The Running Explorer

First one down!

2012-01-29T17:56:00.003Z

Today was the annual Braunton 10 organised by the North Devon Road Runners. I ummed and ahhed about taking part this year, since I have done nothing resembling a consistent training plan for well over a year and am not exactly feeling prepared for distance running again yet. In fact, last year's Braunton 10 was probably the last time I ran over 8 miles! Still, it has become a tradition to take part in this race and there's nothing like traditions for making you want something you wouldn't otherwise, (without them we wouldn't have mince pies or creme eggs, for instance, and what a poorer world that'd be...). Plus I knew I'd be feeling guilty on Monday morning if I didn't at least try. I haven't missed a year of this race since moving to Devon so, in time-honoured spirit I forced myself out of my warm bed and took my place amongst the frozen faces and goose-pimpled limbs on the start line at the cold athletics track.

I'm glad I did, as it's a good route with plenty of examples of some of the things I love about running; silent, sheltered woods, sweeping views, space for meditative plodding, and lung-busting hills. OK, I don't really love hills, but I love the satisfaction of making it to the top and the feeling that you've really earned the breezy ride back down, and killer hills certainly help make it satisfyingly tough!

So the first race is down, and in not too shabby time either (91 minutes 30, if you're asking), so I feel a bit more ready for the next one. And I managed to fill plenty of the meditative plodding time I was referring to with working on a poem for my writing blog, which helped the ten miles pass more productively this year too! (Although, in the calm, warm and clean post-race environment I'm not so sure the world really wants my ode to sports bras, so I've posted an older one up today instead! Read it here)

New Year, New Marathon!?

2012-01-16T20:28:00.004Z

It has been a long time since I posted on this site, and it would be fair to say that a major reason for that was being unable to work out how to top my epic coast path run! Since treading every inch along that stretch of coastline, every other run has felt rather insignificant and hardly blog-worthy. But now I have been inspired to attempt another marathon this year (my local AONB marathon in Woolacombe) and so will be starting the long old slog again.

That isn't to say I haven't been running in the meantime, or exploring. I have; in fact I've run in the Virginia mountains and the Outer Banks of NC (a popular place for runners it seems) and ventured to Morocco (where I did no running but 7-8 hours trekking a day which felt like a marathon....) and I've completed two full marathons since my Coast Path challenge (Windermere and the Eden Project, both in 2010), but I have also had the madness of publishing my first ebook (Secrets of the Spirits, read more and get a copy here!), changing my life, relationships and work completely and spending a year alternately dawdling in unrequited love and existing in a dreamworld whilst working on a confusing, possibly ill-advised and certainly over-ambitious new novel. It's been exhausting and painful, and at times cruelly beautiful, but I can't wear blinkers forever. So now I feel as if I am in need of a return to normality and structure, and a new marathon training regime may be the perfect antidote!

I'll give it a go anyway.

My novel available now on Amazon as an ebook for Kindle/PC/Laptop/iPhone etc:

Pictures from last run

2010-04-17T10:20:00.000+01:00

Finding the Coast Path at Clovelly. It was a sunny Sunday morning so the car parks were full of cars suggesting people were out using the path, but later on the remoter areas between car parks were still empty.

At first much of the path looked like this, skirting around the edge of fields for about 6 miles.

Now and then the path would dip down onto the beaches between cliffs and I'd have to cross the water. This one was particularly fun, jumping from stone to stone.

I saw lots of wild Dartmoor ponies on this section of the track. I took this photo looking back along the coast I'd already covered and liked the way you could see all the way to Saunton in the distance, strange to think that's where I was running just a few weeks ago.

Just before East Titchberry the path was blocked due to a landslide. The notice pinned to the post here had a map of the alternative route to take and the diversion was helpfully signposted all the way to Hartland.

The lighthouse at Hartland Point; a dramatic spectacle in real-life, even if this photo does make it look like a chess piece!

My attempt at showing the time I reached Hartland (which was about a third of the way). Unfortunately the sun's reflection on my phone screen meant I couldn't actually see what I was taking a photo of until I got home, and on this occasion just missed my watch!

Pretty steep round here!

A random ruin on Warren Cliffs, with the village of Hartland in the distance.

The rock formations on the coast between Hartland point and Hartland Quay were extraordinary. I've heard this part is a good place to see seals too, but if there were any they were well hidden when I passed.

More breathtaking rock formations (and steps that were literally breathtaking too).

Amazing waterfall at Welcombe Mouth.

A highlight of the trip was when I encountered this little hut halfway down a cliff. The sign on the door said 'Ronald Duncan Hut is Open' so I went in and found a table laid out with bottles of water and drinking glasses and a guest book to sign. At this point I had been running for over three hours and this simple shelter looked like heaven! So I treated myself to a moment of rest out of the sun, in front of the delightful view with the lovely cool water to drink and left my heart-felt thanks in the book. (I also left my blog address, so if by any chance the responsible person is reading this, thank you so much, you are wonderful!). I have since found out that Ronald Duncan was an author and poet who built the hut so he could write whilst looking out to sea. I can certainly vouch for it being an inspirational place.

Yes!!!! I was overjoyed to see this sign confirming I'd reached the border.

A couple of miles later I stumbled towards my waiting chauffeur and reached the end! Here I am outside the Hawker's Hut on the Coast Path just West of Morwenstow, 20 miles away from where I started in Clovelly, Devon, and over a hundred miles from where I began it all in Somerset.

Coast challenge week 9 (part b)

2010-04-17T08:44:00.004+01:00

Well, I've done it! My challenge is over! The last long run took me from the Devonshire village of Clovelly to just over the Cornish border, a total of 20 miles and the end of my Coast Path journey. I feel proud to have got there and have got through so many tough miles, but also sad because it has been tremendous fun and I will really miss having a project to plan my weekends around. Now the experience is over I feel a little lost. During these last weeks I have seen some amazing views and ventured across remote parts of the coastline that I would never otherwise have seen; I have run through snow, hail, wind, rain and sunshine, and learnt that distances on the coast are extremely deceptive- a coastal mile is not nearly the same as a mile on the flat!

As if to remind me what I'd be missing when it was over, this last run was the most spectacular of them all scenery-wise and full of gruelling climbs rewarded by stunning views and flat fields to free-fall across at the top, typical of the highs and lows the Coast Path can throw at you. As it was a beautiful sunny day I saw far more people on the Path than usual, although they were always concentrated in a small radius around the major tourist spots like Hartland Point, with the Path all to myself in the remoter sections (or between National Trust car parks!). For the first time in this whole challenge I had to deviate from the official Coast Path as the Path had been closed following a landslide somewhere between East Titchberry and Hartland but a couple of miles running on the diversion through farms and back roads actually made an enjoyable change and allowed me to do some 'real' running for a bit.

As I got nearer and nearer to Cornwall the sea view seemed to grow more expansive, and the rugged hills to get steeper. The fields and woodland around Buck's Mills and Clovelly seemed like another country, far far away. The last hour (the run took 4:30 in total) seemed interminable and the plunging cliffs never-ending, so I was delighted to see a sign announcing I had arrived in Cornwall, which spurred me on as I knew then my finish line was not far off. A real highlight was just before the sign, when I came across a hillside hut supplied with fresh water for drinking. The sun was high in the sky and I was feeling the effects of too much exposure, so a quick drink in the shade was heaven.

The end of the run was marked with a reviving cream tea in a nearby pub (the Bush Inn at Morwenstow). Whilst replacing vital carbs with scones and jam, my very understanding (and muddy-running-shoes-in-car tolerant!) friend and I sat in the garden whilst I wallowed over the last few months' journey. It felt strange to look at the coast sprawled out on either side and literally see the distance I had travelled. Even stranger to drive back along the Atlantic Highway to Barnstaple later on and pass signs to all the points of interest I'd run past in preceeding weeks, the miles which had taken hours in the other direction simply disappearing under my wheels like sand running through my fingers...

And now it's over, every step of the Coast Path through North Devon has been traversed by my faithful trainers (a great deal of it still clinging to the soles and uppers of the once red and white material), and my marathon training is almost complete. Thank you to everyone who has supported me and donated to my Just Giving page, and to the sundries that have kept me going and made it more enjoyable, most especially PB!

Route:

Clovelly- Mouth Mill Cove- Titchberry- Hartland Point- Hartland Quay- Screda Point/Screda Cove- Speke's Mill- Hole Rock- Mansley Cliff- CORNWALL!- Welcombe Mouth- Morwenstow. 20 miles total distance.

Distance on Coast Path:

104 miles

Map:

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-kingdom/clovelly/172127149936729025"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;04/17/2010 Route&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-kingdom/clovelly"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Runs in Clovelly, United Kingdom&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Pictures from week 9 (Buck's Mills to Clovelly)

2010-04-11T21:26:00.009+01:00

Catching up with the path again in Buck's Mills

Looking out to sea from the center of the village

The path climbing up out of the village

Mostly fields and woodland through to Clovelly

This section showed the contrasting scenery found on the Coast Path- here the sea felt miles away.

Glimpse of Clovelly from Hobby Drive

Coast challenge week 9 (part a)

2010-04-11T20:10:00.003+01:00

Another short section of the path completed- after Sunday's problematic run I decided to get the next bit of the Coast Path over and done with in a shorter run, so that it wouldn't be such an issue if each mile took three times as long as it should because of the terrain. Thursday's planned 8 miler thus found me returning to the muddy territories around Buck's Mills and inching a bit further along the coast. I ran to the quaint fishing village/tourist trap Clovelly and back along the good old A39 to my car. It was a pleasant run, but still pretty muddy and I was glad I'd made the decision to do it in a short stretch. Like the last couple of miles before Buck's Mills the path mostly went through woodland and across fields and almost made me forget I was right by the sea, but the now-familiar Coast Path signposts kept reminding me where I was and made the zig-zaggy tracks up and down the wooded combes easy to follow. I can't help thinking wouldn't it be great if life was always directed by little yellow arrows telling you which way to go!

At Clovelly I was slightly disappointed to discover the donkey's had gone to bed for the evening and I couldn't see them trundling up and down what is probably the steepest village main street in the World. People who live there must have very strong thighs... Emerging from the Coast Path meant I snuck in under the radar of the domineering Visitor Center which requires anyone entering Clovelly from the road to pay £5.95 just for the privilege of parking and walking through the hangar-like Center to get down to the village. Unless you have come quite a way along the path there is no other way to get there as it's quite remote and there is only the one road open to the public, so I guess they do quite well out of it.

The amazing news is that I am now less than 20 miles away from Cornwall (hurrah!) so the end of my challenge is well and truly in sight. What this also means is that something went a little bit wrong with my maths when I first calculated the distance I had to run to cross Devon on the Coast Path. Those who know me will agree that maths was never my strong point, but I think on this occasion I am not to blame, that the reason the coastline now seems to have shrunk is because my original figure came from the South West Coast Path website's description of the path and perhaps they had included overlapping trails and all miles of the path through Devon even if they are dead-end tracks to viewpoints or alternative routes. You see occasionally I have been faced with the option of 'cliff route' or 'valley route' for example (always choosing the one nearest the sea), and I have not always gone the extra steps to prescribed viewpoints, so I hope this explains why I appear to be arriving at my destination sooner than expected. Anyway, I am nearly there now and won't let disappearing miles dent my excitement!

Route:

Buck's Cross- Buck's Mills- Hobby Drive- Clovelly- Higher Clovelly- Downland Cross (Milky Way adventure park!)- Buck's Cross

Distance on Coast Path:

84 miles to date

Map:

&amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-kingdom/-clovelly/798127101524737835"&amp;gt;04/11/2010 Route&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-kingdom/-clovelly"&amp;gt;Find more Runs in Clovelly, United Kingdom&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

Pictures from week 8

2010-04-04T21:03:00.004+01:00

Setting off westbound on the Coast Path- the coastline in the distance can be seen stretching to Clovelly and around to Hartland, a few more weeks worth of runs will hopefully get me there.

Looking back towards Westward Ho! at start

Abbotsham cliffs, or the path before the traumatic mud situation.

Another reason I spend much of the time not running- bit tricky when the path cut down onto the pebbly beach.

I did enough sliding myself on this route

The mud begins....

Coast challenge update week 8

2010-04-04T18:18:00.004+01:00

Arghhh! Worst run so far. In fact, the main problem was that today's effort was less of a run than an adventurous hike due to the ridiculously muddy state of the paths. My training plan (courtesy of Runner's World) dictated a 13 mile run today and last week's mega run left my Coast Path progress at Westward Ho! so I decided to run from there to Buck's Mills (just under 7 miles away) and back again. Unfortunately the path between those two places was so muddy that it was impossible to actually run. Even walking was a challenge, and I spent a good hour trying to work out the best strategy (the wide-legged straddle, trying to avoid the wettest part in the middle of the path, or the plunge, wading straight through with little regard for my shoes and clothing- this tactic became default after I slipped and reflexively grabbed onto a deceptively weak branch, thus ending up with a load of thorns in my hand and up to my knees in mud anyway), before wondering if I should call it a day and turn back. But by that point the thought of retracing my steps through all that mud without achieving much seemed so disheartening I decided to press on and try to cut back to my car along the road after Buck's Mills. After all, I thought, it couldn't be much further....

Another SEVENTY minutes later I made it to Buck's Mills. Yes, it took me two hours and ten minutes to cover a distance of seven miles. During this time I met two seperate groups of people, all of whom were wielding hiking sticks and clinging to the side of the slippery trails like first-time skiers, and who shared with me a sort of wartime camaraderie with resigned smiles and sympathetic comments about the tough times ahead in our respective directions. Along the way I passed through all the major stages of despair; denial ("That sign can't say 2 3/4 miles to Buck's Mills, they're wrong, I'm sure it's just around the next corner"), bargaining ("If the mud clears up after this bit of hill I'll run the rest at fast pace intervals to make up the time"), anger ("If I don't see a patch of dry ground soon I'm going to SCREAM"), and near-insanity ("Maybe I'll just take off my soaking shoes and trousers and run barefoot in my knickers, it'd be so much easier..."). Thankfully though, I eventually made it to the village of Buck's Mills and hit the road. By this time I was too tired and dehydrated to make it a decent run back to Westward Ho! but I did enjoy seeing some new places and the way the sea would occasionally pop into view over the hills ahead. Unfortunately taking the road back did add some extra miles onto the route.

