Back to our old ways.

A busy schedule this week means we have to get our running in when we can. Monday, normally a day of rest was pressed into action. The weather was fine and the sun was shinning so why not. After yesterday's ten miles and bearing in mind our schedule I thought it would be nice to get another six under our belts. I also thought it would be good to revisit a route that we had not done in its entirety since well before Christmas because of the flooding. As you may have guessed it would contain a substantial distance off road. Steep fields were followed by running downhill through a wood and fields, across a stream then uphill again into a village. Crossing the Main Street we took a path up beside the pub, through a paddock with a horse in it and then a couple of rough fields down to the road. The fields on the other side had been flooded for months but we thought it was time to give it a go. A few wet patches remained but in the main it was pretty good although crops that have been planted are in poor condition and the yield will be low. A short burst along the road and it was back to the fields. On higher ground, they were a lot drier and progress was good. Arriving home the Garmin had recorded six and a quarter miles. The speed was a bit down but this reflected the type of ground we had covered so another good run completed.

Anniversary Waltz

This day forty five years ago, Sunday the twenty eighth of April nineteen sixty eight, we were not running but walking down the aisle to get married. How things have changed. Today we had breakfast in bed then got up and went for our run. We couldn't decide if it was cold enough for gloves or not, after much debate we decided not. Setting off at a comfortable pace we soon got warm. Along the main road and down a track then a very pleasant route across open fields. We then ran alongside a disused railway line at the end of which we emerged into a village well known for its Morris dancing traditions. Along the Main Street past the church, the bells were ringing to signify that the morning service was about to begin. Leaving the village we turned right out into the country again. Over the top of the M40 then dropping down to the Oxford canal. We passed narrow boats moored up as we ran along the Towpath then ran under the M40. After a mile and a half we left the canal behind us. Crossing a red brick footbridge we climbed a steep field onto a track that lead us back to a main road. We only stayed a short distance on this road before taking to a track that lead us close to home. It was ten miles exactly, a good start to the week.
What a good way to spend our anniversary, what do you think?

Wellington Memorial.

With only four miles to run to complete our target for the week we could afford to take it easy. We used the run to look at variations we could incorporate into our normal routes to freshen them up a little. On one of the deviations we came across a memorial to the aircrew who died when their Wellington bomber they were testing in 1942 crashed in bad weather killing all on board. A sobering moment and time to reflect.
The rest of the run threw up a few alternatives for us which was the object of the run. We also ran the required four miles to hit target thus bringing the week to a conclusion.

It's tough at the top.

It was a Sunday morning in September last year and we could not muster the enthusiasm to go for a run. We decided to go for a walk instead and look for a new route to run when we felt a bit more like it. The route that we walked was five miles long and definitely undulating, we decided we would need a reasonable level of fitness before we could tackle it. Winter set in and the wet weather made it impractical but today seemed perfect.
We set off at a modest pace knowing what was in store. It was the warmest day of the year so far and a pleasure to be out. Surprisingly running down the first track there was no one else about, no walkers or dog walkers. Crossing the main road we enter a field and hit the first hill, it is very steep and difficult to get into a rhythm. Once over the top the sun lights up the countryside and we could see for miles. Catching our breath we ran down the side of a hill to the stream at the bottom. Past a dozen bee hives which we give a wide berth to and follow the stream on a path that is like soft sand. After half a mile we turn sharp right and the main climb begins. The first section is up cultivated land. The hill is then too steep for ploughing and we are on grass. It would be all too easy to walk and probably as quick but we push on with thighs on fire. Eventually we can see it levelling out and we swing around the top of the field and can look down at the climb we have made. Someone walking their dog along by the stream looks tiny. After running through a gap in the hedge we skirt around a field that has broad beans just pushing through. On past a farm then up again to the highest point of the run before plunging steep downhill back to the main road. Climbing again towards town we are only a mile and a half from home. Lungs are bursting and legs are shot but a mile and a half to go we have to hold it together somehow. We made it and now only have four to run tomorrow. It will be flat.

Too good an opportunity to miss.

