9th-15th December Run notes
Tuesday
Chink. Chink. Chink. The sound of a single stonemason penetrates the early morning gloom as I run up to Tingley. At least I think he's a stonemason, I can't really see him that well on the other side of the road and cars whizz past headlight after headlight. Eventually I turn off the road and run down past the cattle sheds to Ardsley reservoir. The stillness welcomes me in as I join the track to begin circling the water. The gloom is slowly lifting on this cloudy day and here away from the cars there's peace. It's a run that just sort of flows, unburdened by any objective other than to just be outside. It feels great and I'm hopeful for another good week.
Thursday
I thought Tuesday was gloomy but today it was just dark. The familiar chinks of the stonemason are drowned out by the sheer volume of cars out and about. I make it to Tingley before starting bits of speedwork and rather than rerun the reservoir I visit East Ardsley proper and make my way to Thorpe. Sections of faster pace make today all the more interesting, can you bring yourself to the same pace each time, remember to back off properly and recover, how does it feel on the downhill vs. uphill. They also make bits of the run fly past and I feel like I pass house after house with Christmas trees in the front windows, lights a-twinkling. I pass some school boys looking cock-a-hoop and they shout something at me, I'm sure it was politely encouraging.
Sunday
A faint red glimmer in the east heralds a mild, blustery Sunday morn. I'm heading east so pray the cloud stays in the way because I don't have sunglasses. The roads and paths are nice and quiet and I slip through Robin Hood onto Rothwell Greenway without seeing so much as a soul. I encounter two walkers in Rothwell and engage in a poor imitation of the two-step before my partners and I exchange apologies and go out separate ways. Without the wind to fight progress is easy and I grow more confident I'll reach the intended destination of this route. I pass the big yellow bicycle in Woodlesford and fly down Pottery Lane before running over the river and down the long track from last week before Swillington. Today, without the wind, the howls of errant farm hounds and roar of overhead aircraft the path is pleasant and peaceful. I pass a dog walker and emerge onto a bridepath on Astley lane. I follow it south and hop about avoiding puddles and muddy verges and in front of me emerges St Aidan's Nature Reserve. I follow the hill down and have a few minutes in the reserve before it's time to turn back but not before I've glimpsed Oddball, the dragline excavator. The return leg is largely uneventful, save for a chap stopping me half-way up the hill in Woodlesford to ask for directions. It wasn't the best time to catch me for anything and I don't really know where he's after so apologise and trundle on. Just before reaching Rothwell I pass a care home called the Sycamores and realise this was the place he was after, oh well maybe next time?