Three and a half hours after leaving I was back at the car, more dirty and exhausted than I've been throughout this challenge, with mud and scratches even on my arms and holes in my hand from the thorns. But now that I'm home (and clean and dry) I have to say that I am slightly relishing the battle-weary exhaustion I have, and am looking forward to a very good night's sleep tonight. 'Til next time....

Route:

Westward Ho!- Kipling Tors- Abbotsham cliffs- Greencliffs- Peppercombe- Worthygate woods- Buck's Mills- Buck's Cross- A39 through Fairy Cross- Abbotsham- Westward Ho! 16 miles in total, 7 on coast path.

Distance on Coast Path:

78 miles to date

Map:

&amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-kingdom/northam/965127040143189015"&amp;gt;04/04/2010 Route&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-kingdom/northam"&amp;gt;Find more Runs in Northam, United Kingdom&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

Pictures from week 7

2010-03-28T18:26:00.017+01:00

Start of the Tarka Trail from Barnstaple, with distance calculations

Fremington Quay

Old railway station at Instow (the Tarka Trail runs along the old railway line)

View from Instow across to Appledore

Bideford old railway station

Appledore's streets

View from Appledore lifeboat station- the end is in sight, just a few miles away.
(The white blobs on the hills in the distance are buildings at Westward Ho! across the bay)

Slight detour around Northam Burrows

Right:
pleasing pebbles at Westward Ho!

Me looking very happy to have reached the end!

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-kingdom/lynton/573126979768288265"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;03/28/2010 Route&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-kingdom/lynton"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Runs in Lynton, United Kingdom&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Coast challenge update week 7

2010-03-28T16:47:00.006+01:00

Bridges, concrete, beaches; bridges, concrete, sea! That pretty much sums up today's run. It was the longest section of the Coast Path I've done yet, an eighteen miler from Barnstaple to Westward Ho! wriggling along the rivers Taw and Torridge and back out to the sea. The route took me three hours but felt surprisingly good, I think because it was so flat compared to recent weeks, and because travelling in a straight line instead of doubling back on myself meant there was a definite destination keeping me going to the finish. And what a finish! I had been to the beach at Westward Ho! before but only very briefly on a cold grey day, and didn't really realise what I had seen was only the tip of the golden sands which stretch around the Northam Burrows. The beach is beautifully wide, with sweeping views of the coast either side and its perfect sand backed by banks of those smooth grey stones which are somehow really pleasing to see and touch, and which make lovely bumping-scraping sounds as you scramble over them. I loved it.

The hardest bit was where the ever-reliable Coast Path signs started making like Alice and shrinking. Between Bideford and Appledore the path weaves between houses and muddy woods and is the first place for about 20 miles where the water isn't directly next to the path so you can't rely on keeping the water on your right side to be sure of your direction, but it was just here that the signs diminished to the occasional sticker on lamposts so sharp eyes were needed to navigate. Still, I made it through, and enjoyed jogging through Appledore's quaint colourful streets! Northam was a bit of a struggle too, purely because the finish was in sight and I had to make myself turn away and loop around the country park peninsula instead of cutting across the enticingly flat fields to end early. Looking back on the run now the earlier miles feel like a lifetime ago, and I can barely recall the first half from Barnstaple to Bideford, nevermind remember the good and bad points, but that's a route I have done many times before and I did take loads of photos today so have pictorial evidence that this section has actually been completed and not just imagined! I have also made a map of the total distance I've travelled in my Coast Challenge so far so will upload that with the pictures.

Route:

Barnstaple- Fremington Quay- Yelland- Instow- Bideford- Appledore- Northam Burrows- Westward Ho! 18.5 miles in total.

Distance on Coast Path:

71 miles to date

Map:

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-kingdom/northam/147126979182614005"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;03/28/2010 Route coast path&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-kingdom/northam"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Runs in Northam, United Kingdom&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

More progress...

2010-03-26T11:28:00.004Z

I have reached an important milestone in my Coast Challenge- I have arrived in Barnstaple! The last long run brought me within 5 miles of home so I decided to do the next section during one of my shorter midweek training runs to leave me in a better starting position for next week. This meant this morning saw me running the familiar Tarka Trail between Braunton and Barnstaple and joyfully arriving home. I have run this route dozens of times, but the sight of Barnstaple's new bridge appearing in the distance has never been as exciting as now when I knew it meant I had reached the next stage of the Coast Path. Even better, now when I look at the map the distance I've completed suddenly looks much more impressive, in fact I think I'm about half way, and the Challenge has started to seem do-able once more!

Route:

Braunton- Velator roundabout- Wrafton- Chivenor- Barnstaple. 5 miles in total.

Distance on Coast Path:

53 miles to date.

Map:

03/26/2010 Route
Find more Runs in Braunton, United Kingdom

Pictures from week 6

2010-03-22T17:29:00.003Z

Looking down on the beach from the Saunton Sands Hotel. I kind of liked how moody everything was! Off-season and in poor weather beaches have such a different feel.

Rounding one of the endless corners at the end of Saunton beach. You can just make out the other side of the estuary in the distance. That's where I'll be running soon!

Coming into Braunton near the end. Finally off that sand!

Coast challenge update week 6

2010-03-22T16:14:00.003Z

So another week has passed and another section of the Coast Path is in the bank. Due to other commitments on Sunday I had to move my long run to today, which turned out to be unfortunate as yesterday was beautifully sunny whilst this morning was wet and windy. Typical. Still, week after week of sunshine and great views would get dull wouldn't it? Today's route took me from the popular surfing destination of Croyde to Braunton, which is more inland and the start of the South West Coast Path's sojourn along the Taw river. Over the next few weeks I'll have to trek the Tarka Trail to Barnstaple and on through Bideford and Appledore before the Coast Path actually looks out to sea again. Life might be easier if I could just have swam across the mouth of the estuary. When I was running along the beach at Saunton today I could see through the mist and rain a mound of land representing Appledore and the rest of my route for the next few weeks and it looked tantilisingly near. On a clearer day I felt I could almost have made out the footpath signs on the other side! Unfortunately, as I've said, the weather was terrible and the wind was driving the rain directly into my face for the length of the beach; there was nowhere to hide! The sand was pretty tough going too and seemed to last forever. I drew my route on the map as a straight line but in reality I kept weaving all over the beach trying to find the firmest sand to run on, and it was never really firm enough. It felt like running on cotton wool. I kept thinking it would end around the next corner and I'd find the footpath I remembered from walking in the Burrows, but then I'd turn the bend and there'd be more! The adverse conditions were messing with my head; at one point I thought I saw a seal on the beach ahead and got all excited, and it wasn't until I was a couple of meters away that I realised it was only a rock. But I could have sworn it moved!

Why is it hard not to feel a bit anxious around the military? Skirting the edge of the training zone behind Saunton was, as usual, a little unnerving and intriguing at the same time. There are signs warning not to stray into the zone when the flags are up but the problem is how do you know where the flags would be? It seems like they'd be easy to miss amongst the miles of sand dunes. I also dislike how there is no clear boundary- I think I'd prefer a neat high fence rather than shadowy warnings of 'zones' and stumbling across tank tracks in the sand. Luckily the only military machine I actually saw was the rescue helicopter circling in the sky above, and that's a common enough sight down here that I barely noticed when it landed in a field next to me, despite the racket it was making.

The good thing about today's run was that the path has flattened out, and the Tarka Trail is almost completely level so after the grueling sand ordeal today at least there will be no hills to wear my legs out for a while. Also since I am now pretty near home and in familiar territory the runs will be a bit easier to organise and I'm going to try and do smaller segments of the route during the week so that I can get a good wedge of milage done. It feels a bit scary that I am only a third of the way along!

Route week 6:

Started in Croyde (Down End car park where finished last week)- Saunton Sands Hotel- Saunton beach- around military training zone (I ran all the way along the beach but however I try to draw it on the map the line comes out in the sea; Although the rain meant I did get very wet, I did not swim!) - Braunton Burrows- along the estuary to Velator roundabout (Braunton). I then had to double back along the road to collect my car from Croyde, making the total distance I ran 14 miles, a respectable 10 of those on the Coast Path.

Distance on Coast Path:

48 miles to date

Map:

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-kingdom/croyde/216126927438971115"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;03/22/2010 Route&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-kingdom/croyde"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Runs in Croyde, United Kingdom&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Pictures from week 5

2010-03-14T19:48:00.005Z

Gareth enjoying a rest after the first hill out of Ilfracombe

Continuing solo on to my first destination, Lee

Lee village harbour

A photo of Morte point which in no way does it justice, but hey, I was running!

Looking back towards Woolacombe and feeling proud that I'd run all that way along the beach and beyond. You can see why I love it here!

Coming into Croyde- the final stretch!

Coast challenge update week 5

2010-03-14T18:48:00.004Z

I think this week's run has been the toughest so far, and therefore in some ways the most satisfying. Particularly because it means I won't have to do this part again, thank god!

Today I ran the 16 miles from Ilfracombe to Croyde. Coming out of Ilfracombe there was an impossibly hilly start, which was a cruel initiation into coastal running for Gareth, who had decided to accompany me for part of the run. It only took a couple of miles of the relentless zig-zags up the Torrs cliffs to make him regret his decision and turn back, leaving me to face the thigh-burn alone.

The ups and downs got increasingly steep around the village of Lee and on the way to Mortehoe, where I kept coming up against endless stairs cut into the hills and seeming to climb to the clouds. Though I had to give in and walk more often than I liked, I am proud to say I tried to keep going, and at one point I was actually clapped by a small group of women walkers watching me attempt to run up one of these stairways! (Although 'run' might not be an accurate description of the snail-paced leaps and halts I was managing.)

Morte point is an incredibly dramatic rocky corner on the path to Woolacombe. Rounding the corner and seeing it's spiky form spreading out below me was a real highlight and made me wonder why I haven't been there more often. Living near so many great sights seems to make you complacent, but that's one of the best things about doing this coastal run- it's a fantastic way to get out and experience the natural beauty on our doorstep.

After Morte point the path got more level, and the run into Woolacombe, along the beach and around Baggy point at the other side would have seemed positively easy by comparison if I wasn't already exhausted from the preceding 9 miles. There were loads of people out walking around here and for the first time in my coastal challenge I experienced the mild irritation of having to wait for wide enough points in the path to overtake white-haired walking-stick-wielding hikers and families dawdling along. Still, I think I preferred seeing people out enjoying themselves and using the path to the isolation of recent weeks, not to mention the pleasantness of having people to say 'hi' to and the reassurance that if I fell over a rock and injured myself it wouldn't be too long before someone stumbled across me!

Route week 5:

Ilfracombe (outside Landmark Theatre on the promenade)- Lee- Bull Point lighthouse- Morte Point- Woolacombe- Putsborough beach- Baggy Point- Croyde Bay (ended in Down End car park on south side of Croyde). 16 miles in total, all on the Coast Path, woohoo!

Distance on Coast Path:

38 miles to date

Map:

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-kingdom/salisbury/424126859295336364"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;03/14/2010 Route&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-kingdom/salisbury"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Runs in Salisbury, United Kingdom&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Coast challenge update week 4

2010-03-08T15:25:00.002Z

I am afraid to report that this has not been a good week. I was intending to run the Bideford Half Marathon this weekend so had counted on missing a week on the coast path anyway, but it turned out I was destined to do no running at all due to illness. I am recovering now and have already managed a shorter run, so hopefully my training has not been too compromised and I will be back to cross off another long section of the coast next week.

Route week 4:

No coastal run this week so no more places to add.

Distance on Coast Path:

Still 22 miles to date.

Pictures from week 3

2010-03-01T16:25:00.005Z

Watermouth Harbour, where I lost the path just after passing Watermouth Castle.

This is what the ground underfoot looks like for most of the Coast Path. Hopefully it will dry up as we get nearer summer.

A glimpse of Ilfracombe. You can see there were still a few hills in the way!

In Ilfracombe the Coast Path goes right past a house where the author Henry Williamson (of Tarka the Otter fame) used to live. One of the more subtle sights to look out for along this scenic route.

Coast challenge update week 3

2010-02-28T16:22:00.010Z

Week three of my expedition along the coastline of Devon has passed, with me succesfully completing the next stage between the holiday resorts of Combe Martin and Ilfracombe and thus inching that bit further towards the end. Unfortunately, the word 'inching' is particularly appropriate to today's run, which has left me feeling a little frustrated and also dismayed by the stretch of miles I still have to go. You see, the distance between my chosen start and end points today turned out to be significantly less than I'd calculated on my Ordnance Survey map, meaning I arrived unexpectedly soon in Ilfracombe (incidentally, and perhaps cruelly, dubbed 'filth and gloom' by a friend of mine) and can now only add 7 miles along the coast to my total when I had been aiming for at least 11.

I had an inkling that the numbers weren't adding up when I left Combe Martin and saw a signpost saying 'Ilfracombe 6 miles', but since the signs often seem to give the distance as the crow flies rather than the wriggly sea-hugging route, decided to ignore it. But then I reached Hele within 70 minutes of setting out and realised that unless I'd miraculously become Paula Radcliffe I hadn't covered as much ground as I should have, and when I recalled how close to the end Hele Bay had looked on the map I knew for sure things weren't going to plan.

Still, every mile counts and today's run included some quality ones scenery-wise. The first part was very muddy terrain and steep hills with lots of long series of steps built into the cliffs, but in the middle of the run the ground levelled out slightly and there were some nice grassy fields to bounce through, scaring all the sheep, and a good straight path around some campsites (where some delightfully optimistic people were erecting tents, not sure if they knew about the storms forecast for the South West this evening...). I got momentarily lost in the harbour around Watermouth and had to ask a man (who may well have been the Harbour Master- I've no idea what such a person should look like, but he was standing outside the Harbour Master's hut and had a grey beard...) for directions, and then the rest of the route was plain sailing.

Ilfracombe was quiet and grey-looking, huddled under a cloud of drizzle, but despite the off-season gloom and the town's premature arrival on my horizon, actually provided a very welcome sight, like a friend who makes you smile even when you've had a bad day. It has a slightly mystical charm that seems to belong back in the days of old (as Van Morrison might say) and I was satisfied to finish the run there because it felt like a significant spot on this journey.

