Here I am, in the Shropshire Hills and hitting those climbs. If you don’t know this area then look up Church Stretton. It was not considered ‘little Switzerland‘ for nothing. And don’t expect it to be flat! On our first day we ran over Caradoc and then added in the Lawley. With the approach being hilly and the return also, it proved to be over 2000 feet of climbing. The distance, which surprised us, was 11 miles. It was a mixture of tall bracken, open grassy slopes and gravelly paths. There are also a surprising number of rocky tors, large chunks of rock most often seen against the skyline. There were lots of sheep looking much cleaner than we see in the Peak District. The streams were a mere trickle so no mud or water issues. What a joy this place is!

Youthful energy

Ann and I have history here. We were in a local mountaineering club and would drive to these hills one evening a week for a training session. It was hard walking uphill in heavy boots, then a run downhill. This was often so we could make it to a local pub and order food before 9pm. I loved those training nights and it never occurred to me that I would become a runner. However, I found myself getting faster but had no understanding about how to train. Then, in around 1985, I had a number of migraines. These were due to work stress. I decided to start evening runs and I was slow but consistent. Then I joined an athletic club and began to appreciate how to train. A new running pal made it competitive and I was away.

The Shropshire Hills

Ann and I married and she did some training. Nonetheless, I left her behind far to often. I feel guilt about that now. However, these blue remembered hills always had a place in our hearts. And here we are, 53 years later, running together in our decline. We breast each summit knowing it could be our last. We also know that laying on our deathbed, these hills will comprise our dreams. A moment when we knew joy together, when each summit was an accomplishment that must end. The steep hills don’t change but the body weakens and, ultimately, gives up. We can sense that end but it is not now!

PS: My photo is Caradoc with the Lawley beyond