I awoke to yet another glorious day, though the passing of the autumn equinox means that the nights and early mornings are starting to get demonstrably colder. I sat in the teahouse contemplating to the sound of the waterfall while I supped my quadspresso, then got out into the warming day for a run.
I had a clear sense of my route for a change, with one particular path through the woods in mind.
Compared to last week’s lack of energy, today I felt invigorated as I trotted off merrily down the road… it’s October and I’m still wearing shorts and t-shirt. It was lovely to see evidence of good land stewardship on the fringes of Ditchling Common, neglected for years. It must have involved considerable hard work (WELL DONE to whoever undertook it!) and it suggests that locals will be able to make use of a huge additional area that was previously impenetrable scrub.
I ran out to the fringes of Wivelsfield and along through West Wood on the path I had been thinking about. It was a simple pleasure. At the far end of the wood is a nice sharp hill and then I ran on along Hundred Acre Lane and back across farmland to Ditchling Common.
With the stile at the end of Janes Lane now negotiable (I’ve always thought it odd that it was there at all, given that there was no way through the sharp & matted stuff on the other side) it seemed rude not to use it and I ran through the newly cleared area with a smile on my face.
Then it was back to base with energy to spare.
According to Strava, the 6.8 mile run was completed in under 62 minutes, which I think is the fastest I’ve run this particular loop to date. At an average of 6.58 mph, it was only marginally slower than my run with the Bok at the beginning of August!