With driving rain and severe gusts of wind blowing the cobwebs of of the trees, it was certainly not the weather to be going for a run this morning.
The principle that Kurt at The Run Shop advocates for fair weather runners like me is to wear the right gear so that you’re always comfortable. So I donned my goretex jacket, beanie hat, long tights and woolen Thorlo socks and out I went for a run.
The going was somewhat more than wet underfoot, but we’re not far enough through the season yet for the mud to be all-encompassing. Most of the water was either sitting on the surface or running off and judging by the backs of my tights, even Nick wouldn’t have noticed if I had splashed mud on him!
I ran out to the Royal Oak and across to the outskirts of Wivelsfield before cutting up through the woods towards Hundred Acre Lane. Here it was just a lickle scary, with long gusts tearing through the trees above and raining twigs and other detritus down on my head. The expectation of something larger following them down was ever present.
I swung in a large arc through the wood to come out near Lew’s place, looping around Ditchling Common Industrial Estate and heading back down the magical path. I reckon the gradient must go this way as it was easy to speed through, hastened by the wind whistling through Damoclean branches above.
I knew the common would be waterlogged so I used the road to circumnavigate it, scurrying along the bank where it too was underwater. And then it was back up into the ‘Hill with a quick sprint where Nick usually speeds up, followed by a slow jog back to the house.
My neighbours looked at me aghast… I’m sure due to the fact that I’d come back after only 45 minutes! I had been quite sprightly though, managing to cover somewhere around 5.3 miles and returning a speed of over 7mph.
And lest you think that it was nasty horrible wet & cold out there, it was not… I was just luvverly, snug and warm in my gear and I can verily recommend the woolen thorlos! Overall, it was a great excuse to get out and, er, swim through some fresh air.