What a delight to be running over hills draped in the setting sun. Herd running last night was over very familiar terrain – so much so, that I spent much of it in the lead.
Leaving HQ we ran towards Chez Cat and then along the railway to the stables, before heading along the track that takes you to the bottom of Sweder’s hill. Here instead of turning right we went left up through some beautiful woods before following the track back along the race course until we made it back to the prison and then a happy little jaunt through town to HQ again.
After last week’s escapades I was very careful to select which group I went with. Holding myself back ensured that I didn’t accidently head out with the Crazies again with the result that I ended up in what first appeared to be quite a slow group. However, once we hit the hills a small party, led by me, broke free and upped the pace.
I set out running at a reasonably comfortable pace and took the lead… however, my new friend Hugh had different ideas and fairly soon caught up with me… which resulted in both of us maintaining an 8 min/mi pace for the next mile or so… gloriously pounding the tracks surround by the South Downs doing their majestic thing all around us.
After a while we stopped to let the rest of the herd catch-up… at which point the master of running himself, Dom (who was having an easy run with us to rest up after his weekend 50 miler) took off. I followed. What a run… it was a gentle decline but we were running sub 7 min/mi for a while.
I then displayed my weird ability to run quickly through mud. They were impressed. Well I think that’s what they said.
A seven mile run on a Tuesday evening… not too shabby.
