Last Long Training Run & Cycle Route 41

The furthest and last long run of my marathon training was looming but I wasn’t sure how I was going to schedule it around weekends away involving alcohol and weddings. I wasn’t inclined to try 22 miles with a steaming hangover or even worse substituting my water bottle for one of Smirnoff to save time.

I plotted and planned but despite all my scheming, my holiday request on the day of the Quarterly Sales & Marketing was spotted as what it was and it was declined. Bugger. It was to be Death by Powerpoint after all. Rather than death by exhaustion, dehydration and lack of long run practise.

I was just about to start sulking when my manager announced I wouldn’t have to go to the 2^nd part of the meeting as it wasn’t relevant to my role. I decided that this was my chance and quickly booked a half day holiday.

The meeting was actually really interesting and best of all we got fed. A nice buffet lunch with lots of spicy Indian-style food. I wolfed it all down, smug that I’d burn it all off during the afternoon run …

Got home and ready to run but a few stomach rumblings meant a quick pit stop before starting out… Got a mile down the road and was burping spices and another pit stop in the local Travelodge …

Got the legs to start moving and the bowels to stop moving but I felt a bit sluggish and heavy and didn’t enjoy running as much as I usually do. Usually, running is an escape from work, motherhood and herding cats and a chance to plug in an audiobook, have a nose through people’s windows as I run past and fart. Secure in the knowledge that the unlucky recipient is unlikely to be able to catch me to tell me off.

However, I wasn’t feeling as bouncy and enthusiastic as usual but I’d had a 20 mile run five days previously so blamed that. My knee wasn’t twingeing, there weren’t any obvious niggles, just a general – burp! – sluggishness. Ah … that was why. Another pit stop. This time in the local Sainsbury’s. Sigh. If I ran at this speed during the marathon, the chap in the diving outfit was going to overtake me.

 

Finally … I got going properly and could start enjoying the run. I was following cycle route 41 some of which I had run on before but without realising it was part of the same trail. The route started at Rugby train station and went up a disused railway line through the centre of town although you’d never know it was there as it was beautiful and peaceful.

There was about a mile or so on pavement next to a busy road and then the route disappeared into a quiet road and continued at the end of the road into a secluded footpath between fields. It was lovely and although I’d run in this area and driven past the footpath many times, I’d never spotted it before. It was lovely and very quiet – you could hear tractors and it passed by farms and an old collie sleeping by the gate. He lifted his head as I passed but didn’t make a sound.

The footpath continued into a quiet lane and past a field of alpacas! Lots and lots of alpacas! Nuzzle and Scratch … and Nuzzle and Scratch … and Nuzzle and Scratch …

 

Down a tree-lined hill and to the edge of Draycote Water and thankfully the hilly and tree lined side of the reservoir, rather than the concrete-fantastic side.

Usually Draycote Water is absolutely full of people. Cyclists zipping round and runners puffing their way around and families having a wander with lines of toddlers blocking the paths, but today there was absolutely no-one else there. Not even a solitary cyclist.

I continued the route past the far end of Draycote Water and the route went down a broken tarmac track and onto a grassy lane and then quiet lanes. It was a nice change of terrain – a proper trail run. Under a railway bridge and then over and on top of it and onto a lovely smooth sandy path which was another disused railway line. The railway bridges were still all in place and obvious. Everything was well maintained and peaceful.

I followed the path to Birdingbury and despite the gorgeousness of the route and the fact I had no time limit, was finding it hard going. The long run a few days before had taken it’s toll and I was conscious that I’d knackered my knee only a week or so previously. 

I kept the pace fairly slow and kept topping up with water and mars bar slices which kept me going. I was only just halfway at this point which made it feel even more difficult as I knew I had another run of the same distance to do. Coming out of Birdingbury, I came to a T-Junction and stopped the Garmin to consult the maps so I could see which way to go. I then forgot to restart it … for another mile and a half. What a tit.

At this point I was running through country lanes over gently rolling hills, but they just felt as though they went on … and on … and on... Finally came to the canal path entrance but across the canal like a shining beacon of beer I could see a pub. And more importantly a sign on the pub door offering ice cream for 80p. Sold!

After the achy legs and multiple poos, I felt stopping for an ice cream would be a small sacrifice to the God of long runs.

After the pub, Route 41 carried on along a canal path which was smooth and well maintained and I always like seeing the colourful barges with the bicycles strapped on and geraniums growing from the pots on the roofs of the boats. Anything to distract me on a long run. I’ll take boats with flowers on over roads and pavements any day.

I ended up going past some quiet farms and onto a very small lane. I was passed by a few cyclists absolutely flying down the hill I was labouring up as I found the highest and sharpest peak of the run. Thanks a bunch. A nice touch at the 17.5 mile point. Ouch. Cheated and walked up it. I didn’t mind the downhill on the other side though.

