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.