Route week 3:

Started in Combe Martin High Street- up to Challacombe- Little Hangman- back to Combe Martin Bay- Watermouth Castle- Widmouth Head- Rillage Point- Hele Bay- Beacon Point- Ilfracombe. 8.5 miles in total, approx 7 on Coast Path.

Distance on Coast Path:

22 miles to date.

Map:

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-kingdom/combe-martin/148126737468599496"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;02/28/2010 Route&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-kingdom/combe-martin"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Runs in Combe Martin, United Kingdom&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Pictures from week 2

2010-02-21T16:21:00.007Z

Lots of opportunities for weather photos

Comprehensive signposting on the Coast Path..

Steeps hills to Martinhoe

The end point

So muddy! Should not have worn trousers, they weighed a tonne.

Coast challenge update week 2

2010-02-21T15:39:00.004Z

Accomplished the second stage of my Coast Path mission this morning and am typing this while the mud is still wet on my abused trainers. Today I ran a point-to-point route instead of having to loop back to get the car so managed to clock up a decent number of miles which looks like a satisfying wedge on the map and has left me feeling extremely positive about the challenge, which is good because I know have my sponsorship page set up on Just Giving and have started collecting money so there is no turning back now! My sponsorship page can be found here.

Today the weather was great, which also helped me enjoy the run and made for some pretty photo opportunities. In fact, it was easy to get too carried away with taking pictures and I had to make myself stop because the view was getting better with every turn and I was spending more time getting my phone out than actually running. For the most part the Coast Path clung to the cliffs in this section, making it much easier to follow because as long as the sea was on my right hand side I was going the right way! The first part was particularly gorgeous, leading up to the Valley of Rocks and Mother Meldrum's Cave and other romantically named beauty spots, and inhabited by baby wild goats and sweet Exmoor ponies. In fact I didn't see another human from leaving Lynton until I passed a lone farmer with his dogs at Heddon's Mouth. It was blissful!

The biggest challenge this time was not losing the path or negotiating the hills, but the amount of mud when I had to cross the moors in the National Trust section of the path near the end. It was so slippery that I kept sliding and almost going head first into the black mud and had to take the hills extremely cautiously to avoid ending up on my butt. My trainers quickly became soaked through and never got the chance to dry out, and my trousers became heavy with mud. It was interesting how the colours of the scenery changed so much in this part, with the deep black earth and straw yellow bracken lining the hills instead of the reddy-brown woodland along previous parts of the route. It made the sea look less blue and more grey, threatening. There was still snow on some parts of Exmoor too, which didn't help the slipperyness but did make it more interesting. The miles pass really quickly when you are having to focus on where you are treading and maintaining your balance, so that's another good thing about doing scenic runs rather than just pounding the pavements around town. Guess I'm already looking forward to running the next part!

Route week 2:

Dropped off in Lynton- Watersway- Valley of Rocks- Lee Bay- Woody Bay- Martinhoe- Heddon's Mouth- Trentishoe- Holdstone Down (National Trust park)- Stony Corner (Combe Martin) to be picked up again. 12.5 miles in total.

Distance on Coast Path:

15 miles to date.

Map:

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-kingdom/lynton/779126676654139626"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;02/21/2010 Route&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-kingdom/lynton"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Runs in Lynton, United Kingdom&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Pictures from first week of coast challenge

2010-02-20T15:40:00.006Z

Looking towards Lynton and Lynmouth from Foreland.

Me on route!

Start and finish point at Watersmeet on Exmoor.

Coasting to the Lakes challenge!

2010-02-14T20:27:00.007Z

Last year I wrote on here about running several sections of the South West Coast Path during my training for the London Marathon, and how it would be quite an achievement to run the whole distance of the path through North Devon before I leave this beautiful part of the world. Well, I did some research and discovered it would actually be a BIG challenge, with steep hills like you wouldn't believe and difficult terrain, not to mention biting coastal winds, and the elusive nature of the paths themselves on google maps... I swiftly put the idea to rest, but didn't completely forget about it and sometimes found myself returning to the Coast Path and daydreaming about how far I could follow it. Well now I have resurrected this ambition with a new goal: to complete the challenge this year in my training for the Lake Windermere Marathon and do it all to raise money for Brathay, the marathon's organising charity. The marathon is billed as the UK's most scenic marathon, so it seems fitting to attempt what is possibly the UK's most scenic training program on my journey getting there! More details on Brathay and how you can sponsor me will be forthcoming.

For now, the plan; my aim is to run the length of the path from the Foreland on the edge of Exmoor, all the way along Devon's coastline to Bude in Cornwall. The total distance is over 150 miles, but will be broken up into sections ranging from 5 to 20 miles to allow me to complete the entire length over the next 14 weeks of training. In theory anyway! Looking at the complete distance it seems a bit daunting, and I will welcome any assistance, support, or company if anyone fancies joining me for part (or all!) of this mega run. Hello, anyone?!

I'll try to record my progress on here using maps and as many photos as I can take whilst running (so they may be rather blurry!). This weekend I attempted the first part, really to assess the feasibility of the project more than anything, but after successfully navigating the Coast Path between Barna Barrow and Lynmouth on this sunny Valentine's day, and feeling inspired all over again by the dramatic views and sheer spectacle of the path, I feel ready to face up to the challenge and officially declare my crazy scheme started!

South West Coast Path Week 1
Route so far:

Foreland Point - Wind Hill- Point Perilous (just love that name!)- Lynmouth/Lynton Cliff Railway- Watersmeet (had to double-back at end to where I'd parked the car). 8 miles in total.

Distance on Coast Path:

4 miles, Foreland to Lynmouth. It was a shame I had to double-back so couldn't do more of the actual route, but hopefully as the weeks go on I'll be able to do more point-to-point runs and make more of a dent in all those miles. Only 149 to go!

Map:

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-kingdom/lynton/436126617986135346"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;02/14/2010 Route&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-kingdom/lynton"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Runs in Lynton, United Kingdom&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Running in circles

2010-02-07T16:13:00.002Z

I got lost today, trying to follow a 10 mile route which on the map looked like a straightforward loop on minor roads outside my town. I feel like a bit of a failure as a Running Explorer- particularly since I also got lost yesterday, when a wrong turn into an unfamiliar housing estate meant scrambling down a bramble-covered bank onto a main road so that I could get my bearings again.

It's been eighteen months since we moved to Barnstaple, and I thought I was getting to know the surrounding area pretty well. I worked out recently that I've clocked up over 1300 miles of running around North Devon but this weekend my sense of direction has gone totally AWOL.

OK, it's hardly a big deal becoming disorientated in the passive British countryside; on both days the most awkward outcome has been that I've found myself emerging somewhere in town unexpectedly soon and had to add on a few circles round the block to make up my required mileage for the run, but the experience is disconcerting. Today when I emerged blinking at a busy local roundabout I was disappointed that my scenic run had been cut short and that the choices left open to me were retracing my steps, risking going further astray and repeating the unpleasant hills I'd just so proudly conquered, or admitting defeat and following the boring main road for the second time in two days, but the worst thing was that I couldn't work out where I'd gone wrong. I felt like the earth must have shifted underneath me, so sure had I been that I was taking all the available left turns which should have led me to the east side of my starting point, not the roundabout in the west... It was all too confusing for a tired body and Sunday-morning brain to figure out.

So I made the dull choice and did the circles to make up for it, and pored over the maps again as soon as I got home. But then, as soon as I saw the route on the page I realised what had happened and had that satisfying epiphany as the flat lines merged with the pictures of the reality in my head, and I was reminded of what being a Running Explorer is all about. I remembered how getting lost can actually be fun, and realised I hadn't been getting lost often enough lately. Maybe I have become complacent in thinking I knew this area well enough to have discovered some brilliant running routes, and was happy to keep repeating them without seeking out new territories. Perhaps this has been the push I needed to get out of this rut and put my expedition hat back on. Next week, somewhere new....

First Steps

2010-01-18T14:05:00.003Z

This weekend I did my first proper long run of 2010. The weeks before I'd been confined to the gym by the ice, and a few short (not to mention limb-riskingly brave!) ventures out amidst the snow midweek hadn't satisfied my craving to really stretch my legs and feel the burn, so on Sunday I got weirdly excited about heading outside. The route I chose for my 'first footing' of the new year was a classic 9.5 mile loop on part of the Tarka Trail between Barnstaple and Bideford, and because it's been so long since I ran that stretch I couldn't help but think about what had changed in the time since I was last there. On the surface nothing had changed, and some corners of North Devon I hope never will, but the atmosphere did feel different.

Last time I was out on the Trail I was cycling to work in the other direction (to Croyde) at the end of October and the only people I passed were hardy souls walking their dogs or miserable-looking cyclists like me. On this Sunday morning there were walkers, fishermen, families and photographers everywhere, all beaming and dressed to the hilt in dayglo outdoor gear. It seems the sudden blast of arctic weather we've had not only encouraged everyone to better equip themselves for outdoor persuits (hence all the shiny new gear), but has made people appreciative of the days when we can get out and enjoy the fabulous fresh air. It felt amazingly freeing to be able to go wherever I wanted and not be penned in by the snow blockages on certain roads and the invisible danger of black ice on others, and from the smiles I encountered on the Tarka Trail this weekend I reckon more than a few people were also relishing their new found freedom.

For me, the other difference during my run was that last time I ran the track I had my training partner with me. Now she is off travelling around warmer parts of the world (Africa- and I'm not jealous at all!) and I am back to having only my thoughts to keep me company on the long slogs towards my peak marathon training distance of 22 miles. This weekend's run was not even half that distance, but I found I was easily enough amused so am optimistic about my ability to make it through the next 16 weeks. The only problem was sometimes finding I was losing pace as I drifted off into daydreams about the sea, life, love, the universe, etc and I missed Mary's time keeping. If I am to do more training on my own I might have to consider matching some music to my running speed and investing in some playlists which keep the tempo up above the gentle jog I tend to revert to when lost in my own world.

New Year, New Goal

2010-01-08T11:00:00.003Z

So it's been far too long since I wrote in this blog. This is partly due to thinking of ideas for my blog over at Ransacker taking up the running/musing time I used to reserve for my waffling on here, but also because after finishing the London Marathon in the spring I spent the rest of the year with no fixed training plan and trying a whole range of different activities, from lifeguarding to cycling and intensive gym-ing.

But I have still been run-exploring, and my travels over the past year mean I can now add a whole slew of new locations to the list of places I have trodden in my faithful trainers. The most exciting of those would have to be along Venice Beach to Santa Monica in Los Angeles, a run which re-formed my opinion of the city, as the pleasant footpaths, clean sands, and smiles from fellow joggers cast a different light on the neighbourhood we'd arrived in late the night before and found full of intimidating cars, shadowy men and seedy alleyways reminiscent of Grand Theft Auto. My run brought out for me just one of the many faces of the City of Angels, but it was one which I was more able to relate to and made my time there much more enjoyable as a result. An excellent example of how running-exploring allows you to get beneath the skin of a destination and discover more.

My experience at London taught me that the environment in which I'm running is the main factor in my enjoyment, and the feeling of exploring a different or wonderful place is more important to me than the crowds or the kudos of the event. So this year I have signed up for the Brathay Windermere marathon, in the Lake District, billed as one of the toughest and most scenic races in the country. I am really looking forward to getting started on a new training plan and having an excuse to seek out even more interesting places to run.

Happy new year!

London Marathon

2009-04-28T09:20:00.003+01:00

Yay, I did it! I can't believe it's been almost a month since I wrote on this blog, but that month has been probably the most running-centric of my life. My training for this marathon was far more intense than the last time I tried, and thankfully it has paid off. Not so much in the time I took to get round, (4 hours 40) but because I feel great now, only two days later! Last time it took me a good few days to be able to walk down stairs, but today I am already itching to get back into my trainers.

Having said that, I must admit that my sunny disposition now is not a reflection of my feelings on the way round- on the day I hated the FLM and swore I would never do it again! I thought the race was hard psychologically, and I suffered from extreme back pain for the last third of the race which is not something I ever had on a run before and it wore me down. I didn't enjoy the crowded nature of the race and the constant jostling about and weaving between other runners, especially not when I got elbowed in the face at mile 19, when I was already feeling low and irrationally annoyed with everyone around me. The experience made me realise that I prefer quieter runs and the uplifting power of interesting scenery, and for my next challenge I think I will choose a smaller event. But at least I'm thinking about the next thing, which proves that I don't feel too bad!

Here are my overall highs and low for this years FLM:

Highs

The organisation, especially the transport of kit bags, and the smiling staff were fantastic
A blast of Bon Jovi around mile 22
Running behind two guys dressed as Baywatch characters and hearing the crowd's response ("I'll be ready...")
Glimpsing Buckingham Palace in the near distance and the yard markers counting down the remaining steps.
Wearing my medal on the train home and being congratulated by strangers!

Lows

Having to constantly weave around other runners/walkers and being pushed past
Being elbowed in the face
Dodging discarded bottles and other litter when your legs are dead tired
Back pain and finding that I'd slowed right down from 10 to 13 minute miles without even realising around mile 17 (and never recovering)
No shade to sit in at the end and struggling with my heavy bags on my own for ages before finding others- I just wanted to cry!

Exploring a new direction

2009-03-30T12:48:00.003+01:00

Back to true exploring this week, as my long run took me in a new direction, by which I mean running southwards, into the centre of Devon rather than east-west along the coast. Living so close to the North Devon shore, it has been natural to run along the sea line but this week my running partner and I took a turn downwards, across the heart of the county towards Dartmoor.

We ran from Bideford to nearly Okehampton and back again. Looking at the map afterwards I was impressed by just how much of the countryside we had covered- almost half of the entire length of Devon, which means if we had run in a point-to-point route instead of turning around we could have run from coast to coast. Devon is the only county in England with two coastlines and we could have run from one to the other; from the Bristol Channel to the English Channel. I find that so satisfying! And it's given me an idea for another mission to do after doing the whole of the coastal path through North Devon. If I had ran the width and length of the land I think I would really be able to say I had run-explored in Devon.

Spring marathons or autumn?

