Where I run no. 2 - Wendover Woods

Jumping in the car for the 20 minute drive over to Wendover Woods is always worth the effort. When the weather is bad, there is a primeval nature to the trails and they are just about firm enough underneath to create a good surface in the wettest weather. In hot weather it can be blissfully cool under the forest canopy as well. As it is a Forestry Commission site, the trails are well marked and maintained and being near to the top of the Chiltern Hills, there are plenty of gradients to negotiate on what is basically a flint surface. No potholes of deep mud but slightly uneven most of the time.

I always tend to start over away from the main visitor centre along a path leading into the woods that allows me to let the dog off the lead straight away. This gives the benefit of a long slow incline to get warmed up for the steeper stuff ahead.

Once the trail opens out, you can see the ridge ahead and the ground begins to rise steadily. Side trails branch off all the time and once you get a feel for the place, it's possible to run loops for a couple of hours, without repeating the same piece of ground. Some of the side trails are extremely steep and can be testing in muddy conditions, but the main trails still present quite a challenge.


I've got to admit that I tend to let the dog choose his route at the crossroads and then go the other way. Al least it means I can occasionally get in front of him!



There's no way out of here without getting the heart pumping, but once near the top the views get quite spectacular, over the Chilterns to one side of the ridge and over the whole of the Vale of Aylesbury and beyond to the north.

There's even some provision for the "lightweights" who've driven up to the visitor centre on the top.......
..but Bertie and I prefer the hard and steep route to the Chilterns highest point!

It is then quite easy to find a long cruise through the trees on the way down, and you can start to forget how your thighs were burning on the way up.

And someone has been watching me run here before I think!

The home straight approaches - now for that cool drink back in the car.

Five miles in the woods reduces you to this type of state, but it's always inspiring to be running in such wonderful countryside and the dog certainly seems to enjoy it.