Grand Union Canal (15km)

I’ve got a bit of a sore ankle – better keep to flat runs for now.  Canal towpaths fit the bill…

Lock on the Grand Union Canal, near Tring, Herts., UK

Springtime in Oxford (14km)

Now that the floods have subsided, springtime is here with a vengeance!

Snowdrops in University Parks

Frozen freezing rain on snow… (12km)

Today I headed up into the hills again.  Last night there had been some freezing rain, which down here in the city was already beginning to melt.  A constant drip-drip as shrinking icicles desperately clung like barnacles to just about everything.  The streets were strewn with salt and grit – the kind of stuff which makes mincemeat out of bare feet – so, alas, it was a day for the old huaraches.

As I headed into higher elevations, the streams of run-off snaking along the sides of the roads began to disappear.  Instead, a thin blanket of snow left over from a few days ago reasserted itself, and, coating the asphalt itself, a brittle, crunchy, reflective surface of frozen freezing rain began to make the going a little tentative.  Never mind, I thought, not long to the forest paths now, which shouldn’t be as slick as the ice-rink coating the road’s surface.

How fitting: it really nearly did become a dead end today on this path!

Well I was wrong.  The ice rink turned into a bobsled run over the inclines in the forest.  The paths themselves had been trodden down into a lethal fall, while the unpacked snow to either side broke into piercing sherds if I stepped into it.  It was like a thin sheet of glass molding itself to the underlying contour of snow.  Run slowed to walk, which in turn slowed to little more than a funereal pace.

Dressed only in a T-shirt, I’m glad I could keep up my inner warmth for that quarter hour of hobbling along until reaching a road cutting through the forest.  From there it was plain sailing all downhill back home, but for a while it came pretty close to becoming a dead end!

Running in the snow at last

icy after a 1 1/2 hour barefoot run in the snow

This winter we’ve not even had a proper dusting yet, so today when we woke up to a clean white sheet, I knew it was time to go for good long run.  After dropping the kids off at school, I tucked my huaraches into my pocket and headed out barefoot towards Margitsziget.  The snow burned at first, but after getting some inner heat going everything felt good.  After an hour my toes started to get cold again and tingle (the salt-water slush didn’t help…), but by concentrating on the feeling of blood vessels opening up in my foot, everything regained an equilibrium until returning home.  There’s always something exciting about running in the snow!

Anyone for a barefoot swim?

Last time I was in Oxford I managed to fit in a run, but with half the town flooded and under water, it was more of a barefoot swim than a run…

Down by the Thames, the towpath disappeared into the river on more than one occasion…

After turning back, I came across this a few miles down the road in the other direction:

This one speaks for itself…

Below, Christchurch meadow is transformed into a large lake.  No cows grazing there today!  From left to right, you can see the distant spires of Christchurch Cathedral, University Church and Merton College.  For all you Harry Potter fans, half of the film was shot in Christchurch College.

Christchurch meadow turned into a large lake.

The water was cold, just a few degrees above zero…

When you can’t see what lies under foot, it’s better to put some protection (huaraches) on your feet!