Off the beaten track

Get up at 7:30 to a bright but cloudy morning, if it stays dry I shall try to spend some time in the garden today. It has been neglected due to a combination of bad weather and illness. I don't feel very hungry this morning so have a light breakfast of rye toast and honey, with my usual Italian black coffee. Almost overnight the field beyond the garden is full of golden buttercups and it seems to have been some sort of signal to the rabbits who are chasing each other around. It looks like play, but is probably part of their mating behaviour. After breakfast wash, shave and dress and drive to Cherry Burton for nine. I take Dolly and Teddy down the old railway line, expecting the may to be out, but it isn't, it's late this year, perhaps because April has been so cold. After our walk I drive to Beverley for tea and a scone with friends and later trawl the charity shops in search of a large plant pot for the garden room. I'm about to admit defeat when I notice a beautiful Spode chamber pot, and decide to enlist it to horticultural duty. By the time I get home the sun has burned away the low clouds so I set too and mow the lawns and then dig and weed the flower beds. With a short break for coffee and biscuits, this keeps me busy until five o'clock. Tonight I am going to Beverley Athletic club for their regular Wednesday night run. Four of us started the club twenty years ago and it now has over a hundred members. Tea is a few slices of marmite and toast and then drive to the leisure centre for the run. The club tradition is that we all run together for the first mile and then split into respective ability groups. As I'm one of the oldest and at this stage of my comeback, one of the slowest, I run tail end Charlie. Our route takes us through the town, past the Minster, Market Cross and Saint Mary's, then out through North Bar and along New Walk to Norfolk street. Here we turn west and onto the Hurn, running through the centre of the race course. Although its uphill, it's on grass, which I prefer, the sheep with their lambs are grazing and pay us little heed as we run past them. From the racecourse we cross York Road onto the Westwood, skirting round Burton Bushes, which is a quagmire after the rain, and then making our way towards Black Mill in the distance. I'm running easily and well but still quite slowly, as my stride length is short, swimming training ls great for the heart and lungs and core muscles but not much help for the legs. There are quite a few people about, some walking dogs and others playing golf, the Westwood is a multi purpose common and greatly loved by Beverlonians. At Black Mill I turn south and make my way towards a style in the hedge which leads to a path that connects eventually to Shepherds Lane. When I get to it it's blocked off, so turn left and run along the hedge to another gate further down. This is blocked off too, but I can see a missing piece of fencing by the Grammar School and know if I get through there I can reconnect with the route of the club run. Unfortunately the gap in the fence is blocked off on the other side and I find myself running in a bog, the weeks of rain have transformed this low lying area of the common. Retracing my steps, my feet wet and muddy, I eventually work my way back to the Walkington Road and then cut along Sloe Lane to the Grammar School entrance. If I stick to the club run, which is 10k, I will have to run 12k, thanks to my diversion, and my legs don't feel up to it. The distance so far is about 7k and it's between 1k and 1.5k back to the leisure centre, so decide that is probably enough for tonight. The decision taken, turn left down Butt Lane and then work my way through the estate to Long Lane and back to the Leisure Centre. Throughout the run I have been using circular breathing to maintain concentration and focussing on rhythm, relaxation and balance, despite the setbacks this has helped me maintain a steady, even, economical pace. The run has taken an hour and, after showering, join the others in the bar and find two founding members in the bar. Jim, has just run the London Marathon and Gordon did the Woldsman on Sunday, which is fifty miles. All credit to them, but not my idea of fun. Still it is lovely to see everyone. When I get home rustle up some sausage and mash and garden peas before turning in around eleven thirty.