I can be ignorant at times. Very ignorant. The tube goes to Zone 9? What the fuck! You can get a tube to an area of natural beauty? What the fuck? I really need to escape London more.
I’m fortunate to have met a group of friends who are less ignorant than I am. The sort of people who arrange stuff and invite you along. The sort of people who educate you and open your eyes to the world around you. The sort of people who like to run!
Cool Cats came calling. April 1st (no joke), Easter Sunday, we were heading to the Chilterns. The plan, a 30km loop of the Chiltern Hills starting and ending at Chesham. The last stop on the metropolitan line.
As it was Easter weekend I was well rested. The early morning alarm wasn’t a problem. It had been two weeks since my ‘incident’ in Cyprus and I’d 10miles under my belt. I felt good, rested and optimistic. I was eager to hit the trails. I jumped on the metropolitan line up in Wembley Park and found some of the group ready and waiting. A few stops (but what felt like ages later!) and we are in Chesham, all present and off we went.
If you couldn’t tell already, I’d not been to the Chilterns before. It welcomed me with soft ground and undulating trails. Leaving the town we soon hit the highest point of the day, a gentle 200ft or so incline over about a mile of distance. The views from the top were spectacular. Fields all around. This was to be the story of the day, as we continued at a ‘party pace’ (a few of the group have marathons and ultras in the coming weeks) we ventured towards Great Missenden and then Little Kingshill and absorbed more fields and views of spring creeping onto the scene.
It was the perfect run. The weather was ideal (chilly but not windy, dry but with soft ground), the paths were full of mud (we love mud) and the company as ever enthusiastic and chatty. With each cool cats run I go on I meet more and more people with exciting plans and memorable experiences to be shared.
Looping around Amersham we headed back towards Chesham where Yvette would be waiting. The reward, the Pub and Easter Dinner! A few laps of the high street (I got confused by the directions to the correct pub!) and we were sitting patiently for the food to arrive. And arrive it did. Sunday roast with three Yorkshire puddings? Hell yeah. Free desert included? Hell yeah.
The train ride home was a little uncomfortable.
Run With Dai 