The lane finished at a main road and the next mile or two were the worst of the route as they ran along a busy road which had a lot of blind corners and no pavement. In a lot of places, there was not even a verge really so I had to hop on and off the bank as cars passed. Bloody cars. And bloody people driving while I had to run. In their nice comfy seats. 

The Route 41 signs directed me onto a well maintained lane that was obviously another disused railway line with the railway bridges still towering over the path. There were some good views across the fields and the soil was red like in parts of Devon. Either that or the red mist that had descended as I swore at the car drivers going too fast on the main road earlier still hadn’t cleared. 

The next part was the highlight of my run. An adorable Springer / Collie cross puppy that wobbled up to me and licked my hand like I was his favourite person ever. He was 12 weeks old and too cute not to stop for. Even in the pursuit of a 22 mile goal.

I passed a few houses on the outskirts of Leamington Spa and was directed onto a winding path going around a park called Newbold Comyn. There was an interesting looking hill in the middle of it and a Beacon on top. I considered a Lord of the Rings moment and I would have liked to have had a closer look, but I wasn’t THAT worried about adding extra mileage in at this point. Meh … call me lazy.

There were lots of runners out and about and I thought it must have been a club night in Leamington. I caught up with another runner to ask and check that I was still on the Cycle Route as all signs had evaporated at this point … just as I ran past a sign telling me I was on Cycle Route 41. Ok. Now I look like scary, sweaty Stalker Runner.

Coming into Leamington, I had to stop several times at the traffic lights for the traffic and a chap passing in his suit with his briefcase cheekily told me off for stopping my run. I beat him to death with his own briefcase. Oh no. I laughed and told him I’d just completed 21.5 miles and was happy that the lights were red for 20 seconds. See. I CAN be nice.

The route ran alongside a park which looked interesting. There were a few monuments I could see through the bars and it was faced by some Regency style buildings. I wasn’t however, that interested that I was going to stop ½ mile before my finish point. I crossed a busy road and pegged it up a hill and arrived at Leamington station at 22.25 miles and 3:29:12.

Route 41: LIAS LINE:

From - To:  Rugby, Leamington Spa (and Warwick)

Type:          Mainly traffic-free

Access:     Warwick and Leamington Spa Railway Stations

Surface:     Tarmac or fine gravel paths

Cycle Route 41 and Sustrans

Goodbye Summer, hello Autumn ...

September is here again. Every year I feel so sad to say goodbye to summer, but I forget how gorgeous Autumn is. The air smells cold and my fingers are chilled, but it reminds me of playing marbles in the playground when I was a kid.

I started running just over 2 years ago and it was about this time of year that I did my first parkrun. It was so nice not to have to run on my own and I went nearly every week over that winter. I think maybe it is because of those cold parkruns that I associate running with the smell of frost and the feeling of cold in my fingers and puffs of breath in the air.

Parkrun was my first taste of the competitive but friendly world of running. I also learned the most important running lesson. Don’t assume.

Don’t assume the old chap is going to be slow. Don’t assume the skinny racing snake is going to be quick. And definitely don’t assume that the curvy girl isn’t quick and would hesitate to flatten you on her sprint finish.

People assumed I was quick as I was slim and dressed in a vest. Nope. Just slim and too tight to fork out for a proper warm running top. My first parkrun time was 29:31.

I was thrilled to have a 'proper' time but at the same time a little bit disappointed that it wasn’t as quick as I’d run it on the treadmill at the gym. Welcome to hills and broken paths and starting out too fast in a race, New Runner.

It gets better. I promise.

Bulls or Cows, Alpacas and Wimpy Girls

Arranged to meet up for a run with WolfRunner starting – and more importantly finishing -  at a pub. I texted her to confirm but on the last text had make a bit of an error and said „I’ll meet you at the Bull“. What I’d actually meant was „I’ll meet you at the Cow“. Not a big difference animal-wise, but about 8 miles difference run-wise. A couple of confused phone conversations and a late start by half an hour and we were out running.

It has been starting to feel more like Autumn the last few days with a bit of a chill in the air and the evenings and early mornings have been a bit more crisp. It felt like that tonight. It was beautiful but there was a bite to the air and it was definitely getting cooler.

We decided to run down the main road and cut down a country lane and across a field full of cows. It’s a lovely bumpy field, perfect for turning your ankles and covering lovely clean trainers in cow pat. Luckily we avoided doing either and we decided to run on the trail route this evening. This is a trail which goes along the side of a field and means you’re running on long grass and small hillocks. It’s a lot more fun than running on the road.

Got to the top of one of the hillocks and were confronted by some unusual looking animals. Alpacas. Or as a friend described them 'baby albino giraffes'. They were small and quite dumpy, obviously young ones and very cute. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d stumbled on Nuzzle & Scratch from Cbeebies and that they would overtake me at a sprint a few minutes later dressed as pirates and tripping over in front of me.

