LE JOG

[Nigel]

April is a wicked month. At least according to the author Edna O'Brien -- but in truth, I've never found it so. I took a week's well-earned rest from my northward trek to find some fast-melting Alpine snow, and then hit the Cotswold lanes once more.

Past the gliding field at Nympsfield, northwards along the Middle Jurassic limestone scarp and across the hills of Gloucestershire I ran, dropping in to see friends and a few familiar haunts along the way. A few flatter miles followed beneath Cleeve Cloud, the tallest hill in Southern England. From there, northeastwards into Worcestershire and the verdant Vale of Evesham, crossing the River Avon near the finishing line of that town’s fine May regatta.

The next twenty miles brought a spring to my step and a smile on my face, as I enjoyed the run-in to Stratford-upon-Avon, adding a few extra steps to retrace part of the Shakespeare Marathon route (where I endured the uncertain glory of another April day, back in 2003).

Entering my old home town, I ran ahead in true Tour de France style, to greet my sister in Anne Hathaway’s village of Shottery, before circling Shakespeare’s Birthplace on Henley Street and his retirement home, New Place. Just a short sprint then brought me past the Dirty Duck pub and the newly-remodelled Royal Shakespeare Theatre, before taking the ancient Clopton Bridge across the River Avon once more. April ended as I lay my head contentedly by the river bank under the shelter of a homely willow tree.

New employment kept me off the streets at times this month, as I swapped the school run and morning plod for a short hop on the commuter train instead. But as April wore on, I worked ever harder at familiarising my new colleagues with the sight of a lunchtime backpack heading for the changing rooms and out the door. Whether my stomach will grow to rue the return of regular working hours remains as yet unsure.

April 2010 distance run: 73 miles
April 2010 days run: 14

2010 to date: 387 miles
2010 days run: 64

Weight at 01 Jan 2010: 95 kg
Weight at start of April: 88 kg
Weight at end of April: 87 kg

LeJog 2010 - A Year of Running: April