Run Report: Torchlight Run 12/03/2012

All winter I’ve wanted to go on one of our club’s torchlight runs so when Jason mentioned on Sunday morning that this was the last one of the season, I just had to go. Well I’d asked for and got a head torch for Christmas and all it had been used for was fetching the logs in!

So just before 7pm, 7 of us and a dog (Andre) set off from the Bear’s Head towards the
country park with Jason and his handy GPS taking the lead. Apparently last time Jason led this run it turned out to be a few more miles than the predicted 5. I was hoping that the GPS and a good sense of direction this time wasn’t going to send us too far off track tonight.


All was going well; navigation, pace, banter and a safe crossing through the llama field without being spat at. Without being a llama’d, ho,ho, we arrived safely back on the road. We must have looked an odd site with lights bouncing in the darkness when in the distance shifting lights and shadows, reminiscent of ET came towards us. Unsure of who or what we were approaching, we advanced with caution, letting Jason take his rightful place in the lead. The mysterious lights and shadows turned out to be a herd of young cows making a break for freedom and the lights belonged, not to the farmers’ tractor, but to a rather posh car caught up in the back log. I wonder where they are now? No one faltered in their pace and we steadily made our way to the first of many fields where I personally lost all sense of direction.

With the distant rumble of the motorway, the pace steadied as we picked our way over the many different surfaces of the fields. I hadn’t realised there were so many varieties of grass; flat grass, 3D grass (weird), grass with ankle turning holes in, grass and wet mud, grass with dry-ish mud, flat turfed fields and crunchy woody paths and most of the above covered in fresh slurry.

A run alongside the M6 had me staggering over the pot holes and I started to think that this had not been such a bright idea with a marathon looming on the horizon. However, we all managed to stay upright.

After only a few short detours in search of a number of elusive stiles, the welcoming, warm sight of the pub came into view and my legs found renewed energy. Once inside with a refreshing drink in front of us and a bag of crisps for Andre, (he had requested beef flavour but ended up with ready salted!) someone suggested that this would be a good club venue!

So all in all I thoroughly enjoyed my first and last torchlight run of the season. I will definitely go on more next winter and might even lead one or two!

PS. Note for Jo Bulley – think there was a Llama for sale sign. Not sure if you interested?

Cheryl