Any which way

Does it really matter which way I go?

I have spent a while tonight umming and arring about my route on Thursday planning it on May My Run and have come to the conclusion IT DOESN'T MATTER JERRY.

My wife is out at work in the morning, the girls just want to lie in and I have nothing to do so in the morning, after a lie in, I will run for the heck of it. I have a general idea of where I want to go but just for a change I am going to enjoy a training run without a distance or a route in mind.
Ooooooopppss , I overslept!

Back into my roadies

In the past 6 weeks I have only worn my road shoes six times as most of my running has recently been off road.

That works out at approximately 200 miles in trail shoes and about 50 in roadies. In fact tonight doing 13 miles in my road shoes was absolute bliss having forgotten how comfy my road shoes are even in heavy rain.

Country to Capital Route

I have just got the route mapped for the Country to Capital Ultramarathon on 16th January 2010. It always bugs me that organisers round up distances as this appears slightly less than advertised.

It looks a good course though and training is slowly getting there.

A few too many

Be warned, just because you are going for a run at 9.00 am instead of your usual 7.00 am it doesn't mean you can have an extra glass of port followed by a gin and tonic!!!

I awoke at 8.00 am in view of meeting an old club buddy for a 10 mile trail runand felt particularly groggy, no headache but that horrible malaise associated with over-indulgence.

So fortified with a cup of coffee and a glass of orange squash I thrust a bottle of water in my jacket pocket and plodded up the hill to Duncan's house who efficiently met me at the corner of his road and we continued off onto the locals trails around the nature reserve and woods. It took me at least 6 miles to vaguely feel human again but that was only after half of my water was drunk and all the "poison" burnt out of my body.

The Maverick returns to the local trails at last

Maverick

–noun

1. Southwestern U.S. an unbranded calf, cow, or steer, esp. an unbranded calf that is separated from its mother.
2. a lone dissenter, as an intellectual, an artist, or a politician, who takes an independent stand apart from his or her associates.
   

Synonyms:

1. nonconformist, independent, loner.

---

Origin:
1865–70, Americanism; after Samuel A. Maverick (1803–70), Texas pioneer who left his calves unbranded

When I say I am running...

... I am probably really having a tea break

Here is Mike, myselft and George last Sunday having a quick cup of tea at St. Botolph's Church in Chevening which is next to Chevening House the official residence of the plonker Foreign Secretary David Miliband. It was quite pleasant as the Vicar came out and had a brief chat and was more than happy to have us hang around even though we were using the sarcophagus as a make shift table

Wish List

Spoilt for choice I find myself with £50 worth of gift vouchers from the local running emporium and keep thinking of things to buy.

There is the matter of a trail shoes which I seem to have found a soul mate in the Nike Pegasus 26 Trail WR but I am forever been drawn to the Mizuno Wave Harrier 2 (pictured) as I have been looked after reliably by the road version. It looks pretty good with a low profile with good cushioning in the heel and support in the mid-sole.

Next comes the idea of a good back pack, but I cannot really justify the outlay for the moment as I am not going for self-sufficiency in the next few months. The one I particularly like is the Inov-8 pro 18 as it can be used with a hydration bladder or as a standard day pack. The innovation I do like is the side pockets in the waist belt but I have a feeling they are to the side and not that easy to reach without removing the pack itself but has the ability of having accessories added.

As I say, a wish list , but I may just have to wait and get my kit as required.

2000 in 2009

At long last I have been able to hit that elusive 2000 miles in one year and today was the day.

An early morning start after the over-indulgence of Christmas Day saw us trudging very carefully along the trails and roads near to the North Downs Way and I watched with satisfaction as the Garmin finally read 7.2 miles into the run and I stopped and jumped one big leap to enter my 2,001^st mile of 2009, it felt quite a hollow win but it has been a great journey visiting some beautiful hard to reach places in North Kent.

Happy Christmas

A busy day started with my annual duty of Chief Chef and we went about creating a massive feast for 6 which included Turkey with all the trimmings, puddings and bottles of wine...delicious. I reckon it will take about 25 miles to burn off the excess calories and that doesn't include the extra glasses of port, cheese & biccies and the various selections of cake, nuts and chocolate.

After the Queen's speech we went about the serious business of present unwrapping and out of it came a new Ron Hill long-sleeved top (Hallelujah!) and some vouchers for the local running shop emporium .....and at last, a waterproof map of the North Downs, the other having deteriorated after a good few miles.