We went through a gate and leapt a puddle and realised we’d gone the wrong way, so we did a U-turn and got back onto the main path by the reservoir. It was definitely getting darker and we only  saw 2 other people - a cyclist who seemed to come out of nowhere and a lady dressed in running kit run walking. We called out „Good evening“ as we passed and she returned the greeting with an explanation of how she was walking because she was reading a text. You don’t need to explain to us Run-Walk-Lady ... but we did see you walking a few minutes earlier without your phone! Hope you got back before dark.

Passed the visitor’s centre and it was definitely getting dark now. Bats were flitting above us and rabbits dashing across the path in front of us were only vague blurs. I was very glad I was wearing my hi-viz jacket!

We decided to run back via the lanes rather than across the field and started discussing what alpacas sound like so we could distinguish between an alpaca and a mad axeman in the dark.

Decided against going through the cow field as didn't want to run into a cow in the dark. They're a bit solid and might not be too impressed with a runner bouncing off their arse. WolfRunner and I got onto the footpath back to Rugby which led through a tunnel. It was now so dark that the ends of the tunnel seemed to stretch out like an optical illusion. Very dark in the middle so dug out trusty phone and fired up the flashlight app. Yes, we are wimpy girls.

Got back to the lit streets and ran back to the pub and the cars. 6.75 miles over road and trails and I’m still not quite sure what an alpaca sounds like.

*Thanks to @Mick_GFX for the alpaca description!

How Not to Follow a Marathon Training Plan

I was SO good at following my training plan for my first half-marathon this year. I downloaded the schedule to my Outlook calendar and the plan to my Garmin and scheduled them all in my iPod calendar. I faithfully followed the plan, switching rest days and runs whenever there was a schedule conflict. Such as an evening on the wine or an unexpected cold. I was positively saint-like. In a running way, of course.

As this is my first marathon, I hit problems finding a training plan. I had kept the training up from the half marathon as much as possible as it fitted around my life and the amount of desserts I wanted to eat (lots).

I found that a lot of the beginner marathon training plans started mileage at about 15 – 20 miles a week where I tend to do 35 – 40 miles a week. I didn’t like to jump to an advanced marathon plan as I’m not an advanced marathoner. I wasn’t quite sure what to do. Also I prefer to run 5 or 6 times a week, but all of the plans except for the advanced ones were for 3 or 4 times a week.

A FURTHER problem was what time plan do I download? According to race time predictors I could be looking at a time anywhere between 3:19:00 (yeah right, I bloody wish) to 3:50:00 (I can dream ...) if I put the training in.  

Race Predictor 

I decided to download an intermediate one and wait for the mileage to catch me up.

The problem was by the time the mileage on the plan caught up with my current mileage, I had completely forgotten about the training plan. Bugger.

All of a sudden, there’s 6 weeks to go and I’m still merrily doing intervals using ‚Zombies, Run’ twice a week, doing a long run on a Wednesday and a Saturday and trotting around doing whatever the hell else kind of running I felt like. Shit.

Also, along the way I’ve had a bad cold and knackered my knee so had additional 2 weeks off.

I’m basically doing my normal running at the moment, but doing the long runs from the training plan whenever the intermediate plan tells me too. I’m hoping that as long as I can do the long runs I will be ok. I will be THRILLED with any time under 4 hours and definitely satisfied with a finish!

Dragonflies, Mike Myers and Apple Pie

I got the go ahead from the physio to do my long run of 20 miles this weekend. Well what he actually said was “I’d recommend 9 or 10 but since you did that last night, you should be ok with a longer distance.” However, with the strict proviso that should my knee start hurting, I should start walking. I tried explaining that it hurt less to run than walk but he fixed me with a beady eye and told me to do what the hell I was told. OK I’m paraphrasing, but that was the meaning behind it.

My pre-fuel today was a giant mug of hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows and a slice of apple and caramel pie. I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that hot chocolate is a good runner’s drink. Maybe that’s wishful thinking …

Luckily my stomach is quite forgiving and it actually worked OK as a pre-run meal. Not sure I can recommend it with a clear conscience though.  

Decided to use Draycote Water as my route and run laps of the reservoir then veer off down a footpath if I got bored. I did 2 laps going alternate directions at marathon race pace so kept it 8min/mile - 8.30min/mile and then did half a lap at a comfortable pace and went off to find a footpath. There was one about half a lap, just before the last long straight.

Ran down the Birdingbury cycle route which was lovely and smooth – not too many cyclists either - and there were dragon flies and butterflies everywhere. Much prettier than the usual flies and they didn’t seem to have the suicidal urges the flies did – getting in my mouth and eyes all the time.

