Reflections

I ran the old regular route yesterday – the almost 8k up and back down the Rock Road that was the bread and butter of my early runs. I hadn’t run the route that much of late. Part of that was to get onto the grass for as much as I could to allow the injury to ease. And part of it was the change of season that saw evenings getting darker and the need to swap a country road for a street-lit town.

Along the way I noticed the animal horn had gone. For a couple of months, I had been fascinated by an animal horn that had lay along the fringes of the inbound route. Each time I passed it I wondered of its origin. Was a bull in a car accident and lost its horn during the crash? Had a goat been abducted as it walked along one evening, bundled into the back of a car and only its horn coming lose offer evidence of the crime? Or was it something altogether different. Whatever, it’s not there now.

A lot has changed since I began training this year. Not in the, ‘haven’t they grown up so quick’, ‘everyone is now on smartphones’ type of way. But in the way that those who spend hours outside notice.

When I began running there were the beginnings of spring warmth with snowdrops followed by cowslips, followed by daffodils, followed by those purple yokes followed by the summer crowd of daisy’s, buttercups and dandelions. Now the trees are colouring dramatically and leaves are already beginning to fall.

When I began, the days were chasing onwards and now they are dramatically drawing to a close. With this weekend being the real end when hours fall backwards and darkness descends. It has been an incredibly mild training season and I can remember at least one day when interval training was broken up by taking the shade of riverbank tree. Soon the under-armour that has only made two appearances so far this year will be a regular companion.

There have been ups – such as the greater companionship of the local running club and there have been downs – slow walk backs from injury. But as I get ready to line up for Sunday I can feel happy for a season well ran. It’s good to reflect on that.

Yesterday’s Training

Easy 7 k with some 80 metre strides to finish.