The run where I get electrocuted

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What started out as a normal jog to work turned into something a little more eventful.

The day before had seen a month's worth of rain fall in one day resulting in flooding and many miserable faces. However, on this Tuesday morning the sky was clear and the sun was out. I decided it was a good day for a long run to work - what day isn't?!

With a change of clothes on my back I headed into the prevailing west wind and climbed the steep hill towards the top of the North Downs between Dover and Folkestone. I chose to take the steady climb up the track as opposed to the grass cliff edge for safety reasons.

As the climb levelled out I found myself approaching a large puddle. When I say large, it stretched from the side of the A20 on my right to a spot half way across the field to my left. There was no way around it and to go back meant descending and re-ascending 500 feet. I decided to wade through.

It started easy enough with the water lapping at my ankles. No problem, it's just water after all. At this point I was still jogging. However, soon the water had risen to my knees and I was forced to walk. When it reached the tops of my thighs I began to wonder if I was about to disappear a la Reverend Geraldine on Vicar of Dibley.

I couldn't resist taking a photo of my predicament and got my phone out. While taking the photos I could feel my legs had gone numb from the cold but also had a strange tingling in my thighs that felt like small needles being stuck into my flesh. Looking up I suddenly realised that an electric fence ran right through the centre of the puddle and it was the electric charge I could feel.

You should have seen me move. I was out the far side in seconds. If I could keep that speed up over 5k it would be a new PB for sure. I was now numb from the waist down but started running in the hope that feeling would return as I warmed up. Gradually it did I am pleased to say although after the run my thighs were very itchy and red.

Before descending into Folkestone I took a detour back to Small Pox Lane to have another look at the art pieces I had seen with John last Saturday. Here they are with a description.



My legs seem fine now and the charge in the fence wouldn't have been very high. That said I won't be doing that again!

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