After working hard in the garden yesterday, I would not have been surprised if the last thing I relished was a run today. However, yesterday’s hard work was a visual triumph, especially on such a bright spring morning and as I sat in the tea house circa 9am, I had the urge to run rather than read.
I’ve not been out before 10am on a Sunday for months so to leave at 9.20am felt really good. Especially as, despite the slightest of chills in the air, I ran out in a t-shirt, shorts & summer socks. I ran out past Ote Hall and for the first 20 minutes I really missed my beanie hat… my ears were frozen. There were no llamas in the llama field, but there was a yappy dog at Townings Place that chased after me.
The only people in Wivelsfield were those collecting their Sunday papers and I headed south down Hundred Acre Lane. At the top of the hill, despite feeling like I really wanted to head back (I had intended to run for about an hour and so had not brought any water with me) I turned left down a path that I remember having seen on the map once.
This brought me out on the road to Hattons Green and I headed in that direction before turning south to St Helen’s Farm. This dropped down to the road west to the Common and since the traffic was whistling past, I stopped at a stile to see whether the path would take me in the right direction. A cyclist stopped to see if I needed directions & it turned out that she owned the land I was looking at. It’s always so lovely to find out about places from locals so I stood & chatted to Karen, probably for ten minutes.
Some friends used to have a cat called Chester, which was a cross between a Tonkinese (or similar) show cat and a black Tom. Chester, clad in grey fur, was a big cat with a low boredom threshold. He would sit lovingly on your lap for a while before taking a swipe at your face or whatever else he could reach! Karen had a black cow that had a similar story to tell, its mother having had a brief fling with an Aberdeen Angus (I think) in a neighboring field. I don’t know about it’s temperament, but I’m guessing you’d not want it sitting on your lap anyway.
I ran onward, back across Hundred Acre Lane and stopped to talk to Lew as he was trying to figure out how to use one of his new toys… a wood trailer. (mental note to self, remember to scrounge some wood for the wood-burner from Lew before next winter!). A further ten minutes or so spent chatting, but this time not in full sun, and I suddenly felt a chill so headed for home.
I returned via the magical path & the Common, collapsing into a chair in a sun-soaked garden. 8.65 miles were covered but I have no idea how long I ran for. My guess is one hour 25 minutes (I was out for 1:45), giving a speed of about 6mph.
More chores ensued (several not on the list again) and I shall undoubtedly feel as if I’ve been beaten up when I get up tomorrow morning, but WHAT a great weekend!
