Around Beverley Parklands

Aboyne in Scotland, that had a record March temperature of 24 degrees last week, has had eight inches of snow this morning. The snow and cold weather is due here by early afternoon, but will probably be rain. I shall take the dogs out early and try to fit in my run before it arrives.
In the event it drizzled a little whilst I was taking the dogs but nothing too significant and I was able to arrive at Beverley Liesure Centre for eleven O'clock.
Beverley lies on the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds, which are quite hilly, but to the south, on the floodplain of the River Hull, lies Beverley Parklands, flat agricultural country, that separates the town from Cottingham and the northern suburbs of Hull which lie to the south. Today's run will cover this area, dressed in trackster bottoms, thermal vest and a top, against the cold and rain, I make my way out of the Liesure Centre onto Flemingate. Turning left, towards the soaring towers of the Minster, I am immediately brought to a halt as the level crossing is down. Fortunately, less than a minute later, the diesel train to Hull rumbles past and I am on my way again, turning left into Minster Avenue and through the small development of retirement homes and on to Long Lane, so called because it runs south for two and a half miles to the village of Woodmansey. After a few hundred yards I turn right off the metalled road and onto the dirt track down Willow Lane. I feel a little stiff and heavy this morning, so focus on trying to run lightly and to relax. It is raining a little and there are ominous dark clouds to the south and east, halfway down the lane I pass a byre where three Jersey cows are bedded down in deep straw chewing their cud . Being inside in the warm seems suddenly quite attractive! After another hundred yards I climb over a style and turn left onto a footpath that runs along the southern boundary of a large housing delopment off Lincoln Way. I have houses to my right and a bank of willow trees and fields beyond to my left. The path is macadam for the next quarter of a mile, so the running surface is easy, never the less I still feel stiff and heavy and I have already covered the first mile. Still some days are like that, so I settle into my circular breathing and scan my body, the stiffness is in the knees and ankles and at my age, could easily be related to the cold, damp weather. The macadam gives way to a dirt track as the estate ends and I am soon running by hedgerows across open fields towards Shepherds Lane, about a mile ahead. The dark clouds are still looming but the rain remains light and intermittent and my mood is lifted by the sound of the larks as I run through the fields. I feel hot and strip off my top and tie the sleeves around my waist before crossing a small footbridge over a ditch, that the council has covered in wire mesh to provide safer footing. A little further on I join Shepherds Lane and turn left. I think the new bypass will run close to here, so this route may have a short future. The road snakes around and rejoins Long Lane and I turn left and run back towards the Minster, which dominates the skyline, two miles ahead. By now I would usually be running loose and free but not today, it could be that I may be coming down with something. Nothing for it but to persevere, staying in the moment and focussing on balance, breathing and staying relaxed. Long Lane lives up to its name and I am glad to turn off the road and onto the dirt track that leads to the unmanned level crossing at England Springs. As I run between hedgerows of blackthorn in full bloom, a squally wind cascades a shower of petals like confetti over me, just as the bells of the minster chime the twelve strokes of noon. Even tough days have their consolations, an hour of travail for 15 seconds of magic is a bargain I would take any day. I cross the railway line carefully not wanting to be blissed out by a sixty miles per hour diesel. It's not far now, a hundred yards to Cherry Tree Farm and then turn left down Spark Mill Lane. Another two hundred yards or so and then I am turning left into the playing field that is part of the Liesure Centre, to my right a group of boys are playing on the BMX and Skateboard Park, I nod to them and trot across the field to the entrance. The run was between four and a half and five miles, and at least the heavy rain held off. I get my towel and my water bottle from my locker and then make my way to the gym, where I warm down for 15 minutes on the exercise bike. I don't want my legs any stiffer than they already are! The gym is quite full, mostly younger people, working out with their headphones plugged in, their faces set in grim determination. Even on a bad day I prefer to run outside, there seems to be little joy in here and certainly no chance of an encounter with cows or a noonday blessing with blossom. Afterwards finish off with a shower and an easy swim and then retire to the cafe for tea and a scone. Perhaps I will feel better tomorrow, time will tell.