Tunnel Run

It's good to adapt and tweak your regular running routes now and again.  My runs have got a bit boring and I definitely needed a change, so a couple of days ago I decided to incorporate a former railway tunnel into my 10K morning run. 

The Thurgoland Tunnel is quite a local landmark, situated on the Upper Don Trail (part of the Trans Pennine Trail) between Penistone and Wortley.  It was built in the late 1940s when the Sheffield to Manchester line was electrified and it operated until the line closed in 1981.  Since then it's been part of the trail through which walkers, runners, cyclists and horse riders regularly pass.  (I understand there was also a second tunnel, now blocked off, running parallel to the existing one, but I haven't explored this.) 

It's a remote, quiet spot anyway and it's quite easy to scare yourself stupid if you start thinking about what/who could be lurking in the tunnel.  (An online friend who ran through this tunnel the previous week thought the Gruffalo had gone into the other end until she saw a horse coming round the bend! I'm quite glad she didn't tell me about this until after I had run through it.) 

So, in an uncharacteristic moment of bravery, I decided I would push myself out of my comfort zone for once and I was going to go through this tunnel.  It's not a particularly long tunnel (281 metres apparently) and it's fairly well lit, but a tunnel is a tunnel and it's definitely a bit spooky.  The acoustics are incredible and the echoes definitely add to the eerie vibe, as does the drop in temperature and the mild claustrophobia.  You can see where you're going though, which is the main thing.  I just had to pray that there wouldn't be a power cut, plunging me into total darkness, as I'm sure that would have been pretty terrifying!  The smooth surface along with the urge to get out of there as quick as you can, means you can get up quite a good pace in this section.  I was a bit scared but, like the Traveling Wilburys, I just kept heading for the light and there was a lovely sense of relief when I was safely through.  I felt quite proud of myself because I know how many times I've chickened out and turned around at that tunnel instead of going through it.  It was a fun experience. Tunnels are cool!  Sometimes scaring yourself a bit can be rather exhilarating.  I suppose it's sort of like going on the ghost train at the fair when you're a kid. 

It made for an interesting 10K run and it's always nice to take in a bit of local history.  




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why are 'Flying Feet' such a big deal?

Image
There are few things that brighten a runner's day more than a flying feet photo.  There's something about seeing yourself with both feet off the ground that makes you feel like a proper athlete.  No matter how slow it might have felt at the time, the photo seems to suggest that you were going great guns.  Yes, we all know that a flying feet photo is really just a matter of chance and, I suspect, as much about the photographer's skill as your own running prowess, but it's heartening for a few moments to bask in the glory of a decent race photo, because, let's face it, they are quite a rare thing. After this weekend's York 10K I was impressed to find that I had over 40 photographs waiting for my perusal but of course it didn't take me long to realize that the vast majority of these were a tad unflattering, to say the least.  There's always at least one (and you're probably lucky if it's only one) where you look like a dug-up corpse, where your mout...
Read more

Still Wilting in the Heat

Image
 With memories of the grueling Penistone 10K still fresh in my mind, I took on another 10K race last week.  Although it was in the evening, it was still extremely warm and I really struggled again.  I was the same on Saturday when I took on Potternewton parkrun, not realising just how hilly it was going to be.  Again, the combination of heat and hills made me feel like the most unfit blob on the planet.  I am now a bit nervous about the forthcoming York 10K which, although not hilly, could turn out to be another hot one.  It doesn't exactly fill me with confidence.  In future I think I will stick to my old rule of not entering any summer races.  Spring and autumn are my racing times and it's all about just keeping it ticking over in the summer months.  But, I need to go into this race at York with a more positive mindset and find a way to get the best out of it, whatever the weather might bring.  With that in mind, I've made myself a lis...
Read more