I did see a few cyclists though, including a couple who kept going the wrong way and asking me for directions. I wasn’t going fast enough to overtake them but they went the wrong way at every intersection so I must have seen them 3 or 4 times. Must have looked like a running version of Mike Myers from Halloween. Not fast, but they couldn’t get away!

There were quite a lot of people bramble picking. Mmm … I love blackberries but halfway though a long run wasn’t really an appropriate time to gather fruit and I didn’t have anywhere to carry them except my mouth.

Decided not to follow the route all the way to Birdingbury as didn’t want to run on the road so followed the trail but it petered out into a rabbit run between stinging nettles and thorny bushes which wasn’t doing wonders for my speed so I turned around.

I was alternating High 5 gels and slices of Mars Bar to see how I got on with them as a fuel for the marathon. I didn’t feel particularly tired and didn’t hit the ‘Wall’ although I ran out of water at mile 15. I struggled about ½ mile from the ‘finishing line’ but I often do at the end of a run whatever the distance when the end is in sight.

Really pleased with the long run. It might be interesting to try a negative split next time – try the last 10 miles at race pace. Sounds a little bit like hell though.

Not Doing Long Runs

I’ve read the marathon posts on a few forums and one of the main themes seems to be the long runs. Apparently the regular – and successful - marathon runners reckon you need to do a minimum of 4 runs of over 20 miles to be ready for the distance at race pace on the day.

I’ve got 5 weeks before the marathon and assuming that I’m going to have the last 2 weeks as taper weeks, I’m going to run out of time. I’ve got no problem knocking out 12 – 15 mile runs and I run this distance regularly, but I’ve only done 1 x 18 and one 29 miler (don’t ask).

I always used to scoff when people said they didn’t do their long runs and think, “Well how did they expect to do a marathon?” but now it’s my turn to look stupid. A cold a couple of weeks ago, then a bad knee this week and it’s knocked me completely off track. 

I’m pinning all my hopes on the physio tomorrow which is silly. The poor chap is a PHYSIO not a magician but I’m done so much training for this and I really don’t want to cock it all up with a last minute setback.

Well, who does?

If the worse comes to the worse and I’m not able to do the marathon, then I can defer it and look to enter another one later in the year (or hope that I made it through the London marathon ballot!) but we’ve all booked hotel rooms in Liverpool and rescheduled other things to be there. Sigh.

Night Run with Hedgehogs, Mars Bars and Snail Genocide

In my Not-Really-Following-A-Training-Plan training plan, there was a 9 mile run scheduled for last night. I’ve been getting a bit paranoid about missing runs so I thought I’d get out there and see whether the knee held up. 

I’m sure that any odd twinges I’m getting are completely normal, like a dead leg because I’ve been sitting at my desk with my legs crossed or a sore ankle because I knocked it on the doorframe this morning but I’m getting really paranoid that every little niggle spells D-O-O-M for my marathon.

So I thought bugger it. How am I going to know unless I get out there. Besides I’ve got physio tomorrow and hopefully he can wave his magic wand if I mess it up tonight and make it all better. I have a LOT of faith in my physiotherapist!

Got all ready in my running gear. Strapped my bum bag erm ... I mean running belt on, pulled up my neon pink compression socks and set off. Well, turned the Garmin on and then wandered around outside the house vaguely for 5 minutes until it picked up the satelites.

Started running. Then stopped. Because I spotted this chap. He didn’t even run away, just snuffled at me and carried on sitting on the lawn eating slugs.

And running again. It was a warm evening but even though the sky was clear and the stars were bright it was very dark. It was nice. I had a good audiobook on (preferred to music as I can still hear around the talking for other noises like mad axemen and banshees), I was setting a nice steady pace and the knee was feeling good.

Had a near miss about mile 4. I run through an industrial estate which turns into a country lane and for about ½ a mile after this there aren’t any street lights. This wouldn’t normally be a problem except for at night – like now – or when it was pitch black with no moon – like now. I was running down the hill on the pavement and could vaguely see something odd about belly button height coming towards me. Like a barely seen grey circle bobbing from side to side. I kept watching and running towards it and couldn’t quite work out what it was. It was a bit spooky, but I was more curious than anything.

Realised what it was with about 5 metres to go and leapt off the pavement! It was a cyclist coming up the hill on the pavement with no lights on. The grey circle was his front reflector which must have been picking up some light from the stars. I laughingly called out „Near miss!“ and shocked him – he hadn’t seen me either. We exchanged apologies and carried on.

Running on the new bypass on the lovely wide pavements, I became aware that it sounded as though I was running on gravel. Couldn’t quite work out why so had a closer look and realised that the pavement was absolutely covered with tiny baby snails. I felt really mean, even though the squishing was completely accidental but there was no way of avoiding them as there were so many. Maybe I should just think of it as revenge for the little buggers eating all my lettuces this year.

