What a great run and that's no bull

The plan today was to get out early and run about 16 miles (26 km) South along the Vanguard Way. 

The Vanguard Way is a long distance walk of around 66 miles from East Croydon in outer London to Newhaven on the south coast of England. It passes through the counties of Surrey, Kent and East Sussex, between Croydon and Newhaven, East Sussex.

In the past I have run a very large section of this path when running the London to Brighton race in 2009 but today we chose to run an out and back from Titsey Estate to Edenbridge. So early doors found us limbering up and then taking the sharp descent off the escarpment, my Monkey Feet having a rare turn on the Downs. Liz makes it no secret that she is not a lover of Bulls after a scary story involving her mum, a bull and a barbed wire fence but it was to both of our Dismay when we saw a sign on a stile that read (See above picture):

DON'T RUN - JUST WALK

BULL

....and just over the fence a very large cow but were relieved when we saw it had udders!

The weather was cool today, the ground soft but the surface varied from mud, ploughed field, stony road and tarmac with 3 very distinct hills along an undulating course. Autumn is setting in now made more apparent by the abundant crops of berries, damsons, apples and acorns, the recent dampness exposing toadstools on the trees and rotting ground.

A lovely relaxed run with Liz, one that found me wanting for more miles at the end but it was good to stop as this is a down week in miles ready for an increase next.   

Maisy makes it fun

I had to laugh tonight when I saw this whilst preparing my kit for a run on the North Downs tomorrow with Liz who is preparing for the Beachy Head Marathon next month. I had promised a tough but well paced run but it had to be early doors, hence the kit prep this evening.

I laid my Monkey Feet, shorts and shirt down on the floor and on my return found that my kitten (Coach Maisy) had decided to leave her favourite bouncy ball toy on the pile.

Thanks (Coach) Maisy, the metaphor of a toy ball on my kit reminded me that my running is for fun and whilst tough at times to keep it going and "up there" it has to be for fun.

Compressed

When the miles ramp up the very small issue of clean running kit surfaces, yes, I have loads of kit but some of it needs to be chucked out due to fair wear and tear or is sitting in a black bin liner under the stairs.

Tonight I was in a similar position and on a whim saw that I had a pair of compression socks that I had product tested and provided opinions on but tonight I chose to wear them on the facile note that they matched my red running top and black shorts!

Anyone that has ever worn compression socks will note immediately that they look as though they have been wrongly packed and were destined for a small tribe of Umpa Lumpa! The website that sells this particular brand of compressions socks boasts:

Merino Wool + Activated Carbon compression sock that regulates your temperature, keeping your feet cool when it's warm and warm when it's cold.

Graduated compression enhances the transport of blood back to the heart, clearing lactic acid and reducing muscle fatigue.

Well I tugged, I squeezed, I twisted and tugged again to get these pesky things on, then a glimmering of vanity peered through and I was then seen looking in the mirror to see that they were skewed....so I re-untwisted...perfect but what a faff.

The temperature outdoors was about 15C but I noticed my legs were strangely hot and felt a weird sensation that they were "encased". Jury is still out about the other claims of lactic acid and enhancing blood transport but isn't that the case these days, we take too much on trust. I may well use these again in the colder months but with sock liners to prevent blistering

But, soft: behold! lo where it comes again!

I'll cross it, though it blast me. - Stay, illusion!

If thou hast any sound, or use a voice.

Speak to me.

Hamlet-Shakespeare

 

With my legs now weary after my nondescript 18 miles around the local area yesterday I chose to go for a steady 7 miler this evening,. However, this one was with a head torch and my Merrell Gloves.

Although tired, I practically exploded through the front door but after 400 metres chose to temper my speed to take it easy for tonight I wanted to run about 8kms in the woods and in the now moonlight with the remaining miles by road. The first thing that I noticed was that I was sweating hard meaning the humidity was up but the temperature was down which meant that as I entered the woods the cooling affect of the stream had caused a mist to rise, great strands of it such that I was "blinded" as it hit the beam of my torch. I skipped, I jumped and bounced around the puddles and muddy sections but suddenly, from up ahead I heard the sound of young children laughing as though at play. Jumping from my inner thoughts my senses leapt and I put it down to the sound of the babbling waters beside me until it sounded out again, the shrill noise of a child laughing.....Impossible, or was it?

Night running and alone has taught me to ignore the odd noise often caused by an animal in woods but this one was a pretty cool one which I used to accelerate me off the path and onto elevated sections of the woods where I only disturbed the odd nocturnal or two more easily explained but makes a good tale to tell.

Monkey on Fire

Tonight the Monkey Feet and I were in a mischievous mood, full of spirit and laughs.

I have clocked up a few miles over the past 2 days (25 miles) so didn't want to push for a normal 12 this evening so went for a shorter run with the club.

The group I was with is a little slower than I want normally but I was happy to plod along to loosen my quads and in doing so the child in me saw the opportunity to jump through the puddles much to the annoyance fun of the other pack members, scoot from the front to back and zoom to the front again, I was actually enjoying my run.

