9 (and a bit) K with added ducklings

[MissUnderstanding]

I’d planned on doing the long run this week on Saturday but circumstances meant a long overdue catch up with family could happen today. Some complicated travel arrangements meant no I had car so I was on the train and then the bus. I was researching bus times and feeling grumpy about it when I realised my sister lives about 9km from the train station along a very scenic canal. Why not save the bus fare and run instead?

It’s not often I get on a train with just my bank card, my phone and a packet of fruity oatcakes! I nearly bailed when I got off at the station and it was hammering down. Gambling that it was a shower, I pushed on and luckily it quickly eased off. Feeling pleased with myself for deciding to keep going, I immediately got lost. Everything looks a bit different when you’re not behind the wheel! I accidentally ended up going up two steep hills for no reason but I’ll take that as extra hill practice! The splits for the first two km were pretty slow because I was checking my phone for directions but once I found the entrance to the canal, it was glorious. The sun came out. There were herons. There were the first ducklings of the season! Really tiny, fluffy, chirpy ones!!!

The km between 6 and 7 seemed to take forever to come up but overall, it was a really enjoyable run. It was so satisfying to do a long run from point to point rather than in a circle and once again, my run has ended up in a coffee shop. I have most definitely earned my coffee and the mini egg brownie I bought with the saved bus fare!!

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

Are you saying you caught a train, ran 9k got a bit lost on the way saw some lovely wildlife, ran up a couple of hills by accident and then after coffee and cake met up with family? the mind boggles, and how the heck did you get home again? Amazing 😻

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

Put like that, it’s been a bit of an epic day! I’m not usually a spontaneous kind of person and this just seemed to come to me as a last minute idea. Worked really well. My husband came and joined the family catch up when he finished work and drove us both home afterwards. I was very glad of the bag of clean clothes to change into I’d put in his car, and that it wasn’t a hot enough day to get very sweaty!

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to MissUnderstanding]

Now it just sounds perfect 😍 it was warm here and even after a slow 4k I arrived home decidedly damp so put my clothes in the wash, your epic day sounds lovely though, I’ve got all sorts of things to juggle tomorrow, one being a hospital appointment about 5 miles away but will more than likely drive, then seeing granddaughter to trim hair before she goes back to uni then walk with my friend, it’s all go

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

Just spotted your post-it looked like a lovely run. Hoping it’s a good hospital appointment tomorrow.

[Beatlesforever Graduate10]

What a brilliant idea! And an epic run, well done 👏👏👏 I just love your coffee & sweet treats too😃

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Beatlesforever]

Thank you! It worked very well and I’ll definitely try it again. I figured if you can’t have a brownie after a decent run, when can you have one? They had mini eggs in as well so it would have been rude not to. An early Easter treat!

[Me_time Graduate10]

Well deserved coffee MissUnderstanding . Being spontaneous worked out quite well for u

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Me_time]

It’s very unlike me! It was definitely a good decision. Maybe I’ll try being more spontaneous from now on!