Another sunny day and a light south westerly breeze is too good an opportunity to miss. Breakfast digested it was time to get out and run. Half a mile of flat road to warm up with and then we are in our element. A short section of track was followed by our first taste of fields. The oil seed rape that is planted in the field is now a foot high and well established. In another month or so it will be chest high. When it reaches maturity it is chin high and covered in bright yellow flowers, which gives quite an unusual experience seeing just people’s heads bobbing up and down as we run. A short run down the main street of a village takes down an open track that has become very dusty. A bridge takes us over the small river which is much more peaceful now the winter rain and snow has passed. Continuing on the track it climbs gently around a field where horses graze. At the top we pass the farm which has had its barns converted and sold as upmarket accommodation. On the left is a small windmill that is about fifteen feet high and painted white. I must take a picture of it one day and find out what it was used for. Pumping water is my guess. We move on along the road and over a cattle grid before turning sharp right into a farm entrance and downhill. Through the farmyard we take a path that crosses the river again higher up stream then across the meadow that has sheep with their lambs grazing. There is a lake on the left that has water fowl on various kinds on it. The fields are sloping upwards and the running is becoming harder. Crossing a road we are then running on tracks again. We rejoin the track we went out on and make our way home. A circular route of five and a half miles, four of those being off road. Added to the run we did on Sunday this leaves less than nine to run to achieve target for the week.

Missed the marathon, but not much.

The marathon was already in progress when we left home for our Sunday morning run. We had planned to leave earlier but I overslept, a result of too much gardening yesterday. The sun was shinning and it was warm so I gave my legs their first glimpse of daylight this year. I also left my wind proof jacket at home. The first few steps came as a shock to my body but it soon adjusted. Stripped of the outer clothing meant I did not get so hot during the run. It was probably the most lumpy run that we do climbing over five hundred feet and burning eleven hundred calories. All the major climbs are in the second half but we got the pace right early on and it was enjoyable. Ten and three quarter miles it was our longest run for a long time and a very good start to the week. The late start and length of the run meant that we missed the finish of both the men's and women's marathon on TV but hey the run was worth it.

Lark Ascending

Friday already, where does the time go to. Well yesterday was spent mostly on the end on a spade in the garden digging for victory. Anyway my back is aching but no good grumbling just get on and run. Only a little over four miles to cover so the choice of routes was endless. Once again I chose mainly off road, we had a mixture of sun, rain, hail and thunder yesterday but I felt we could find some fields that would be relatively dry. Down a track and turning right down a path we were soon in open fields. Sheep with lambs took little notice of us as we skirted around where they grazed. I heard a skylark singing overhead, the first this year I think. Only one part of the field still slightly flooded so that was ok. Leaving the fields behind we ran up the Main Street through a village before turning onto a track that lead to within a short distance of home. The run was over four miles which means we have again reached our twenty five mile target for the week.
Good luck to all those running the London marathon on Sunday. We will probably go for a run early  then get home to watch the finish on TV.

Roe! deer,deer,deer.

With less than ten miles to run to achieve our weekly target we set off yesterday (Wednesday) knowing that a five plus run would leave a very modest effort on Friday. We ran the first part well within ourselves then put in a bit of effort on the first hill. Once over the top we coasted down the other side, not letting up we turned onto a country road that undulated until we came to a village. I had to stop at the main road to cross and could not get running again on the hill the other side. After walking the steepest part I set off again, the road continued rising for the next half a mile before I got some respite. Some more undulations and then we turned onto the main road. Looking into the field on my left I saw four Roe Deer grazing on a crop on winter barley. It was the same place that I had seen them a couple of weeks ago. We pressed on taking a slight detour to add a bit more distance to the run. It was five and a half miles which only leaves four and a quarter for Friday. It was gardening in the afternoon or to be more precise digging. I may have overdone it a bit as my back is suffering today. Probably a good thing we are not running today although I have been gardening again.

Finally finished the book that I was reading, “The Secret Life of Bletchley Park by Sinclair McKay” It was very informative and showed the hard work that went into cracking the Germans coded messages during World War Two. It also talks about the men who pioneered computers which are also of great interest and how the British government were not willing to invest in computers commercially, leaving that to the Americans. The book is available on Amazon, you can click on the link on the right to view and purchase it if you so desire.

Off to a flying start.

Monday is a funny day; it used to be a day off running to fit in small jobs after the weekend. The unsettled weather we have been having has encouraged us to run when it is fine and for the last couple of weeks this has included Mondays. On the back of yesterdays ten miles I thought five today would be good and leave us a wide choice of days to complete the other ten.

It was sunny and mild; birds’ singing in the trees it was very pleasant. People who were out walking their dogs looked almost human. It was one of those if only days. If I hadn’t paused for breath here and run a bit harder there we would have recorded a good time. I suppose in part this was because it was mostly on the road and not as lumpy as normal. The last part was the worst as usual, a half mile drag up through the housing estate. A straight road that just keeps on rising then we turn a corner and climb again. Home cannot come soon enough. Shower then lunch followed by a spell in the garden digging. I was hoping it would be rain stopped play as my back is now killing me.

If it is fine tomorrow I’m not sure if I will be fit to run or not. Look on the bright side it may rain.

What no hat or gloves? Is it summer?

