What I have learnt from my horrific run

So on Saturday I had a whole day to myself. This almost NEVER happens so I thought I'd use it really productively by going for a run somewhere EXCITING. I picked Hampstead Heath.

I have never had a bad run until this run. However, this run was bloody horrific. I will show you the list of everything I learnt from it.

• Don't ever go somewhere for a run that you have to undergo a horrendously complex Overground journey to get to. Not only by the time you get there are are you already "If I had done this near home I'd have been back on the sofa by now", you also have the HORRIFIC journey back afterwards.
• Do not go out for a run with an empty stomach particularly if you have said horrendous Overground journey before you can even start exercising.
• Do not go out for a run without a bottle of water if you are going to be out of the house for about 3 hours.
• Do not go out for a run on an incredibly steep grass hill when you have only ever run before on nice city pavements and seaside promenandes.
• Do not go out for a run in the midday blazing sunshine without suncream on and without water. 
• Do not assume that you have a good enough sense of direction to be able to find your way back to your starting point when you have never actually been to that place before. You will end up lost in Highgate. 

Yes, it was absolutely horrific. After all the hills, the raging sunburn, the hunger, the thirst, the lightheadedness and the fact it was becoming rapidly clear that I WASN'T actually just by the Overground station and I MIGHT actually be lost in North London, I gave up almost without thinking about it, just stopped moving. God it was horrific. This is the first run I didn't complete and as I sadly found out when I checked my phone, I only even had 3 minutes left which I definitely could have done physically but I don't regret not finishing. The right person knows when to stop right? Right.

 I then checked my iPhone and found out that I was in HIGHGATE!!! It took me nearly an hour to find my way back, and I was already shattered. I didn't have any money on me to buy myself water or something to eat or even god forbid a taxi back to the station so I was SCREWED.  All I can say is THANK GOD that smartphones have compasses, and THANK GOD it was the middle of a summers day. If I'd have been out on a winters' evening rocking a Nokia 3410 I'd probably have been mugged and also possibly still be wandering around Hampstead unable to find my way back now. 

Oh well, I've got to pick up and try again - she says, not having been for a single run since this harrowing experience. Tonight I will definitely be getting my trainers on and heading off for a nice jog on flat land in circles around my neighbourhood though... and at least I have learnt my lessons. :(

On the bright side, I took some nice photos:

Not so pretty when you are lost in North London's largest patch of grass.