I'm not complaining, but...

After the calm and serene run of two nights ago, and the slightly more windy but still enjoyable run of last night, it was too much to hope that tonight's run would continue in that vein.  It didn't seem that windy when I left work with a friend (at whose house I'm staying tonight because the flat was only available for three days), so when we got to her house I immediately changed into my running gear and headed out before I got too comfortable.

My friend was going out for the evening to a prior engagement and had very little in the fridge as she's only eating breakfast and lunch these days (no, I don't understand that either), so my plan was to run two miles (going the long way) to Tesco to buy something for my dinner and then another mile back home, carrying my Tesco bag with me.  It's only three miles; how hard could it be?

Well, I will tell you how hard it was.  I just about got blown off my feet when I rounded the corner from the side street where the house is onto the main road.  And it was raining, fine misty rain which I hadn't noticed in the more sheltered areas of work and the side street, but which I could see gusting in huge curtains under the street lights.  I was running into the wind (bad decision; I thought it made sense at the time, but I was wrong), which blew my hat off (I rescued it), froze my face, and lasered icy raindrops into my ears.  I couldn't see where I was going because my eyes were watering so much and ran through numerous puddles, so my feet were soaked.  I had to come to a standstill a couple of times when particularly brutal gusts of wind hit me.  But hey, I'm a runner.  I persevered.

I got to Tesco and nipped in to buy one of those Innocent veggie pots.  People gave me a wide berth in the aisles.  Can't imagine why.

And then it was back out into the elements, but this time carrying a bag.  I thought that the wind might at least be at my back but no, it now came at me from the side.  Twice I tripped over my own feet when I got blown sideways.  The bag acted like a wind sail and kept pulling my arm up, down, and all around.  I was hanging onto my hat with one hand and hanging onto the bag with the other, and trying to look as though I knew what I was doing.  And then I had to run by the outdoor track where all the serious runners were.  I noticed that none of them were carrying bags...

I checked the weather when I got home; I seem to have been out in 40mph winds.  My wet gear is now hanging on all the available door handles in my friend's incredibly neat house.  I have the sniffles and a sore throat.  But my Achilles tendon feels fine and my Gore jacket proved its waterproofness and tomorrow is a rest day.  I'm going to bed now - might as well start the resting early.