A magical day of mushrooms and mountains

It was an early start. I watched a bit of the new Brian Cox series! I hated his bloody band and his smile would feel totally at home on an Alpha Course. However, all scientists should aspire to present knowledge in the way he does. Generally speaking science, from biology to particle physics, isn’t that complicated. It’s just presented in an inaccessible way by people wanting to show how clever they are! Cox is obviously a genius but doesn’t feel the need to sing about it (thank f**k...things could only get worse if he did!). He had me kind of understanding how the earth was created.

Philosophically, what he was saying was very interesting. That is that the world is governed by a few simple laws which constrain phenomenon......however; with the passing of time tiny things that occur through random chance create infinite possibilities and do change the course of existence. He got me thinking......

Then it was off for a run. I had two hours stuck in my head and decided to head up Hollingworth Moor. On one trail I saw another runner ahead and decided to go in the same direction. At the foot of another one a group of mountain bikers had congregated. I really don’t know how it happened but I ended up racing the lead chap (on an Orange, branded up as a Hope Racing Team, bike) and I somehow won. Just a bit of fun.

Hmmm....I could see Carrbrook far below but that was in the opposite direction to home. I couldn’t see any trails heading in the right direction so took to the heather. Crossing heathered moorland was too hard though so I turned back in the direction whence I had come. Then it was round a big hill, on to the Trans Pennine Trail and a mighty long ascent. Woops....I could see Mottram Church far in the distance and my watch was showing I’d been out nearly 2 hrs 45mins.

The descent into Hollingworth started to hurt and I was stumbling along the rocky trail. “Toughen up” I said to myself and kept going. Reaching tarmac, every time I stopped to cross a road, my legs wobbled. The final push up to Hague Road at a gradient nearing 20% was horrible. I was feeling sick and it took every bit of willpower to keep going! An elderly couple passed going the other way and asked if I was ok! “Just in need of a cuppa” I said!

By the time I collapsed on the sofa, 3 hours and 25 minutes had elapsed! I’d done over 20km with maybe 5% being on a flat and even surface. Just the kind of thing I like to do on a Sunday! The question is, will I make it to swimming?