Round the Island

 

This morning I had a plan to get up early and do a lap of Mersea Island. It comes in at just over 13 miles but add on the run to the shop to grab a lucozade and the bit down to the beach from mum and dads house and then back from the beach and it goes nearly to 15. I love running around the island. It is home to mum and dad and I have lost count as to how many runs around it I have done. 

I opted for light train shoes today and was a bit of a regret. Pyfleet Channel in the 1.5 miles before the Strood was like the Somme. After this section, a full on 35 mile an hour wind in the face but enjoyed every minute of solitude. I didn't see a soul for the first 7 miles and then it was head down and into the wind and plenty of sand running for the last 4 miles. Love the island. Love going back. 

SDW run in a 60 mile an hour wind

 This was a bit of fun.....Drove down to the Tigers Inn at East Dean for a dawn run. Looked at the weather forecast and did not clock the wind. I saw it as 10mph. I missed it as FORCE10!! So we ran into a headwind that turned into a side wind of 60 ish MPH. Funny was not a word to describe it....being blown off the cliffs was our biggest concern.

and then we got pelted by stones that the wind had picked up and peppered us over the top of Seaford head. 

Lovely 21 mile run finished off with a pint at the Tigers Inn with the amazing Andy Eames

So I've not blogged in a while.........

Nearly 5 years ago I stopped blogging......Family, a recent house move and renovation and lots to do at work. 

So i need to get back into it and catch up.

I'm up to ultramarathon/marathon#114 right now. I've got a few things to update.

Race #114 - Gatliff Marathon - well this was crazy as Karl and I followed the GPX and we ended up running the whole course backwards as our brains were turned off after 2 miles. We had no CPs open for 19 miles so were knocking on doors for water. Finished in a respectable 17th after having to leave the course to find houses!

Race #113 - High Weald Challenge. Such a lovely race in the local area. Ran to the start. Loved the whole race, never looked at the instructions once and the .GPX was hardly looked at apart from the crazy bit across the Commons by Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall at the end. 28 miles of loveliness. Local boy and top ultra Runner Jamie Smith wins the race and little old me, 10 years his senior comes in a respectable 2nd place after putting in a shift between CP2/CP3 and the finish. 

Race #112 3FM 27.2 miles. A brutal race on the SDW with good old friend Robert Cameron Wood. Started sunny and warm and ended up cold, wet, slippy and horizontal rain into the face for the last 8 miles. 3450ft of hard slippy chalky climb but loved it as always. The crew at 3FM put on a superb race and never an expensive one. I am 15 years older than when I first blasted round this in 3.40 so now know that the front of the pack top 10 placing here (I think I came 7th that year) is now 'front of middle of the pack obscurity'!

Aside from that I've been doing all sorts of lovely challenges. Updates to follow