I am quite pleased as my gifts weren't all running related and involved a book and a DVD.

Looking forward to tomorrow when I go for a 16 miler as I can try out my new map and wear my new top.(shown above)

Tit for Tat

I was planning for a run tonight but the Christmas preparations have got in the way and there were a few jobs to do. Firstly get the girls into the shops to choose a party frock, get me to a local emporium to purchase a surprise pressie for the girls and then deliver some cards and pressies and then get back to collect the late night shoppers.

So no run but after some negotiations I have been allowed to run tomorrow in the early evening before we have some guests.

I plan to take it easy but fancy about 10 miles or so just to get an apetite :-)

First bath for 10 days!

YUK! I hear you exclaim dear Reader but no, do not be too perturbed I have had a shower or two.

I have been having my bathroom fitted with all new modcons including a roll top bath, spotlights and new radiator. We are having it finished after Christmas but have the plumbing done and can now at least have a bath.

So after tonight's slippery run I jumped into a hot, suddy bath and felt all the aches and pains leave my legs like magic...wonderful and reminds me of this old advert

Slippery, slip, slip

After the weekend's woderful run the South East of England was hit by a reasonable dump of snow which unfortunately landed on wet ground and froze over night.

The temperature has been dropping steadily all day and there was the nagging thought in my head that this could be the last chance until after Christmas that I could get a run in. So on my return from work tonight I got kitted up and have gone for a 6-7 mile run around some of the main roads!

Amazing that although there was compacted snow on the pavements my new trail shoes really had a grip on it and I very few slippery moments although walkers that I passed were having a harder time. I have a feeling it was because I was going at speed and the shoe was able to dig into the snow and ice better.

In all, a nice little recovery run that has me set up for the week although I may have a shorter one on Christmas Eve if I have time.

Sunday Run

What a morning's run, the recent snows lay thick on the ground in North Kent this week and with it there promised the possibility of a brilliant run on the trails of the North Downs.

As is the norm these days my Sunday morning was met with a 6.00 am alarm but this time I seemed to bounce out of bed to a hot cup of coffee, the kit list I wore last Thursday had the addition of a pair of garderning gloves to try and keep a dry layer over my normal ones.

I picked George up and we zoomed off to Keston Ponds where Michael was awaiting our arrival in his car. The temperature was around -1 C and after a brief gathering of kit we went on our way along the route 2nd Stage of the London to Brighton to Tatsfield where we would cut East and joined the Pilgrim's Way until we reached Chevening. It was still dark as we traipsed off but the trails were quite visible in the pre-dawn light as fought warm up.

Some of the lesser used trails were still covered in a few inches of snow and was crisp underfoot making the going quite tough in places but it was well worth the effort as the sun finally came up and cast it warm glow over the snowy fields of the Downs.

At about 12 miles we stopped at Chevening Church where we pulled out a few snacks and I brought out my themos flask full of hot, sweet tea....scrumptious but a bit weird with a carb gel!

The journey continued but we had the tough ascent to the top of the Downs before settling onto the North Downs Way. The Way was lightly trodden and was rutted under the snow so we had to take care as we stepped through the various woods along it. We soon had a section of road to run and made good time through the slush to Downe where we went off road back to Keston.

A great 21-22 mile run for the three of us and one with some lovely Winter views..great.

There's snow business...

...like snow business. Or what to do when you receive a severe weather warning.

I had promised myself a run tonight come Hell or high water and for my sins I was given snow. The walk from the station told me it was best to wrap up warm so if anything it was a good night to test my winter kit.

Tonight I wore:

• Thin Skin top
• Tech Vest
• OMM Kamleika Smock (waterproof layer)
• Karrimor jacket (windproof layer)
• Gloves
• Tights and shorts
• MOD Commando Watch Cap

I was warm for best part of the run as the multi-layer approach proved a good method on insulation.

The run started off best described as blustery but after about a mile the snow became apparent and after 3 miles, as I approached the outskirts of surburbia it was beginning to settle in the gulleys and begin to skid across the pavement in front of me.

The pavements began to thin, the gradient rise and the houses became more sporadic and so I decided to put on my head torch.

I "had" to run down a unlit country road that takes you down past the famous Keston Ponds. The ponds were just beginning to freeze over around the central weedy parts and to assist the freeze there was a covering of snow just settling on the thin layer.

My headtorch was on full and the freeze hardened snow flakes were scintillating in its beam as my frozen breath danced in the wind between flurries of fairy-like dust.

