Tag: troll bridge

This is the run I have been looking for

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I cannot begin to explain how rubbish my running has been over the last few weeks. If I start by saying that I’ve gone a full seven days since my last outing… I have mostly been defeated by the old triangle of excuses (it’s been dark/cold/wet), I have been knackered in the morning and ravenous in the evenings and we had a few days off so running took a back seat (while I took a seat in the snug and indulged in both Yorkshire and Lancaster blondes). Also, I have spent the last few days shrouded in a gloomy grey mood that made me question the whole point of me going out running when ultimately both it and I are a bit useless*.

Anyway, the last run I did before my week of laziness/beeriness/gloominess was a lovely one. It wasn’t the fastest, it was all a bit stop/start in places and I have to admit that it didn’t feel particularly easy, but it was completed in daylight (yay!) with frost, crisp blue skies and a low-slung sun. It is the run that I wish I was doing every time I see runners out on gorgeous mornings when I am driving to work.

This was a muddy shortcut with crunchy puddles underfoot. It made me grin.

This was a muddy shortcut with crunchy puddles underfoot. It made me grin.

Crossing the troll bridge

Crossing the troll bridge

Apologies to anyone disturbed by the sight of me squatting in the brambles whilst taking this picture

Apologies to anyone disturbed by the sight of me squatting in the brambles whilst taking this picture

I liked this - it looks a bit alien, but I doubt it is.

I liked this – it looks a bit alien, but I doubt it is.

*I have shaken this one off and am now faced with a five o’clock alarm call in the morning…

Day 3/30 – Idiot

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Just after posting my morning vs evening dilemma yesterday, it dawned on me that I could have the best of both worlds – a lie in AND a morning run – because I had to take my car to be looked at, which meant leaving the house 45 minutes later. So that’s what I did.

I set off at about half sevenish and was immediately freaked out by the number of people and cars that were out and about. I have truly been spoiled by 6am runs. It freaked me out so much that I abandoned my planned route and went down to the lodge to enjoy some peace and quiet. Getting down there was fine, down one brow, across the troll bridge and round the lodge. This is where it went a bit pear-shaped… I got back to where I started, across the troll bridge and started up the brow. Now, this brow is a steeper brow than yesterday’s, in fact as I was running down it I remember thinking “crikey, this is making me go a bit fast, I wouldn’t like to run up this”. A few minutes later and I decide to start running up it. A few seconds later and I decide to start walking up it.

As if this wasn’t enough, my idiot brain keeps thinking… Now it’s, “Let’s not run up the brow, let’s follow this path that I’ve never gone along before. That’s a grand idea.” Turns out the path was a very long steady slope. At this point, there was more walking, a little grumpiness and a woman with 3 dogs. So I follow another path and reach a track at the back of some houses. I stop. I have no idea where I have come out or which way to go. I fiddle with my garmin for a bit and try to see which way a chap with a van goes – he goes right and out of a big gate. I panic and run back down the very long steady slope, back to the car park and up yesterday’s brow. As I reach the top, I look to my left and see the bloody gate that the bloody man with the bloody van went out.

I am an idiot.

Idiot

My legs were proper tired this morning. I’m hoping that they’re not being disturbed by the daily running, but rather that they were a bit wobbly from the fierce yoga I’d done ten hours previously. We have been doing the Five Tibetan Rites, which are supposed to help you live longer, though I suspect that any Tibetan would struggle to recognise my uncoordinated flailing as being anything mystical or life prolonging.

Another early morning run tomorrow and I’ve just dropped husband off at the pub with the words “don’t forget I’ve got Juneathon in the morning…”