There’s something truly joyous about a run on a beautiful summer’s day. The world seems open, the long days provide you with the opportunity to run anywhere your imagination (and legs) will take you, and nature is full of endless wonders to keep you entertained along the way!

The rainbow of colours from the flowers in the meadows and hedgerows, the sweet smells of the nectar and the plants growing taller and wilder each day, the warmth of the sun on your skin, the small birds flitting and flying playfully from branch to branch, whilst larger birds of prey soar high on the wing overhead. And, down on the ground, farm animals graze peacefully, pausing momentarily to watch the strange, sweaty individual with only two legs trundling by.

Ok, so sometimes the paths can get a bit wild and you’re left with that prickly, itching sensation on your legs after jogging through long grass and stingers. Sometimes you have to slow to a walk the path is so narrow. Sometimes you feel like you’re leaping over the obstacles that line your way like a graceful deer, when in truth, the reality may be a little different! At times, you have to watch your feet constantly because the hard, cracked, uneven ground means there is an imminent risk of rolling your ankle.

But, all the challenges aside, the warmth, the light, and the chance to escape, to be free, to go on an adventure, more than make up for it!

Here are some of the highlights from a sunny 7.5-mile-run I went on this morning, from home to the edge of the Cotswolds and back. We’re so blessed to live where we do!!!

In case you’re local, or just fancy exploring a part of Britain you’ve never visited, here’s the route for you.