James "12 weeks to London" is now only able to offer me the arse-end of his schedule for any kind of running around companionship, such is his current form. "I've got a 4 miles slow recovery" he offered me for Saturday. I declined, preferring something a little more ambitious...but we know how that ended! I don't begrudge him, but there's a kind of 'sloppy seconds' feel to it, and I too am trying to step up my training, but I can't match his pace or distance right now. And I'm fine with that.
And so it's been a solo weekend. The question this morning was what route to take. All night I could hear wind and rain battering the window and the prospect of any trail running seemed less attractive...as did a solo road run. But I opted to put right my wrong from yesterday and so ran out to Nether Alderley and back along the bypass. It's almost an 'out-and-back' and there's a sense of going somewhere, certainly when you reach the roundabout and see signs for the M6. Back down the bypass is about as featureless as you can get.
A vanishing horizon of empty road, just me and my thoughts. No one or nothing else to break the metronomic rhythm of my footfall. And then my shadow appeared. A welcome companion, it's been a while. Like a gormless idiot I smiled and waved to my imaginary friend! I couldn't help feel a little embarrassed by this, acknowledging this when I had to look around to see if anyone was in view as I took a photo. Then it went dark, then the wind came...and it started chucking it down. 9 and bit solid miles, but little adventure today.
