Of the fugitting of tempus

Coo, doesn't time fly eh! In no time at all over a week has passed since I last blogged. In that time I've done 2 great runs and one so-so. The great ones were completely different in character, one from the other. The first was one of those, all-too-rare, magic runs when, from the very first step, it all seems to flow and you feel you could go as fast as you want for as long as you want. It was just 4 miles in Macc. In the dark. But it was magic. Definitely a 9/10 smile rating. The other was a 1hr47min run up and over Potter Fell from my doorstep. This was with my brother in law Pete who was up from London (before he heads off to go up Everest). We awoke to the sound of rain splattering the windows. It was the sort of weather that, if you get out, makes you a serious runner. Despite the meteorological challenge, it turned out to be a terrific run, hilly and muddy but always with that dash of self-righteousness you get from being out when you could be at home. It was great to run in company too.8/10 smile rating.
The so-so run was this morning's 4 miler near Staveley. I couldn't get going, it was just plod, plod, plod all the way. The tempus fugitted mighty slowly!! Still, there was a ray of light in the gloom; a handful of oystercatchers were flitting about with their wonderful piping sound filling the air. Last year they hung around the flooded fields in the Spring. Hopefully they'll do so again. Either that or they were blown in from the coast and seeking shelter. Either way, they bumped the smile rating from a lowly 2 to at least a 5/10.