This was the uppermost part of the run and I scuttled off down the main drag towards home forgetting my headtorch was on my head and as I went past a pub I was greeted a lone smoker sheltering in the doorway he shouted "You be careful Brother" so I aeroplane winged my arms to a whoop of joy from him followed by a lung wrenching rattly cough [his]

So, in all, a great run, kit was great although I may review the gloves as they were perfect when dry but may cause me problems if they get wet in the current temperatures.

Blepharospasm

...or eye twitching!

Have you ever had an irritating eye twitch that never seemed to go away? Well I have and it has driven me mad for the last 3 days. The worst thing about the condition is you honestly think people can see your twitch.

If there is one thing I have learnt over the past week or so is the urge we have as a modern society to grab for the pain killers or the other form of medicine immediately without first going down the natural route. Don't get me wrong, I am no hippy-like puritan but I have noticed that the use of a heat pad can cure a muscle spasm, my cure for the eye twitch was a 10 mile run, maybe it only needed 3 miles or even 5 but the de-stress of a good run speaks loudly to me.

I am so pleased that damn twitch has gone though.

Back on track

I promised myself a good run tonight of about 10 or so miles and left work to be met with a cold blast of wind that made me zip up my jacket and hunch my shoulders as I shuffled to the station.

The club was doing a Christmas Holly Run that was quite a clever way of doing faartlek training with a festive theme but my legs were just getting over the recent double ultra and the last they needed was a short, sharp run.

So a quick phone call to George who was of similar opinion and I was around his house, suited and booted ready for our run. The first thing that came apparent as we stepped out was the temperature which had now dropped to -1 degrees centigrade and the first frost of the winter were settling onto car roof tops.

So a great 10 mile (ish) run at a good, consistent and easy pace lay ahead and completed. Plans discussed and ideas of new challenges seeded in my mind for 2010!

Country to Capital

So the next challenge has officially arrived in my inbox that of the Country to Capital a nice little 45 mile canal run taking us from Wendover to Little Venice in London.

As per all my great challenges we will be required to map read and will find us doing 20-22 miles on a hilly cross country section which leads us on to the Grand Union Canal to the heart of London.

I am feeling a tad nervous now as training I am just entering the last bit of training with my legs just returning to fitness (I hope) from our recent double ultra weekend. There is no doubt this is going to be a toughy and I hope the weather stays with us as my last experience of wet mud river running at Arundel has knocked my confidence a bit.

Back on the road....again

Imagine the scene...Saturday evening, me running around the house getting my kit ready in a big pile so I can get dressed downstairs on Sunday morning ready for a 12-13 mile trail run in my new Nike Pegasus.

Now imagine the scene...Sunday morning, I wake up and look at the alarm clock saying 7.00 am, I grunt and roll over...no morning run!

Andso that is how Sunday started, no incentive to get up and run but a ton of family stuff to do. Too many of my weekends taken up by running so it was indeed family time so today was about sorting the bathroom out for the builders but in the back of my mind I was still thinking of doing my run.

So this evening I donned my kit that was still in the pile from Saturday night and I went for a nice gentle 10 km run, no pressure just a plod around the local street, first stop the DVD shop and after that as far as I wanted without over stretching and also to check if all my injuries had settled down, they have and so I am back on track next week...can't wait.

New Trail Shoes

So after the frustration of my Adidas Kanadia trail shoes and the general bruising and trouble they caused me I have well and truelly thrown them as far as way as possible.

Say hello to my new shoes, a pair of Nike Pegasus 26 Trail WR. I had only 3 criteria:

• underfoot plate to protect my arch
• Cushioning in the heel
• Sufficient width in the forefoot

Small thing but really important is the shoelaces that are ribbon laces that are reasonably long and therefore easy to tie when wet and my fingers are cold.

So the test comes this Sunday when I take out for a test run, I'll report back soon.

Resting...

...for a little longer!

It is so hard to think about resting up after being in such a practiced routine for so long and I have found it hard to break away from it although all the various challenges I have undertaken recently have forced to do so.

So to injuries, well the shoulder cleared up really well, almost dramatically so but now a horrible little niggle has appeared in my heel near to the achilles tendon. One moment it is fine, the next it feels like someone sticking a needle in the soft part next to it. The Jerry cure all is in action as I type and have strapped a heat pad to it to try and loosen up any strains and will leave it over night.

