Sometimes it’s great just to drop your training agenda and just run about somewhere. The number of times I am so focused on getting further away (as is the nature of running), I don’t really notice where I am. This time, in the nice weather I decided to take my time and actually look around a bit.
Information that Strava gave me
Satellite map of the route
Elevation profile
If I was training hard, this is what I’d call one of my ‘two peaks runs’. There’s loads of hills round here and in a standard mid-week hill session, I would aim to hit two of them in a training run and keep a good tempo. In this instance, they were Tegg’s Nose and Shutlingsloe.
-
- Time to get off the road.
-
- It’s been all up hill to get here.
-
- Perfect weather.
-
- Picture doesn’t show how steep this is.
-
- Look across to the reservoir
-
- Ridgegate Reservoir
-
- Plenty of fields.
-
- Teggs Nose pathway.
-
- Shameless selfie.
-
- Can just about make out the path.
-
- Try not to fall.
-
- Still around Teggs Nose. Taking my time.
-
- Trying to show how high up this is.
-
- Great view.
-
- Quarry stuff.
-
- Pathway looks different from up here.
-
- Just having a bit of a sit down.
-
- Don’t fall.
-
- Pathway I normally run straight through.
-
- Quick jump over the stream.
-
- Detailed map of the area.
-
- Macclesfield Forest.
-
- No rush.
-
- Foxgloves scattered around.
-
- Spot the butterfly.
-
- Bored of the regular pathways.
-
- Back to the route.
-
- Abandoned building.
-
- Inside.
-
- Just a building with trees in it.
-
- Roof needs some work.
-
- Not as flat as this photo makes it look.
-
- Looks ominous!
-
- Came out of the trees and found myself here.
-
- Just to confirm. Macclesfield Forest.
-
- Gets a bit boggy in winter. These are required.
-
- More tiring steps.
-
- Standing Stone car park.
-
- How can you get lost with detailed directions like this?
-
- Told you it wasn’t flat!
-
- This was SO steep!
-
- I hate how flat these photos make this look.
-
- Nearly at the top.
-
- Great view of the reservior.
-
- Shutlingsloe in the distance.
-
- Shutlingsloe.
-
- My camera has a great zoom feature. They’re called legs.
-
- Beginning the ascent.
-
- Bit of a scramble.
-
- Nearly at the top. Shattered!
-
- Worth it for the view(s)!
-
- Even steeper this side.
-
- Trig point.
-
- Don’t think I’ll jump this bit.
-
- This is the view whichever direction you face.
-
- Meanwhile…
-
- Back down to the reservoir. Going home.
-
- Quick look back.
-
- Canal tow path.
-
- Nearly home again.
I’ll be back to proper training at the weekend; with a route, a pace, a goal in mind before setting off. just occasionally though, it’s nice just to head out of the house with no plan whatsoever and run somewhere with no thought attached. Especially living round here, I’d be foolish to not pay attention to the area once in a while.
