Glorious day here in Manchester and there is nothing like an early morning run with sun shining in clear, blue sky.

By the time I got to the wooded bits opposite Chorlton Water Park it must have been knocking on eight-thirty. I ran up my hill a couple of times before skirting round to gambol about down the wooded paths. The best bits.

This squirrel was sitting on a low wooden fence and thought he'd get away from me by running along it.

But I was running that way too so he ended up running beside me for about twenty feet. Very funny.

Then, five minutes later another squirrel scampered down the path in front of me.

I was beginning to wonder whether I was being lured by squirrels to some fiendish squirrel trap (that's endorphins for you!). But that didn't happen (surprise!).

And so I ran, walked and occasionally leapt home and now I've scoffed a banana smoothie I'm going to go scrub up - I always end up covered in mud somehow!

Think I'm going to go play in the garden and then maybe walk up to Didsbury. Enjoy the weather.