Heading home to my parents’ this weekend, I was looking forward to running down the road pictured above and out into the country. The scenery is probably nothing special to most people, but to me there’s a memory around each corner. On a sunny morning like this one, my spirits were lifted as high as the larks over the fields.
15 minutes in to the run, a Red Kite began circling overhead.
As I passed by Ketton church and down over the river and out into open country, I decided to keep going and make it to Collyweston, 5 miles away from home. It’s at the top of a hill but the climb was worth it. When I got to the cottage below, I stopped to admire the garden (pant unattractively) for a minute then turned around and began the 5 miles home. I was 2 minutes faster on the return leg and by the end was running a good half-marathon pace.
As I dashed down streets I used to walk to school, I felt 18 years old and invincible. In the hallway mirror of my parents’ house, I saw an exhausted, red-faced, 35 year old woman.
Not a Jogger 
Wow. Again, such beautiful locations for running. Those roads look so narrow. Any problems dodging crazy drivers?
Luckily I’ve got the routes sussed so they’re quiet or wide enough to avoid having to jump into a hedge at the last minute. I think that was why I didn’t enjoy running in Cornwall – now those are some narrow roads. Where do you run?
I run through our neighborhood – not many other options. Its a fairly large, nice area, good mix of flat and hills, some nice country views. I need to map out some new areas, but its such a convenience to step outside the front door and just go.