Tim's run, in Haute-Loire, France (featuring new shoes, hills and mud)

[Cmoi]

After a busy week and far too little sleep last night I wasn't up to running any distance today. However, what better way than Tim's Run to introduce the brand-new Brooks Divide 3 road-to-trail shoes that somehow fell into my Black Friday shopping bag? And guess what? They include a space for writing my running goals.

Usual start: up the incline to the neighbour's gate (with not an asterisk in sight) and back down, along the road, past the barn, up and down the field entrance, along the road and wheeee! Into the wet grass of a hilly field for absolutely no good reason. Up to the top, quick photo stop, back down. 600m from home and my feet are already soaked through. And repeat, minus photo stop, just because I can!

Down the road, speeding up, then easing back past the farm, before random uppy-downies around the next hamlet. A little way up the forest road, then briefly down the gravel track that starts one of my favourite close-to-home-with-elevation runs. Stop to video, then quietly take in the surrounding sights, scents and sounds, including distant baying hunting dogs, and wonder at it all.

Back up the incline, then down the road before turning off onto my early C25K route. More photos, including one of the scene of my infamous faceplant. Another return to the road, before turning back up another path, used for the longer C25K runs. I stop briefly as a lady ahead is trying desperately to keep her young black labrador away from me. He decides I'd make a great playmate - my own fault, I shouldn't have encouraged him - and bouncily decorates me with mud. Today this makes me happy. His owner is much less impressed and extremely apologetic.

Time to head home, again along my old C25K routes. A yellow butterfly suddenly flutters past so I say Hi to it. The hunters are returning to base for lunch and we wave to one another as their 4x4s pass. It's uphill, mostly gentle, all the way home now. A couple more photo stops, and marvelling at the views - there's snow on the distant mountains - and I'm home.

The shoes are soaked and gloriously muddy, yet somehow the running goals inscription is still there: Keep running, keep smiling. Thanks, Tim.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon]

What a perfect run 💙 (poor shoes tho ,,,)

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon]

Epic, as ever, Cmoi! Your new shoes clearly had fun too! 😅

[Dexy5 10 Miles]

That sounds a fun run Cmoi !

[SueAppleRun 10 Miles]

Wonderful run, wonderful memories and new shoes, you truly christened them in memory of Tim

[MissUnderstanding Half Marathon]

I felt like I was running along with you…probably staring at your lovely new shoes!! A really fitting tribute that’s made me smile too ❤️

[Decker Ultramarathon]

Beautiful tribute! Lovely mud breaking in the new shoes

[LottieMW]

Wow! What clever shoes…and what a fabulous run and tribute Cmoi 💕

[Shake-and-run Half Marathon]

what a fabulous run and in new shoes, sounds like a fabulous morning and a lovely tribute.

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon]

A butterfly! How special 😍