I wonder where the Oldfloss is?
Sorry Mr Milligan... 
The Oldfloss, or her alien counterpart, has been out in the fields today...running for what she/it thought was a very long way..
It actually wasn't, as it happens. It just felt that way. A really mixed up run this morning too.
I set out a little later... about 8.30. I had to wait to give instructions to my lovely chap, Harvey who is laying kitchen and hall tiles for us today
So, a brisk warm up walk, and then a slow warm up jog! A bit dull this morning, a slate grey sky devoid of cloud or break and a chill in the air again. Quite a change from the sunshine of the last few days. I wanted to start my run, proper. after I had warmed up, it took a while this morning. A busy day taking carpets up yesterday had taken its toll.
Suddenly, a text message from son- in law... Meet you on the field!
" Great, that's super, it will be fun to run with you, " I messaged back... what was I saying?
Much to my delight, my lovely son-in law had decided to join me for a run, but a mixed blessing.
A delight to see him always, ( busy working in Shrewsbury three days a week), I love him dearly, but.... he is 32, young, fit, and with the longest legs ever and the most amazing, easy sloping run imaginable. My heart was in my trainers, as I headed across the road and up the lane past Rookery Wood.
I had already run for about 1.5K as I puffed my way up the lane to the field. He, just had to walk to the bottom of their garden ,down through their field and over the fence, to meet me!
We met at the track leading to the field, he had run down to meet me. He decided, it would be sensible to time us! ( I wasn't going to time me, I thought, I was just running...) but, what came out of my mouth, "...oh yes, very good idea," I said, " I'd like to up my distance a little and it would be good to know how I am doing!" ( Who was saying that ? )
Off we went.
"You set the pace" says S-i-L, "I'll take the lead from you." Thank goodness for that... and yet I still started off too quickly! What is more I carried on...Now, those of you who read my ramblings know, I never run quickly, except when I run downhill and then I do it very carefully!
Extremely, fortunately for me , the Boy is not a chatterbox, we ran along in companionable silence, apart, that is, from my heavy breathing, until I finally said, that I felt I needed to slow down a bit; he eased back, to what seemed like a walk beside me, and we carried on, along the track, firm, thankfully, over the fields, the steam railway line and across the big open field towards the next village. We reached the far gate and through. Now... a real dilemma. I had intended to run just a bit further and then turn...not so, the Boy... " Come on, you're doing fine, let's head into the village and round the Green..it's not far."
Again, this alien voice, agreeing with him..." Yes, that sounds fine...haven't seen the Millennium garden for a few years." I tried to slow us down a little, as we headed through the melee of parents, and offspring from the small Catholic school all heading into the small Catholic church for an Easter Week Mass! No luck.
Through the village square and along the road to the Green, round the green and the Millennium Garden, all a bit of a blur at this point and back towards the fields. We jogged back, I am relieved to say, at what seemed to be a more sedate pace.. able to look around at the poor cows, knee deep in mud.. the farm, sadly neglected, since the death of the patriarch, bearing little resemblance to the thriving, smart business it once was. Barn conversions, nearing completion, seeming to have provided the Sons of the farm, with a faster, greater and easier income.
Along the lane, back through the gate and over the big field.
The Boy, said we could stop at the railway crossing, if I liked and again, this voice... who is that speaking??? "...No, I always run back all the way to the road. I am trying to challenge myself a little."
Seriously, though, I was maintaining a steady pace, breathing had eased and I was in a comfortable rhythm. As we headed down to the muddy track way leading out to the lane and past my favourite tree, his voice came from behind, " You do know you have speeded up again, don't you? " No, I didn't...maybe it was the scent of home on the wind, the call of a hot shower, the fragrance of warm tea? Past the mighty Oak, and I swear I heard a deep rumbling gurgling laugh ( giggle), from the root depths of it, as I ran past... and out along the potholed track way to the lane.
Stop!
Okay.. crunch time...it had felt like a very, very, very long run...it wasn't!
Well he said, " Brilliant... you've done really well... 5.72K...in...36.5 minutes!"
I have no idea what that means in running terms, at this point after my graduation; is it good, is it bad, is it really slow???? Please take into account my advanced years.Not that I think about speed really..more about distance... and I thought we had run further.
I know that it felt like a long way, perhaps, because I had already had a slow run, before I even started the timed run, and who, exactly, was the alien who took over my body and kept agreeing to everything?
I am not a proud person, I'm not afraid to say what I feel and if I have had enough, I say so....so I am still not sure how this happened.
To add insult to injury, he took a photo of me whilst I was running, from behind !!!!!!! I have a very big b**. ( Yes, he had time to do that and still catch me up..)
On the positive side, I did it, I was not ever, really uncomfortable, once I got into a rhythm and the run from the steam railway crossing into the village round the green and back was all FLAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh yes!!!! Flat is good! be doing that again, ( only slower maybe).
On the positive side too, he will now, be working in Shrewsbury for three days, so on Wednesday, I can get back to the gentle, slow and steady, that I advocate so freely!!!
Just shows that sometimes, we amaze ourselves with what we can do... for me, it was just the fact that I kept running, and did not collapse in a small heap!
It was different, it was fun, not what I intended at all, but, shhhh, just between ourselves, I loved it.
No longer running on grass 
On the grass but not flying high
Hope springs eternal
Spring into Summer Quest week 3 - Feel free to join