I wanted to experiment with different fuels so I had a couple of slices of Mars bar wrapped up in foil in my running belt. I get on fine with gels, but I wanted to try something a bit more substantial. I don’t get on with jelly babies. I can run with a pub lunch in my tummy, but I can’t really stop during the marathon for one of those. Although I wish I could.

The Mars bar slices worked fine. I didn’t feel tired at the end of my run and could have carried on a bit longer whereas usually when I’m within sight of home I feel like I need to stop whether it’s a 3 mile run or a 15 mile run. So a win for the Mars bars.

Also a win for the knee. No problems at all. A very slight tightness at one point but as that happened in both knees I think it must be something usual. Very relieved!

Bristol Half marathon and Pink Compression Gear

The pack for Bristol Half Marathon has turned up with a pretty blue race number. Decided it might be a good idea to actually give the knee a try after 5 days off and see whether the pain returned with running. It’s been fine all day, but I’ve been getting shooting pains down the other leg which makes me suspicious that the root cause might be an old back problem rather than a problem with my knee.

I’m a bit relived to be honest, as the back problem is an old one and the physio tends to be able to sort it fairly well, whereas the knee would be a new problem. Definitely what I don’t need 3 weeks before Bristol Half Marathon and 5 weeks before Liverpool Marathon!

Had a trial run this evening to test it out. A 4 mile route which runs through a housing estate with a loop at the top like a balloon on a wobbly string. My knee was fine. It had a couple of very faint twinges, but these were probably normal but heightened with oh-my-God-I’m-injured paranoia. My back was aching when I got back though and I had to stretch my calves out halfway which was unusual. It felt like a lactic acid build up (or what I assume is lactic acid) but stretching seemed to shift it.

I had my cold bath and am currently typing this in my very fetching neon pink compression socks and a thick, tight tubular bandage over my knee. Just in case.

No I’m going to post a picture. Trust me. Not my best look.

Damn You, Buffet Trolley

After the holiday last week, I’m trying to behave myself. On holiday, I ate everything I could possibly manage including a Cornish pasty EVERY day and ice cream EVERY day. Plus normal meals. Well ... takeaways mainly.

Also, I’m not running so much as I don’t want to put too much strain on the dodgy knee so I’m not burning any of it off.

As a result, I’m trying to eat clean for a while. My evening meals are back to my usual steamed fish (salmon this week as it was on offer in tesco for £5 per kg!) and a giant mountainous mound of veg, usually carrots, cauliflower, broccoli and mushrooms. And whatever else is around and is greenish (in a vegetable way, not a mouldy way). I’m having tuna and mayonnaise for breakfast and lunch. It sounds like a horrendous breakfast, but I find it fills me up and I run pretty well on it.

However, my body betrayed me earlier. I’d eaten my breakfast, eaten my lunch, wasn’t feeling particularly hungry but went downstairs to post a letter and passed the buffet trolley which had been left in the kitchen so we could help ourselves.

And before I knew it, my sneaky food-grabbing hands had grabbed 3 pieces of snack sized buffet food and had shoved it into my mouth.

Don't Overdo It!

I loved the coastal path route and I don’t think I’ve had such a satisfying and enjoyable run for ages. And that’s saying something as I LOVE my runs. However, my joints weren’t too impressed ...

The day after the coastal path run, I was limping as the pain from my knee was quite intense. Irritatingly, it still felt better when I ran but I was pretty sure that running everywhere wouldn’t do it a lot of good ...

I rarely get aches or pains after running as I do my stretches religiously after each run and have a cool bath and stick on the compression gear after long runs or particularly tough runs. Annoyingly, I hadn’t been able to have a cool bath because – due to being on holiday! – the caravan had a teeny shower but no bath and I’d completely forgotten about my compression gear before going to bed. Lesson #1. Don’t drink so much Cornish cider.

I’d bought a tight tubular bandage and put my compression gear on the day AFTER the run but it was wishful thinking. So no running for a few days then. Grrr.

I’d been using the Samsung Hope Relay application to track my runs and raise pounds for children’s charities. Samsung gave £1 for every mile I ran so it was for a good cause and I was top of the list for my team (the Fetchies!). I now had to sit and watch as my nearest rival inched his way up the board to catch me up and I had to sit still with a bandage on my knee raising no money at all … Cue sulky face.

Coastal Runs, Ice Cream and a Poorly Knee

I’d popped to the beach in Porth and while not deliberately scouting for run routes, I’d spotted the coastal path while lazing around on the beach. It seemed a shame to come to Cornwall and not take advantage of the opportunity for a bit of off-road running. Besides, there might be an opportunity for some Cornish ice cream at some point along the route …

I’d meant to start early but that didn't happen as there was an unexpected chance for a holiday lie-in. Lie-ins are few and far between for me so I pulled the duvet over my head and finally got my trainers and kit on about 10am after drinking a lot of water, a coffee and a big bowl of cornflakes. The day was going to be a hot one and I didn’t really want to have to carry water with me.

