Sunday in the country

Overnight frost meant two things; one it would be cold and an extra vest would be needed and secondly it would be firm under foot. Firm enough to get off road.  The first half mile along the road was a nice gentle warm up before taking to the country. With the exception of a short half mile section it was off road for the next six and a half miles. The route was one that we have covered a number of times. In the summer it is well used by hikers and dog walkers but at this time of year there was only a few hardy souls. The first part is across meadows that have cattle in them. These have become poached and uneven. Frozen ruts had crossed with care. A short path along by the old water mill is narrow. It is shared by horse riders, mountain bikers, walkers and runners alike and because it is by the old water mill it floods regularly and never drys out. It was very muddy and slippery requiring extra care. Once past that point a steep uphill run for the next half mile was followed by a breather on the flat. We then plunged down across another three fields before swinging left to run alongside a disused railway line. The old railway embankment prevented the water draining away. It also sheltered it from the frost making the ground underfoot very, very sticky. Mud clogged the tread on our shoes making them extra heavy. On the outskirts of a village noted for its Morris Dancers we turned left again. Over a wooden bridge that straddles a river we headed across arable fields. Exposed, the wind had dried them out and although it was uphill the ground underfoot was good. Past a small windmill, which I suspect had been used to pump water to the farm once, we ran on and up the Main Street of another village. Off road for the next mile brought us close to home. Checking the Garmin showed we were still short of the distance that I wanted for the day so we had to run a loop around the roads to make up. Home and showered it all seems ok now. Eight and three quarter miles done, a good start to the week.