This week I had to travel a bit further from the cave to go hunting as the pickings closer to home have all but dried up. As least I don't have to move cave (yet!). I spent 2 days in Leeds working on a project for Yorkshire Water staying in the Clarence Dock area close to the City centre on the bank of the River
Aire at the head of the
Aire and Calder Navigation System.
To ensure my running would not suffer I had checked out running routes on Map My Run before I left with the only promising route being a 5 miler out and back along the banks of the canal/river skirting the City centre. However when I headed out at about 6:30 in the evening I found much of the pathway barred by closed gates so I was diverted back onto the streets. Determined to get my 10 miles in I ran around the streets of Leeds navigating by reference to the different coloured lights on the high rise buildings, twice ending up at the gates of the
Tetley Brewery (and there I was thinking
Tetley only brewed tea). After 7 miles I ended back in Clarence Dock and found the river/canal towpath heading out of town, following it for a mile and a half out and back to get the 10 miles in - a bit eerie when I left the bright lights behind and was running by moonlight through the industrial heartland of south Leeds the only person I met was another runner coming out of the darkness against me. At least I now had a route for my second 10 miler in the morning.
The
Trans Pennine Trail which traverses the country, starts in
Rick's hometown of
Southport and ends in
Hornsea on the east coast, with a north-south spur between Leeds and Chesterfield. Obviously my 5 mile out and back 0n Thursday morning wasn't the most scenic part of the trail, but still a welcome diversion from trafficked roads and after passing under the M1 after 4 miles gave a picture of a more laid back lifestyle with barges moored along the canal waiting for lock gates to open, engines idly humming - no rush. I turned at
Woodlesford Lock and headed back to the real world, the constant drone of traffic on the M1 never too far away.
The big mileage is yet to come over the weekend.
This week I had to travel a bit further from the cave to go hunting as the pickings closer to home have all but dried up. As least I don't have to move cave (yet!). I spent 2 days in Leeds working on a project for Yorkshire Water staying in the Clarence Dock area close to the City centre on the bank of the River Aire at the head of the Aire and Calder Navigation System.
To ensure my running would not suffer I had checked out running routes on Map My Run before I left with the only promising route being a 5 miler out and back along the banks of the canal/river skirting the City centre. However when I headed out at about 6:30 in the evening I found much of the pathway barred by closed gates so I was diverted back onto the streets. Determined to get my 10 miles in I ran around the streets of Leeds navigating by reference to the different coloured lights on the high rise buildings, twice ending up at the gates of the Tetley Brewery (and there I was thinking Tetley only brewed tea). After 7 miles I ended back in Clarence Dock and found the river/canal towpath heading out of town, following it for a mile and a half out and back to get the 10 miles in - a bit eerie when I left the bright lights behind and was running by moonlight through the industrial heartland of south Leeds the only person I met was another runner coming out of the darkness against me. At least I now had a route for my second 10 miler in the morning.
The Trans Pennine Trail which traverses the country, starts in Rick's hometown of Southport and ends in Hornsea on the east coast, with a north-south spur between Leeds and Chesterfield. Obviously my 5 mile out and back 0n Thursday morning wasn't the most scenic part of the trail, but still a welcome diversion from trafficked roads and after passing under the M1 after 4 miles gave a picture of a more laid back lifestyle with barges moored along the canal waiting for lock gates to open, engines idly humming - no rush. I turned at Woodlesford Lock and headed back to the real world, the constant drone of traffic on the M1 never too far away.
The big mileage is yet to come over the weekend.
Nice contrasting photos.
ReplyDeleteFor a second I thought you were going to run the entire Trans Pennine Trail.
ReplyDeleteOr are you? ;-)
We have an overland trail too - I think it runs from Melbourne to Brisbane. I've run bits near Sydney and probably bits near Canberra that I don't know about ;)
ReplyDeleteGood to keep the mileage ticking over and explore new surroundings. Thanks for the tip - now I'm switching from Twinings to Tetley!