Tomorrow is "Dress down Friday" so will use it as an excuse to wear some old trainers that will allow some support.

Painful Shoulder

Getting back from Arundel on Sunday night I made a mental note of the various aches and pains I had and thought how lucky I had been. Monday I noted that I had a general tightness across my shoulders however during Monday night and into Tuesday morning I was awoken on numerous occasions to the pain in my left shoulder!

I have taken painkillers all day but stopped at 4.00pm so that I could go to the club for a run hoping a little exercise may loosen my shoulder up.....alas not totally but sufficient to allow me to move it easily.

So back to running, I was tired having to walk on one or two hills and then took a gentle jog back to the club. That will do for now, this body needs to rest for a bit.

Video proof of the Doyen Mudfest

Doyen of the Downs - Race Report

The end of an epic year of running was met with a couplet of outstanding races, the Gatliffe which I have already reported on and my most recent, the Doyen of the Down 30 mile run.

The day started at the ridiculous hour of 4.15 am and I wrenched myself from my bed leaving my wife and cat softly sleeping, by the time they would be rousing next I would be 10-11 miles into my run.

Getting dressed and making my final checks on my kit I had a quick cup of coffee and then went out into the early morning which was gusty with curtains of rain blustering in to make me soaked before even reaching the safety of the car.

I went off to collect George, Brian and Michael from their houses and drove off to Arundel, West Sussex, the weather did not clear up for the majority of the 85 mile drive. As usual the journey was filled with banter, light teasing and at one point one of my passengers was abandoned at a petrol station for taking too long using the toilet....who has ever heard of an ultrarunner using a toilet, that is why we have trees!!!

Arriving at Arundel Football Club the serious matter of catching up with our long distance running friends and then getting the rest of our kit on, greasing up and making final decisions on what to carry. We were quickly informed that the course had been changed for safety reasons as the recent heavy rains had caused the marshes to rise by 3 feet and it had been re-routed along some roads and then onto the marsh and River Arun paths (more of those later)

Stepping out at 7.55 am it was the last chance to say good luck as we awaited the start, at 8.00 am we all strided out towards what was to prove to be a hard, muddy, wet and thoroughly tough run.

I felt great for the first 5 miles keeping a great pace as we trundled along the River Arun and then onto Monarch's Way a seemingly harmless section of off road path which soon took us into the Upper Wepham Wood, it is here that we were to experience what the recent heavy rains had done to the local trails. We we met with rain sodden muddy paths with 20 foot long potholes filled to the top with rain water, the recently fallen autumnal leaves making going tough as my feet stuck to the mud with every step.

At Checkpoint 1 we were given a glass of water and sent on our way, rain still falling in sheets but still a feeling of camaraderie between us as we went off road again to continue on along Monarch's Way and our first real ascent through the mud and puddles. I have been trying to think of a good description of the mud in places and have gone with "mud with the consistency of Grandma's cake mix", gloopy, stinky and energy sapping. This was not helped by my ripped trail shoes which had now decided to untie their laces every so often.

Checkpoint 2 loomed in the middle of a woodland trail (mile 10) and it soon came apparent that when a checkpoint was located it meant that immediately after it there would be a massive hill. Grabbing a banana and a handful of chocolate biscuits (cookies) I climbed the hill, my legs now beginning to feel the ravages of the previous week's run so I dug in things were not good when I was overtaken by George, Brian and Michael who looked pretty fresh.

Through the next 5 miles my mood went very dark and I was aware that my friend Ian was waiting at Checkpoint 3 to cheer us along and I went through tht horrible conversation of whether I should give up, one voice saying "No, think of the guilt and regret you will feel, how will you face your friends" the other saying "Yes, there is a hot cup of tea at the end". By now the field had thinned out and I was by myeslf, the voices getting louder and my mood darkening. There in the distance at Storrington was Checkpoint 3.

Checkpoint 3 loomed and as I entered the park gate I was approached by a marshall who had informed me that Ian had left with our friend Tom who was injured....there was my lift gone, I was at the point of no return and it was then a lovely lady runner smiled at me and said "it's tough isn't it? I can't wait to get home, come on" She must have realised I was feeling down so we ran for about 1/2 a mile before I strided ahead, that was all I needed, a little help to get me out of the duldrums. The voices gone, I battled on through muddy path after muddy path, through rain sodden fields until the first of the diversions were reached and we were put on a 1.5 mile road section where my pace upped and I was able to catch up and start going through the field of runners. It is here where we met the most ridiculous section of running I have seen which was a muddy quagmire of a field that reached over my shoes, causing me to slip sideways, backwards and finally on my arse.