2009-03-25T20:32:00.002Z

On my run today, whilst being blasted with gale force wind and stopping to pick out bits of dust that kept being blown in my eye, I started reminiscing about training during the summer. Last year when I was training for Athens I did the bulk of the work during the long days in July and August, when I could head out for a run at any time that was convenient and always knew what to wear (i.e. something cool). Now, whilst the weather has given us some amazing runs lately (see my photos below for evidence!), these last twelve weeks of training for London have been much harder going, and harder to stay motivated for. Who wants to head out when it's cold, wet and windy? I never know what to wear on long runs because it fluctuates so much between sunny and sub-zero, and my runs have been affected by gales, hail, slippery roads, floods, snow, and having to plan routes around well-lit areas on dark winter's nights. Thinking back over it, I think autumn marathons will be the way forward for me in the future. There is something about a sunny day that makes me feel excited to go on a long run, hell I'll do it just for an excuse to be outdoors, so my training over the summer goes more smoothly, but in the gloomy days of February I sometimes found it hard to even get going.

I also remember how hot it has been on occasions when I've been to watch the London marathon. If there is a heatwave on the day (which is apparently likely for this year too, yikes!) then it seems to me you get the worst of both worlds with spring marathons- slogging through training in the miserable cold and then risking your performance and health in the heat on the actual race day. At least if there is a heatwave while you are training in the summer you can choose to run in the coolest part of the day, but in a race there is no escape.

We're still a month away from the marathon, but as you can see, I like to get my excuses in early!

Yes it's Running Photography!

2009-03-22T20:49:00.003Z

My training is now taking me all over the North Devon coastline, and by the end of the summer I have vowed to have run the entire length of the county, not all at once of course!
Here, for posterity, are some pics from recent runs:

(top to bottom: Morte point towards Lee; leaving Saunton; Looking back to Woolacombe)

Girls vs Boys!

2009-03-07T11:27:00.003Z

Those sporty types at Nike + have issued a new running challenge; girls versus boys for one month to see who can clock up the most miles. One of the things I like most about the whole Nike + system is being able to see all the miles you have run add up on your computer and go towards your grand total, so I love the idea of seeing who can complete the most. I thought the girls would be in with a chance too, not just because many girls I know are good at going the distance whereas the boys are more often all about the speed (insert your own joke here.....), but because Nike opened the challenge to women first so that there would be time for more girls to register.

However despite these efforts, when I went to sign up for the women's team, the men's team was still waaaay bigger, meaning they will probably win based on sheer numbers. So I joined the challenge, keen to help show those boys who's boss, but disappointingly I then found that my contribution to the challenge will not be recorded because my Nike + plug in for my ipod has spontaneously died. I had stopped using it lately and something seems to have affected the sensor, so the girls will have to go on without me. I still think it's a great idea and a good way to motivate runners. Whether running or not, everyone can become fans of the team on facebook to help support them so please join in here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nike-Team-Women/123214320025

The swift half

2009-03-02T14:51:00.002Z

Yesterday was my longest run since Athens, as I took part in the Bideford Half-Marathon. It was a good race, with a picturesque course and lovely supporters, although now that 24 hours have passed my lingering memory is not the actual race but the delicious homemade cakes available at the finish!

The start was rather underwhelming, with the line set up in a car park facing away from the quay. But the finish more than made up for it, showing that the course had clearly been designed with the end in mind rather than the beginning. There were some hills in the first half, but after mile 7 it was basically flat all the way home. The sun was shining the whole time, which added to the pretty scenery along the river and the general holiday atmosphere that seemed to have taken over the town as people turned out to watch the race.

I was not aiming for any particular time but got round in 2 hours 9 minutes, which is not far off my personal best for a half, so I came away very pleased, and still feeling that I had some life left in my legs. Enough in fact for a bit of a sprint finish for the last 100m!

Spreading my wings!

2009-02-27T17:48:00.002Z

I've been a bit quiet on the blogging front lately, and that is because in addition to an exciting increase in my usual work I have been commandeered to write for another running blog on the fantastic Ransacker website. I have written about this site before as it is a great way to bag a bargain on running shoes, but it has recently been expanded to include blogs, training plans and other articles of interest to runners. I am contributing to their blogs under the names Mrs Motivator and Plodder's Diary, as well as posts in my name for running gear reviews. It's cool to be part of a larger site and one that has lots to offer for all kinds of runner. It even has a whole section for those who prefer to play with balls while they run - I think it's called football.........

So please check it out! www.ransacker.co.uk

Barnstaple to Instow

2009-02-22T18:10:00.003Z

12 miles of the Tarka trail today, with a friend from the local running club. Last summer when I had just moved to North Devon I did the majority of my training on this trail, either taking the route westwards to Bideford or on the other side of the river to the villages of Braunton and Saunton, but today I found this route strangely difficult. It wasn't the distance or the wind this time, so much as the hardness of the ground along the trail. After the tenth mile the concrete seemed to be hitting me through my shoes, not the other way around, and my feet and knees took a battering. I am aware that I probably need new shoes but as I'm running low (pun intended) on cash I haven't got around to replacing them yet, and today's session seemed to hammer the need home. We've resolved next time to find some softer ground around the coast, maybe going onto the sandy beach for part of the way to give our soles a rest, but in the meantime I think I am going to have to be careful with my choice of runs for the rest of the week. I guess the dog poo park doesn't seem such a bad idea now....

Thoughtless Dog Owners

2009-02-15T21:19:00.003Z

It is sometimes hard not to use blogging as an excuse just to have a rant at anything that has gotten up my nose. So far I have mostly refrained, but this week I am giving in to the temptation to moan after two events have ruined my training runs this week.

Both are because of people with dogs being inconsiderate. I am not a dog-hater, by any means, in fact I long to have my own house rather than renting so that my husband and I could get a puppy, and I always feel pangs of jealousy when I see a runner with a dog keeping them company in their training. But really the annoyances have occured because of their owners being selfish, not the dogs themselves.

The first was the obvious, stepping in dog doo on a run and having the smell follow me home despite me best efforts at wiping it off. This was in a park where there are signs asking owners to pick up after their dog and there are bins provided, and I had already been skipping around several simillar piles. I think that was what annoyed me rather than the actual stepping in it- the blatant display of multiple dog owners not giving a s**t!

The second event was when I was running in another public park when there were several people out walking their dogs. A man was coming towards me with two medium-sized dogs and one of them leaped at me, growling and baring its teeth. I sort of kicked it away, my heart pounding furiously because it had startled me and because it's more than a little frightening to be jumped on by a strange dog, and the owner stood there about a metre in front of me, doing nothing except giving me a look as menacing as his dog. He didn't apologise or even acknowledge that his dog had scared me and intruded on my personal space. GRRRR! It made me so mad, I fumed all the way home. What right did he have to just let his dog set upon me? If I had been a child I could have developed a fear of dogs for life. In fact for the rest of the week I have felt cautious about running past dogs, not knowing what they'll be like. It wouldn't have taken much for the man to just acknowledge his dog's action, or at least be more friendly rather than rude. Runners shouldn't have to put up with that - we have just as much right to be there (and to be undisturbed) as dog walkers, and people who choose to have dogs should take responsibility for how their pet behaves in public places.
Rant over.

Weather to run?

2009-02-03T20:38:00.002Z

The single thing that has had the biggest impact on my running over the last few months has been the weather. Today when I was thinking about my run, amidst all the fuss about snow bringing the UK to a standstill, I couldn't help wanting to write about the snow and ice. But then I looked back at some of my old posts and see that I have already talked about running when it's too slippery, running in the rain, mud and wind. Nevermind becoming a running bore- I'm now a dull weather whitterer too!

I'm sure I didn't used to find my running affected by such extremes of meteorology, but I am not sure if it is because I now live in the countryside, rather than the city where conditions are muted by street lights and warming traffic, or because the weather has been so extreme for everyone this year, or even if it is because I have become more of a wimp. This last one is quite a possibility, as I am finding it much harder to get motivated in my training for my second marathon and could be subconciously using the bad weather as an excuse. I wonder if our country's reaction to the recent conditions is partly due to a collective increase in cowardlyness? We are so used to being comfortable it seems like too much of an inconvenience to got out in the cold and wet.

An elderly lady on the news this evening was moaning about schools being shut this week as "children should learn that you go out and face the day", instead of crying off when it's too nasty outside. She definitely has a point; In other countries children traverse dangerous ravines and avalanches to get to school, and even in this country a good portion of people grew up having to walk miles to school on their own, wearing woollen shorts regardless of the climate. And there are runners who are used to persevering in harsher situations too, in countries from truly chilly Scandinavia to the scorching sub-saharan. I really have nothing to complain about! Time to get running again.

More hills

2009-01-30T14:27:00.002Z

Following my previous post about running up hills, this afternoon I am recovering from the effects of a major hill session in my training plan, and loving it!

I ran 2 miles from Winchester to a steep(ish) hill in a country park and ran 9 sets of sprinting up the hill for 1 minute followed by jogging back down. By the 8th set I was feeling a bit sick, but I persevered and as a result felt like I had worked harder than I have for a while in a solo training sesh. The problem normally is that I drift off whilst running alone and enjoy just looking at the scenery or mulling over my thoughts, so find that I am just plodding along for miles and miles. Which is mostly fine, because I enjoy it, but completing a structured session like hill sprints makes me more focused and spices things up a bit. Hopefully these sessions will soon see me on my way to conquering those hills!

A head for heights

2009-01-25T16:12:00.002Z

My first race of the new year today, and the first time I've entered a running race in North Devon. The event was the Braunton 10m road race, a challenging route on country lanes between Braunton and Barnstaple and quite a shock to the system after several weeks of plodding through my training plan. The race experience could be summed up thus: an endless succession of thigh-burning hills during which you choose between walking for a while or your lungs bursting out of your chest, a couple of miles pleasant jog with fabulous views, then suddenly a glimpse of the end to take you by surprise and a fast downhill finish.

What I learnt from today's race was that I need to do more practise on hills. I'm not used to such extreme inclines, and even the sharp descents felt jarring, but the race today reminded me that incoporating more hills into training routes can be rewarding. The incredible views on reaching the top provided one incentive, but I also quite liked the increased challenge the course provided. I ran 10 miles last weekend too but on a flatter route and didn't feel nearly as satisfyingly tired afterwards as I do today and I know tomorrow I'll feel that I have earned having a rest day.

The race itself was brilliantly organised, with clear markers, lots of marshalls and two drinks stations, although the first one after just 2.5 miles felt a little premature. There seemed to be a good range of runners taking part from speedy to straggly, and a nice crowd waiting at the end. And as an extra bonus, as I passed the finish line I was handed a voucher for marks and spencers as a 'spot prize' which, for someone who is never going to get a real prize at an atheltic event, made me feel very chuffed. More places should have random gift giving I say!

The Blustery Day

2009-01-18T18:41:00.002Z

OK, the really blustery day was yesterday, when the evening brought gale-force winds to our part of the world and in our living room we could hardly hear anything over the noise of the wind and rain, but this morning I still experienced a fair bit of a breeze on my run and started thinking about running in the wind: How much does it affect your performance? I know that a blustery day is probably my least favourite condition to run in - give me a downpour any day over running against a stiff breeze. Of course, it's ok if you are running with the wind, but when you are against it and your clothes are flapping around, your hair blowing in your face and the resistance is making you work harder for your mileage it's not good.

Unfortunately my favoured routes for long(ish) distances are all along the waterfront, where the wind is most severe. When I heard the gales last night I initially thought I might put off my run today, but this morning was bright and clear and the only trees I could see from my window didn't seem to be thrashing about too wildly, so I set off for my 10 miles and it was only when I crossed the bridge over the river that the full extent of the bluster became apparent. Although it's a terrible picture above, you might just be able to see how much the wind was moving the water about. I did a pretty lousy time for this run, my longest distance since Athens, and have decided the wind is a good excuse for it feeling so hard.

Secret Weapon

2009-01-13T18:20:00.004Z

I have been meaning to write about this for a while but have never been quite sure whether it is just too deeply unsexy, and therefore off-putting to read about. However, over the last few days I have been using this product more than ever and it has reminded me it is about time I gave the makers my thanks! What I am talking about is a tool to tackle the dreaded runner's affliction of chafing. Recent wet runs in many layers of clothings (and perhaps some extra layers of post-Christmas blubber) have given me a reccurence of sports-bra rubbage and it is time to unveil my secret weapon:

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula. This pot is full of a slippery, shiny, substance that, as the name suggests, is really quite like butter. Slathered on skin under straps it could help them glide more easily, but its main talent seems to be healing. I have found putting it on raw areas heals them up in just a day or so and relieves itching, whilst feeling and smelling far more pleasant than vaseline, and looking much more dignified than carrying a huge tub of the latter around with you!

Jogging Photography

2009-01-10T19:17:00.002Z

Recently I went to see the film 'Yes Man' with Jim Carrey (that's the film starring Carrey, not him munching popcorn next to me!) and I keep finding myself thinking about it when I'm running. You see, in the film Carrey's love interest (played by Zooey Deschanel) leads a 'jogging photography' class, where a motley crew of unlikely runners meet at 6am to jog around a park with these huge cameras and snap what they see. At one point they even host an exhibition of the resulting photos.

The reason I keep thinking about this is that so often when I'm out running I see something that makes me wish I had my camera on me. The other day it was a beautiful sunset over the frozen river, today a family of rabbits spaced out along the footpath like a relay team. There are so many scenes which we runners are privileged to stumble across, and having a pictorial record of these sights could be really neat. Even though in the film it was obviously designed to show how quirky and Deschanel's oddball character is, it really makes me want to build my own collection of runner's photographs- who knows, maybe I'll even start my own oddball club!

A Wintery Scene

2009-01-07T17:23:00.003Z

Today, for the first time in a while I felt like an explorer on my run. The winter weather has transformed the scenery on one of my favourite routes and it was like running through unknown territory again. I ran a 6 mile there-and-back course along the river front and couldn't believe my eyes. Everything was grey and white; the sparse wintery trees and vegetation were iced with frost, and there were huge islands of ice along the water. With flocks of sea-birds resting on the floating ice and the only colour coming from the orange sun sitting low in the grey sky, I felt like I was setting out on an arctic voyage. Of course the sting of the freezing cold air across my cheeks and the numbness of my fingers did nothing to destroy this impression either.

Unfortunately I was so distracted by the landscape and my daydreams of arctic adventures that I trod in some dog poo. But I guess every expedition has it's mishaps.