I started from the car park by the beach and ran up the hill on the pavement for about 200 metres – almost the only part of my route that was on a paved path. I crossed in front of a refreshments hut and onto a sandy path bordered by smooth rabbit-nibbled turf.

It was beautiful and the views were straight from a holiday brochure. I ran too fast for the first part but it was so much fun and knowing that I didn't have a time limit for my run made it all the better. Usually I have to fit my runs into a lunch hour at work or before everyone’s tea or bedtimes. It was bliss knowing I could run for as long  - or as short! – as I wanted to.

There was an iron-age fort on the point so I ran over the bridge and up to the top of the island and down to the end. I couldn’t help it. I stopped and looked at the views and the sea crashing around the rocks. It was beautiful.  

I followed the path up the hill past the hotels and following the line of the coast. A lot of walkers were out and all were pretty friendly and most greeted me and got out of the way when they saw a runner coming by stepping off of the path or moving to one side. In most places the path was only wide enough for one person – and at some points hardly that so it was most appreciated!

There were some gorgeous views. It was such a warm day, but clear with no mist over the hills or hiding the views. I took a few photos but not as many as I would have liked. The sea was a perfect bluey-green and with the sandy beaches and craggy cliffs, it hardly looked real.

The coastal path was really steep as the path followed the coastline and ran over the cliffs. The trail was hard going and very damaged in places. I had to watch my step and the path was often very deep and rutted. Other places the path was paved or maintained gravel. It differed very much over the double 9 miles. Even with the heat, there were still muddy patches. The hardest parts were the natural stone steps going up and down the cliff sides but there was no chance for getting bored of the path or scenery at any point. 

Coming in towards Watergate Bay the path disappeared and I had run down the main road for about 100 metres. The path wasn’t clearly marked and there wasn’t a pavement which wasn’t great as there were a fair amount of cars coming down the road on both sides. It was difficult to re-find the coastal path even though I’d checked the satellite maps previously and knew the markers to look out for (Car park on right, villas on left). I went up the road too far and had to re-trace my steps.

I found a nice beach in Trenance after about 5.5 miles and spotted an ice cream shop. It seemed silly to pass up such a good opportunity so I stopped. I decided on a scoop of the apple crumble flavoured ice cream and a scoop of the orange fudge with chocolate bits in. It was delicious and I made a mental note to return at some point for more ice cream. Had a chat to an elderly couple who were staying down here for a month from Manchester. Had to stifle my jealousy. Just think how many miles I could do in this gorgeous area if I had a month’s worth of running! 

I had to run across the sandy beach and up Bedruthan Steps to rejoin the path. It felt strange to be out in the middle of the day dashing across the beach past all of these people in swimming trunks and bikinis! I’d rather be running than lying on the beach.

My knee started playing up at about mile 6. It hurt when I walked or after I stopped for any reason but when I ran on it, it seemed to improve and didn't hurt at all. Obviously not something I could maintain indefinitely though and it became a pain when I had to let people pass on the path or go through a gate. 

Ran on and decided would make run up to 18 miles - the long run I'd had to miss because of my cold last week. I went past an estuary at Craigmorrick at mile 8.5 and decided I would turn around at the top of the opposite hill to have a nice downhill as my return run.

My knee really starting to play up and every time I had to pause – to tie my shoelaces, to take a photo or go up steps it started really throbbing and felt weak and wobbly. After about 10 steps of running, the pain eased but it was very sore when I started running or walked.

I spotted an ice cream van on top of one of the cliffs and stopped for a coke and just sat and enjoyed the view. I just couldn’t get over how gorgeous it was. I wasn’t even finished yet, but already it was one of my favourite runs ever.

I was meeting everyone else at the beach and got a call when I was about 2 miles from my finish point to say I'd passed them all at the last bay! Whoops! Would have waved if I’d known! I had meant to run back around the iron age fort but decided that I shouldn't really aggravate the knee any more than necessary so I ran straight back to the starting point and had a well deserved cold drink.

Got back and realised I hadn’t been quite as careful with the sun cream as I’d meant to be. I was burned in all places open to the sunshine today from the run. The weather had felt hot but not burning hot but it obviously was as I now looked as though I still had my running gear on. White, outlined in red! Not a good look.

Stats

Distance:                    17.35 mi

Time:                           3:21:26

Avg Pace:                  11:37 min/mi

Elevation Gain:           2,390 ft

Calories:                     1,666 C

Timing

Time:                           3:21:26

Moving Time:              3:13:50

Elapsed Time:            4:06:12

Avg Pace:                  11:37 min/mi

Avg Moving Pace:     11:10 min/mi

Best Pace:                  4:05 min/mi

Elevation

Elevation Gain:           2,390 ft

Elevation Loss:           2,375 ft

Min Elevation:             6 ft

Max Elevation:            278 ft

My Trainers - Demoted to Mud Running

I bought my first pair of running trainers from a discount sports shop just under 2 years ago. Luckily, the chap advising me showed me some pink Asics 2160s and blue 2140s (rather than Converse or daps) and these were the ones I bought.  There were a blue pair and a pink pair. The blue pair were my outside running trainers and my pink ones were my gym trainers.

