SOG Local Event – Southwick Hill
It was a glorious morning. The gales overnight had moderated into a strong breeze with bright sunshine and a perfectly clear sky. Ideal conditions for a run on the South Downs – today at Southwick Hill 
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There was a steep uphill walk to reach the start, then more uphill to control 1, then it was a matter of running around typical low scrub, into small pockets of woodland and across sheep-nibbled grass. The landscape is very different to our usual orienteering haunts and you needed to concentrate every second. I had to have two tries at control 2, and stop for a comfort break about half way round, but otherwise things went smoothly and reasonably fast. The two minutes I lost, however, took me down at least 9 places to 18th so I missed out on a top ten place. I was not helped by the fact that I had left my new O-shoes behind and was running in an old pair of trainers that were in the car but I was feeling good, even if my gps recorded a record heartrate of 213 after a couple of long uphill runs – against my normal maximum of 190 or so.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I cannot think of anything I would rather have been doing. The wind blew the winter cobwebs away and the sunshine felt very good. Add the views of a deep blue sea a mile or two away and the beauty of the downs landscape and things were just great.