The last mile came too quickly as we ascended the hill to the club house, the pack leader called for us to free run and the pack opened up. I know the hill too well, it is long, you pace yourself and attack it in the last 400 yards so I hung back watching the front runners weaken at last for me to push off. I was amazed how the old Monkey Feet coped as I pushed through the pack and took to the front much to the calls of the front runners "Effortless Jerry" they shouted as my feet scorched the damp pavements.

At last I have started to notice the introduction of my much needed long runs is actually beginning to reap dividends. Monkey Feet are still definitely part of my training programme.

Zombie Apocalypse

The dawn of the day shone forth to produce a gloriously sunny morning, the recent rains withdrawing to the east, the air crisp and clear such that an extra running shirt was needed.

As I stepped onto the road at 6.30 am I also noticed not a person or car could be heard or seen all there was, was the odd wood pigeon, urban fox or squirrel. I had 5.5 miles (9km) to run as I was meeting Liz at 7.20 am, not a hard task but I was going up the "big" hill and cross country first.

Animal attacks

Attack 1

Still amazed that there was nobody around I carried on up the hill and to a long alleyway , by now I was warming up and deep in thought when from just up ahead I heard a scrabbling and then the small head of a squirrel pop up and chatter loudly at me such that I jumped out of my skin and squealed like a little girl!

Attack 2

Still aware of nobody around (where were they all?) I continued out to a woodland area and was happily bombing along when I turned a corner to then get another shock of my life as 10 wood pigeons flapped into the air sounding like a thunder clap in the still air, no squeals this time.

Meeting up with Liz further down the path  we had about 1 mile of chatting as we darted to the second meeting point to join up with Rob and Emma but as we did so....

Attack 3

As we vaulted out of a side path to join the main one Liz and I came across the most enormous Wolf (Later described as a Husky) which chose to run with us for a little while. I am not sure if we were being chased or whether we were leading it but it soon got called away by its owner "Don't worry, It's only a puppy!" As it leapt from a 6 foot embankment and bounded off, got knows what it would be like in  few years time when fully grown. This will be forever called Wolf Ravine.

The main run

What a great run, with a lovely gentle pace, beautiful views and the four of us catching up with gossip and general news. I was quiet (unusually) for a good part of the run but I was just enjoying the company and the general conversation.

Attack 4

As we darted up another alleyway I was telling the others that I called it Mouse Alley but was going to call if Flying Squirrel Alley because of the low flying squirrels that tend to leap from one side to the other.....and if on cue, a squirrel leapt across the fences just in front of me. I am unsure if this was the same one from Attack 1 but it was spooky.

The Zombies withdraw

Now in the thrusts of our run we soon came to our first proper downhill but as we did, we noticed that this was probably where all the people were for spread out below us in the field below were about 15 people wandering around it aimlessly. This could be tricky, never trust a zombie so we ran down the field happily out pacing a few of the closer ones who distracted by the phone stuck to their ear or reading Zombie alerts from their smart phones

The run went with a blur from now on, we were in the groove and on reaching the highest point knew it was all down hill from there, that is until I got to my 15 mile mark, when the final animal attack took place which put all others of the day into shade.

Attack 5

Totally out of the blue and on a suburban street, from out of a driveway came the most ENORMOUS fluffy black cat who stopped, went back on his back paws in a crouch and yowled, hissed then sprinted off. I yowled back and the others laughed at the cat's feckless attempt, I not too sure, black fluffy cats can be monsters (if my childhood memories served me right)

So with lots of goodbyes and everyone happy with their runs I just had the small matter of another 5 miles home the long way happy that I got back in one piece after the animal and zombie attacks :-)

A run of many parts

...or what happens when 4 runners meet who are at different stages of training tomorrow.

The training announcement

Sunday - 20+ miler run 10-12 min/mile pace. If anyone wants a shorter one I am happy to do a loop. Any takers? I stress my long runs are very sedate but can be adventurous!

 I wasn't expecting a take up but was really pleased to find Liz, Emma and Robert were up for a run but there was a snag, we all want to do different distances and all of us coming from different directions:

Name	Miles
Jerry	20
Robert	16
Liz	12
Emma	10

 The Plan

1. I run 4 miles to meet Liz
2. Together we run 1 mile to meet Emma and Robert (Robert will have run 3 miles)
3. We all run a 10 mile out and back
4. To return to the second meeting point where Liz and I go to her drop off
5. I leave to do the last 4 miles on my own

 So my bag is packed and kit piled by the door for what promises to be a fun training run on Sunday

Mr Forgetful

Imagine the scene, George and I in the middle of a long run and he mentions his plans for 2014...then he says:

"So I see you are doing the Thames Path 100 with me!"

I laugh and tell him that I am not as I would have remembered entering, he replies:

"I am sure I saw your name on the list"

I ignored him and went about the run.

Today, during my lunch break I had a quick look at who was doing the TP100 next year and nearly fell off my seat for there on the list was :

Jeremy Smallwood

165

United Kingdom

Chislehurst

M

Jeez I am getting forgetful these days, how can I forget something as important as this though?

