I've now run 3 days in a row. Up until now I've been doing 2 runs a week max, so 3 in 3 days is something unusual for me. Friday's run was an off-road excursion with a friend, doing about 8.5km in 1hr 15mins. No world records there, or personal best. But it's the first time we've run together for years, and the first decent catch up in months so it was easy to walk the uphill sections and chat away enjoying the easy path up to Shelf Benches.
I got the urge to run again yesterday, just an easy road run to get my legs moving and an attempt to keep a steady pace for 5km. Total time was 28:58 with an average of 5:47/km. Splits were 5:31, 5:57, 5:34, 5:54, 5:58. I'm happy with that. I had set off just about 7am, and as I looped back towards home I was greeted by about 40 canadian geese doing a few low passes over Shirebrook. Just magical how they fly and you can hear their wings beating.
I went to a concert last night, a fundraiser for Glossop Mountain Rescue Team, and bumped into a friend who's been trying to get me out running with her. I'm convinced she runs faster and too far for me so tend to pass on the invitations, not wanting to hold her back. Now, I'm not sure what came over me but I asked her if she was running this morning - I think she sometimes does on Sundays, but at about 10am. Knowing it was going to be a humid and hot day again I would only be going out in the dawn hours. To my surprise she agreed to head into the hills, leaving me to choose the route.
We met at 6.45am, just as it's not quite dark, just turning light. Heading along Derbyshire Level we turned left and up to the shooting cabin on Chunal Moor. I was surprising myself, running more of the uphill than I ever would do when I run alone. I even managed to run most of the path up to the cabin, after you've gone through the kissing gate. The sunrise was amazing - brilliant orange streaks in the sky, reflecting like neon strips on the clouds.
After heading up the path behind the cabin for a short while we took a heather bashing route and cut across towards Harry Hut - not much running on this bit, and a slight scratch on my shin from the heather. Oh, I should mention that we were running with Brae, a wonderfully trained collie. Even with sheep in the field or on the moor he has no need for a lead - just a few words and he's holding back, resisting his natural instinct to round all the sheep up! It's the second time I've run with him and he certainly helps to distract you when the hills are getting steeper.
We pick up a trod, then the path up to Harry Hut trig point. It's boggy under foot in places, but not squelchy boggy....just springy bog. Nice and easy going, easy pace, up to the trig. A brief pause to turn and look behind, admiring my back garden, then we're off down towards Wormstones. We pick up a trod to the left of where I've run before, and it proves to be a better one for running on - less stones and ruts. That's the joy of running with someone else - you always learn a new variation on a route, even if you know the area well.
We're into our downhill stride now. I'm concentrating hard to keep up...she's running a little faster than I would normally but it's great for me to see what pace someone else runs at and do my best to keep up. I'm doing well, stride for stride...not too close but enough to watch what line she's taking. Then *bang* she's on the floor, ankle went under. And then *bang* I've done the same in my attempt to break and not run straight into her!!! I can feel pain in my ankle but sense it's not as bad as hers....but it's enough to make me sit down pretty damn quick. We look at each other and laugh....synchronised ankle twisting...new sport for the hills?!
After circling ankles and rubbing them for a few moments we attempt a few tentative steps. Mine feels ok, she says hers does too. So, before you know it we're off down the hill once more...though this time the pace is a little slower and foot placement perhaps just that little bit more cautious. Down at Gnat Hole I'm taken a new route through the woods and up to Hague Street, then over a few fields I'd not yet run and down the rocky overgrown path back towards home.
Lessons learned from today's run. 1) I can run 3 days in a row and feel good; 2) I need to push myself harder as I can run up hills (perhaps I need to run with other people more often); 3) always take your phone - had my ankle turned more severely it would have been a lonely crawl back home - we were a mere 1.5 kilometres away from the nearest house but it would have turned a very pleasant run into something quite different.
Today's weather turned grey. I made the effort to get up early and I'm so glad. I had the best of the day, running in the hills and seeing a glorious sunrise.
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