Author: FosterRuns

I didn’t particularly feel like running so I thought I would take a short route somewhere, possibly sticking to the pavements.  That’s not exactly how it turned out.

I did start by running down through one of the new estates and found myself on Folders Lane, but then I was stumped as to where to go.  Years ago my short route wove down in the space between town/railway line and the road across the Common and this was where I found myself running.

So much for avoiding tall stinging nettles and other scratchy plants… the path is clearly not so well travelled at the moment.

At the far end I emerged onto Janes Lane and ran towards the town for a short distance before being lured off to the right towards Great Ote Hall and on towards Wivelsfield church.

Here I was caught up by another runner who was clearly on better form than me.  Richard suggested that I join Burgess Hill Runners… advice I may well take in the autumn.

I continued on across the fields to the far end of Theobalds Lane, which is still delightfully stuck in a 1950’s time warp… it’s a narrow road with a grass verge in the middle!

I ran back along the lane to the present time and then found my way past my old house… the hedge having been allowed to grow half way across the pavement!

So much for my short run… once again it was about 6 miles, completed in 70 minutes… the average of 5.1 mph reflecting my general reluctance!

With a three-hour project management exam looming large on the horizon tomorrow I felt it was important to get out for a run, despite the fact that the weather was really warm and very close… my notes (I’m writing this, ahem, three weeks later!) say that it was almost raining!

I decided to run the normal short route, with a few tweaks to miss the stinging nettles that I have been wading through lately.  The major tweak was that I ran the route in the opposite direction… something that I cannot remember doing before, thought I find that hard to believe after all these years!

Inevitably my feet were drawn to different tracks and I found myself out on Hundred Acre Lane and then running down a path to the middle of Wivelsfield.

Those of you who have followed my blog over the long-term will know that I have a Jekyll & Hyde approach to mud.  In the summer I tend to avoid it, going to great lengths to keep my runners dry, but in the winter I relish running through the thick of it.

Thus, in the midst of my summer run, with dry trainers, my first thought when I came upon a big muddy patch across the path was to run round it.  However there were two couples carefully picking their way around the margins, one on each side.

The opportunity to play to the crowd was far too appealing and I splashing noisily through the worst of the puddle, leaving big smiles on both sides in my wake!

One of the couples took a short-cut across the fields and I caught them up again on the other side having run the long way around.  Curious about the other characters I’d just passed by the side of the road I stopped to chat… it was the village day yesterday and I learned that there were 20 or more different people represented around the area.

My serotonin levels refreshed I returned home.  The run was 6 miles, completed in 65 minutes… 5.5 mph average.  And muddy runners!

I had worked on my hidden shed on Saturday and though I don’t seem to have taken any ‘before’ photos, it looked like this by the time I parked it.

I was feeling a little brighter so I upped the pace around same circuit as last week, the 5.2 miles taking only 52 minutes, an average of 5.75 mph.  That was not bad bearing in mind that the undergrowth was encroaching on the path in may places… mainly stinging nettles and brambles, but also 5-foot tall ferns in one place, which I had to wade through!

Every couple of years or so our neighbours grant us a little more afternoon light by having their vast eucalyptus tree trimmed back.  This year I was amazed when the tree surgeons carried on until they got to ground level!

I thought I would at least get outside, even if I didn’t run very far or very fast.  It was a glorious day and I just pottered along the short loop route to Wivelsfield, taking photos along the way.

5.2 miles took me 59 minutes, an average of about 5.2 mph.

I’ve been laid low with illness for the last couple of weeks and am only just starting to get back on my feet.

However on the 18th May, just before I started spiralling downhill, I managed to choose a beautiful day for a run in the woods… which I hope the pictures below convey.

6.2 miles in an hour (from memory).