Yup. I got lost again.

It was the same as last time, I got inquisitive about a footpath and before you know it, I’m in the middle of a wood trying to follow what are either designated footpaths or paths of desire created by local scallies drinking white cider in the shrubbery. My original plan was to follow the road that I drive along twice a day, every day on my way to and from work. I’ve always spotted people using the footpath which runs high up along the side of the road and always thought that it looked lovely. Today it offered a bit more shade and greenery so I thought, right now’s the time to give it a try. So off I went. Within yards I was over taken by a mad spaniel – his tail whiring round like a propellor, and was getting a different perspective on my daily commute. Then I reached the end of the path. Once again, there was a gate and, faced with the prospect of turning round and looking like an arse in front of the spaniel and his owner, I went through the gate. This is where it all went a bit awry.

The footpath was really obvious for a bit, then went down some steps and a big slope (given how gingerly I went down them, it’s safe to say I’m not cut out for trail running), before disappearing. I spotted a bridge and using my razor sharp logic, figured that if there was a proper bridge, there must be a proper path. So down and up a big ditch, across the bridge and up a big slope. Picnic tables were my next clue that I wasn’t going to come out in someone’s garden or the middle of the golf course and along I went.

It turns out that there’s a big park around the municipal golf course and my route did eventually bring me out where I intended to end up (eventually). I then learned that a 1 mile gradient is much nicer run down than up (part of the route was my hellish birthday run of last year, but backwards).

The outcome of all this was a slow but enjoyable 7 miles, my pace was scuppered by a couple of minutes walking and my wandering round the woods like Hansel and Gretal. At the end of the day, I don’t really care because I mostly felt ok and it was a lovely route to plod.

I’m now avoiding housework.