From across the Pennines...

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! It won't stop us running! Today, I was supposed to joing my friend, and fellow blogger, Diane on one of her festive runs for a good 'claus'. However, the weather had other ideas and the heavy snowfall meant that her, and her family, were unable to join us on Saturday (meaning they also missed out on tasty pork, stuffing and apple sauce sarnies at the Christmas Markets... I honestly don't know what was more disappointing... yum, yum!). We'd both been looking forward to this run for a while, and with Di only having 5 more runs left, to complete her sponsored challenge, it seemed a real shame to have missed out on it.

So, we decided to do the next best thing: run together, but on opposite sides of the Pennines! At 1.30pm(ish) the two of us simultaneously set off from our respective homes to brave 10k in 4" of snow.

Slow going is the only way to describe this run; the snow presented a formidable challenge, and after just 1 mile, I started questioning what I was doing... this was going to be hard work! But no! What was I thinking? This was ONE run in the snow of only 10k, Diane has already completed 190km, much of which she has had to do in the snow. "Shut up and get a wriggle on you wimp" I so kindly told myself. So motivated, I pushed on, accepting that this would just have to be the slowest 10k I'd run in years!

Once I stopped worrying about the speed (or lack of) that I was travelling at, I actually had a very pleasent run. Knowing that Di would be running with her carefully selected choice of toons... I too chose, for the first time in ages, to run with my ears plugged into the ipod. I also took pictures along the way and so here is the story, and soundtrack, of my run:

Mile 1: Heading up through the delightful sights of Moston, I pass the fittingly titled businesses of 'Wuff Cuts' and 'Tan Ya Hide'; bet you can't guess what services they offer (don't get them confused!).

The memorable sound of this mile definitely goes to KC and the Sunshine Band, only I'm certain that 'Walking on Sunshine' is much more preferable to running on snow.

Mile 2: Takes me over the motorway bridge, whilst listening to Green Day 'Long Way'

and down Greengate. At this point, the looooong road ahead of me and the snow beneath my feet, makes me wonder about my song choice!

Mile 3: I pass the Lees Brewery to the sounds of Propellerheads 'Spy Break'; and as I do so, I wonder to myself, as I always do with this song (naturally), if I too could be a spy... 'Probably', I think.

Which distracts me as I continue through the industrial estate - it's very picturesque this run - and onto Oldham Broadway. Here I indulge in two pictures. One of myself looking particularly lovely - I'm always at my best wearing no make-up and  having run almost 4 miles - nonetheless, I am still going to subject you to the photo:

and one of the 'Boat and Horses' above the frozen canal. This is mainly because I have decided I could be a spy, and so no longer need to wonder, and have started to become more aware of my surroundings. 'Diane will have lots of beautiful pictures of countryside running' I think to myself. Aha... there's something countryside-ish... hence picture:

hmmm... it looks a little less picturesque on the photo. Anyway, good news is I'm so distracted, I've not realised I've run 4 miles! Yay! 
Mile 5: I run up yet another looong, straight, road:

However, I am spurred on by the sounds of Ben Folds who's 'Rockin the Suburbs' (while I'm running them!), and Scouting for Girls who believe that 'Elvis isn't Dead'. I also catch myself singing along to this before someone else does!

Mile 6: and I'm on the home straight. Back on Moston Lane, back past 'Tan-ya's' hide tanning business, back listening to Ben Folds (Zack and Sara have joined me now), and I notice that the local park is looking... what's that?... looking decidedly picturesque! Perfect.

6.2 miles and I'm home. Well, I'm at the top of the street, but I end the run, as I should, with the person who has been alongside me the whole way. So, as Diane and I chat (on the phone) about our respective runs I shake the snow off my trainers and give myself a pat on the back.

Diane of course deserves an even bigger, belting pat on the back. I ran 10k today; she ran her 190th kilometre in just 19 days. I found the running tough: tough on my legs, tough on my feet and tough because it was so cold; add to that the mental toughness of forcing myself out the door for the 19th day on the run (no pun intended... but quite good all the same!) and I'm not sure I would have achieved it.
Diane, on the other hand did, and you can read about her run (with me!) here.

Distance: 6.2 miles (10k)
Weather: Full of snow and -6 degrees!
Feeling: Motivated by my friend