By now I could feel my legs weakening and I hadn't even reached the ascent at 20 miles that took us from 70 feet above sea level to 500 feet within 1.5 miles, not the greatest ascent but at this point in the run and in the conditions it felt like Mount Everest all around me I could see fellow competitors walking and stumbling. Finally I saw the trig point of Highden Hill and the turn off that would take off the mud paths to a chalk one that would lead us on a 2.5 mile long descent. To the final Checkpoint 4.

At Checkpoint 4 I was able to grab a banana, and another handful of biscuits and I carried on with the thought of "only" 5 miles to go, by now I was in terrible pain in my foot where the integrity of the shoe was lost caused by the tear but I rearranged the socks, tightened the laces for the last time and battled on along the edge of the River Arun when at last I arrived at the Black Rabbit Pub, last year this meant a short run along the road for 1/2 mile to home but then I saw a new diversion that was 2 miles along the River Arun footpath, more mud, more water, more pain, the castle beckoning me but never seemed to get closer.

At last I saw the football club but was aghast when I realised I had to clamber over a wire fence to get to the finish line, one last hurdle and home.

So that was my run, a hard run which was made worse by the mud and rain but still a brilliant experience followed by a hot shower and a visit to the pub for a few pints, a hot meal and to share our war stories.

My favourite quote of the day was when I heard a couple talking:

Woman " They must have to be terribly fit to do it"

Man "More like F&%king mad if you ask me"

Stiff as a board

Feeling pretty good at the moment considering, there is a lot of nervous chitter chatter on the running web forums about the Doyen of the Downs on Sunday and it almost seems funny that nearly exactly 1 year ago I would have been mentally preparing for this run and similarly been nervous.

I am more concerned about recovery from last Sunday and feel my legs are a little stiff and my feet still feel a little sore but all will be OK, I know I will....now I have to face the problem of the shoes but will most likely wear my ripped trail shoes as I don't want to damage shoes unnecessarily.

...and I wonder why my foot hurts!

You can see by my recent race report that I hurt my ankle/foot during the run, nothing too serious but enough to be uncomfortable in work shoes.

I was sitting doing some work this evening and had put on a Heat Pad to just help get some blood flow throught the area and loosen it up when I was met by a scream from the utility to "move my stinky old trail shoes". I went in and grabbed them and found a great rip down one side of the left shoe (my bad foot) in the toe box which has obviously ruined the structural integrity of the shoe GGGRRRRrrrrrr

It is no surprise my foot is bruised, but we are now 3 weeks before Christmas and I can ill afford a new set of trail shoes before then.

To new horizons

I had some great news tonight from Pam Storey, the organiser of the A.I.M. 12 hour race that I alluded to earlier this month who has accepted my application to compete.

Whilst excited I am also filled with trepidation, sure I have run 12 hours before and have run in some crazy conditions but this is going to be a new one on me requiring new disciplines.

I have put together some training plans and beginning to organise track training but need to get a team together to help with timing duties on the actual day.

Gatliff 50 km - Race Report

The day started with the alarm awakening me at 5.15 am and I traipsed downstairs to put on my kit ready for the day's adventure. I had been told that it was going to be a very hard run made much more difficult by the bad rains, this prediction was soon to be proved right.

George dropped by at 6.00 am and we were soon on our way towards Edenbridge, Kent arriving at 6.45 am. Check in was easy, I seemed to place a £10 note on the table and in the time it took to write my name and address it had been converted to 2 x £1 coins, a map and a punch card. We scurried around getting our kit ready, greasing my feet with an extra layer of vaseline, two running tops, leggings, a waterproof jacket and a backpack. We were able to view a map of the course which confirmed that we were going to be going over some of the more choice hills in the area.

Stepping out of the door of the hall we were met by the first spatterings of rain in a cloudy, pre-dawn sky not perturbed we ventured out.

The route was not marked as per usual for these type of races but provided to us in LDWA navigation format which guides you through a route by landmark, path markings, bearings and styles, difficult at first but becomes clearer as you practice. Both of us worked well together checking each others decisions in a "measure twice, cut once" approach, this course was going to be hard enough without mistakes making it harder.

