I am going loopy

I prefer loops if I'm honest, I tend to run reservoirs so you can't often cut them short even if you wanted to. Luckily for me I live 10 mins away from some fabulous countryside and several good reservoir runs which can be joined together for extra distance ranging from 3.5 miles up to about 20 or so and the whole route is easy on the feet and scenic

Some of these end up as a lollipop and some a figure 8, others are just a straightforward loop round one or two reservoirs. 

I did a loop today.

It was very windy, and I chose to go out into the wind and uphill.

Which meant that my return journey was downhill and with the wind behind me. Weeeeeeeeee!

 I usually do loops but but I did an out and back today.

I turned into a very tough run due to the wind. I ran from Brighton to Rottingdean (wind at my side) along the cliff top and back. Was running into the wind all the way back to the Palace Pier. It was so windy it felt like I was running just to stand still some of the time.

 Saying that I did really enjoy the run as I love windy weather and I also spotted a few kestrels many to just 'float' on the air currents.

Hi B.B!
Hi Anne!

I am still mixing out and backs with the loops,

This weekend I have been breaking the "rules".
I am always advising beginners (which I am not) to have one or two days of rest, but I did 8miles Friday, 6 Staurday, 8.5 Today & I intend to do a few more Tomorrow.

But I feel good, and I will rest later in the week. Honest!

[All of those were loops]

My long run is an odd one. I don't exactly go out and back, but neither is it a loop.

The first few miles I don't retrace, then I go up on the downs from the race course at Lewes to Jack and Jill windmills and back again, the final part of the run is different. I take small loops to my right going up and down hills both on the way out and on the way back so I don't exactly retrace steps, however I do follow the general path. This is just to include as many hills in the run as I can.

Most of my planned runs follow this sort of general pattern. I criss cross, lolipop (I like that mmm yes lolipop runs, has a ring to it ), zig-zag my way on my runs.

I often find myself retracing my steps on a new run that I haven't done before as it's quite easy to go wrong.

Big David, I have you to thank for me trying out-and-back! Been doing this for my last few long runs, and I've found there are more pros than cons:

PRO:

• You actually get the mileage done, as once you have gone 'out' you have to come 'back'
• You only need to stash one bottle for your long run, eg hide it at 7 miles, have a quick drink, re-hide it and collect it on the way back at 13 miles
• That fab feeling when you have turned round and you are on the way home
• There's no way you can get lost

CON:

• If it is windy, it's possible that it's going to be in your face all the way home

It's an out and back run for me tonight 

There are 2 good off-road routes about 5 miles from my house and I do a cycle then run lollipop, so I don't have to ruin my off-road shoes on tedious roads with too many pedestrian crossings.  I lock my bike up either at a garden centre near the start of the run or at bicycle racks on t'other run.  From my house I do regular loops around a local huge park/woods/fields area which is usually different every time as I have a terrible sense of direction which always makes running interesting.  I have only ever led one club run and they've never asked me again.

Parklife wrote (see)

Some of them never returned ......

LOL - I know the feeling. I have no sense of direction at all so have got quite lost on several ocaisions.
My other problem is that I use maps to plan my long runs and I still get the scale wrong. I'm used to 1:50,000 but have recently started using 1:25,000. I quite often run too far then have to double back, that or just go with having gone wrong and see where I end up.