After my lipreading lesson this afternoon, where we focussed on the letters M, P, and B (they all look alike to lip readers so are taught together) I drove to a small village near Alton called Selborne.
The sun shone beautifully as I set off, taking a bottle of water with me as it was 24 degrees C.
I had planned a route from a walk, 5 miles, easy walking, should take 2 hours walking, so running 8km is the extent of my distance, a gently push but the hills aren’t too big, and should be easy.
Famous last words… the first stretch bring you through a long grassy slope past a couple of small ponds, with the path either side. Ah, on the path are the cows. These are beautiful Highland Cows, normally quite placid and calm, but in their midst was a bull… big, and looking like he may not want to be disturbed.
So, I skirted around them, fine going around the edge of one of the ponds. The ground was muddy turning to marshy, and there were broken branches around which I had to scramble and slip around. But, I made it, gently walking through the pools of greyish brown mud and nettles.
Great, over the plank bridge, and through the gate. I broke back into a run, and headed off into the woods. The paths were still muddy but passable with care, so running with walking again (I damaged my knee last year falling over, so paranoid about redamaging the ligament). Then I discovered the branches blocking the paths. I could climb around, under and over some, so good practice for the 5k obstacle course in May. Climbed over a tree which had also blocked the path… then hit a tree which I couldn’t get over, so diverted off the path. This was slow going, but I plodded on. Annoyed that I was struggling to get into a running rhythm. Somehow in the woods I got turned about, and ended up on a track. At least this was better for running on, and for a bit, I sped up, trying to not fall down the ruts from the forestry vehicles until the track disappeared under puddles and I ended up jumping and walking around them.
Bunny rabbits scrambled out of the bushes as I went past, probably enjoying the crazy person now splattered up to her knees. A deer crashed out of the trees, onto the path- not sure who got this biggest scare. But bumble bees and butterflies were around, a couple of bright blue butterflies drifting in their wayward flight on the path ahead. A buzzard flew overhead, being chased by crows and birdsong filled the woods. The flowers were beginning to bloom in the first hot day of the year, and blue bells, primroses, a couple of harebells and wood anemones are blossoming into life adding splashes of colours against the rich green leaves.
I came to the end of the woods, and ran up the road, bit confused as to quite where I was but knew I was heading into the right direction. Past the giant golf balls at RAF Oakhanger and the public house in the village. Down windy country lanes, glad there were no cars around me. Then, checking my map across a field where the stream snakes alongside the footpath.
Oh dear. The stream had decided to mate with the path instead, causing a slippery path. Someone had broken parts of the stiles off to act as boards to walk on and prevent you from slipping into the marshy ground. Fine, except, where you have to try and get your leg over twice the height of a normal stile as the top step was missing, and the bottom step quite wobbly so it tries to tilt you onto the ground when you change your balance. I scrambled over, and continued on, splashing and slipping. On through the path, and then the last stretch.
AH, well… calves, with bull and female cows. I could see the gate I needed to get through but, nope. So, I skirted around this field, the grass torn up by the cows, and almost waded through the quagmire ahead as the muddy boggy gloop pulled at my legs until a point where my foot came and my shoe didn’t. Splodge. Ankle deep, with no shoe in a mixture of mud and cow muck from the smell. I regained my balance, retrieved the shoe and put it back on. Squelching until a point where both feet stuck fast.
Bugger.
I managed to free them out, but by this point I was now ankle deep in mud on both legs. Grumpy I called my boyfriend and told him, quite clearly that I was fed up, muddy, and not in a mood to cook…
2 hours, 9.5 km/ 6.5miles after I set off in glorious sun I returned to my car as the sun was setting. And feeling like I hadn’t run much at all… despite the problems.
I think I won’t try that route again… ever.
Let's concentrate on the fact it was sunny
‘Roses have thorns, and silver fountains mud;’ W.S. Sonnet 35.
New Trails in the Hampshire Countryside 
A super wet and muddy 5k
Consolidation run 6, and park run 2