About 4 miles into the course, the rain came down with a vengeance on to rain soaked fields, rivers were swollen near breaking and in some sections were breached making us have to wade through the ice cold water to the other side to get onto paths and bridges. I had an unfortunate accident when I twisted my ankle on a submerged root but wasn't really aware of it as my feet were so cold but it would come back and haunt me later.

The recent rains had made the mud like glue and every step was made twice as hard with the effort of pulling my shoes out of the quagmire.

One of the funniest moments of the day was when we had to cross a field but to get to the other side we had to cross what appeared to be wide, shallow stream. How wrong we were when another runner shouted " It is pretty shallow where you are but a little deeper on the other side" Assuming that as he had crossed OK, I would be OK and so ventured forward to find myself groin deep in the stream and managed to struggle out the other side, I then heard what can best described as a whelp and looked around to see George belly deep in the stream with his arms up, trying to keep his map and Garmin dry, it then became apparent he had got his foot stuck under a pipe and I had to grab his arm so he could struggle free.

We had been told on good authority by a veteran of this run that the run did take us over ploughed hills and up major inclines which were hard normally but the weather had made it tougher, in fact running through mud that came halfway up your calf was just absolute madness.

Checkpoints were brilliant with tables full of sandwiches, fruit and sausage rolls, a choice of "red or yellow" soup (tomato or chicken) and tea and coffee out of your ears

So the run went on hill after hill, mile after mile each one filled with laughter and astonishment at the course, the views amazing with rainbows, herds of cows stampeding and thunder & lightning

A great run but before I close this report of daring do, some facts about the course and obstacles we crossed:

1. Styles -105
2. Bridges (purpose built) - 21
3. Gates (Closed) - 40
4. Kissing Gates - 11

and a map of the run

Early bird

Not much to say now but hearing your alarm go of at 5.15 am is not the greatest sound you want to hear on a cold and wet Sunday morning! On trudging down the stairs even the family cats were looking bleary eyed and hungover.

Looks like there has been some rain tonight but it is dry for the moment which bodes well for my 7.30 am start across the Downs.

Wish me luck.

Wet and Windy?

Not sure what the weather has in for us tomorrow but it promises to be wet and windy for parts of it. I reckon we will be out on the downs for about 6-7 hours and the wet will get to us towards the end.

For the first time ever before a big run I have bagged up a spare shirt so I can change half way through if necessary and taking a waterproof jacket (kamleika smock) in my backpack but will wear a lightweight showerproof top at the start. Mobile phone has been bagged in a snappy bag and my headtorch put in a pocket.

Overkitted? Nope just trying to be safe for a change, none of the kit weighs much anyway.

Pints and Pasta

I had a great night out tonight meeting a few friends I know from various parts of the country. We started out having a few pints of Guinness then a lovely Italian pasta meal with some red wine and then finished off with another pint of Guinness.

A night of stories, laughter and relaxation prior to my big effort on Sunday at Edenbridge, Kent. Almost perfect carb-loading

Few days to go

This is a little experiment...will the image change as the weather changes?

I am feeling pretty good after day 2 of resting up before Sunday's 50km run. I made a bit of an error before Beachy Head being a little blasé about the effort required so still focussing on the small matter that Gatliff Marathon is a very tough run apparently and I must carb load more carefully.


I have to into consideration also that the weather does not look too clever on Sunday with showers expected, no problem with that as we have trained hard recently in bad weather but it will make going tough if we are moved up onto the chalk and greensand high ground. Positive thoughts now, I am looking forward to Sunday and the Saturday Sunday after at Arundel

Windy Run

Wow what a great evening for a run, I had volunteered to help out at the time trials at the running club and due to the fact I was delayed at work realised that to get there on time I would have to cut through the woods and so took my headtorch to help me on my way.

After the runners were set off it came apparent that the wind had really picked up and found myself rapidly losing heat so was pleased to be excused from my duties and run off home. During this short run I was amazed to find the wind was so strong with small branches falling from trees and more scarily, bins falling over and recycling boxes spewing their contents.

Last run completed before Sunday time to carb-load although I may just have a punt up the hill on Thursday.

A Night of Payments

I have had an evening of writing letters and cheques to various quarters in the South-East of England. A deposit cheque to a B&B in Wendover after the local pub overbooked and a cheque to the organisers of the Doyen of the Downs on 6^th December 2009. Feeling pretty good about it but will be happier when I get the official application out for the 12 hour ultra in April 2010.

Manure happens!

Today's run started at Knockholt at about 7.00 am, it was not going to be one of our longer runs as we are tapering for an epic set of weekends which will see me running in 2 trail ultramarathons both about 50 km in length, that is for another time.

