30th January Slow even for this tortoise

Yesterday morning I had my first little jolly out with a group of runners from Youlgrave Harriers. A seven mile saunter starting at what is known as Surprise View car park just near the Longshaw estate in the Peak District, one that ran in an anti clockwise loop via Over Owler Tor, Burbage rocks, Padley Gorge and back through deer filled woods back to the car park. 

The first surprise wasn't really a surprise as my sat nav got me lost, something I had been warned about by the race organisers. Thankfully the owner of the cafe at Grindleford Railway station was able to send me in the right direction enabling me to arrive in time to join the 25 or so assorted runners who had also no doubt been surprised by getting lost too.

Did I mention that it was windy? So windy my hat was so tightly secured to my head I thought I was about to pass out. So windy that on the high exposed sections it has hard work starding up straight never mind running. Did I mention is was also very boggy underfoot, especially the 25 mins or so we ventured off what I know are well marked running paths and instead squelched our way at a snails pace directly across open moor land, down steep hillsides and across streams. And did I mention it was slow. Very Slow. Even for me.

Whilst its great to run in a group, as soon as the path gets either narrow, steep or slightly technical I found myself having to plod along at a pedestrian pace that was too pedestrian even for me. Add in having to wait for the sloths to catch up with the tortoises and it took almost two and a half hours to cover 7 miles. I could have walked it at that speed. At one point I am sure I saw two Tibetan monks, prostrating themselves on the floor, leave us in their wake!


Even TOM was getting worried at my late arrival home with visions of me featuring on future episodes of the TV show Air Ambulance Emergecy, having been medivaced out of the Peak District after a serious stumble.

Still its another route that I will now be able to do on my own in the future, one that if we had run a little more and walked / waited a little less would have been a great mornings adventure.

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