still running ‘dry style’, that is trying to keep my feet dry wherever possible.  Once the ground gets truly waterlogged I will be able to revert to ‘wet-style’, which is where I just run through the middle of the puddles with no regard for dryness.  This realisation has prompted me to think of a post for my other site which I shall write shortly.

Then it was a quick run past the Royal Oak, with it’s great memories of our Gathering last year (more so from this direction for some reason) and back to the house.  Despite the greyness of the day, the colours of autumn are glorious, so I thought it was time I showed you.

One hour and one minute was less time than I expected, but I didn’t feel as if I was running particularly fast, especially after my fall.  Distance to be confirmed later.

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A short reprise

After a day of torrential rain yesterday, where we hid away in the garage sculpting, we woke this morning to flat grey clouds and a light mist, suggesting it was kind of warm outside.  Which is was by comparison to some of the days we’ve had recently.

A quick espresso with a banana later and I was out the door by 10am… in my shorts.  Although I also had my Gore jacket, woollen Thurlo’s and Orange mud-pluggers on.  The latter seem to be my shoe of choice at the moment, and I guess it’s likely they will continue to be until the Spring now!  They are warmer and they actually give me some sense of grip in the mud… although they are like ice skates on wet wood.

I headed out to the south to Oldlands Mill (with a quick diversion around the water tower for a change) and then down onto Lodge Hill.  If you ever fancy a short walk with a great view, this little hill above Ditchling is really worthwhile as it looks down into the sleepy village below, as well as across at the Downs.

I bumbled along East End Lane and crossed the road at Sporting Cars of Brighton (MX5’s R Us) and started on the long run up to the Downs.  After all the rain I thought it would be really muddy, but most of the water was running off or sitting in puddles.  Still, as the incline increased the orange shoes really came into their own.

This path up Ditchling Beacon is a real test of endurance and I often think of it as a simile for work (at the moment, for sure!) where you just have to plug away, step after breathless step, the temptation to stop actually strengthening the resolve to keep running.  And the sense of achievement when you get to the top without having stopped (work-wise I’m still on the steep bit, alas!) is palpable.  Small victories, perhaps, but victories nevertheless.

As I made the top, the sun was just starting to burn through the mist, which was really uplifting, as was running back down the path again.

I now have some small sense of what it might have been like to face a cavalry charge in days of old.  As I came along a narrow path towards Ditchling, so towards me round a corner ahead came galloping a big white horse… EEEEk!  I pressed myself into the side of the path, but the woman saw me and reigned her steed in before they reached me.  PHEWIE!  The thought of a whole army of these things charging you down must have made those foot soldiers go week at the knees!

Back over Lodge Hill in the now sunny morning and past Oldlands Mill and then it was just a short tromp back to the house.  One hour 37 minutes seems like a shortish run for a Sunday, but it was 10.5 miles and I guess that 6.5mph is more than okay bearing in mind the climbs up Ditchling Beacon, and Lodge Hill on the way back.