After an episode at the gym where I left a little pile of mud behind the treadmill thanks to a rather muddy and visited-by-cows cross country run the day before I had decided this was a neccessity. The pink ones were so pretty they had to be my indoor shoes. I’m not a girly girl, but these were pretty shoes.

The pink ones are long gone, having racked up their 500 miles or so and have gone to the great Shoe Rack in the sky. (Think Monty Python hands opening a gap in the clouds and a choir singing) However, the blue ones are still with me. They have been demoted to my mud running shoes after lots of miles and mud had dimmed their blue and white and silver colours to blues and muddy greys.

They have done Wolf Run and got me through the end to 4th female position. And they’ve gone through the washing machine. They’ve done Sole Destroyer and made it through ALL of those bloody rivers and hill repeats and got me to 4th female position. And they’ve gone through the washing machine again. They have managed Tough Mudder and got through all that barbed wire and river swimming and fire walking and got me to 3rd female position and a place in the World’s Toughest Mudder. And back through the washing machine.

Ironically, because of all the soapy Fairy goodnes and 1000rpm spin cycle, they’re actually looking pretty good. They’re certainly whiter than all of the other trainers I’m currently running in and there aren’t any visible rips or damage to the uppers. I’m sure any running store clerk or Asics representative would look at them and shudder ... especially after 3 trips throughthe washing machine, but to me these are the hardcore, butt kicking, over muscled Schwarzeneggers of the trainer world. I like pretty trainers, but these bad boys have EARNED their place on my shoe rack.

Running with a Rucksack

Decided to have a go at using my slimline rucksack for running. I’d found it pretty good when I used it walking (although the pockets on it are TEENY) so I thought I’d give it a go for running. I’m useless at drinking water on the go (always end up wet, choking and bedraggled) and hate carrying it in my hand (feel all lopsided) so thought it had to be worth a shot.

Got all togged up and to be honest the rucksack sat fairly comfortably. I had worried it might move around too much or be too heavy filled with water but it felt OK. It has 2 clip-in straps and I had to move the top one right up so it sat above my boobs rather than underneath which rucked the shoulder straps a bit but it felt secure and hardly moved at all when I ran.

The sloshing noise from the water bladder was a bit offputting. I felt I sounded like I was jumping in jelly but it was comfortable to wear and was easy to drink from. I’d worried about it chafing my shoulders – especially when the water bladder was full and heavy but I didn’t have any problems at all.

The pockets felt teeny – I had struggled to fit in loo roll, a tenner and my driving license in the side pocket, and my iphone (in a very bulky case) on top of the water bladder … or so I had thought but when I took a wrong turning past Trerice Manor I had found a really old green glass bottle sticking out a bank that I put in the main pocket of the rucksack. It fit in there without too much trouble so the pockets can’t be that tiny.

So … if you’re looking for a running rucksack that’s cheap, doesn’t get in the way of your boobs, is fairly comfortable and that you can fit miscellaneous crap in, I’d recommend the Eurohike Aqua4. It must be a couple of years old but I’m positive I didn’t spend more than £15 on it and it’s turned out to be a pretty good buy!

(As a note, I later googled the bottle - it's over 100 years old!)

Eerie but Interesting

I’d had a week off of running due to a stinking cold, bogies and all the associated unpleasantness of a head cold but I’d decided enough was enough so I got myself organised and got out of the door. Besides, I’m on holiday in Cornwall and I’d had a look at google maps and there were miles and miles of lanes that needed exploring … it seemed rude not to!

After such a long break from running, my legs went mad for the first mile. If legs could talk, mine would have been saying “Wheeeeee! We’re RUNNING again! Thank God – all that walking was getting REALLY boring!” I had to keep slowing myself down consciously as I could still feel the cold lingering and I didn’t want to have to make the embarrassing phone call that would have been a request for a pick up as I’d run out of steam. Besides, I probably would have been unable to describe exactly where I was in the lanes (my geography of the area is best described as ‘sketchy’) which would have cause additional embarrassment so I thought I’d best take it slow and steady.

Didn’t see many cars at all, although I flattened myself in the hedge whenever I did see one as the lanes were far too narrow for two cars to pass and often too narrow for a car to comfortably pass a runner. One difference I noticed, was that in Warwickshire and in Dorset was that if you get out of the way of the cars they will always thank you with a wave or smile, whereas in Cornwall the car drivers just took it as their right to zoom past you taking up the whole road. I got one acknowledgment the whole run – from a police car – not even from the tractor driver who crashed on past banging a trailer on behind him.

