Change of plans

After today's slow start, my body and mind finally woke up around 10 and wondered what the hell I was doing indoors. I was supposed to meet J in town later to go climbing, and an idea planted itself firmly in my head: I would run to town and meet up with him there.

I packed my heavy climbing gear in my Inov8 backpack and studied maps. I wanted to take a shortcut through Änggårdsbergen, a nature reserve. I've only gone for walks there before and I've wanted to try running its hilly paths for ages.

The sky was littered with small white clouds, but I could see some really dark ones in the distance. After 5 km of tarmac, I entered the woods. There was a variety of trees, anything from spruce to birch to cherry trees. The narrow path winded among them. It was fairytale beautiful.

I soon came to a crossroads, where a woman was walking her dog. I asked her for directions, because, yes, I was already lost 300 meters after entering the nature reserve. She explained that I had two choices: either run to the left and through the whole nature reserve, or run right and get back to civilisation. I decided not to risk getting lost in the woods. I didn't have time for that. I chose civilisation.

After these spectacular 300 meters of nature, I was back among the houses and people. Luckily, the houses surrounding that side of the nature reserve are very pretty. But luck was not completely on my side. As I struggled up a long hill, those dark clouds in the distance moved over my head and hail started pouring down from the sky. I wasn't a happy bunny. I didn't have a change of clothes with me, and there was still a few kilometres left to go. I took shelter under a tree and waited for the worst to pass.

The hail went as fast as it had come. I continued up the hill. It seemed endless. Looking at the map in SportTracks now, it almost was. One kilometre of moving one foot in front of the other, promising myself I could stop at the next lamp post, or that little stone over there, or that car further away. That way, I managed to make it without stopping, and was rewarded with the other side of the hill. The one with the declining slope.

I arrived at our meeting place after 11 km. The sun was once again shining.