Spot anything new?

Look what arrived in the post this morning....yes you've got my brand new Union Flag running shorts.

The last pair are just plain worn out and cause some nasty chafing so a nice chap who I met at the Ayot 50 training event  gave the link to a website that sells them. So tonight it was only right to go out for a quick run in them and very nice they are.

A run with the Shadow

A long standing invitation was accepted yesterday when after what seems years, George (a.k.a The

Shadow) returned from the shadows to announce he was back in training for some mammoth runs in the coming months. The news was not a great surprise as I had spied a few listings with his name on it but nonetheless it was great to have company for a change.

George had chosen an old favourite when we first ran the Cray Riverway back in August 2009 and then in September 2011. Both of us feeling a bit nervous for various reasons, mine mainly because of my recent wobbles at the distance and for George I believe just confidence as he had been off the long runs for a good while. It proved neither of us needed to worry for we both have the experience and the miles in our legs to keep it up.

It was a 6.30am start and George practically exploded through his front door to jump into my car and it was just 10 minutes later we started running in the misty rain towards our old friend, the River Thames. Although we speak often we had loads to says, mainly me at first, grumbling about my dip last week and some of my work pressures but it soon normalised to the important subject of upcoming races, training and news of club friends.

I always call the Cray Marshes as "The arse wipe of Kent" but on Saturday, the sun was out, a sharp breeze off the river and early autumn berries hung from the many bushes along the way. The run was almost therapy, a real chance to relax and escape for a few hours.

How did the run go?

As for training I made a real effort to pull off the pace, keeping it steady and just push the pace such that we were not breathing hard. The amazing thing was we ran the 20 miles quicker by pulling off the pace and keeping it steady than our old way of running, then walking. Just when we thought we knew something we prove it another way. Great run with the promise of more in the coming weeks.

A very private melt down - Training Event Report

Don't be put off by the smiling face in the picture on the left, it was for the camera and not me!

I awoke at 6.00am that morning and lifted myself into the vertical, no pre-event nerves or excitement just a pressing need to get up and get my train to meet Gemma, Sam and Janet at the agreed time of 8.50am at Welwyn Garden City. With my last bits packed I walked to the station, even the weather was against me, sunny and even at that early hour warm but, hey, at least it wasn't raining which would have given me the excuse to go home.

Arriving at Welwyn Garden City I met Sam who appeared to be the meeter, then through the door to Gemma the greeter and to Janet who appeared to be guarding the car from ticket inspectors...what a team :-) Happy greetings and laughter ensued as the usual fun arguments about satnavs occurred in the front of the car (I am so pleased to know this happens in other people's cars too) to arrive in the middle of nowhere. I love "The middle of nowhere" as this is where ultrarunners always seem to meet!

Cars parked, table carried, food moved to the table and drinks layed out the crowd got bigger stopping at 18 runners and various family or friends, this was the Ayot50. The sun shone but in the shadows the we huddled together and I put on my windproof top and a buff to keep it out. James gave a briefing and without a break we ran off together....0.25 miles out and then back to the start, to then rrun anything up to 11 laps making 50 miles (80km).

I did not know what to expect but knowing how rubbish my training had been of late, my obvious tiredness from my worklife I was just happy to run, after all this was a training event NOT a race, I stress this as I had no intention of racing this but to practice my pacing and see how I did.

They were off

A group of top runners zoomed off but I stuck to plan and paced out gently but was joined by another runner who tried to get into conversation but I was feeling irritated (unfairly as he is a lovely guy) as I had nothing to say so used an excuse to stop so that he ran ahead. I felt better to be alone and happily stepped into the tranquility of the beautiful Ayot Greenway, my half laps and full laps scarily similar give or take a few minutes when at the 13 mile mark something happened and I found myself stopped, tears in my eyes and an overwhelming sense of sadness wave over me, then anger and all thoughts of my tranquil run lost for a few minutes as I remained motionless looking over the late summer countryside. 

I was full of self-doubt, questioning why I was doing this, was I just running way from issues or was I just beating myself up. I was not in a good place, all thoughts of even running gone as I walked slowly back to the start, shoulders down, arms swinging low, dark thoughts and the absolute ire that I was required to log into work later (Late request the evening before)

Ray of sunshine

Gemma came zooming up towards me, she was on fire that day, and did her turn around to catch me up and stop. I moaned about what had just happened and she reiterated that it was just a training event and I should make my way to the start and have a rest in the shade, have some food, enjoy the company and do as I feel right.

I did that, got to the start, put on a tracksuit and buff, ate some food, had a drink and rested for about an hour.

Then I was off

Then without any second thoughts I quietly took off my track suit, put on my trail shoes and waved goodbye to an incredulous support team who thought I was finished. I had come there to run a minimum of 27 miles and that was what I was going to do. My head in a better place but still spinning I went on to do another 9 miles to finish on my terms. 

Not a great time at the moment, I am fighting some nasty inner demons at the moment and just need a release, I am just not sure it is running at the moment and maybe have to concentrate on other things for the moment