Stock Run

When I set out my intention was to take a photo of Nash Mill being demolished - to keep some sort of record of the changes being made and write a little about the history of paper making (obviously a staple for any running blog). But that will have to wait. I passed a barge with a dog sitting so calmly by the tiller that he looked like a boat owner enjoying a moment of peace of quiet. It had to be today's picture as I am unlikely to see it again.

This is what I like about my route - every time I run it there are new things to see. Some of the boats are familiar but others are new and there are always different people passing by. I think it is important for stock runs to have enough variety so stop them becoming boring, which is why I feel lucky to have a nearby canal.

Juneathon Day 5 stats:

Running time - 55 min
Distance - 10k

Photothon 24: a stock run

Time to get back to real-time.

There were only a couple of rules for photothon: I should take a picture at the furthest point of the run; and that I should post it on the same day. The latter rule has been a complete shambles, especially with my leisurely flick through holiday reminiscences. The impetus has faltered and it almost seems a struggle to finish. Amazing how it parallels a proper marathon in that you can get to 20 and then have to hanging-on.

The answer is the stock run.

Stock runs are good. By definition you do them frequently; you know they give you enough exercise but will not leave you too tired; you know the ground so well it feels like home; and, quite importantly, you don't have to think about it. If you have had a period when your running has been unfocussed (as I have had this past,week, with a sore throat and lethargy virus) then the stock run brings you back.

My stock run is to Nash Mills. How could I not love it? There's the calmness of the water, the overhanging greenery of the trees, and the diversity of narrowboats. Apparently there are now more boats on our waterways than there were at the height of the industrial revolution. Brilliant! It is amazing what an effect romantics and enthusiasts can have, over the long term and how something that was once so derelict can be reclaimed.

Anyway the challenge of a stock run is finding new photographs but it is not really too difficult. You can for example look at a lock form all sorts of angles. All the locks on this section of the water are well maintained and the black and white livery looks smartly painted. For some reason there is something perfect about black and white in this setting – any other colour would just look wrong. It even matches today's running kit.