My little corner of Wales was blessed with glorious sunshine this morning π, definitely a reason to want to run π.
Encouraged by sleepy half-term teenagers best I run.
Now I'm definitely not bored of my towpath runs, but I tend to get sucked into the same circular run, I pretty much know when each klm clicks up. So it's time I felt to mix it up. So today I aimed for the hills above the village ( quite a large hill though π¬). So I needed to get some decent distance into my legs, after a nice gentle (trying so hard to keep that pace easy) run along the canal, it's a little busy there today walkers and cyclists. I glad to be escaping into the lanes.
The gentle climb passing the marina is a nice change, and the gradient work is refreshing, I'm reminding myself hills are a brilliant training aid ππͺ. The road cuts right at the entrance to the national trust castle (Chirk Castle en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chi... )
The lane quickly becoming steeper and I'm sure that sun's heating up π₯, I chose well, A. Bring a drink and B. Dress correctly β perhaps I'm getting the hang of this running stuff π.
The next section was definitely without shame, run/walk/run/walk as the gradient is probably errrr well it's steep the climb from the 5th klm to the 8th was leg burning but definitely rewarding. My feet were glad of the escape into the woods and a softer surface for a while, and it was just an explosion of nature, views and just silence occasionally broken by birdsong and a darting hare I'd disturbed.
I may have gotten lost briefly after hopping a stile, keeping to the field edge, the sheep keeping tabs on me from a distance. I had to detour through a muddy farm yard with the farmers permission, explaining my sense of direction is at best POOR π€¦.
Back on track the lane reaches its highest point, and at the crossroads I'm taking the downward right turn, still harder than running up hill I find but its ok.
Legs appropriately stretched, I'm sensing these longer runs are going to have to be more frequent and probably longer if I'm going to be in tip-top condition for my October date π€.
But there's many more runs between now and then π practice makes perfect I reckon π
Happy healthy Safe running all you vrb's
A change of focus and rethink of goals...... possibly a HM π
My HU10k today 
My first (solo) half marathon ππ₯³π€ΈπΌββοΈ
The Rother Valley (er, hills) 10k