The recent rains and windy weather had caused some very minor local flooding on the North Downs Way which had us jumping the puddles and slipping and sliding on some precarious paths of mud and chalk. One field about a mile into the run gave me cause for concern when whilst ankle deep in the mud began to realise that all was not what it seemed when I compared the colour of this "mud" to the colour of the surrounding fields and then spotted a large pile of seasoned horse shit manure slightly off the track....then I could smell it....yyuukkk.

Anyway, as usual a very comfy, if less heroic run, compared to our most recent adventures which took us along the NDW and then down to the Pilgrims' Way. This route proved to be very undulating and a great cardiovascular workout, the Garmin had it down to a perfect 13.1 mile or a nice half marathon.

Shoes have been chucked in a bucket of water, scrubbed, padded with paper and left to dry naturally. This was just a way to stop the stench!

Hot News

I have just received an email this morning telling me I have a place on the Doyen of the Downs 30 mile trail run on 6^th December 2009, this is such a great run, lots of hills, water features and trail. I can't wait

Bring Me to Life

Aches and pains

Not a heavy week's running but certainly a busy one, after my charity run today it became really obvious that my legs were aching quite a lot; strange considering the drop in intensity as the taper takes hold. When I got home tonight my wife mentioned I looked a little tired but we agreed I had run 20 miles in the previous 18 hours and was to be expected.

Choice of supper was baked beans on toast or baked chicken breast (with piri piri sauce) with sweet potato and runner beans, I opted for the latter and an hour later I was ache free!

Moral of this story is I really have to start learning to eat properly.

Here I go!

Here I go again and I must say I am really quite excited by this challenge, more to come as I have smaller fish to fry beforehand but I will give you a little teaser for the moment :-)

If you have any ideas where this is leave me a comment. It is a tough challenge but I am so up for it!

Pudsey Run

Went out for a 8 mile run tonight as part of my regular training programme but tomorrow I run for the charity Children in Need. It is not a long run for me but I am running with a colleague who has never run further than 10 miles.

Tomorrow's run is 11.5 miles and I hope for his sake he completes it comfortably and without drama, I'll do everything I can to get him through the run and take him to the next level and in the meantime put something back into the sport and collect some money for a worthwhile cause.

No Room in the Inn

I got home tonight to be told that the Bed & Breakfast I had booked for 15^th January 2010 in Wendover had rung me and cancelled, apparently they had overbooked....gggrrrrrr I was furious as for a change I had been organised and thought a few months ahead. I was then informed that they had been good enough to leave an alternative number for a lovely lady in the village who was willing to put up two of us.

After a quick call and a conversation I was able to book a room at this ladies house, no supper but there will be porridge, toast and coffee in the morning, more than enough for breakfast just before a 45 mile run...pheeww

Big Hill

I was just checking out the route I ran on Saturday during the storm weather and realised how it is so easy to under-estimate gradients. Looking at the graph on the right it shows a hill we ascended when crossing the Darent Valley towards Eynsford, Kent. We were swearing and joking about the gradient and had estimated it as a 10-12% imagine my amazement when I saw it to be 18%, that was one steep, tough hill.

A Runniversary

I was reminded on Saturday by George that it was in fact the anniversary of our first meeting as we were both training for the Doyen of the Down 30 mile trail run, our first ultramarathon.

It is scary to think that we have hardly missed a Sunday long run in all that year normally caused by holidays or one of us being on holiday. I have counted up the miles from my training diary for the preceeding 12 months and I am pleased to announce that I had run a total of 2,044 miles.

I have a feeling this figure will be smashed by the end of the year if I stay uninjured

Now you see me...

I couldn't resist this in Lillywhites today, £14.99 down from £44.99. Not waterproof but will at least make me more visible over the coming months it even has a couple of inner pockets for gels and stuff.

Wild Running

I picked up George at 6.45 am and due to time constraints I drove as fast as I could to the nearest bit of countryside and arrived at the car park at 7.00am just as it was being unlocked. As we arrived the first drops of rain started falling and saw us scampering around the car getting our gear and rucksacks on. By now the wind had picked up and we traipsed off still thinking where actually we were going to run but only had 2½ hours. Crossing the A21 towards Shoreham we soon found the night's rain and wind had made the chalk bedrock as slippy as ice so we chose to run parallel to the contours to drop down onto the floor of the Darenth Valley and take a path we had never taken and use our knowledge of the terrain to skirt the valley northwards to see if we could get to a village called Eynsford.

