Wednesday 5th August
On stepping out,the wind blasted in my face and the misty rain came horizontal .I settled into a good rhythm and followed the ridge road a couple of km. Once running downhill, the gradients are steep- and due to the wet roads- I erred on slow and steady as the tractor- worn ridges are slipppery and the roads well pot- holed . Glad of my trail shoes.
This was near enough 10km . Coombeshead , Murtwell, Beenleigh, Westleigh .
Still warm in the sheltered lanes even though there was steady drizzle and dripping trees. The wind picks up as I run up to higher parts and the trees roar. Rain by this time came horizontal and as I pass gateways the South Westerly blasts in my face. There is something magical about being in the elements.
Not without issues though as it was indeed slow and from the outset one toenail was digging into my shoe . The Saloman trail shoes-though perfect for this terrain- are hard and although one foot was comfortable the other was not and so balance was off as I was careful on lessening the weight on that side.
Some good parts where the gradient down was shallow and I could touch down lightly meant I could cover ground more efficiently. Finding an efficient way to run which uses as little effort as possible is something I am working on. Some of tonight’s run was hard due to limitations.
My Devon Life 