... or Werewolves and Wheelbarrows... a photofest.

I've been having runs with a difference over the last week or so. Friday morning - (6.08m/52:39/8:39avg) - I took my camera out (in a new 'hang-on-your-belt' case that Mrs.MTS bought me) and took pictures on my run. I went past the lakes at Silksworth and stopped to take a photo of the ducks, and was mobbed by a bunch of coots!

There was a dozen or so, obviously expecting to be fed, all milling round my feet like animated footballs. (hence the 2:18 paused time to watch them).

Then up the Werewolf Path - this is at the top end, and looking back down.

and into Doxford Park. (The park - not the housing estate - check it out on Wikipedia.)

There is a strip of stone path about 18" wide that winds up thru the trees.

Pop-quiz #1 for newcomers on our runs is 'What is this for?'. Turns out it's a 'wheelbarrow path' - a narrow stone path from the olden days, just wide enough to stop the wheelbarrow wheels sinking into the earth as the gardeners pushed them up the hill. It leads back up to the Victorian Walled Garden which is now (very sadly) a Corporation Parks Dept tip and van park.

This is a bit of the wall. Pop-quiz #2 - what were the little bricked up arches on the outside?

Turns out they were fireplaces (!), every couple of yards or so, used to heat up the brickwork, so that the inside face of the wall was warmed up to keep off the frosts, and extend the growing season for the fruit/plants trained up against the inside.

I took more pics on the run, where the werewolves had burned the trees, plus the trees and lakes in general, and the Ice House , but I'll use them another time.

Tuesday - Me and AlyD.asWas did an 7am run up the Chester Rd till it was light enough to come back thru Herrington Park and back down the Werewolf Path. A bit of a longer run for a midweek - 10.48m/1:27:40/8:22avg

Sunday - was the Lord Byrons run - round the back of Seaham Hall, thru the tunnels and back down the raily thru Ryhope. 11.51m/1:38:45/8:35avg. CBA this time to run round the block to go over 12miles. (!)

The Thursday before - I ran a new route back from Houghton, which was flatter, but longer, than my usual one. This gave me 9.01m/1:10:36/7:50avg - Even with a following wind it's big Woo-Hoos!! for 7:50avg. Only 1 mile went over the 8mins pace and that was the long mile drag in front of Penshaw monument - so that's my next target, next time. Also compared the times for the last 5 miles or so where I'd joined the old route and that was the fastest time so far over that bit - more Woo-Hoos! AND the 9 mile point was 2 doors up the street so I didn't have to put on any extra loops to make it!

What was also good was that I was up for a run back from Seaham on the Friday - whereas last time I did a pb back from Houghton on the Thurs I was too knackered to run on the Friday. Again, I found a new winter - ie streetlit - route back so I didn't need a lift part way from Mrs.MTS. Managed a nice steady 6.65m/55:12/8:13avg.

Saturday - me and Mrs.MTS had a day in Durham - starting with a 6 item breakfast at BHS of course - and including a trip to the Cathedral. We love going there - it's a magnificent 'solid' building with loads of spiritual and historical feeling. It's a World Heritage Site - check it out here - http://www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/history/whs and a must-visit-before-you-die place if you're ever anywhere nearby. I took this photo of the towers rising thru the mist - dominating the riverside.

The cloisters and other bits were used in the Potter movies - and its a good game to try and spot them thru the cg additions on film.

I've got loads of catching up to do - sorry if I've not been commenting on your posts, but I have been reading them tho. It's that damn telly! - we're still enthralled with our 'new' Sky+HD toy -

Cheers, anyway, MTS

additional ps thingy - just read that the white, featherless shield on the coot's head gave rise to the expression 'as bald as a coot' - and apparantly it's a 'cover of coots', not a bunch -  so there you go.

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