I wish... I was a cross country runner (part 5)

Don't miss out on nature's beauty because you're squeamish about mud.

At the beginning of the month I set myself a goal of ten cross country runs. I picked ten out of the air because it's a nice round number. Five seemed too few, and twenty too many. There are only twenty-eight days in February after all (this year anyway).

With one week of February left, I had seven more runs to do. It wasn't impossible, but it wasn't realistic either.

Run number four was a Sunday afternoon jog through Hempstead Woods. It was good, but I decided I would try a morning run next time, and I would go somewhere different.

So I chose Views Wood for run number five on Tuesday morning. It was brilliant! Relatively big with a variety of paths. I dropped down onto one beside a stream and leapt over smaller streams feeding into it. It was so much fun that I forgot to take any photos.

The downside of running in the morning was that my legs felt stiff and achy. I wondered whether I was doing myself an injury. Also, it was a considerable chunk of time out of my morning, which meant I started work much later than I would have liked.

I did the opposite on Wednesday for run number six; a late evening jog around Hempstead park and a secondary school playing field. My legs felt OK but I was worried about breaking them by tripping over tree roots, molehills or teenagers snogging in the dark.

So for run number seven I stepped out in the morning light for a jaunt through Buxted Park.

There wasn't much morning light. A low heavy cloud hung over the countryside, and a steady drizzle soaked me to the skin. It had been raining all night and the muddy paths had become quagmires in which my running trainers were completely enveloped.

I had high hopes of fitting in three more runs to reach my target of ten. But it didn't happen. I went to Brighton yesterday, had a late night, and couldn't face another rain-drenched boggy run today. 

I'm not disappointed though. Seven cross country runs is respectable. Four runs in one week is astounding - for me. That would have been unheard of at the beginning of the month.

More importantly, I have got back into the habit of going for a run. I've moved my running shorts and shirts to the top of the pile, and my trainers are by the front door. More than that though, I have decided to build a cross country run into my weekly routine...

Every Thursday afternoon I will go for a cross country run. Before dinner. When my legs are warmed up and the day's work is done.

I'll leave you with 3 things that I have learnt from cross country running this month:

1. It's OK to get muddy. Mud is natural. Being muddy makes you feel closer to nature.
2. Running through woods feels primal. It's what our ancestors did to hunt wild animals, or avoid getting eaten by one.
3. The more time you spend in the countryside, the more beauty you see in it. And during the winter you have these special places to yourself. Don't miss out because you're squeamish about mud.

Tomorrow is the start of a brand new month. What do you wish you could do in March?

I wish... I was a cross country runner.

I need to get back in the habit of going for a run.

I don't run very often. Occasionally to catch a train. Sometimes to catch a young person with special needs when we're playing chase. Now and then, after a few beers, I'll do a Usain Bolt and sprint home from the pub.

Last April I started going to Park Run at Clair Park in Haywards Heath with my best friend Anthony and his Dad, Steve. I went twice. Here's a photo of me overtaking a Dutchman.

It was fantastic. But I haven't been back. Not entirely my fault; I have a job that requires me to work most Saturdays.

I got into cycling instead. Which is great, and it kept me fit (until winter set in), but there's something about running that I miss: the freedom of going wherever I like, and being able to switch between the street and off-road. So much more interesting to leap over puddles and dodge rocks than pound tarmac.

I used to be a cross country runner. It started in secondary school when cross country meant four laps of the school fields. Anthony and I would train on the school grounds at the weekend. Talk about competitive! He would always finish in the top 10 and I'd finish in the top 20. 

I carried on running, or jogging at least, into my early twenties. Then adult life got in the way and I had less time and I moved to a city and excuses excuses excuses... The usual.

Fast forward twenty years (crikey) and this month I wish... I was a cross country runner.

I must confess though - I have ulterior motives...

Number 1: I am taking part in The Eliminator race on Saturday to raise money for the Barnardo's Sunrise Project in Kent, so I'm going to be a cross country runner whether I like it or not. Probably not. Not only is it off-road, it's also off-the-scale in terms of mud, water and freezing temperatures.

Number 2: I want to be fitter. I've hardly done any exercise over the winter, except walking a bit and lifting pies to my face, so I feel out of shape.

Number 3: I already love walking in the countryside, so why not run in it too. I get a boost from fresh air and views and the rawness of nature.

Number 4: I'm in good company. Virtually all of Anthony's family run. So does my sister Rachel and brother-in-law Terry. And my friend Michi has just resumed marathon running after years away from the sport. It would be nice to occasionally run with people I care about.

By the end of February I will go on 10 cross country runs. It doesn't matter whether they are long or short or muddy or dry - as long as I get back in the habit of going out for a run.

What do you wish you could do this month? Tell me, and get started today.