Actually, maybe this should be called a post-piste run, in view of the fact that we enjoyed several bottles of wine with our friends Phil & Pam last night… which is several more than we normally imbibe!
Fortunately I awoke with no serious side-effects and Phil & I were out of the house, running down the road, shortly after eight. Phil was keen to stay running on the road too, which had given me a bit of a challenge as to where to take him… clearly most of the directions I go are off-piste.
We settled for a general route out across Folders Lane, down Spatham Lane, west through Ditchling and Hassocks and then north up the London Road. Phil had warned me that he normally listens to music… and had then been warned that I talk non-stop! I think he was wishing he’d brought his headphones with him but as it turned out the conversation was very pleasant and carried us all the way round… with the occasional beep from Phil’s Garmin to notch up another mile.
On the outskirts of Ditchling we came across a couple, with a bed-sheet, collecting plums to make jam. Moments later I landed on a ripe plum and shot the juice up the back of my leg… from then on I kept expecting wasps to chase me.
In the middle of Ditchling I felt the need to drag us up Lodge Hill and we then did the short off-road section across to Oldlands Mill before dropping down into Hassocks on the road the other side.
When we finally got back into Burgess Hill we ran the long way round, via Leylands Road and Worlds End, to see a house that we had each owned at some point. The current owners, or probably renters, are really letting the side down on the garden front… it’s a right mess! I’m quite tempted to pitch up with my tools and blitz it… for the sake of the neighbours!
We were nearly home and the Garmin showed that we had not yet quite done 12 miles, so we ran along the road and back to make up the distance, Phil timing it perfectly so that we had only a short walk up the close to the house.
So, 12 on-road miles in one hour 56 minutes and just over 6mph. Lovely run, great company and more than slightly warm… good job we didn’t leave any later!
Photos will follow tomorrow as I’m currently sitting in the garden, tapping this out on my Mac, having already had my increasingly common Sunday afternoon nap!.
Just for the anoraks amongst us….
Distance 12.01 miles. Total time 1 hr 56 min 18 secs (excluding David’s toilet stop). Average pace 9.41 mins per mile. Av speed 6.2 mph. Max speed 8.7 mph (can’t say I remember that bit). And finally the important bit for those of us who over indulged in the excellent fare the night before ….calories burned 1424!! Cheers mate enjoyed the run (an excellent trip down memory lane – all the places I remember from my time in Bugs Hill). You can go back to the fields next week. Sorry I can’t send you the lovely Garmin graph as well – very pretty it is.
P.S. Having my hearing checked this week as I definitely didn’t hear the mile beeps!