Global Wetting

Not to let a simple thing like a gale stop me from going out I decided to get serious and go out for a longer than usual run yesterday. It was mostly off road but I left the dog at home as I didn't want to get half way round to find she'd had enough. At about 6 degrees centigrade it was borderline leggings weather but I opted for shorts (coupled with thermal top and waterproof jacket). As it turned out it was just about right. I overheat very easily. The route took me over the Chilterns highest point (a whole 900 ft), down through Wendover then up Coombe Hill (top left in photo, a massive 850 ft) then down and round the back of Chequers (prime minister's country retreat, see photo). Tony didn't seem to be in. I once ran past there under the watchfull eye of a shades wearing security man sat in his Range Rover in the middle of the field in the foreground of the photo. I guess Tony was in that day. The post and rail fence around that field is made from old railway lines and steel bars. Up over Dunsmore Ridge then back down to Wendover to pick up the Ridgeway path back home. There were leaves, branches and fallen trees all over the place. The trees around here fall over at the slightest excuse. I reckon their roots are shallow as the top soil is any a few inches thick on top of the underlying chalk. I took a Camelbak rucksac with 1 litre of fluids, a banana and two biscuit bars for sustenance. Felt commfortable all the way round but was glad to finish. According to my trusty Polar I did 34.2 km (about 21-22 miles) in 3h 20 mins. Well worth a road marathon considering conditions underfoot. Legs don't feel too bad today which is encouraging.