Once again it has been two weeks since my last run. This, combined with a warm day and a stiff shoulder/neck, made for a slow run, even by recent standards.
My legs might have been heavy, but I still managed to extend my run a little, rather than do the minimum. I ran out to Wivelsfield and then continued to the far end of the wood where there’s a steeper track up to Hundred Acre Lane, which I then ran back along. I cut through past Ditchling Common Industrial Estate and ran back along the main path, parallel to the Magical Path.
As I neared the edge of Burgess Hill, I turned left to run along the side of the Common to the pond and then back around onto the normal route home. Sad to report that a new housing development reaches right down to the Common… the sad bit is not that there’s a development there, since change is inevitable, but because, based on the record to date, it will consist of another couple of hundred anonymous, accountant-designed shoe boxes. What a missed opportunity by the planners and the myriad of council folk (Burgess Hill Town Council, Mid Sussex District Council and West Sussex County Council) to inspire the townsfolk and step into the 21st century!
On a much lighter note, we were privileged to host a Japanese official from Ashikita Board of Education the week before last. Our esteemed guest Tatsuya was one of the adults looking after a delegation of students who were staying at South Downs Language School, organised by friends Nikki and Ian in Ditchling. It was a really fun week and lovely to be part of such a small and meaningful initiative.
Todays run was 7 miles in 73 minutes, an average of 5.75 mph… you can see the route here on Strava.