So today, in freezing weather with a wind chill factor to match, I decided I was, finally, going to run.
The Knoll from the frozen wildlife pond, Leicester Botanic Garden. The Knoll was one of the original Halls of Residence for the University of Leicester.
I was amused by my determination as I got ready, running shoes and duffle coat and jeans. It was getting more and more imperative to get going.
I was walking very fast at first, it was so cold but at midday the snow had either melted or was crisp and dry. I slowed down, aiming for an even pace and steady breathing.
You enter the Garden about halfway up with a gentle climb to the top, a short level stretch past the frozen carp pond and desert greenhouse full of cacti and succulents, before the long slow drop down the whole length of the Garden to the meadow at the bottom.
The frozen carp pond - there are some ugly fish in there - with the greenhouses behind. It was a dark forbidding day even at one o clock in the afternoon.
As I neared the top, I broke into a short run, nothing crazy, just sixty paces, then went back to walking. A few more short runs, I'd reached the top of the drop and thought, I've got to see, really, how far I can go. So off I went, slowly down the hill, running and walking until, just before the turn, momentarily, I stopped thinking about what I was doing and lifted off into the delight of the movement and the cold, frosty day.