I stopped and took a photo at a bridge as it was so pretty and the water in the river was pink! The soil in parts of Devon is often reddish, so I assumed that it must be around here too. It looked very odd but very pretty. 

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see many views as after about four miles, the fog descended and my visibility was limited to about two hundred metres or so. It felt very odd as the mist deadened the sounds and it made me feel like I was the only person for miles and miles. Quite unsettling really, especially as the lanes were so lonely and I’d often go for quite some time before passing a house or a farm. I didn’t pass another pedestrian at all!

Also, in the distance I would occasionally hear a horn blowing. It was quite odd as it sounded like an ancient factory horn and it was bizarre to hear it coming out of nowhere in such a rural setting. It added to the spookiness. I later found out that Lappa Valley railway was in this area.

I looked over a fence and saw some really fluffy black and white cows. They saw me looking and came over to the gate to see me so I stopped. Now … I know I’m not local to this area but cows shouldn’t growl should they? Every pre-schooler knows that cows say “Moooo”. Well one of these cows was growling at me. 

It really was. I KNOW cows don’t growl, but this cow definitely was. I thought it was a bit funny and popped it on twitter for my friends to have a laugh at and carried on running.

The fog had really come down quite thickly now and everything was wet. Every time I went under trees, the drops would patter down on me and on the road and everything was still and damp.

I got to a crossroads and stopped. Each lane led off in a different direction and each was shrouded in fog after a few metres. I deliberated for a while. There was a signpost, but the directions on it didn’t make much sense and it looked as though something had knocked into it and maybe knocked it out of true so that the arms were pointing the wrong way. I took my phone out to have a look at the map and at that moment a tweet popped up as a reply to my cow tweet. It was from @runrabbit and simply said “Growling? Hmm bit of a worry. Is something else hidden in the fog …”

I chose a direction quickly and repacked running rucksack and set off at a somewhat quicker pace than before. Checking back over my shoulder every few metres. I run for miles in country lanes, but the fog and not quite knowing where I was made it a bit eerie …

I got to Trerice Manor and had a look through the gates at the beautiful house. There was a rather disturbing-looking stone lion guarding the path to the house. I’m sure in sunshine it probably looked quite lovely but in the fog and damp it wasn’t the most welcoming statue.

I turned right, following the main road at the top of the hill past the manor and up the hill past some cottages. A collie barked at me from behind a gate and I picked up the pace not wanting to be chased to my destination. A nice downhill slope, past a beautiful, welcoming-looking cottage with a glowing golden light coming from its window and … to a main road! Cars whooshed past in both directions and it was strange to suddenly see these signs of modern life. Unfortunately, it meant I’d taken a wrong turn as I hadn’t planned to cross any main roads. A quick look at the map and it looked as though I’d have to retrace my steps to Trerice Manor and take a left at the top of the hill. Sod.

Running back up the hill, I saw something in the bank where the dirt had fallen away and I picked up an old heavy green glass bottle with Goodall Backhouse & Co stencilled into the thick green glass. I emptied it of dirt and wiped it on the ivy of the bank before popping it into my running rucksack.

I made it back to the Manor quickly and found the right path. I ran past some beautiful cottages and the lanes became more picturesque than before. I ran down a long downhill and past an elderly lady sweeping the road outside her cottage with a broom and down at the bottom of the hill I came across a ford!

The ford was deep and swift and I was glad for the footbridge which crossed to the right of it.

At the top of the hill I came to a crossroads that I recognised and I took the right fork, through some of the smallest lanes yet and came out at the top of a very steep hill, next to the campsite and home. An eerie, but interesting route today.

Sulky and Sniffly

This cold is still hanging on. I’m grumpy and blocked up and sulky. I’m not good to be around when I can’t go out for a run to chill out. I’m being encouraged to run from all angles – I’m obviously getting near the ‚She’s-Driving-Me-Barmy‘ stage, but my head feels like an overstuffed pillow and I haven’t found a way to stop my nose running. I don’t even think an applicator tampon stuck up each nostril will help.  Although I may get the look of Arnie from Total Recall when he’s pulling the locator from his nose ...

 

I’m tempted to go for a run tonight, but the cold isn’t quite as bad as yesterday and I don’t want to bring it back ... as though not going for a run is like a superstition. This cold WILL go away if I just don’t run for a bit. Although my hands are freezing, but my back is boiling hot. I think the run is off for today too ...

That’s five whole days.

I could be going for a long run. I could be doing Zombies, Run! Intervals, I could be finding new hills to run up. And down. Or listening to my new audiobook on the LSRs.

Instead I’m sitting here, surrounded by snotty tissues. And stinky mugs of lempsip. (Well I assume they’re stinky – I can’t smell them) And being grumpy