slog

tired and stiff. lane to woods is steep as want to get. plod slowly round muddy woods. try to plod more quickly along wet, muddy coach road. strange how sometimes you feel you’re running exactly like someone else. feel paularadcliffeish as try to push with staccato stride. feels a hard way to run fast. over stile. first field is ok. until next stile. climb over gate as stile marooned in sludgy mud. ditch is full with rushing, sea-green water. mud loves stiles. no avoiding the next five. in between, the fields are getting sloshier and the swerves bigger. pure slog. dry land at last. up stony track and lane. slog. rat run lane, back towards woods. running now. swing up little dead end lane by woods. phoebe. rushes a few steps forward as swing off lane and onto path for easy detour. sorry. pause at other end of woods... continue through woods or second lap of coach road and fields? soft or hard option? mud everywhere, might as well slog on. second lap okish. too dark to go home through woods. short steep hill reminds me why i didn’t want steep hills. give a phone-yacking driver of monster 4x4 a move on wave. can do that after a run.