It's a mini adventure

I don't know how many rats you'd consider a fair share? 4 or 5? Whatever the number, I had more than my fair share of rats last night. Mind you, I'm OK with them, lovely scuttly little creatures that they are. It's when they are in a cage placed over your head, gnawing at your flesh, that I object. Maybe I've been watching too many Orwellian reality TV shows lately?

I digress. Last night was a first for me - I ran home from work. I witnessed nature in the raw: rats as previously mentioned, fluffy bunnies, birds of prey, picnickers, but fortunately none of the brown-tail moth caterpillars which the signs warned me of - nasty rash!

A new cycle path has been opened, which crosses the northern flank of a nature reserve between work and home. This means I can now run home almost entirely off road. It's a journey of 10 miles with an option to add some extra miles around the south of the reserve, so ideal for the medium-long midweek run.

I loved the pioneering feel of 'opening a new route east', but I have to confess I've cycled across the reserve before. There's always been a footpath, but prior to the cycle path there was a notice that "mother's with pushchairs and bicycles are not permitted in the nature reserve". This sign was wrong on so many counts. I ignored the blatant sexism, and cycled past it, inevitably meeting the warden. I informed him that I was not a mother, and in any case only had a bicycle. He was not amused; definitely not a fan of grammar or intellectual discourse thereon. He seemed more concerned that my bright blue bicycle and dayglo pink top were not appropriate attire for the marshes. Warden or fashion police? Eventually I won my case that as I was already half way across, he may as well let me continue to the other side, but he was not happy. I notice that the sign has now gone!

The new path is smooth Tarmac, surprisingly, although I may try the old footpath next time and add a mile or 2 of true off-road. It's a very pleasant run. Although you are in earshot of a motorway, you don't see a car the entire way. I love doing point to point runs. It seems to add purpose to the run, and there's the adventure of not having the option to bottle out half way along.

With my schedule calling for longer and longer midweek runs, this could become a regular feature of my training.