November

[Sweder]

After the recent heavy rain - a smattering of wet stuff fell just as I left the house this morning, a reminder of what I might have got today - the downs wore the look of a large drowned rat. The plains between Lewes and Newhaven shone, sunlight reflecting on their watery carapace, huge lakes formed overnight stretching away to the coast. The trails proved boggy and slippery in equal measure, barely passable in places. I had to hop about to find islands of grass to gain purchase on the climbs; the descents were at once exhilirating and ball-shrivellingly scary. I deployed my arms as gangly stabilizers, waggling like a madman to stay upright.

A better effort - 44:28, the quick end of mid-range for me - and the legs feel fine. I fancy a rest day tommorrow although the weather forecast is looking good. We'll see.