Looking down Sprat's Hatch Lane on a November day.Somewhere around 10.30AM today, I found myself at the Winchfield car park frequented on Saturday mornings by the Hart Road Runners Bridge Club. Not Bridge as in that exclusive card game played by thinkers and schemers but as in bridge over troubled water or in this case the Barley Mow bridge that carries Sprat's Hatch Lane over the Basingstoke canal. Today the car park was frequented by another group of out door types all of whom were members of the Canoe and Camping Club of Great Britain. As explained to me by one of their number, they are quite a nomadic lot and today they were all heading off up stream to King Johns Castle for a bit of an aquatic rave. My run was going to be a bit of a rave today too, as although I wasn't quite sure where I was going, I did know that I my run would start by doing the smaller of the Bridge Club runs in reverse. In other words, I was going to do my own thing and go down Sprat's Hatch Lane instead of up. This reverse running can bring you benefits, such as seeing things from a different perspective - always a useful skill - and my previous blog, 'Breaking away from the 'norm',* gives an example of this phenomena. Anyway to get back to the run. My route,which I would describe as being in a state of flux at all times, turned out to be very enjoyable as it took me through countryside that I had crossed once or twice with other club members but had never crossed on my own, so today I would be finding my own way. In so doing, I found myself running across open fields and past huge flocks of honking Canada geese - honking because someone was crossing their feeding grounds with a large bird of prey sitting on their arm! I ran down unknown paths that led nowhere in particular and I ran along boggy woodland trails that also led me to places that I didn't really want to go to. Twice I ran past the same pair of ambling lovers, who walking in the opposite direction to me, were amazed at my obvious athletic ability and turn of speed and remained open mouthed as I said Hi for the second time that day. All an illusion of course, as just after I passed them the first time, my path had turned to run parallel to their own but they hadn't seen that, so not wanting to ruin their positive image of me, I won't be telling.
* Both blogs are taken from the same Sunday run. A sort of 2 for the price of 1 deal if you like.
they are, apparently, boundry stones marking, I think, the boundary between Dogmersfield and Winchfield. Oddly I normally do a canal loop walk around the area ACW, but yesterday did it in reverse CW. As you say you see loads of stuff you don't otherwise notice.
ReplyDelete