We saw another footpath that, unbeknownst to us, took us up a 10-12% gradient which had my heart rate up and us leaning on our knees for purchase and at the top we were met by the next wave of rain and powerful winds this was to be the first of many hills.

We soon found ourselves in Eynsford and we then came on familiar ground and were met by the River Darent, full to capacity and then the kid in me came out as I shouted "I will, if you will" and ran at full pelt into and across the ford, water at groin height with me screaming with laughter. George stood at the side not sure what to do, he soon gave in and ran across gasping "Wow that was so freeing" with a big grin on his face...I just told him that there was only me to see it so losen up

The next 8 miles went like a flash literally as we ran along the valley floor with thunder rumbling from the distance and then a great flash of lightning and we were pelted by ¼ hailstones and saw us scampering for cover in the woods... BTW hailstones hurt!

We got back to the car with big grins, not our longest training runs at 14 miles but one of the wildest.....

Running is stupid

Jake the Peg

Went for a wet and windy run this evening, nothing to worry about but it is Thursday and Thursday is Tempo run night something I was going to find hard from the outset.

I was finding it quite tough as my legs ached a little caused by DOMS from Sunday's outing and a quite pacey run at the club on Tuesday. I was grumbling about how, even with a small input of effort, I was feeling out of breath, legs were like lead. I tried to cheer myself up telling myself that all this work would be of benefit as I was "running on tired legs"

At home I checked out my Garmin and realised I felt like Jake the Peg because at one point I was running sub 7:30 min/miles...ooops no wonder.

Foot pain

Sunday's epic run along the North Downs Way caused a nasty little niggle on the top of my left foot. I am unsure what caused it, maybe the rugged landscape, shoelaces too tight or just over-training, I am sure I will never know.

On Monday night I put on a Heat Pad and went to bed with it taped on to the top of my foot and woke up and it felt pretty good. I was careful about it all day Tuesday and decided to run with the niggle that night but at a reduced distance than I had planned.

Still hurting a little but I am sure it will have settled down for Thursday evening when I plan a little jaunt out maybe with t he headtorch to cut cross country in the dark...we'll see if it is a stressy day tomorrow and see how I feel.

Mystery Man

I was out on a club run last night in a pack of about 15-20 runners and was running up a long, shallow hill when about 100 yards ahead I saw another runner coming in from a side road and stop to look at us. I had never met this man before but by his demeanour and general kit he was a serious runner.

I greeted him and asked if he wanted to join in which he did so but said he felt like a turn coat as he was from another club (my secondary affiliated club) so we chattered about some superficial running stuff and the fact I raced under their colours when doing long distance stuff.

He asked me which race I was doing next, told him Gatliff .

A little later he said "This is my turn off, I'll see you later Jerry, I am glad London to Brighton went well!" and the disappeared up the side road.

Spookily, at no time did I mention my name or London to Brighton!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have my theories how he knows but wow what a small world.

The training continues

So we pass the point of no return for the Gatliff 50 km challenge and I start a very shallow taper over the next 3 weeks still being mindful that this run is a means to an end as Country to Capital 45 mile trail run in January is the target race and does not justify a full taper.

My left foot is still a bit tender after yesterday's run but with a little TLC I should be all right for Tuesday's evening run in which I plan to run 10-12 miles but I will see how it goes.

The North Downs Way

Wow what a brilliant run today, best described as gutsy and hard! We haven't really run East from Shoreham along the North Downs Way ( that we had realised) in our training runs this year and so decided to run down from Poll Hill (nr Orpington, Kent) to Shoreham and then joint the Darenth Valley Path to Otford and then join the North Downs Way to get as close to Wrotham as we possible do in 2 hours and then return the same way.

This decision proved to be easy to make but in doing so proved to be an epic run which was both challenging and satisfying in its brutish profile. Little were we to know at the beginning of the run that the chosen route had some vicious ascents and descents (Ok I should have looked at the map closer) muddy and very slippery paths and some outstanding views from the top of the escarpment all along the way. Even my trusty trail shoes failed to grip on some of the more slippy, wet and exposed chalky paths and George was seen and heard to make a few falls luckily not too serious. The profile above proves that we had our work cut out and although seen to be walking in some sections we challenge some of the hardy souls we know not to either ;-)

In all a great if tiring run that will be great in the Spring, take a look at the course here: