The chocolate 🍫flavoured run but not one oompah loompah .....

My ongoing quest to slow it all down and try running in more beneficial zones is still working 🤔 I think.

With the gremlins locked in the shed and Mrs Wife studying, teenager's safely installed at school I fell into my running bits and bobs ( doubled up on the shirts today 1st time this year), let the breakfast filter through the system ( swiss clock digestion 🤫). Time to run 👍....

A 2nd outing for the brooks ghost 13's and what a nice feeling. Even though a neutral shoe they've got that adrenaline comfort probably more so and there's definitely more spring in them, I guess my feet like brooks and visa versa ❤️.

Not opting for the towpath simply to mix it up a bit, I headed down the main road away from Llangollen, heading towards Chirk. A different direction feels refreshing.

It's initially without a great deal of scenery but still a nice run venue, albeit busy roads to cross, green cross code and all that ✅.

The odd socially distancing cyclist to say hello to but not another runner to be seen.

Lockdown isolation again. The one very pleasing, definitely noticeable fact of slowing the whole running thing down, it's so relaxing, I wasn't even aware of having to even think about breathing today, it just fell into a comfy easiness 🙂.

Odd glances at garmin, yep still comfortable paced, all's good.

Then almost like someone flicked a switch, chocolate, the air was quite literally chocolate flavoured... For the record yes we have a chocolate factory ( not owned by Mr.Wonka..... and free of an oompah loompah workforce) just around the corner from us, but I believe it doesn't actually make chocolate, it processes the beans or something along those lines, and ships out the chocolate syrup etc to another factory involved in it's making..... The chocolate cloud though unsighted proceeds to follow me as I loop around towards the railway station, passing the parallel aqueduct and viaduct, the latter is the main line to Shrewsbury and further afield.

The chocolate cloud is thinning as I leave, the industrial part of my run behind, and head out of town uphill towards the castle, ahhhhhh the welcoming hug of a lane 🤗. Probably the only hill not massively steep but it lasts a while and then it's all plain sailing down towards home.. The only worry out here is the cyclists and the speed they get on the hills, at least with the cars you get an engine noise, but the lycra clad assassin's plummeting downwards are so stealthy......

The last klm I had enough energy to pick up the pace a little without overdoing it, and successfully stayed in mainly zone 3/4 for the run. Slowing down works 👍 so far so good, Jell6 good advice 🙂.

Happy running everyone hope it's a good one 🙂

[CBDB Graduate10]

Nice!!! All looks so lovely, including the chocolate. And well done for running slower! Slow is the new fast!

[Hidden in reply to CBDB]

It's definitely advantageous CBDB 👍

[Buddy34 Graduate10]

A chocolate air filled run, yummy. I sometimes run by a bakery and oh the smell is delicious 😋.

Your run just sounds so enjoyable 😊👍

[Hidden in reply to Buddy34]

It was a really nice relax Buddy34, I also passed not only a snack bar but also caught a waft of a cooked breakfast, it was a very aromatic run 🤓

[Beatlesforever Graduate10]

Fantastic!! And an extra treat to have the chocolate cloud follow you, yum! Sounds like a fab run, well done for keeping in those lower zones 💪👍👏👏

[Hidden in reply to Beatlesforever]

I'm trying to add a little extra depth and dimension to my one sided running

[Beatlesforever Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

And it really pays off, I feel so much better and enjoy it more since I started working with HR zones. And after faster runs, I also recover much more easily now. Win win 👍

[Hidden]

Love this! Gosh, running paints a picture and you provide the canvas. Sounds like you are doing the right thing with slowing down a little. It's good to finish the last mile or so with a bit of gusto. I haven't found slowing down affects my speed either so that's a positive too. Keep experimenting my man!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thanks GTFC, so far so good 👍