The best time to run

2009-01-06T20:40:00.002Z

It's amazing how your body gets used to a routine. I used to always run in the morning before eating breakfast, maybe just having some orange juice or a cup of tea before going, and enjoyed coming back and getting ready for the day with warmed-up legs. But then I moved to Devon and had more time during the day so I started running a couple of hours after breakfast or in the early evening and now when I try to run in the early morning everything feels wrong. I feel stiff at the start and light-headed after only a couple of miles so never feel like I am getting the most out of my runs. 'Proper' training runs like interval training or long runs have to be done at the 'right' time, that my body has gotten used to running at, or they tend to be disappointing.

But what is really the right time to run? Some people swear by running first thing and others would rather do it late at night. I have heard some reports that gym-goers are better in the afternoon when base body-temp is higher, and other reports that it is better to do sport in the morning to boost your metabolism for the rest of the day. Having been attempting early morning runs for the past week or so whilst away, I definitely have enjoyed the sense of achievement from getting it out of the way before everyone else is up and about. It certainly makes me feel less lazy! But then there is also something nice about donning your running gear at the end of a long day and using the run to get troubles out of your system or digest the day's events. I guess the answer is whatever fits in with your schedule best, as it is better to exercise at anytime than not at all, but what's really interesting is how you so quickly adapt to running at different times and get set in your ways. I wonder how much of it is psychological, and whether by persevering with early runs for a few more days I can reverse my routine and become one of those sprightly morning runners...

Control

2009-01-04T19:13:00.004Z

It has now been two weeks since I have posted anything, and I have started to feel increasingly guilty with every missed day, which is a little ridiculous as I am writing this blog for fun, not to follow orders! But I was starting to feel generally unsatisfied about not posting anything, and I think it was largely due to having a lack of control over what I was doing. You see, I have been a guest in someone else's house and didn't feel able to even make a cup of tea according to my own whims. I don't like going for so long without being in control of when I can write and when I can run. I have (of course, since London is only 16 weeks away!) been doing some running in the last two weeks, but I have had to get up early and run before everyone else was up and before the day started being planned out for me or my ability to exercise started being dictated by heavy (social) meals. I suppose the loss of control is also partly because of the festive season interrupting day-to-day routines, and also the collecting together of different people who all have their own needs and ideas, but I can't wait to start being selfish again and training when I want to!

But I'm home now and about to start my new training plan for London, so there will be plenty of running-exploring to come.

Mud Glorious Mud!

2008-12-22T21:01:00.004Z

My running shoes are filthy. Not just splashed with brown splodges or a bit worn-looking, but absolutely, soil-sodden, grime-caked, mud-encrusted, filthy. Chunks of earth as big as golf balls are clinging to the outside. Normally I quite like the just-ran-through-a-cow-field look, but it's been causing me a bit of a problem lately as I am spending a lot of time travelling, and hence having to cart around these crusty clodhoppers without contaminating the rest of my clothes or scaring my relatives/hosts when I leave them in their porch.

I have found the only solution is to carry a good supply of plastic bags to wipe stuff off with and to wrap everything in (and hey, it's re-using those bags). When I was staying in a posh (ish) hotel once I carried my muddy running shoes out to the front entrance in a plastic bag, put them on outside and hid the bag in a convenient bush before my run, then when I got back put my shoes in the bag again and walked through the lobby into the lift in my socks to avoid tracking mud across the hotel. This was probably unnecessarily cautious behaviour for a hotel guest (I am also the type of guest who tidies their own bed and always hangs towels on the rail), but it demonstrates the usefulness of packing plastic bags in your suitcase!

For actually cleaning shoes whilst on the move I have found cheap face wipes to work brilliantly for making runners more presentable, as well as for wiping legs, arms and clothing. In fact, don't tell anyone, but I have also used these to clean someone's bath after I took a shower in it following a muddy run; in short these are a true essential for any girlie runners!

Running etiquette

2008-12-17T20:39:00.004Z

Had a slightly odd conversation with a running friend today (let's call her R). We were agonising over whether to still do a group run we'd planned on friday or cancel it as another of our friends can't do it. R was worried that she would feel left out, especially since we were all going out together straight afterwards, which got me thinking- can training with someone else mean you are cheating on your running buddy?

I've known someone else (lets call her M) who became used to a running with one person and they always did the same route because M thought the other person liked their routine and didn't want to try running further, or faster, or anywhere different. One day M saw her running buddy with another woman, jogging in another part of town on a weekday morning when M thought she was busy doing something else. She felt like her buddy had gone behind her back, though they had never said they were 'exclusive'!

Running relationships can be quite complicated. When I used to run regularly with someone I would sometimes feel miffed if they went without me, even though they were faster and it was obvious they would need to train alone sometimes. People are usually going to have different training needs and different goals, so why do we find it upsetting sometimes to be left behind? Is it our natural competitiveness, that makes us think our buddy is trying to be better than us if they go running without us? Or is it possibly because it makes us feel like we've missed a training session, which makes us feel guilty, even if it wasn't in our schedule? Perhaps it's only women runners who experience this- I wonder if men do too? It's interesting that not even running is immune from our social complexities!

Excuses, excuses...

2008-12-15T17:18:00.002Z

Curse this cold weather! This morning was, again, so icy that our car resembled an iceburg looming out of the mist. I took three steps outside before almost sliding off the pavement and into the road and hopping back inside to rethink my training plans for today. I ended up going for a swim instead of running which means I haven't done a proper run for a whole week. I like to think that swimming is a good substitute, but I know it's hardly the same as putting in the miles on your feet. The pool is certainly a lot more inviting in this weather than the hard ground and frosty parks though, and swimming is better than doing nothing.

I love swimming, and would do it much more if it didn't leave me with huge deep rings around my eyes afterwards. I know this sounds like a ridiculous excuse, but it is quite a serious problem! I have tried many different styles of goggle, and even masks or half-face jobbies, but every design leaves me with purple lines on my face that last for a couple of hours. This means I can't really swim before work or any event where I might meet other people, and definitely not before a night out. The other problem I used to have with swimming is that I get a severe case of lane-rage when there are other swimmers blocking the fast lane. Really the pool is just not a good place for my neurotic tendencies.

I said I 'used' to have this problem, and I think living here in North Devon may have helped combat this condition, as we have a great leisure centre here with a huge pool and a very well-behaved population of swimmers. It is a joy to see people obeying the lane signs! Of course, it probably helps that the pool is big enough to always have several lanes on the go, and it's never been that busy when I've been so there is no real need for people to crowd the lanes. In fact, I would go so far as to say the leisure centre here is one of my favourite things about living here (controversial!). It's not a very attractive building, but compared to my former gyms in London, it's clean, quiet, well-equipped, spacious, and it's star attraction is the pool. Now, if I can just solve the eye-ring problem, I might make use of it more!

Becoming a running bore

2008-12-13T08:18:00.002Z

Oh dear, it's happened; I fear I have become a bore, over-thinking about my sport and over-talking about it to my suffering family. Reading this blog it may seem obvious that I already was one, but until last night I was fairly confident (perhaps delusional) that I was still on the right side of the fine line between hobby and obsession, now I think I am a 5m negative-split over it. I was telling my husband all about the minutiae of the different marathon training plans I had been studying when his attention for my running stories reached it's limit and he exploded, crying out "Argh! Why does it matter? Just pick one!"

Suddenly, my recent social life seemed to flash before my eyes and I realised how much I have been thinking about or talking about running. Running has been hovering in the background at parties and family events and entering into conversations with friends, parents, and complete strangers. My best friend and I have even arranged a run as part of a big Christmas get-together we've been looking forward to for ages, and planning since October!

What is most worrying about this is that I'm not even running very much at the moment. What will I be like when I reach the peak of marathon training again and have to plan eating, sleeping and even TV-watching around running? My poor husband!

Marathon training take 2

2008-12-11T22:19:00.002Z

This time of year goes so quickly, and I can't believe it's already time to start getting real about my training for London 2009. I've been trawling through free marathon schedules online, and I'm amazed at the variation between them. I sort of assumed there were only a few ways you could prepare your body for covering 26 miles, but there are plans based around 6/7 runs a week, ones with 4-5, ones with cross-training, and the mileage increase varies hugely from a mile a week to 4 or 5 (which seems to me to be asking for trouble). Some plans seem to suggest running only 18 miles prior to the race, others to incorporate a full 26 mile practice run!

For Athens I followed a plan from the 'Smartcoach' tool on the Runner's World website, and the strange thing was that it instructed you to do only 3 runs a week, plus cross training. I chose this because I had suffered a knee injury earlier in the year and didn't want to re-injure it, and I found the 3 runs idea to work well in terms of preventing recurrance, but it sort of made me feel like I wasn't taking my marathon training very seriously. Now I feel ready for something a bit more intense, a bit more 'marathon runner-ish'.

At the moment my ideal schedule would be 4/5 times a week, with cross training instead of the other runs, as I don't want to push my luck (and my knee ligaments) after 6 months of only thrice weekly runs, but I haven't found the perfect one yet. The idea of starting a new schedule is appealing though: I can't wait to start ticking off the miles again and watching the distance climb! I just hope I can keep that enthusiasm going over long, dark runs in the dreariest months of the year....

Cold Weather Hints

2008-12-08T12:49:00.002Z

The day after my extra-icy run (which I wrote about in my last post) I opened this months copy of Runner's World magazine and saw a feature on running in cold weather. Besides all the obvious suggestions (5 of the 10 tips listed were about dressing appropriately and adding extra layers, well duh!) there was a real gem of an idea, which would have helped me last week. The suggestion was planning early morning or frosty runs along bus routes, as these are usually well gritted and the grit often spills on to the pavement.

This is a very practical point, and may even lead you to discover new routes as buses may wind around town in ways you haven't considered and maps of bus routes are available from the council or online.

Brrrr!

2008-12-03T18:36:00.002Z

I had a very unsatisfying run this evening. It was freezing outside and the pavements were glistening with ice so I had to try and run mostly in the middle of the road where the cars were keeping the tarmac warm. This wasn't ideal as it was rush hour and it was dark, so I had to keep hoping back onto the pavement. I couple of times I nearly slipped and I found myself running really slowly and delicately, picking up my feet in an exaggerated way. If it is possible to run gingerly, that's what I was doing. It made the run very unsatisfying as I never built up enough speed to feel I was working my lungs and getting my legs moving properly, and I ended up cutting short the last loop as I was bored of worrying about skidding across the road on my butt. A short, unsatisfying run today is definitely better than broken bones for Christmas!

What do runners do who live in really icy countries like Finland and er, Iceland? I guess they must run on treadmills a lot during the winter, or maybe they wear trail shoes all the time, if their grip works better on slippery frozen surfaces. Perhaps they have special ice-proof trainers, or attachments for their regular shoes, like snow chains for their car tyres. Either way, I hope it warms up here soon, although with snow forecast across much of England for this week that doesn't seem likely.

Running through life in my hometown

2008-12-02T14:34:00.003Z

I grew up in a village near Winchester, and for the past few years my parents and siblings have lived in the city itself so I regularly return to this lovely part of Hampshire. When I go for a run here I'm reminded of University holidays and how I would always notice the difference in the air from chilly Edinburgh where every icy breath would burn your lungs. I also feel nostalgic for the paths around my old village where I first began running, and where if I close my eyes I could still trace every step of every road in my mind.

I remember I used to run a loop that was just one mile and went through a cow field. If there were cows in the middle of the field I would walk across so as not to scare the animals, and then I'd climb to the top of the gate at the other side to pause for a while and look at the view across the fields and where I could almost see into the house of a boy I knew. I remember another route that I was running once when I stumbled on a rickety bridge and gouged my hand on a rusty nail. I was 3 or 4 miles from home, feeling woozy from being winded and covered in blood. That is probably still my most dramatic run!

Being at home is making me look back at my life as a runner, and I realise with surprise that I've been doing some form of casual jogging/running for almost ten years, starting in my mid-teens (though I'm not including school cross-country as I didn't do that for enjoyment!). But what I don't remember is what made me go out for a run the very first time. I've always enjoyed exercise and occasionally did running or beep tests with my swimming club, but I can't for the life of me remember the first time I decided to lace up my PE shoes and go for a jog at home, without anyone telling me what to do.

I can however, pinpoint the moment when running became less of a casual thing and I began to think of myself as a runner, as this happened during my fourth year at Uni when I was training for the Great North Run. This event coincided with a period of life where I was feeling more 'grown-up' (i.e. drinking less!) and was also helping to run the cheerleading squad at Edinburgh, so was having a lot of fun but also working really hard and running seemed to help hold everything together. At this time I loved going for a run when I was visiting home and could run for miles on silent muddy footpaths thinking about my revision, or just lazily practising dance routines in my head whilst jogging along.

Now when I'm running at home the things I used to do when running sometimes come back to me, like a smell can conjure memories of a particular person. I suppose the same would happen walking around or sitting in an old friend's house, but it is often only when running that I get time to just daydream and let the memories flow, and feeling nostalgic for old runs really makes me feel like a proper runner!

Festive Running

2008-11-29T09:58:00.000Z

It’s that time of year when celebrations and family events, along with the limited daylight hours and regular hangovers mean running is squeezed out of your schedule. For me the festive season always starts a bit earlier than usual because my (American) family celebrate Thanksgiving at the end of November (I am writing this from my mum’s house as we wait for everyone else to gather together and for someone to pick up the forgotten cranberry sauce).

Thanksgiving is quickly followed by my birthday and then suddenly there are only three weeks until Christmas and the nights are filled with office parties, friend and family gatherings, card writing and last-minute shopping. What makes things slightly more complicated this year is that we now live a good three-four hour drive away from parents, friends and in-laws so, like we have done this week, tend to stay for a few days or a long weekend each time we go visit. Of course, I usually take my running shoes with me, but families have a way of planning things for you and when you aren’t in control of where you are going or when/what you are eating there isn’t time to fit in a good run and you have to grab ‘spare miles’ where you can. Having said that, for the last few years I have managed to run on both my birthday and Christmas day and they’ve become one of the best things about those days, as well as some of my favourite runs. On Christmas day runs there is no-one else on the roads and I usually put some jingly music on and whatever new running gear I have received. My birthday runs are usually more reflective occasions, where I find myself thinking about the past year and what I want to achieve in the next one.

Back to Thanksgiving and I have just stumbed on an opportunity to run: we still have no cranberry sauce so a trip to the supermarket is needed and I’ve suggested it is perfect running distance. Running back again with a jar of cranberries in my hand will bring a whole new meaning to festive running!

