Running in the dark!

It was dark this morning at 6.45 but I thought it would get lighter, so I set off. It didn’t. However, I did meet lots of people – first of all a running man looking very comfortable. We raised our hands in a mutual salute as we passed each other. I think he only looked comfortable because he was going downhill and I was going uphill. I was glad he didn’t say ‘hello’ though – I probably wouldn’t have had the breath to respond. Then I met two ladies swathed in coats, scarves, mittens and hats who stood out of the way to let me pass – and their lovely sheepdog stood resolutely smack bang in the middle of the path despite their best attempts to shift her out of the way. As I passed they said ‘ooh you are brave – only a T shirt in this weather’. I didn’t point out that I was running and therefore getting HOT. Then I met a young couple with three dogs – one of which was a St Bernard. It looked quite friendly so I patted it on the head as I passed. Then it started barking and chasing me – I could feel its teeth a few feet from my backside. Still, on the positive side, I now know I can run faster.... They were calling after it ‘Hayley, Hayley, come back, Hayley!’ I swear it should have been called Fang or Killer...

All the way round my run I was thinking ‘push on’ and I only stopped once (just before the St Bernard – I thought I might need some breath to speak). Still 22 minutes though. How did I ever do it faster? And bits of it were enjoyable – the downhill bit through the wood was quite fun. It’s so dark and covered in leaves that I can’t see the tree roots and stones any more, so it’s just a case of barrelling down the hill quickly and hoping I don’t break a leg.

I can't practice again now till the weekend as I've got two early starts for work... Still, as my right leg is almost entirely stiff, this is probably No Bad Thing.