Perfect run

Route: 9.5m, road and trail, hilly
Weather: Stunning evening, 14C

I felt like tonight was the first time I felt confident enough in my knee to push myself on a run since the Fling last month. Perhaps not the best idea as I am supposed to be tapering and being ultra careful, but it felt so good!

Ran a 9m route up Bradford Road and Ellar Ghyll, across the footpaths to West Chevin Road, up Windmill Lane to the top, over and down to East Chevin Road, through Danefiled, along to Pool Bank and back down Leeds Road.

This run had everything for some reason. It has been a lovely warm day today, but 20 minutes before I went out it started raining heavily. It stopped just as I began running and everything had that amazing summer rain smell. The sky was an amazing stormy indigo colour and by the time I reached the top, the sun was just disappearing behind the hills leaving streaks of oranges and yellows in the clouds. The long wet grasses felt lovely on my legs as I ran through the fields. The view from the top of the Chevin seemed particularly clear and nice tonight, and the descent through the pines of Danefield seemed especially good. Then back down the usually annoyingly busy Leeds Road, but tonight I didn't notice the traffic, only the thin sliver of a new moon above the fields of hopping lambs. As the sky grew darker, I was even visited briefly by a bat... and the best bit was I felt like I could have run for ever. God bless endorphins!!

Happy days :)