Visibility

2008-11-25T20:48:00.003Z

Tonight at the running club (North Devon Road Runners) I saw a great piece of kit for winter running. Someone was wearing a beanie with a flashing light at the back and reflective shapes at the front. As well as looking cosy and offering improved safety, I thought this hat offered a solution to a problem you would never dream existed- that of appearing like a 'headless torso' which so many runners suffer from at night time due to wearing reflective jackets or vests but covering their heads with dark-coloured hats. This high-vis hat shows that there is a head on top after all!

However when I got home (and defrosted, gawd was it cold out there tonight!) I tried to look for this hat to paste a picture of it into my blog and couldn't find one. The nearest I could find was a reflective cap by Brooks (http://www.brooksrunning.com/prod.php?p=280020) which had the same flashing idea and would solve the visibility problem but would lack the warmth of the beanie. Next week I will have to speed up my running and chase down the hat wearer to find out their source. Will keep you informed....

Marathon Recovery

2008-11-19T20:39:00.002Z

It's been 10 days now since the marathon and I still haven't quite worked out the right approach to getting back into training. I've been reading around the subject but there is a lot of conflicting advice out there. I decided to just go with how my body feels and started easing into gently exercise last week. The first three days I did nothing and was exhausted from all the traveling on top of the race, but on the fourth day I went to the gym and did some light cycling. On Saturday I went for a swim and did about a mile, which felt great, then on Sunday I tried a 5 mile run. This went fine so I went along to the local running club on Tuesday night and was met with quite a few horrified faces! People weren't sure if I should be running yet, and more than one person mentioned hearing an old rule about resting a day for each mile following a hard run (so 26 days after a marathon!).

But I can't see how this can be correct: if I rested for a whole month I would put on weight, lose fitness and most of all go stir-crazy! It would be hard to resist putting on my running shoes, and hard to get going again to begin training for the next event. Of course I'm not going to rush things, but I'm going to keep running, sticking to small distances and fun, relaxed outings until after my birthday in early December. Then it will be 20 weeks until London so I will begin increasing my base milage again and work out which training plan to use to try and be at my best for April. I'm already so excited!

Looking back

2008-11-16T17:15:00.002Z

Today I went for a very easy run, along one of the first routes I did when arriving in Devon a few months ago. It is a nice route, which takes in some of the town and part of the Tarka Trail along the Taw estuary before skirting around a park and arriving at a nice village on the outskirts of town. Running it again with no set agenda or time in mind I was just freely enjoying the scenery and was able to think about how much I'd learned about this area of North Devon through my running over the past few months. I now know the town quite well, perhaps even better then some other areas I've lived in for much longer, because I have studied different routes and footpaths and experimented with different route planning techniques.

I felt really happy today as I ran too. I had the feeling that everything had slotted into place, and after several months of my running being controlled by a training schedule it was nice to be able to just relax and think about where I was running rather than how. I even had one of those weird sensations where you feel nostalgic for something you are currently experiencing rather than something you are looking back on as I thought about how perfect the environment around me was for running. I guess it was some part of my subconscious reminding me to make the most of the conditions in this area and to continue to appreciate them even when I become accustomed to running around here and the routes become second nature.

Running Podcasts (Plodcasts?)

2008-11-14T15:06:00.003Z

The Running Lounge, a running blog network I follow has this week launched a podcast all about running (http://blog.runnerslounge.com/files/episode1.mp3). The first episode is basically an interview with the creators of the Lounge, but in the future they plan to publish more of the reader-led discussions which fill their site with inspirational running chat.

The news of this podcast got me thinking about listening to podcasts whilst out running. I have actually tried this before. Once when I had a long, lonely run ahead of me and was bored of my music I decided to download some podcasts from radio 4, thinking some stimulating discussion or some comedy would make the time pass quickly. But it turned out this approach didn't work for me at all. It could have been the talk-heavy nature of the podcasts I chose, but I found the slow rhythm of the voices lulled me into a dull plod, and because each episode was only around 25 minutes long, having to stop and select the next one on my ipod was irritating and made the 90 minute run seem much longer. Perhaps running with podcasts would work for those people who like to workout in front of the Simpsons at the gym, but I would rather run to uplifting music or with nothing. Mostly I am quite happy drifting into my own dreamworld as I run and don't feel the need to be doing something else at the same time.

The exception could be running-centric podcasts, as I can imagine listening to other runners might be quite motivating. It could be like having a running pal who never expects you to break your breathing pattern to join in the conversation. Either way, I enjoyed listening to the Lounge podcast whilst making tea, and will keep listening out for their recordings and other running podcasts as they are yet another way to feel part of the ever-growing community of runners.

The scoop on Athens

2008-11-12T23:21:00.000Z

So now I’m awake enough to remember, and to coordinate my fingers with my brain, here’s my summary of the Athens Marathon:

The course follows the legend which began the event of marathon racing. The greek messenger Pheidippides is said to have ran 25 miles from the battlefield near the town of Marathon to Athens, bringing news of victory over the Persians. He then collapsed and died, but that wasn’t part of our race plan for the 2008 event. However it is a notoriously tough route- the difficulty is something the organisers boast of in the race programme, and there were few fun-runners, and no-one dressed in an animal suit or pantomine horse. Even at the registration you could tell these were serious runners, wiry and tanned.

The race seemed very well organised. We runners were taken by coach from Athens to the stadium in Marathon at 7am, and there were plenty of toilets and buses for storing bags at the start. By the time the race kicked off at 9 it was already almost 20oC, and we’d already seen the whole route, albeit backwards and from 5 feet above the pavement.

Marathon is a small town, and the first steps were incredibly inspiring, surrounded by history and beautiful scenery. Along the side were orange groves, rustic cottages, and fruit stalls, occasionally broken up by a petrol station closed for Sunday. Now and then there would be locals to wave us on, having brought out stools to sit on by the roadside and gathered their whole families for the occasion.

The first 18K was undulating, but the trouble really started after that, with a continuous uphill climb for the next 10. It was sometime during this period that many apparently seasoned runners slowed to a walk, and we saw a brave soul dressed as a centurion collapsed by the side of the road, his armour practically steaming. We’d also entered the outskirts of Athens and were running on the very straight, multiple-lane, main road into the city. At times running along such a wide, ‘cityish’ road littered with drinks bottles and dust but without any traffic gave me the feeling of being in a disaster movie, a feeling magnified by the red, agonised faces of everyone around.

After this epic hill, the rest of the route sloped gently (mostly) downwards and the little clusters of supporters grew more frequent and more enthusiastic, even for the stragglers like us. There were markers every km until the 41st. I’m not sure if this was intentional but I liked the wait, as in waiting for the 41 sign to appear, it was a really nice surprise to suddenly see the finish in sight and know we were actually approaching 42. The end itself was spectacular, running down a leafy avenue, past saluting guards in traditional Greek costume and turning a corner to see the magnificent stadium underneath the shadow of huge olympic rings. I thought I might be crying or crawling in to the line, but the atmosphere gave me a second wind and we managed a strong finish. WooHoo!

Runners' Return!

2008-11-10T16:42:00.005Z

Just walked in and hobbled up the stairs after the epic journey which was the Athens Classic Marathon. The adventure started last Wednesday, with the car-bus-plane-bus rigmarole which took us to the legendary city on Thursday morning, and finished half an hour ago with the reverse, done at a somewhat slower, stiffer pace courtesy of the small diversion on Sunday to run 26.2 miles in the Greek sunshine.

What can I say about it? It was tough, really tough, and hot, really hot. But I got round and could not stop smiling for the last 500m. And running into the Panathinaikon stadium was everything you could hope for in a marathon finish: exciting, inspiring, beautiful, emotional, well-organised, dramatic... and downhill!

I will write a proper account of the race when I have recuperated a bit more (i.e. drank more tea- I'm surprised I got round without a good British cuppa in the morning) and have fully digested everything that happened. Right now, I am pleased just to have experienced it, and want to shout out to everyone "I DID IT!!!"

5 good things about winter running

2008-11-04T18:32:00.003Z

As the nights draw ever darker and I get buried deeper under increasing layers of clothing it is time to cheer up by reminding myself of all the good things about running in the winter.
1. There's no need to worry about smothering yourself in suncream which you then sweat off anyway- your red cheeks come from a healthy glow, instead of a cancer-causing, wrinkle-forming toasting.
2. There is nothing like the quiet stillness of an early morning run in the winter, when you have the world to yourself . And extra smug-points from being the only one defying the temptation to stay snuggled in bed.
3. A run gets you warmed up for the rest of the day, saving on energy costs.
4. You get to dig out the reflective running gear for a cool 80s look. And you can wear whatever other rubbish you like along with it as no one can see you properly anyway. Winter runs are one of the only times you can wear a balaclava around a city, and not be mistaken for a comic book bank robber.
5. Steaming mugs of hot chocolate are brilliant recovery drinks containing all the essential ingredients: milk for protein, cocoa fors antioxidants and vitamins and minerals, its low in fat (provided you skip the whipped cream), and to top it off research has shown that chocolate releases endorphins simillar to a 'runner's high' so you get a double-buzz and feel even better for continuing to run despite the weather.

Naked advertising

2008-11-01T10:34:00.004Z

Recently I have noticed a bare-faced trend in sports gear adverts. I am referring of course to the numerous naked athletes that are gracing the pages of running magazines, selling anything from sports drinks to trainers.

I admit they are effective advertising if that means attracting attention. The first time I saw one I did a double-take; is that really Greg Tait's perfect bottom I can see? The next one I wondered if I should cover up whilst reading Runner's World on the train, after all, with a naked woman taking up most of the opposing page fellow passengers might wonder if the 'go longer' article might really be about something else...

But mostly what I think when I see these adverts is, would I really want to train naked or to feel as if I am? There are certain bits that need to be supported and held in by clothing and I don't think comfort or performance would be improved by letting it all hang loose. Also, I worry about Rebecca Romero's comfort, perched on that pointy saddle in the buff. And mustn't there have been some serious photo-shopping in Tait's picture or the direction and force of motion would have caused another part of his anatomy to be leaping about? This is all so distracting I don't remember the point of the advert, or this post.

Battling the elements is half the fun- isnt it?

2008-10-29T14:32:00.002Z

A lot of fuss has been kicked up in the media this week after the Original Mountain Marathon in the Lake District was cancelled several hours into the race because of adverse weather. The race organisers are being critcised for letting the race start in the first place, but I think this is completely misjudging the spirit of such events. Fell runners who sign up for the race are experienced mountaineers and are expecting to withstand the tough conditions of a two-day outdoor race in the unpredictable British weather, carrying all their own camping equipment and food, and climbing some 2500m in the process. I've always believed that one of the personality traits which trail runners and endurance runners share is an element of masochism, and surviving against extreme challenges is one of the biggest sources of satisfaction. Of course when things get ridiculous (as in the pictures we've now seen of racers up to the waist in muddy water) events will be stopped, but who can blame the organisers and competitors for being optimistic and giving it a shot? What worries me about all the fuss is that it would be really sad if organisers were too scared to run extreme events for fear of criticism and attracting the health and safety police. If this event is classed as too dangerous, where would the line be drawn? What about ultramarathons across exposed moors? At some point shouldn't it be accepted that individuals are responsible for their own actions and it is up to them to choose whether to take part or not, not the organisers?

The big one!

2008-10-27T20:41:00.002Z

Eek! I've found out that I have got a place in the 2009 London Marathon. I'm thrilled, but also slightly apprehensive that I haven't managed Athens yet. Still, at least this means I'll have a second chance to fine-tune my training.

Recently my marathon training has veered off-track as I had a bad cold which turned into flu, which I then made worse by attempting a casual 8 miles when I thought I was better, so I'm worried that my preparation for Athen's has been less than ideal. With less than two weeks until the big day now I've decided the most important thing is to get well as soon as possible, so am taking it easy as much as possible, and am chugging down lemon and ginger tea whilst eating oranges for vitamin C. Finger's crossed I'll be back in my trainers soon.

Runner's immunity

2008-10-25T09:50:00.002+01:00

My training has been suffering this week, as I have come down with a stinker of a cold. The only thing doing any running is my nose (groan, terrible joke I know)! I am blaming a trip to Glasgow in the middle of the week, which not only involved a sudden change in temperature (it's chilly up there), but also meant getting up at 4am for a flight. And I could be right to blame my current state on this trip. Tradititional marathon wisdom says you should avoid germ-filled environments (e.g. in this case planes, I'm not suggesting Glasgow itself is a source of germs!) and be sure to get extra sleep in the build up to the race.

I remember reading a Runner's World article earlier this year which suggested there is a maximum running time and when you are training above this limit your immunity is weakened, especially in the hours following your run. The time for average runners was 90 minutes, but I guess this would vary depending on your levels of fitness and what length of run constitutes a strain for your body. The article suggested that when you are training at high levels, over your strain-inducing time, you should avoid situations which increase your exposure to germs and be careful about washing your hands, getting plenty of sleep, and getting the right nutrition. Unfortunately it's not always possible to wrap yourself in cotton wool before a race, especially when work requires you to travel and it's hard enough to fit in the hours of training. I just hope that missing one long run and taking a few days off isn't going to have too much of an effect on my ability to complete the marathon. Only two weeks to go now!

Bust-a-move

2008-10-21T16:23:00.004+01:00

If you are one of those runners who feels naked without your headphones, the best music for running to sparks an interesting debate. A website called JogTunes attempts to make the choice for you by providing suggestions which match your running pace to the beats of certain songs. You calculate your pace in steps per minute and the site will come up with lists of matched tunes and instructions on how to download them from iTunes. You can also get ready-made playlists based on your pace over a certain estimated distance, so the music will accompany you at a matched pace throughout your workout.

However I have discovered that people's tastes vary hugely, and I'm not sure that the music you find most motivating or that you most enjoy running to is anything to do with the pace. My hubby's choice for long runs is the mellow, slightly-trippy Icelandic group Sigur Ros, which I guess is either a philosophical choice, or just plain bizarre. And Paula Radcliffe is said to prefer to train to Angels by Robbie Williams, which wouldn't meet the fast-pace=good workout music ethos of most gyms.

My personal best-running-track-ever is Molly's Chambers by the King's of Leon. I don't often run with music, but when I feel in need of a soundtrack to my exploring this is the perfect song to put a spring in my step. Although I do sometimes feel the desire to stop running and shake my booty when it comes on!

