Scouser substitution, the snails cross the M1 on a long run

Paul was out on beers so had warned me he might not show, which justified my starting shot of right, 1 second past 7 he's late lets go.

But in order to redress the diversity balance of running fource, Ken had found a friend at the mother and baby swimming class (hold that thought those two are definitely male), who fitted the profile perfectly. Scouse, so that made up for Paul being missing. Slower that Ken. This now meant Ken was even slower than usual now he had someone to talk to as he dropped back.

Dave was there, in spite of his threat to go long and hard and I made up the four in running fource.

My initial plan to get on the Nickly line was destroyed by pitch blackness at the entry point and so Ken took us out on the Harpenden road then up Annables Lane and then right onto Kinsbourne Green Lane reverse running the Herts 10km route. Then we joined the Nicky Line as far as the travellers site and went through downtown Redbourn on a path Ken had never been on even though he had worked next to it for many years. On through the common noting the Geocache sites and nice wee museum they have.

Round the church and I must admit I'd been saving this one for a couple of miles. Hey guys look a new cemetery, so busy here they're dying to get in - Boom Boom!

Then I revealed my ploy for the day that was to continue last week's motorway theme and this time cross the M1. I've never done this on my running before was a another little ambition ticked off. Came back to the M1 on Gaddesden Lane, but I'd really wanted to be a couple of fields further on to go through the Nicky Line tunnel. But it was fine, job done.

Took a couple of attempts to get on the fields and footpaths on the other side of the Hemel Hempstead Rd as the guys did not like the way the footpaths veered back towards the M1. In the end I dont think we were actually on a footpath but really just making it up as I headed vaguely for the St. Albans road. We found familiar territory just after 10 miles as we joined the traditional Rebournbury loop path and everything was tickety boo once again. We survived the pure cross country mud bath.

Just at the tree lined section of path here we went past a kid, a bloke and two Alsatian dogs that were clutching a Tupperware box in the trees. If that's not another Geocache I'll eat my hat.

At Redbournbury Mill Dave was powering away, frustrated a the snails pace Ken and his buddy were going at and so as Dave and I pulled away from Ken and Anthony we upped the effort and got the heart beating. Dave said two words that meant so much. "The Tree". Neither of us spoke again or looked at the other, but the challenge had been laid down and I knew exactly what he meant. Just at the very top of the hill there is a large single tree and now we were going to work the hill as hard as we could. And we did. HRT hit 160 before we stopped increasing speed and I snuck into zone 5 for a bit. It only took 0.5miles to drop back to 133 (safe in zone two). At the tree we stopped and turned jogging back to find Anthony and Ken - we messed around suggesting we were of to do the hill again, but they were not in the mood for hill reps today.

By now Dave was seriously unable to go at the slow pace any more and he vanished off into the sunrise, but in doing so he missed the best bit of the whole run.

The look on Ken and Anthony's face was identical going up Crabtree Lane. They were in agony, tired and working hard to just keep the 9min miles going. I tried to encourage them, but I think it simply annoyed them that I could still speak. Ken went off along Gilpin Green and I decided to chaperon Anthony home just in case. By now he was 2 miles more than he'd ever run before and look whacked. But his parting words were, "Cheers mate, see you next week." Sterling stuff.

With those words not finished I lengthened the stride, leaned into the down hill of Crabtree Lane and joy, what joy to go a 8 min miles again. Felt like a sprint home, but was just what I needed to spin the legs at the end of a long slog.

Slowest mile over the crazy muddy fields at 10:25 and then the rest was not really that bad, but the whole thing felt painfully slow.

15.18miles cleared in 2:11. Ave pace 8:37, Ave hrt 142.