I only managed to run twice last week so wanted to run again today after Tuesdays Speed Challenge, especially as I have a lane swim booked for tomorrow.
So, it’s lunchtime and I get kitted up – long sleeved top and tights, with my brand new cushioned running socks that arrived in the post this morning (got to try them out!) and my lovely shiny blue trail shoes.
I’ve been going for frequent lunchtime walks in the woods with Mr B, but it’s been a while since I ran there. It must have rained recently a lot more that I thought. The path from the house down into the woods is a quagmire. In the woods the paths have been churned up even more by mountain bikers and it’s impossible to avoid the mud. Even the main path on my warm-up walk is flooded in a couple of places. Oh well I’m here now. Nothing else to do but go for it!
I set off on the circuit of the woods I used during c25K. It’s funny how the uphill stretches don’t phase me anywhere near as much as they used to.
I’m running “naked” today – no music, no NRC – listening for the bird calls and hoping to maybe spot a Muntjac deer. 🐦🦌 I hear the usual Robin, Blackbird, Blue and Great Tits but not much else. The main noise is the sound of my breathing and the repeated squelch, squelch of my footsteps in the mud. Here comes a big puddle – splosh! Oh no! I think that muddy water has gone over the top of my shoes! 😨. Squidge, squidge!
Squelch, squelch, squelch, squelch!
I see some birdwatchers towards the end of my run. I want to stop and ask them what they’ve seen, but they’re further along the path, past the junction I’m taking, and I need to get back to work so I don’t.
I reach the point on the path where I usually cut back through the trees towards home and stop running. Well that was great fun, in a weird, masochistic kind of a way😁 Mr Garmin tells me I’ve covered just short of 4.5k, which I know is correct, but my feet and legs feel like it was a lot further!
Then I look down. My legs are splattered with mud and it looks like I have half a kilo of mud stuck to each foot! My poor shoes!
Arriving home, I take my shoes off at the front door and immediately take them through to the utility room and put them out the back door.
Why oh why didn’t I go around the back? There’s now a trail of little clods of mud all through the house 🤦♀️. I try to pick them up, then go clean myself up and get back to work.
Now, having finished for the day, and written this post, I suppose I’d better go and retrieve my shoes and see how clean they will scrub up!