See Annie Run by seeannierun

What am I doing? I don't have the threat of a marathon looming this year, and still I run. I appear to have become one of those people - quite by accident - who just, simply..run!

That sneaked up on me: not all that quickly though - it has been a few years now that I have torturously been plodding away; first on treadmills, then on pavements and now in countryside & woodland at almost every available opportunity.

S'been fab.

Saturday saw L and I head to Longleat House, on foot, from That There Longleat Center Parks (we had an ace weekend; all you CP Non Believers: Snooker, Bollywood dancing, Squash, Crossbows, Wave Machine, Zumba, Cycling, Spa = Noice!)

Anyway - we both tricked ourselves into a longer run than we'd planned (we planned 3 - 4 miles).  In a car Longleat House is "just across the road" from CP. 

To run took 3 miles to get there. Oops.

Awesome though: woodland - over the hills overlooking the Safari Park (Rhino & Ostrich & Zebra, oh my!)  We also had to run down the world's steepest driveway to get there. So rather than turn back we headed to the woodland surrounding the house...and eventually tricked ourselves into a 10.5 mile run! Lovely it was, though.

And I ran again yesterday at lunchtime (during a particularly sheizer work day) - through the muddy woodland and farmland near work. Squelchy, leap-about-if-you're-alive, mud.

Oh I do love running!!

Nerves before a race are normal. This I know.  And today was no exception. I hadn't really contemplated a multi-terrain race until I had read how much fun it'd been for fellow blogger and facebooking fiend, Simone D (lovely to see you today), who announced her registration on the "Over the Hills 12K": which tackled towpaths, river paths, fields & included a river crossing. Sans bridge. 

So - ignoring the "Hills" part of the title, & being in blissful denial that "12K" was actually 7.5 miles (I have't been doing particularly long runs lately) - & ignoring my propensity to fall over and snap m'glass ankles - I signed up. Keen for a new challenge.

Now I've been trying to psych myself out of doing this race for weeks.  But as the lovely L said I'd be a loser if I didn't do it (tough love) & after the fastest runner we know (who works with L) told me to "zip up [your] man-suit & just do it": I knew I HAD to do it. (I also appreciate life's made of new experiences).

Where'm I heading with all this? Oh yes - I was sooooo nervous when we started off - and the announcer chap telling us to "look out for each other out there" further fuelled the adreniline......

I needn't have worried.  I made it round in one piece. Alive. Glass ankles intact after:

Slipping and sliding through some serious mud, slipping and sliding along the riverbank, weaving through muddy patches & cow poo in fields; jumping styles, traversing crossing gates, slipping & sliding up hills, sliding back down them, and gaily skipping (it wasn't just me ) through the most spectacular autumn-leaf-carpeted woodland; & crossing a river thigh deep: then more hills, more beautiful countryside & back to lovely Bradford-On-Avon: all while the autumn sun rained down on us. Glorious soul-uplifting, life-affirming stuff.

[And L had run to B-o-A to meet me at the finish line = 10 miles! Bl**dy Ay.May.Zin n'all]

The thing I love about these smaller races (a whole 301 finishers today) is that it actually feels like you're racing; whichever bunch of people you're with. I was with 2 chaps for most of the race: clinging onto their heels, hitching a lift at the back of their runners chain-gang across the fields: but left them for dead at the river crossing - they tip-toed across cautiously while I bounded across. Nice!

Next stop? The trail shoe shop. Yo yes.  I'll be doing another one of those - fo' sho'!!

Creeeeeaaaaak!!!!  That was the sound Realbuzz made as I logged in. 

I'm sure the rust can be sorted & that soon I'll be blogging as regularly as I run...

The good news is that I AM still running bloggers.  I also lost m'car in Juuuuune (pesky write-off it was) & for various reasons (it's a secret) I haven't yet bought a new one - which means: a running/walking commute thrown into m'usual daily exercise activities of:

1) More Running

2) x-Biking (like Spinning but better)

I'd love to say that as a result I now have a bit more dosh & a svelte new body; but only the former is true.  M'crisp & wine addition abounds.  Apart from this week: I'm off of it for a bit.  (To see if any svelt-ness will be uncovered....)

Anyway - it's good to be back. It took a while for me to find m'blog & to remember how to log in... creeeeeak!!

Next time I might even witter on about running

After a tough (tough tough) day at work yesterday, with noooo lunch break:

& with the sun being out...

& first-class sporting facilities available at my workplace...

& today looking like a MUCH calmer day...

I was reeeeally looking forward to a 30 minute spinning class, followed by a teensy -weensy 3 miler of a jog this lunchtime. AND the possibility of a 2 mile jogging commute home.

I've just been to get changed for my lunchtime fun... AND.. no trainers.

Left them at home.

b*gger! b*gger! b*gger! b*gger! b*gger! b*gger! b*gger! b*gger!

Barefoot running anyone?