This morning simply oozed autumness, in fact if autumn was sold in tins it could well have been harvested from a morning like today, and well I went to bed last night and promised myself, I'd not be beaten down by the gremlins that have been kinda pesky of late too say the least 🥴.
Weetabix the breakfast of champions (other breakfast foods may be available but they ain't as good !!🤓) So sufficiently fueled and caffeined up, the cobwebs from slumber, and stiffness from gardening removed via the dynamic stretches.....I believe we're good to go... Shall we...ok lets run peeps 🏃♂️🏃.
A brief warm up walk from home to the canal sees the legs ready and able, and it's away towards the aqueduct, cautiously passed a very large husky type pooch who was apparently friendly so his narrow boat owner informed me, that's as maybe but that bark, those teeth hmmm, debatable....
The towpath is a nicely soft on the mooring side, leaves carpeting the path, adding a little springyness to the running 👍, it's down and under the aqueduct to cross over and run across said structure.... There's a stillness today that's captivating, little, almost no breeze one other person taking pictures, so to allow her time I stopped, taking pics from the four views, it's special on days like today. It'd be normal to loop over the footbridge and follow the canal, but it's said "variety is the spice of life" so I didn't, I carried on down passing the end of the canal junction, and along passed the old industrial workings, it's only a teeny variation but it kept the run fresh 🙂.
Then through a gate (not just a gate), a gate I've never been through since we've lived here, signposted towards the country park, and ok I'm not in my trail shoes but heck, sometimes you've gotta explore, and for me trails are a brilliant way to unwind, slow it all down and just let the run consume me, the sounds and smells it's wall to wall autumn, bird chatter and leaf crunching, excellent... Though for those of you who insist on tunes and things in ears you'll probably missing out on all this 🙄, run naked it's magnificent!.
The trail pops out through another new gate, by the lower side of the aqueduct, quick chat with a chap who'd stopped to take pictures he'd not seen it before and was taken back by the structure, and was plucking up courage to cross it 💪.
I had a brief discussion with my legs, yep feeling ok, we headed for the towpath (Llangollen direction) plotting a route home hopefully totalling 6k ish....... So I left the towpath at the bridge before my normal exit, the lane down is exceptionally steep, so it's a canter with caution to the bottom as the lanes mossy and littered with leaves....
6k I'm done, cool off walk and then it's prepping for the return to the night shift thing.....Yak 😬.
But the runs done feeling better and refreshed, and topped up with oodles of fresh air...
Enjoy those Monday runs people, don't let the couch gremlins win!!
I nearly never ran but........ I'm damn glad i did
