Mud, mud, glorious mud.

[Maddee_6333]

But first, may I just say to anyone reading, that if you run on a treadmill on a regular basis, you get my utmost respect; I used one last night before going to a body pump class (using a free pass to get some anaerobic exercise in) and it is Soul Destroying. Genuinely don’t know how you do it. I did a very slow 3k as a warm up and was so bored!

Cut to this morning and - after waking up not feeling too stiff - did a gentle foam roll after walking my own dog, then headed out for a canicross run with my friend D from down the road. Taylor Beagle is currently taking part in a Galen massage trial and they’ve asked me not to run her in harness for a week, so I was borrowing yet another different dog, a little working cocker spaniel who didn’t do too badly for only his second go at Canicross.

It’s lovely and sunny down here in Sussex, and we didn’t want to go far so we just headed up onto the hill behind her house. It was a bit sticky underfoot, but not too bad at all while we were in the sunshine, but at the top of the hill there’s quite a lot of scrub and the mud was. Well. Muddy. And, as you can see in the picture I lost a shoe. 😜 D went back to fetch it for me and I got it back on and off we went again, with me squelching as I went, and a few yards farther out I nearly lost the other one as well! By then we’d done about 4K so we decided that we’d definitely head back and finish at 5k instead of pushing on for 7k.

D very kindly let me hose myself down when we got back to her house - she has a hot tap in the garden, which I think is such an excellent idea when dogs are around that I am having one put in mine. In fact, I’m just waiting for my plumber friend to do it for me at mates’ rates.

[SaskAlliecat Graduate10]

Wow! That is some serious mud. I couldn't imagine even thinking about running through that! And you lost a shoe, twice! Yikes!!!

[Maddee_6333 Graduate10 in reply to SaskAlliecat]

It was. The second time I didn’t actually lose a shoe, but it was a very close thing - I felt my heel clear the back of the shoe.

[Hidden]

Great! You can’t beat a run in the country, whatever the weather/conditions. There was a chap on tv this morning describing his research that demonstrated the psychological benefits of being outdoors! So it’s not just the physical health that benefits from the great outdoors. My dog would love a hot tap outside. He looks so miserable when I hose him down after muddy walks/runs!

[GoogleMe Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

Of course he does. What is bedlinen for after all?

[Maddee_6333 Graduate10 in reply to GoogleMe]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Maddee_6333 Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

You can’t! I was a walker long before I was a runner, and as long as I had the right gear on, I was happy to be out there in all weathers.

My Spaniel can’t cope with a cold water hose down unless it is summer. Even then she reckons she should be up in the human bathroom! 😜

[ancientrunner Graduate10]

Yes, it's a bit of a mud bath every run at that moment - not lost a shoe yet though have nearly gone down face first in it a few times.

[Maddee_6333 Graduate10 in reply to ancientrunner]

You’re not a proper runner till you’ve fallen over in the mud. The 4yo who ran holding my hand last Sunday went over toward the end of our run, and was quite upset not to have taken me down with her 🤣🤣👍

[davelinks Graduate10]

Was out at weekend walking over the common with slinky, I got enough mud then! Wasn't going to run in it today so took to the drier pathway's...

[Maddee_6333 Graduate10 in reply to davelinks]

Sensible chap!

[Sandraj39 Graduate10]

Ha ha, brilliant!! What I love best is that you also stopped to take a photo (I assume, whilst standing on one leg!) to share on here!🙂I have a part of my run that looks very similar after lots of rain - almost impossible to stay upright and incredibly tiring on the legs. Well done on your run. I don't have dogs but I agree - what a great idea to have a hot tap in the garden. I have many childhood memories of the faffadge involved in getting muddy dogs clean and this is an obvious solution!🙂

[Maddee_6333 Graduate10 in reply to Sandraj39]

We were both laughing so hard, I’m surprised it wasn’t just a blur. Had time to take pics while friend went back to grab it 🤣

Isn’t it a good idea? Pretty much all washing machines are cold fill only these days, so I have the pipe work already there - just needs a hole through the wall.

[Hidden]

That is a fab post that made me laugh out loud. I thought I saw a shoe in the picture, love it!

[Maddee_6333 Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

That’s my work done then! Friend couldn’t see it at first, she thought it had gone right under 🤣

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate10]

Lovely.... nothing like it; well done all of you...

[Maddee_6333 Graduate10 in reply to Oldfloss]

Thanks Floss 😀

[HeleneCorsa Graduate10]

Oops! That really is a whole load of mud. Much respect to you! Glad you managed to recover your shoe.

[Maddee_6333 Graduate10 in reply to HeleneCorsa]

Thanks 😀 I’m glad we got it back too, I finally have two pairs of trainers and don’t want to go back to having to run in still damp ones!