Early morning starts

Sometimes you just don't get a choice when to run and today was one of those days. Too many meetings meant that if I was to get those seven steady miles in then there was only one option - run to work. In the summer this is a delightful way to welcome the day skipping happily through the woods and basking in the early-morning sunshine but in the winter; well at 6.30am my entire head, not just my ears, felt stuffed with cotton-wool and it was still pitch-black outside. After a cup of tea that had no effect whatsoever I stamped about a bit and then set of for the Heath. Just as I got there a wonderful view of the city in all of it's illuminated glory lay before me in the bowl of the hill:

Truly it's a sight that never fails to impress me and as I ran through the dayspring little by little the dawning light began to open up my muddy path. From Parliament Hill the view was, perhaps, even better and I felt a little bounce in my step as I descended to Gospel Oak and almost ran in to a young fox that quite casually staked a claim to the pavement. At first I thought that it was just a large cat but, no, it was just Vulpes Vulpes out for some breakfast:

Who can blame him? I too was ready for a solid four slices of toast once I'd made it to the office (feeling a little bit more awake than when I started). Fair reward for 7.5m in bang on an hour.

Distance: 7.5 miles

Time: 1h 03m 49s