Well, after the sogginess of the last run and being chased by a Hound of the Baskervilles, (maybe)... Sunday was a stunner. Sunshine and flowers. Huge Cumulus Clouds, great fluffy bundles, in a Cobalt sky. After the failure of the Cunning Plan, I thought, well, just have a run, a slow, steady Oldfloss run. Look around, take it all in. So, I just headed out, with no particular plan in mind.. except..open countryside and me.
It was early when I left the house, a tad chilly and a very light frost on the cars. Those of you who read my ramblings, know I enjoy the Sunday run. The village is often extremely quiet and I seldom see more than a couple of folk. So, a five minute warm up and then a slow jog down into the village. I was not sure which way I would go, so, I ran around the triangle by the station twice.. then along by the stream to join a small housing estate, then back again! This was getting to be fun... no-one at all around, so into the village.. past the quiet houses, where now? Along and through the tiny passageway up to the back of the churchyard. I have been through here before, and I never know whether to walk or run quietly. I walked... very softly and very quickly, past the silent sleepers, slumbering under the good, green earth in the calm of a Spring morning. I would have liked to have stopped and read the names ..but I pressed on.
Once through the churchyard, past the church and out onto the hill. ( No problem for me now). Up to the cut-through by the Primary school., the school yard empty and still, daffodils waving under the tree around the children's' lunch benches and seats. I was running easily and experiencing no breathing worries, knee holding up fine and really feeling at one with myself. Out along to the Old Road...no unseen watchers this morning, the sunshine had banished all dark shadows away and the birds a-twitter in the layered hedging, all sprouting and shooting new green foliage now. The hidden rises and fall of the road now, seem to be no problem; yet, in those distant, early weeks before Graduation they seemed huge, long and steep..and also seemed to appear out of nowhere. How soon we forget!
i was loving it. Trees showing green-tipped finger ends..., blue skies, birds nesting, a clarity in the air, which only comes after the turn at the start of the year! I made the end of the road before the fields, stopped and checked... 30 minutes, 33 seconds. 5.42 K... well, that seemed okay! So... where now... over the road, through the gap in the hedge and down the fields..I turned my music on and was heading down the field at a good steady pace... singing along to The Proclaimers, There's a Touch, at the top of my voice. I had to refrain from running too fast and bouncing down the field Tigger style.. we all know what happened before; when, suddenly, I glanced across the Steam railway line and realised on the other side of the track, in the adjoining field were two folk walking down their side with dog.... looking at me in an odd way. Whether it was my singing or my appearance, ( I do look slightly weird), I do not know, but I waved and carried on.. what the heck! Well, they certainly knew I was running, Laura... I was really bobbing up and down.. mainly because the field is so uneven.
I carried on, they disappeared in the other direction, sensibly I thought, and I turned along the field for the track to the lane. Mud, thick and squidgy, by the majestic tree, no frost here! I was squodging and slipping all the way to the track; but then some huge puddles in the track-way,, straight through them and now, non- muddy but very squelchy shoes!!! I felt giddy with laughter...I was not out of breath, my legs felt strong and my heart was fit to burst for sheer joy. Out along the track to the lane and into the village, across by the station and I ran, (yes, you read that correctly) ... I ran up the hill, home...( I try never to be running up that hill)..but..on the way up the hill.. I did several little spins around, hands in the air and running backwards bits.. there was no one to see and I just did not care anyway. I do not know what came over me..! But it was wonderful! I ran right to the end of my Close... another 2K at least.
A good run.. not record breaking, no style, no finesse, and more than a touch of Spring Fever.
As Mr Twain went on to say... ..."
And when you've got it, you want—oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so !"
Isn't that what this is all about? 
PS
Sorry, I really needed to write another good old, Floss ramble
It ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it.....
Run Forrest Run, by the light of the silvery moon!
