Best landscape to run in

Jogging along the other week on my usual Sunday morning long run, I started thinking about what would be my favorite type of countryside to run through (sorry industrial cityscapes didn't even make the shortlist: Coastal, mountains, rolling hills, riverside, woodland?

I have always loved the coast but often I find myself concentrating so hard on the footpath (so as not to tumble down the cliff) that I forget to look to the right (or left depending on which way I am going) to take in the scenery. Often the path will lead away from the sea and hide it from view, meaning you could be running anywhere. So after the initial view (assuming the weather is kind) it quickly loses its appeal - so not coastal.

Now mountains I like, I don't mind the uphill slog (assuming that this leads to lots of easy down hill) and the views can be spectacular (assuming the weather is kind). But again the landscape , generally does not change a huge amount, so after the initial wow it quickly loses its appeal.

Rolling hills, say over the Downs, have the advantage that the view is always changing but the disadvantage that the running rhythm is broken up. The other disadvantage tends to be you can see all the other hills you have to climb in the distance. Once you have conquered a few seeing a few more in the distance can get a little disheartening.

Riverside, I like, generally flat, the path will generally twist and turn as you jog along level paths so you can never quite see what is round the corner, keeping the view interesting - the River Weir is a good example. The only disadvantage is during winter time (or in current climate conditions - all year round) when the river banks are broken and everywhere is turned into a swimming pool or at the very least knee deep in mud.

So what about a nice big area of woodland? I think this is were it is to run. The trees change from season to season. In a large woodland area (and I don't mean a Forestry Commission planted pine forest with lines of impenetrable pine trees) the types of trees change from area to area. Trails tend to branch off on a regular basis, giving variety to the running route.

The other reason I like woodland is that it is very easy to quickly lose bearings so that defined navigation points disappear, human activity disappears and you can quickly feel that you have escaped the world. As you go further into the woodland the level of man made noise drops to zero and is replaced with a natural cacophony. The rustle of deer on the right, the flap of birds wings. Sundays run had the added spectacle of a carpet bluebells to draw the eyes, and for the nose the heady smell of wild garlic (at least I would be safe from vampires).

I was even treated to the very bizarre sight of a newly planted Christmas tree plantation:

I also decided that no matter what the weather the woods help: shade in the sun, cover in the rain, protection from the wind. Yes the trails can get muddy but that only adds to the fun, trying to leap from side to side to avoid the deep stuff.

So if I was to chose the ideal landscape to run through it would be woodland (but I might need a river in the middle, an a few rolling hills inside, and maybe a mountain to run up first and view the wood before running through it and emerging by the coast).