Redbush Runner

For months I've been dreaming about rain and I'm sure I'm not the only one.  Let's face it, the climate in Britain this summer has been crazy, a lovely novelty at first, a chance for those of us who are old enough to get lost in nostalgia, reliving the summer of 1976, but I think we all reached the point where we were fed up and wanted 'normal' British weather back.  We got sick of having to rely on noisy but feeble electric fans in our bedrooms all night long.  As one of my friends put it, it's about as effective as trying to bail out the Titanic with an empty Stork margarine tub.  (In my case, I don't even have an electric fan.  I have had to rely on a rather pathetic handheld bamboo freebie from our local Chinese takeaway.) So, I've been longing and longing for some rain,  In particular, I've been dreaming about running in it.  In my fantasies I knew how good that rain would feel.  It would be a delightful, refreshing, almost sensual experie...

Being a bit of a Tarot reading hippy at heart, I recently stumbled across a great online article at www.tinybuddha.com about self-care ideas for the soul.  It made me realise just how much my runs 'nourish' me. In addition to the physical challenges of a run, I've started setting myself the challenge of spotting at least five beautiful or interesting things along the route.  Yesterday's 10K meander along the Trans Pennine Trail from Dunford Bridge to Penistone (one of my favourite routes) yielded lots of lovely things.  Quaint animal carvings are to be found at different points on the trail - a rabbit head, an eagle, some slightly phallic-looking gnomes.  In addition, at one stage you pass by an abandoned bicycle with two upturned wellington boots sticking out of the mud, as if someone is buried under there.  There's plenty of whimsy on this run and I never get bored.  I still react with childish glee when a rabbit belts out of the bushes and crosses my p...

This month sees the return of 'Bare All for Polar Bears', a short, naked run in the grounds of Yorkshire Wildlife Park.  It's back for its fourth year. Now, each to their own and all that, but the popularity of these nude events is lost on me.  I kind of understand that naturism might be a liberating thing to do on a quite sedate level, such as strolling along a secluded tropical beach or something, or sunbathing under a palm tree, but combining it with running seems a little odd. If shedding your clothing actually helped you to improve your running, I might understand, but surely dispensing with the vital support-wear is asking for a whole load of extra discomfort. Then there's the issue of tripping over and falling.  I've had a couple of running falls.  One, I landed in a patch of stinging nettles.  On the other, I ripped open my knee and bruised my chin so badly that I looked like Conchita Wurst for several weeks.  Going head over heels is undignifie...