Marathon Reads

2008-10-19T11:45:00.003+01:00

I've been reading about the history of the marathon in an entertaining book by John Bryant (the London Marathon: the History of the Greatest Race on Earth) and am feeling inspired. I would really recommend it as a fact-filled book that still manages to be fun and uplifting- perfect light reading for crawling into bed with knackered limbs after training.

I picked up this book as part of my research for a short guide to marathons I was working on for the website Bookshelf Boyfriend. The completed article can now be seen here: http://www.bookshelfboyfriend.com/articles.php?article_id=266

Hazardous activities abroad

2008-10-14T16:18:00.003+01:00

When travelling to take part in a marathon in another country, insurance for the trip is perhaps one of the last things you think about. The training plan was put into action months ago and the footwear has been carefully considered, but insurance is often one of those last-minute things you remember, along with currency and locating your passport under piles of bills.

I just discovered that our annual multi-trip travel insurance specifically states it does not cover long-distance or marathon running, and yet does include elephant rides, shooting (rifles), rugby, and motorcycling. An interesting choice of potentially hazardous activities which I would have thought placed at least as high as running in the injury stakes. It is also interesting that in the policy I eventually bought, they specify 'amateur' runners only are covered- surely you are more likely to get injured if you are an amateur not less, as you are more likely to be inadequately prepared, suffering from existing medical conditions, or attempting your first race, and are without the benefit of a professional support team watching over you. As a professional you will have careful monitoring of your training and health on the day, and possibly will have spent time training in the race conditions beforehand whereas amateurs may be forced to go from chilly britain to running under intense sun within a short time frame, making dehydration and fatigue more likely and raising the risk of injury. Of course, these factors which affect performance and health should be considered by any runners attempting a race abroad, but I find it interesting what insurance companies classify as risk.

It is also notable how many companies go to the trouble of mentioning in their policy odd sports such as tug-o-war and hurling. Are there really many people who travel overseas to take part in a tug-o-war? And if so, where are they going, because that sure sounds like a fun holiday!

Expedition: failed

2008-10-13T15:12:00.002+01:00

I have not been very consistent in my posts this last week because I have been away for work again, and this time I was trying to limit the size of my luggage so that I could carry it on the train, which meant my running shoes won priority over my laptop. A colleague expressed surprise that I had bought my running gear (plus spares, and a swimsuit, but they didn't know that!) to a conference and I explained that my trainers are always the first thing to go in my suitcase, no matter where I'm headed. I now have a bit of a reputation as an exercise-addict, but nevermind, I can't hide in the closet forever!

Anyway, I was hoping to do a bit of running whilst I was away, giving those trainers a change of scenery and making more notes for my running explorer's map. Unfortunately for this week's trip I was in Stansted, which is not the most exotic of places, and the hotel was literally at the airport so I was not expecting to come across too many exciting sights, but in the end I failed to even leave the hotel. The only morning I could have got away for an early-morning run it was so foggy outside I could barely see the road, and I could not find any roads or paths around the hotel that led anywhere other than the car park or the tunnel to the airport terminal. I had a sudden ridiculous image of myself stumbling out onto the runway and being startled by a boeing 747 bearing down on me out of the mist, so I gave up and returned to the hotel gym instead.

Actually the gym was very nice. Should anyone ever find themselves with a few hours to kill at Stansted there would be worse ways to spend them than in the clean surroundings of the Radisson SAS health club, and it would certainly be better for your health than hanging around the airport cafes. But I feel I have failed as a running explorer for this week, and can't wait to get back out there in the outside world, to do some 'real' running.

Long run strategies

2008-10-10T09:37:00.002+01:00

This week's long run was 20 miles and after speaking to an experienced marathoner (with an age-group winner title under his belt) we decided to try running 4 loops of a five mile route, allowing us to return to the car for drinks/discarding clothing as necessary. I have not tried this method of training before, as I usually prefer to run to a place and find reaching a destination a certain distance away more satisfying than weaving around one place to clock up the correct distance. But I found this strategy a nice change, and would definitely do it again to achieve a large number of miles.
As well as providing some confidence because you are never too far away from your base should you get injured or feel unable to continue, the best thing about this method is that you can drive to a favourite part of a route and just do that section. We drove to a car park at Fremington and ran a loop along the coastal path and back through quiet villages with good pavements, thus getting the benefits of running this great route whilst avoiding having to run up the sharp hills that would otherwise have got in the way of running in this direction and made a 20-miler considerably harder.

More on TV please

2008-10-07T11:31:00.003+01:00

I watched the Great North Run on TV this weekend, and all I could think of was an event miles away from Newcastle, and wish the BBC would extend it's eye, tentacle like, and show us some of the other amazing achievements going on across the country. As I was listening to presenters hyping the efforts of Lee from the Apprentice in the GNR, two of my good friends were slogging away on 26 miles of scenic trails on the Clarendon way marathon, along with 300 other people running their own challenge. This route runs over the gorgeous countryside between Winchester and Salisbury, and would have produced some very picturesque scenes on film, compared to the housing estates around Newcastle and South Shields.

Now I have done the GNR before, and think it is possibly my favourite UK running event. There is something about the crowd and the build-up to the start which creates an electricity and a togetherness I have not felt anywhere else, and I would definitely recommend it to new runners as well as seasoned pavement pounders who think they have done it all. But I wish there was more coverage of the amateur sports events happening up and down the country every weekend. Everyone knows about the London marathon and the GNR, but how exciting would it be to see glimpses of the London to Brighton bike ride, or watch people scrambling through the mud in the Salomon Turbo X? How inspiring to be able to watch 'ordinary' people doing crazy things like the 24 hour track race or the Thames path 50 mile ultra-marathon. Because these things happen every weekend, we just don't get to see them.

Route mapping tools part 3

2008-10-04T12:44:00.004+01:00

For the past week or so I have been testing the route mapper on Realbuzz.com for planning runs. The tool used on this site is called Map Your Passion, which is a term I haven't quite got my head around yet. Although I love running this does not sound like a run planner, so I googled the term and discovered it is also the name of an advertising campaign for Campari where people can plot their favourite things, their lovers or their experiences on a world map. Now I cannot get this image out of my head whenever I visit the running map your passion and it doesn't seem quite right.

Anyway, the actual mapping tool is good- quite basic in comparison to mapmyrun.com, but functional and easy to use. You have to register with Realbuzz in order to use it, which may put some people off and means it takes a little longer to get on with the task because you have to log in each time.

The route can be planned on a choice of maps (satellite, street map etc) which includes terrain and therefore allows you to work out where the hills are and the climb involved. Realbuzz also boasts that you can add markers to maps to 'highlight your favourites, whether it's a restaurant you'll never forget or the best hotel or hostel you've ever stayed in', and it would be great for these purposes, but as you cannot add markers at the time you actually create a route so it is not ideal for creating certain points on a run or brick (e.g. cycle then run) training route.

All together Map Your Passion was a decent route planner, but I have been slightly spoiled by using mapmyrun, and found this tool not quite so comprehensive for runners or easy to use. For one thing this site became increasingly slow to load each new point as the route got longer, and as the longest run I used it for was 10 miles, this could become really annoying as your distance increases.

Marks out of 5: 3.5

Running shoe bargains

2008-10-03T14:33:00.005+01:00

I have just been introduced to this great site called ransacker, which compares running shoe prices to give you the best deal in the UK. It just so happens that my shoes are coming to the end of their running life and I was thinking about ordering another pair so I could break them in before the marathon, when I came across this brilliant idea. So instead of wasting hours looking at different shoe suppliers for the best price, worrying that I'm being ripped off and then getting too bored and just ordering from the site with the nicest page design (I seriously do this sometimes and it's bad for my wallet I'm sure), this time it took me five minutes to order my new Mizuno waves for a price £20 less than I paid for my last pair. Result!

I am not the sort of girl who loves shopping and believes in retail therapy, but waiting for a neat new pair of running shoes to arrive makes me quite excited. And new shoes are a great excuse to go out for a run.

The site also gives you an opportunity to donate to the children's charity Sparks by buying running gear- which makes a feel-good purchase feel even better.

Westward Ho!

2008-09-30T19:37:00.004+01:00

I rest happy tonight, as I have found a perfect run-to-the-sea route. Because I was still in Ireland at the weekend I postponed my long run until today, so I could be back in Devon and resume my search for a great route leading to the sea. There is something within me that keeps wanting to run towards the coast; in my imagination I am running along a quiet road and the air begins to feel heavy with salt, I round a corner or reach the top of a summit to suddenly see the foamy water straight in front, beckoning and driving me to keep going towards it.

Today I discovered this near-perfect scene occurs when you are running into Westward Ho! The only town in Britain with an exclamation mark! (And I can't think there can be many elsewhere in the world...?)

To complete my 18 miles, I drove to a pretty little fishing village called Instow (shown in pic) and then ran further along the coast to Westward Ho! where the beach-sighting happened that made my day. It was a hard run because it was exceptionally windy today, and the decision to wear a men's waterproof jacket didn't help as it filled with air like a sail when I went up or down hills, but the wind also leant the waves some extra power and the sight and sound of their crashing as I ran along the quay made it an enjoyable run.

Investing in your feet

2008-09-28T20:41:00.002+01:00

At the beginning of this year I had a foot and gait analysis at ProFeet in London. It was very expensive, at almost £120, but that included an intense consultation that lasted 90 minutes and custom engineered insoles. I went to the shop because I'd been having knee pain over christmas after I increased my mileage, and I think it was worth paying out for as the pain has not returned when I upped my long runs again, and the shoes I purchased following their advice are the most comfortable I've ever had. Also, it was nice to have so much attention and individualised advice, and watching the videos of me running when they were played back was really interesting- just to know what my running style looks like! I couldn't really see a difference in the different shoes they tried me in, despite the 'technician' man slowing in down and drawing fancy things on the screen, but it sure sounded like he knew what was going on.

ProFeet also do ski boot fitting, which would be great to prevent blistering and pain. Their shops are only in London at present, but the website is www.profeet.co.uk and is worth checking out for advice on footwear.

Dublin leaves more (much more) to explore

2008-09-26T23:27:00.000+01:00

I’m in Dublin for work and have been itching to get away for a good run all week. Unfortunately I was let down. It might have been because I still had a crick in my neck from sleeping on the plane, and a headache from too much coffee and too little sleep, but it was not a satisfying run and I felt somewhat let down. I had expected Dublin to be a prime running-exploring location.

It started off well; I spied lots of other runners out on the streets, always reassuring in unknown territory, and many of them seemed to be heading in the direction I’d chosen towards the coast. However I quickly found that the route I’d planned back at the hotel (on walkjogrun.com) was actually a traintrack- which had shown up on the map as a road. So I ran along the main road that hugged the train track, but where I had been expecting to run along the sea, from the road the view was blocked by a high fence.

Somehow, as much as I tried, I couldn’t work out how to still roughly follow the route I’d designed to loop back to the hotel. Again, rather than being Dublin’s fault, this could have been because my brain was addled from swimming against science and polite conversation for the past few days, but the roads that had name signs (which were few) seemed to have different names to what they were on the map, and the road signs were very few and far between so I couldn’t aim for landmarks. I was a bit lost.

I ended up tracking bus stops for the aircoach which I knew stopped outside the hotel, hoping I was going in the right direction to take me back, rather than to the airport.

What I found most dispiriting was that the area I was lost in was totally uninspiring - a mix of flats, office blocks and functional-looking hotels, with wide, busy roads that were tricky to cross. Hopefully it was just the area I strayed into today and tomorrow I’ll find my way to the lovely Dublin I’ve heard so much about.

Running Fuel

2008-09-22T21:26:00.003+01:00

After today's 18 mile effort (and believe me it really felt like an effort after a weekend of partying!), I decided a treat was in order. This was partly brought on by all the hedgerows laden with blackberries that I passed on my run, which after about 12 miles set my mouth watering.

I've been collecting recipes from Runner's World for a while because I like their idea of healthy versions of classic dishes. However last time their recipes were put to the test was in what my friend Kate and I now refer to as the banana cake disaster. It's probably best left at that...

But I decided to give them another chance and tonight I made a Runner's Crumble, which turned out to be much more successful. The recipe uses oats and honey to reduce the amount of sugar and traditional butter/flour topping needed and only took about 30 mins to prepare and cook.

The picture does not do it justice, so you'll have to take me at my word when I say it was delicious. (Note the use of past tense- Gareth and I ate the whole thing in one sitting!)

Going further and further....

2008-09-21T21:29:00.002+01:00

At my cousin's wedding this weekend I found myself sitting next to a guy who was preparing to cycle in an 80 mile time-trial the next day. It struck me that a few years ago, discussing long distance training with a stranger at a wedding would have singled you out as an oddbod, a hardnut with a perverse streak. But these days it seems everywhere you go there are 'normal' people working towards challenges that are harder, further, and riskier. Every social gathering I attend has at least one person who is working towards a marathon (and either not their first or one involving a bit of a twist such as an unusual location or added challenge), or involved in another physical feat such as ultra triathlons, mountain climbing or sailing round the world. Next weekend in the UK alone the Runners World event directory and Time Outdoors.com list 7 running or cycling endurance events that are long distances, from 26.2m marathons to 110m epics.

It's not enough these days to be aiming to complete a local 5k or a charity walk- now you have to be doing a moonlit 26 miles in snowdonia dressed as a banana. And it often seems like it's not the actual event that is the driving force behind the desire to go further and do more impressive things, but the training. The therapeutic and meditative aspect of exercising for long periods acts as a valid 'time out' from everyday lives and work. To get away on your own for hours at a time, and to schedule your life around a commitment that is only to yourself would be considered selfish if for instance, you said you were aiming to watch all 7 series of the West Wing back-to-back tomorrow so couldn't join friends for dinner. But the same single-mindedness is acceptable to society if you have the excuse that you are 'training'.
Thank goodness!!

Using Mapmyrun.com to plan routes

2008-09-18T20:40:00.002+01:00

Mapmyrun.com is part of a group of online mapping tools with other branches such as mapmyhike, mapmyride, and mapmytri. I have been using it for a few days now and I am surprised that more people are not aware of it. I for one had not come across this site until it was recommended to me by Iain from the North Devon Triathletes, someone who seems to find time to be online as much as me, as well as doing crazy amounts of training (cheers Iain!).

