Absence

This can be explained by my trip back to the UK to catch up with friends and family that I have not seen for some months. It was also an opportunity for me to take advantage of being back in the Peak District again to stretch my legs on what can only be described as slightly flatter terrain than that which surrounds us at Pissou! The only slight downer was the appalling weather that accompanied my stay. Oh well, you can't have everything!

My first outing was with my mate Hilary with whom I was staying - we had a lovely 68 min run from Hathersage, up the footpaths and tracks to the top of Stanage (a gentle incline initially but steepening towards the top), following the route of the Stanage Struggle fell race. It was fantastic to be on the top of Stanage Edge again – I had forgotten what a special place it is. After taking in the view for 30 seconds, we were off again, picking our way back down into the village along the footpaths and back roads. All in all, a nice run out.

The following day, it was damp and windy, so I decided an outing onto the tops would not be a good idea, so instead, I did a 14.3km run out alongside the Derwent and Howden reservoirs, a route I have done many times on the mountain bike. The Derwent dam was showing the effects of the days of endless rainfall. It was the longest sustained run I have done for some while, but my body was working well and all felt good. It was wonderful to head out into the moors again and to experience the wildness of this part of the Peak District

However, the conditions deteriorated on the way back and I was faced with a driving headwind and rain. But I completed the route in 1 hr 30 mins, I time that was not bad considering the conditions.

I spent a couple of nights with my friends Ed and Ayshea who had only moved to Grindleford a few days previously. They now have a 7 month old baby which has resulted in not much time being available for important things like running! As soon as Ayshea heard that I was back, she was desperate to get out for a run. We decided on a gentle 8km route which followed the river bank. However, the tone for the run was set by the flooded field that we had to run through to get onto the riverside footpath. So, like true fellrunners, we went for it and were soaked within 5 minutes of leaving the house. The 'footpaths' that we intended to use turned out to be running streams and in other sections they could only be described as a quagmire with ankle deep mud. Still, we were out of the house and Ayshea had discovered a walk/run on her doorstep that would be great in dryer conditions.

After a last minute appointment with my hairdresser (was she surprised to see me after 7 months, or what?!), I headed down to stay with family in Dorset - lovely to spend some quality time with mum and to see my bro again. However, the appalling weather continued which made it impossible for me to get out for any more running action before I left the UK to return to Pissou. After 10 days in the UK, with all of the associated traffic/noise/people, I was quite looking forward to getting back to the peace and quiet again and hoped I would also be greeted by better weather. I was not disappointed. On landing at Carcassonne, the sun was shining and it was warm.