Slump

This morning I got up early to go for a longish run. I left home and ran along towards the top barn but then realised that it was just after 8am and that there would be a group running from the lower barn at around this time so I decided it would be nice to have some company and headed down there to see if they were still there.


I was met by John, Brian, Mike and Albert, although Albert wasn't running with the others and was going out a little later with Josie & co.

We ran down towards the reservoir and along it, coming out at the prep school then ran down past the bowling club and up past Yarrow reservoir. We then came out onto the road and went along into Anglezarke Country Park, following the path along the edge of the reservoir until we came out at Waterman's Cottage. Mike and Brian were zooming along, leaving John and I trailing, although I'm pretty sure John would have been further ahead if he had not been running with me.

We went into White Coppice and then started the climb towards Great Hill. As soon as we started climbing up from White Coppice, I felt the energey drain from my legs. They just didn't want to work. I practically crawled all the way up to the Ramblers Association signpost at the path junction. John was waiting for me but the others were nowhere to be seen. John and I continued up towards Great Hill at a slow pace and I was hoping that once we got to the top, the others would have carried on because it was cold and I didn't want them to be sat around waiting for me.


Being considerate though, they hadn't carried on but had instead put some extra layers on and were waiting for us. We told them to just continue back to the barn at their own pace and that we'd see them back there later on.

The flagging from Great Hill to Spitlers was quite slippery in places this morning as it was wet and also a little icy.

Just before we got to the little climb to Spitlers, John fell, hitting his head onto one of the paving slabs. He tried to get straight up but went a little dizzy so I told him to stay down as long as he needed to. I could see some people ahead, as well as Mike and Brian on top of the hil and had my whistle on me so said that I could get help but John said he was find and got up. His head was cut and had bled onto his buff but it didn's seem to still be bleeding. I said that I had my phone with me so could ring for Mountain Rescue but he insisted that he was OK and we continued on.

I kept checking to see whether the blood stain on his buff got any bigger but it didn't so it seemed the bleeding had stopped.


We came out at Hordern Stoops and ran the steep way up to the trig point. Again, I was struggling and, when we crossed over the stile part way up the hill, I actually sat on it for a few seconds for a rest.

Once at the top though, I knew it was all downhill and there was only another three or so miles left.
Instead of going straight home, I decided to stay with John back to the barn just to make sure he didn't have any funny turns or anything. I'm glad to say he didn't and was fine.

When we got back to the barn, Mike and Brian were still there and they tried to talk John into going to the hospital. John offered me a lift home and I said that I was happy to swap cars when we got there and run him to the hospital but he said he was fine and would get his wife to look at it once he got home.

Brian rang John later in the day to check he was OK and he said that he was.


Total distance - 15 miles