And having explored the site I can now see how it would be perfect for mapping routes incorporating more than one activity such as for Tri's, as you can mark specific points on the route to change to cycling or something else. This ability to add markers to the route is my favourite aspect of using mapmyrun, despite my previous raving about being able to see the elevation/terrain. The topographical maps are brilliant, but being able to add your own markers wherever you like is a great feature and allows you to really personalise your runs, or to quickly look at points other people have noted on their routes. There is a decent range of markers to choose from, including essentials like toilets and parking places, and some thoughtful additions like dog warnings and good areas for stretching/warm up. If there isn't a suitable marker you can annotate the route with pop-out comment boxes.

Apart from the marking facility, there are several other really great features. The map area you see on screen is bigger than other tools I've used, and the mileage you're clocking up is displayed in the top right corner as you go along. You can also jump to any other location in the world by typing it in, a big improvement on the zoom out-zoom in again method on other sites. Another fab idea is a printable cue sheet which will automatically tell you on the ground directions for your planned route. (e.g. along the road to swanson st, turn right, straight for 200m etc)

Like other tools you can choose from a selection of views (satellite, street map, hybrid) as well as the extra ones showing topography etc, and you can upload routes from your Garmin device/pedometer. But the unique features of this site have raised it head and shoulders above the other tools I've tried so far, and I'm upset to be moving on to test a different one next week.

Marks out of 5: a big shiny 5!

&amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-kingdom/barnstaple/653761532215"&amp;gt;09/18/2008 Route&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-kingdom/barnstaple"&amp;gt;Find more Runs in Barnstaple, United Kingdom&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

My embarrassing running secret

2008-09-17T20:45:00.004+01:00

I have a secret fear. I'm ashamed to admit it, but in the spirit that a problem shared is a problem halved I'm just going to come out with it.

My fear is one that raises its head at this time of year when evening runs start to last into the darkening night and the flourescent sports clothing emerges from the bottom of the wardrobe. It nags at my thoughts when I start to lose sight of the path beneath my feet in the growing dusk.

And here lies the problem; if it's late evening, it's been damp weather, and I can't see my feet, there is a good chance I will land my foot down on a slug. Even writing it makes me shudder!

I have run at night time through deserted parks in Edinburgh, thuggish-looking housing estates in Glasgow, and noisy parts of North London, but now I'm running on footpaths in the wet and warm (ish) countryside I am scared to go out in the dark. It's pathetic I know.

I'm fine with getting muddy; I've nothing against accidentally sinking my running shoes in big puddles or cow pats. But that squelching pop of a slug underfoot is something I can't stand. Luckily, I usually run in the morning or late afternoon, when the slugs are not out in full force. Otherwise I tend to try and stick to well-lit paths or have to deal with running while gritting my teeth and crossing my fingers. I'd be interested to know if there are any other runners out there who feel squeamish about slugs, or have any other silly running fears. I tried to google running and slugs and discovered lots of information on a computer accessory called a 'slug' (as if having a mouse, an apple and a dongle wasn't silly enough), but nothing to do with one of the slime sacks meeting your running shoes on a dark night, so perhaps it's only me.....

The competition's really hotting up!

2008-09-15T18:07:00.003+01:00

on my run today I found myself dodging through a fairground. One of the routes I commonly take out of town was in the process of being blocked off with rides and stuffed-animal stalls, so I'll have to avoid that path for a few days. It looked like it would become a surprisingly big fair for this small town and I suppose the music and lights could add a bit of excitement to a run, but going through the grounds today it already smelt like petrol and burgers, and that was just from the workers caravans so I doubt it will be very pleasant when the fair is actually open.

This week the internet route planner I am testing is mapmyrun.com. I am going to trial it for a few days before writing my review, but so far I am really impressed and think this could be a contender for the crown. You don't need to register or sign in to use the route plotter so if you just wanted to quickly check a route, say, at work, there is minimal time-wasting. Also, and here is a big, gold-star worthy bonus, there appear to be altitude lines and terrain type as display options. This sounds very promising!

But my news of the day is really this: Following my (admittedly harsh) criticism of Sanoodi last week, a nice chap from the Sanoodi team (a sanoodidude if you will) has got in touch with me to let me know they are working on some of the issues I mentioned. It sounds like they are planning to fix the problems with the site and I am really looking forward to re-visiting it in a few weeks to see if I can re-instate it as my mapping site of choice.

It was very nice to hear that my comments were valuable- perhaps this blog will do some good after all!

Online Route Planners: Test 1

2008-09-12T15:27:00.002+01:00

This week I have been testing the route planner on Fetch Everyone, an online resource and community for runners (www.fetcheveryone.com).
When I first started looking at Fetch Everyone (from now on I’ll shorten to FE), I experienced a slight sinking feeling. It just looked too damn good, and so I began to regret choosing it as the very first route-planning tool to review.

Fortunately for my blog, but unfortunately for the FE folks, I did eventually find a few niggles which prevent it from quite becoming the perfect route planning tool, and therefore allow my quest to continue.

FE is a huge site, with over 17000 members and a wealth of services from forums, photo galleries and blogs to training plans and logs. Everything on the site is free, although you can do very little without registering, which means you also need to log in to use the route planner. However, once you are logged in the ‘measure route’ tool is conveniently sited at the top of a drop down menu of tasks, showing they know what runners are likely to want to do when visiting the site quickly.

The tool itself uses googlemaps and offers the same map/satellite/hybrid views that I’ve seen on other google-powered sites. My personal bugbear with googlemaps is that they do not show places of interest or useful amenities that you would find on your average paper map or A-Z. As well as meaning you can’t choose routes which may run right past historical or interesting sights, you cannot plan your route based on nearby petrol stations or public toilets (a problem long-distance runners will understand). Another major drawback to using only googlemaps to plan your run is that you cannot see altitude or elevation.

But if you are not bothered by unexpected hills or points of interest and just want to know distance this is a neat way to do it, and there are a few things which make FE an improvement on other tools that also use google. Number 1 there are clear instructions at the top of the page telling you how to use the tool. This sounds obvious but there are other sites (Sanoodi for one- see my previous rant) that leave you in the dark meaning wasted time faffing around when you coud be out running. There is also a clever button to press to quickly create a ‘there and back’ course without retracing your steps.

To plot your route you simply type in the postcode of your starting place and then double click to draw a marker at points along your route. Again, it is such a simple thing but the double click mechanism means you don’t accidentally plot a marker way off course when trying to move the screen up or down.

FE allows you to save your past routes and annotate them with descriptions (thanks to the lack of elevation guidance my description of my latest route now reads “VERY LONG HILL. ONLY DO IF FEELING MENTAL!!”). The tool also remembers your original location so the map is zoomed in to your start place whenever you subsequently visit the site. However this means it is not very easy to plan routes for other areas you might visit and I could only test routes in other towns or countries by zooming way out and zooming in a bit at a time to find the right place, which is rather awkward.

One of the best features of Sanoodi was being able to look at other peoples runs for ideas. FE also has this feature, but there were not nearly so many routes in my area as there were on Sanoodi and it is not possible to compare them by distance so FE rates slightly lower on this facility.

Marks out of 5: 3.5

Route planning internet tools

2008-09-10T19:44:00.003+01:00

Whilst I still think an Ordnance Survey map or A-Z is the best tool a running explorer can have, there are times when you don't have access to a map (or don't want to invest in a map because you will only be in the area a short while), and want to plan a route. I occassionally used to use Sanoodi after reading about them in Runner's World, and found this was particulary good for stealing ideas from other peoples routes they had saved on the site. This week however, I have found that Sanoodi has changed and I can't seem to create new routes anymore. I can create a series of dots, but they don't link up and thus it doesn't tell me the distance. The site also seems really slow now and won't allow you to view other people's routes near you at the same time as creating your own. This has annoyed me greatly. Grrr!

I am a lazy and impatient computer user and am likely to give up if a website is too tricky to use or starts behaving in an irritating manner. So I might well hear from someone smarter than me that the revamped look is actually much easier, fancier, blah blah blah and I'm being a doofus, but that is not really the point. They have turned me off now by confusing me and I just don't think there is any excuse these days for a poorly designed website, since there is such an abundance of free and easy-to-use sites. Especially when the original site, although admittedly a little austere looking, seemed to possess all the right functions before the change. Double Grrr!

So I have decided to test out alternative route planning sites, a different one each week, and rate them according to how useful they are for running explorers. First up: Fetch Everyone (FE).

Cycling is fun too!

2008-09-09T20:38:00.004+01:00

This evening I went for a bike ride, and scouted out a few new running routes. Cycling can be a really useful way of doing a bit of road reconnoissance before you run, and confirming whether that loop on the map which kinda looks like a path is really more of an impenetrable tunnel through thornbushes. Cycling is like collecting free miles- if I was running and discovered I couldn't get through a path I'd planned or had to stop and walk/jump around a swamp I would be annoyed. When you are training for a marathon every mile of every run counts and often the speed at which you do it too, so if you are cut short you feel cheated, or if you get lost and run many more miles than expected you worry about overtiring and not being able to complete that long session you have planned for the next day.
So on my bike I finally discovered how the different directions of the Tarka Trail meet up near the train station, and to take a nose-peg if I'm running in the direction of Bishops Tawton. The Fragrance de la farmyard was particularly strong tonight.

Bishops Tawton is a lovely village and my ride there revealed some classic exploring finds. First up was a field full of the cutest little ponies in the whole world; about two foot high and toy-like, but they weren't the slightest bit interested in me as I wooshed past. Unlike the next animals I encountered-the huge cows pressing up against the fence all turned their big heads to towards me as I approached. Perhaps they were playing the who-dealt-the-smell game (eww I smell it too, who was that?! Certainly not me!) and my timely appearance gave them somewhere to lay the blame.

I also came across a line-dancing class- incongruous disco music blaring from a quaint-looking church hall and flashes of middle-aged men shaking their butts. A row of white-haired women sat outside taking a moments rest from their efforts, on a bench that was practically in the graveyard. I love this kind of glimpse of the unexpected side of village life, and I never would have noticed it if I'd been in a car as I wouldn't have heard the music drawing my attention over the road to look.

Later on as I arrived back in town I heard another surprising sound which made me take a detour to investigate- the rhythm of steel drums was reverberating around the town fountain. As I rode past I saw there was a whole army of drummers, grooving away in hot pink outfits, whilst a more traditional-looking marching band stood to the side, evidently waiting their turn. Amazing! The beats brought a huge smile to my face and whirled my legs into a fast finish all the way home.

Sea-seeking

2008-09-07T19:45:00.003+01:00

Today I ran a 16 mile route towards the coast. It was my third attempt at finding a good, run-able path to the nearest beach at Saunton. I say attempt, because I am still looking. Todays route took me along the lovely Tarka Trail to Braunton, where the path joined the main road and I ran along the pavement which was wide (shared with cycles) and scenic. Until the pavement suddenly ran out, merging into a soft verge with very overgrown grass and intruding hedges. I had to run along the road itself, far from ideal when it was barely wide enough for the traffic causing queues to build up behind me whilst waiting to overtake.
I hate being the cause of annoyance to drivers, and the roads were not particularly quiet this afternoon so I couldn't really relax and enjoy the run, and after excitedly anticipating catching a glimpse of the sea-proper (as compared to the estuary), I ended up itching to turn around and get back to the trail. So the search for the perfect coastal run continues.
To attain perfection, the run should be:
*Not too hilly, although some high points are good if they provide a good view.
*Light on traffic, or on good pavements.
*Involving few busy road crossings or roundabouts.
*Able to fit into part of a loop, rather than out-and-back along the same route.

Why I don't use GPS running gadgets

2008-09-06T19:59:00.007+01:00

Sure, I could invest in a Garmin forerunner watch or other SatNav device. I could even borrow my husbands super-techno phone. But for me these fancy systems cannot replace good old-fashioned mapping and there is nothing like plotting a path with pencil and string (or these days with lines on-screen), and setting off knowing you are heading to a new destination or passing a particular landmark. Without looking at a map, you could easily run past wonderful and unique sights, oblivious to routes which would have taken you past them and added amusement or interest to your run.

One of my favourite runs used to take me past Jane Austen's house in Winchester, something I would not have known to look out for if I hadn't studied a street map.

I have given in to technology in one way- for christmas I was given a Nike Plus gadget which plugs into my ipod and tells me how far or how fast I have run. I quite like running with it, hearing a voice encouraging me every km and watching my distances accumulate on my pc afterwards is quite satisfying. But I will never stop using maps completely.

One evening recently I set out for a short run thinking I would just see where my feet took me, relying on my Nike Plus to tell me when I had completed my goal of 4 miles. After about a mile, I took a turn down a convenient road which seemed to be going in the right direction for a homewards loop, and abruptly found I was facing the steepest hill I've seen since San Francisco. I didn't want to turn around so launched myself at the slope thinking it would soon be easier. A whole mile of climbing later, when my thighs were burning and I was barely moving forwards with each step, I had to admit defeat and go back. Relying on technology that simply tells you how far you are going means you don't know where to avoid running, whether it is because of steep hills, heavy traffic, or poorly-lit or otherwise unsafe areas.

Of course a map can't tell you where the dodgy areas of town are either, it is only through exploring that these things can be worked out and your own personal preferred routes discovered.

In the beginning...

2008-09-06T11:35:00.000+01:00

Recently I have found myself starting a new life in a new town, in a completely different part of the country. I am also training for the Athens marathon and am facing the challenge of running 16-20 mile routes in unknown territory. I am an explorer in muddy running trainers, getting to know my new surroundings and its natives by pounding the pavements and trails. (Just a warning, my mind does tend to wander in fanciful ways after around the 10 mile mark!)

My exploring has led me to re-discover an old love of maps. A love which started when my dad used to read me Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons books; with wonderful maps of the children's adventures bracketing the stories ('Here Roger twisted his ankle'; 'Here they tickled trout'), Ransome always plotted just enough information to allow the geography to build up in your imagination. I longed to chart my own landscapes with personal stories and memories.

My inner geek likes to pore over maps of new places and look at all the funny names (near to me now are Diddies and Patchole), but better still is to draw a new route on a map, lace up my shoes and set off to see the names and places come to life. I could walk - but I love running, and it gets you there faster!

So I am the running explorer and this will be my expedition log.