Cool Running

Another good run today. 11.25 miles in 109 minutes. It was a lovely crisp winter day (writing that has made me grudgingly admit to myself that it is winter - it's December, the temperature is below zero, the days are short - must be winter, although I am still confused about missing summer somewhere along the way!), with a low sun shining through the trees and sparkling on (off?) the frost.

My back was a bit stiff when I started running, and I must have looked stiff and awkward for a while, but by the time the first mile was done I had loosened up. Lovely running in the cold, looking at the leaves on the ground and the frosty fields. The paths are still wet, but they were frozen enough to avoid wet feet for (nearly) the whole run. I was well dressed up (t-shirt base layer plus fleece, buff and gloves) but wasn't too hot even after warming up.

At about 3 miles I was feeling a bit tired, or at least feeling that this wasn't one of those "I could run for ever" mornings. But I was enjoying being out in the woods and fields and open skies and birds and animals.  (I didn't see any deer today, but did see a rat jumping and scurrying across the ground, which was an unusual sight.) I realised (remembered) that so much of me yearns for and loves being outside - fields and woods are great, mountains and hills even better!

By about 5 miles I was flowing, and took an extra loop round the southern woods, punching my way up the hills, off the path and dodging through the undergrowth, the frosted short young tree shoots looking like malevolent white snakes sticking their heads out searching for prey. As I headed home I was feeling great, and starting to realise this was another longer run, longer than I had set out to do.  As I approached the village I took another loop adding another mile or so, pushing myself up the hills and cruising down. I got back in a bit under two hours, still feeling that I could do another couple if I'd wanted to.

I guessed it must be close to 11 miles, and Google Earth confirmed it.  A good couple of hours!