"It's like being on holiday" Chris said. And he was right, kind of. Hot, dry and a warming breeze, stunning blues skies and views to die for. We weren't on holiday, we were enjoying a mighty fine run out round Macclesfield Forest and up on Shuttlingsloe. Saturday morning and a 20 minute drive from home. This is on our doorstep, so why does where we live have to be compared with somewhere we think is better. I know what he meant, and we agreed we'd rather be nowhere else.
A great weekend of running around started on Thursday really, an attempt to loosen the chest; a good idea, I thought. I headed the other way up the Bollin, picking up Chris on the way for a gentle 4 miler, essentially to enjoy the heat of the evening. I sensed the man-flu was on its way out and this may somehow help. I came back with bright yellow legs, the consequence of running through a couple of buttercup heavy meadows. The bout of violent sneezing certainly loosened the chest, but not I now reflect, in a good way.
Friday was to be the running conundrum of the weekend.
Dunham Massey 5k, set in the stunning surroundings of
Dunham Park. I wanted to run, meaning I had a number, but kind of resigned to the fact I wasn't really in any record breaking form. It was a matter of how to approach the event, or even if I should run at all. It's a fine place, Dunham Park. I've only been once before. Beautiful. So long as I could suppress the coughing, I reckoned I'd be ok. It was hot...very hot, and breezy, and a warm up run had me floundering, unable to keep up.
I really didn't know what to do, reluctant to just jog round, but unable to muster any kind of racing effort. So as the gun went, I set off near the back and took it from there. And where that took me was a steady run that resulted with a last lap tussle chasing a group I'm usually in battle with. There could be a future in this negative split racing strategy, not that I knew I was racing. It came from nowhere, but clearly it suits me. Now just to master it. Chris did well in the heat, also getting a number of last lap scalps.
I took a run with James on Sunday morning, but really should have stayed in bed. I had absolutely no energy and provided neither pace nor chat, not exactly great company I'm sure, especially as he was full of beans about his holidays. But the highlight of the weekend running was up at Shuttlingsloe with Chris. I did have to kind of 'sell' it to him. As a warm down recovery run the morning after Dunham, a 7.30am start and a drive to run up a great big hill, all I could offer him was to trust me and the promise of a cuppa after.
Once we'd made the first climb into and out of the forest we stopped and pointed 'over there', expressing how lucky we are to be healthy enough to acknowledge that at the end of our finger, way into the distance in the middle of nowhere was our intended destination. It was a tough climb. I was still feeling lethargic and Chris is never good on a Saturday morning! But once we made it, quite spectacular. No one else for as far as you could see, just us, a few sheep and the birds. And when we got back to the car, even the tea man was ready for us. Excellent.
I took a run with James on Sunday morning, but really should have stayed in bed. I had absolutely no energy and provided neither pace nor chat, not exactly great company I'm sure, especially as he was full of beans about his holidays. But the highlight of the weekend running was up at Shuttlingsloe with Chris. I did have to kind of 'sell' it to him. As a warm down recovery run the morning after Dunham, a 7.30am start and a drive to run up a great big hill, all I could offer him was to trust me and the promise of a cuppa after.