The first day I have gone for a run this year without the aid of hat and gloves. The sun was shining albeit there was quite a strong southerly wind blowing. Because of heavy recent rain I decided on a route that kept us mainly on the road. We set off at a brisk pace, this lasted for about three miles when the petrol started to run out. We had been running into the wind and when the course got a bit lumpy fatigue started to set in. I never recovered from this and it was tough going for the rest of the way. We saw a lot more runners out this week, most appeared to be travelling better than us. Unfortunately the worst of the hills were in the second half, knees wouldn't lift and lungs didn't convert oxygen into energy very efficiently. Walking up the steepest parts became the norm. Having finished last Sundays run at nine and a half miles I was determined to get ten this week if possible. With this in mind I altered the last mile to a downhill route and battled on to the end. When I uploaded the run to Garmin the walks that showed up on the graph were disappointing. Further analysis however showed that when we were running it was at a quickish pace which was a pleasant  surprise. Climbing four hundred feet and burning eleven hundred calories was a good mornings run.

Easing down it's Friday

The forecast was right, showers heavy at times. After one had just passed over we ventured out. We took a circular route which kept us mainly in the town and on the road. We only needed four and a half miles so that is what we got. Just a couple of small hills to stretch the lungs and the rest was reasonably flat. Another day in the garden yesterday digging had left me a little stiff so it was fine. I uploaded the run onto the Garmin site and also wrote it up in my diary as usual. I totalled up the miles that we have run this year; it is two hundred and eighty five or the equivalent of ten marathons. When we take into account the weather we have endured in the last few weeks it is not too bad. Factor in that a high percentage of the runs are off road it is acceptable. Anyway tomorrow is bacon sandwich for breakfast day and no running. The weather forecast for Sunday is not very good, more heavy showers but I expect we will run whatever.

Run for fun, dig for glory.

Rush hour traffic on the road outside was relatively quiet. If the rain was falling as was the forecast splashing would have been heard. Drawing the curtains and looking out confirmed it was still dry. A good opportunity I thought to increase our running total for the week without getting wet. The skies were grey but not heavy with rain, if anything it looked a little cold. Once on the move any thoughts of it being cold were soon dismissed. The ground has dried up with the exception of one or two low lying fields so this broadens our choice of route. The farmers have ploughed and planted most of the fields that they need to. This makes the footpaths across those fields very soft and takes more effort to get through them. When the weather warms up there will be a greater number of walkers and the paths will soon become compacted. We covered five and a half miles this morning, one and a half on the road and the rest across fields. This only leaves four and a half for tomorrow or Friday which will be very comfortable. After running it was time for another spell in the garden. I am turning a part of the lawn into a vegetable plot. I have uncovered enough Cotswold stone a build a dry stone wall along a part of the bottom boundary. I need to get on with the digging as I have bought some seed potatoes and they need to be planted. Digging and running doesn’t mix that well, I use all the muscles on my right side to dig and when I start running it takes a while to get rid of the stiffness.

Monday and we are running.

The weather forecast for the rest of this week is rain showers. Running in the rain is OK but to be avoided it if possible. It was this attitude that lead us to run today. Normally after a long run on Sunday we take Monday off but not this week. The joints were not too stiff as we set off and the little bit of sunshine gave the impression it was warm. I wanted to run five and a half miles to get right on top of the weeks target and leave an easy run in if the weather is not very kind. We didn’t start off that slowly, about three-quarter pace I would say. Checking the Garmin at two and a half miles confirmed this. We had already run quite a lot of it off road and were about to head into another field. A lap of the field was well over half a mile and a little bit up and down but nothing serious. Out onto the road again we had a gentle uphill gradient all the way home. It was the required distance and now we can look for gaps in any showers that may come to complete two further five milers. I must have been feeling fairly good because I mowed the lawn and did quite a bit of digging in the garden this afternoon. A robin and blackbirds were in close attendance eating up worms that I uncovered. Surprising how tame they become when food is available.

Spring in our step.

Overnight frost was followed by clear skies and bright sunshine. The wind has veered around to the south and is a lot more friendly. We set off along the road at a modest pace, I had a testing route planned so did not want to run too fast early in the run. Quickly turning onto a track we ran gently down hill for a mile, crossed a main road and then up a field. It was lung burstingly steep to begin with and after a short dip continued to climb again more gently. Past a farm, we ran along the farm track then turned left down a field. Through a gap in the hedge we emerged by a huge stone Archway. From here we could look across the valley and see the Obelisk on the hill opposite with the winding path leading up to it. We ran down the hill towards it, crossed a bridge over a stream and we were on the winding path. It is advisable not to look up just keep your head down and pump your knees. Passing the Obelisk we drop sharply downhill past a lake then run equally sharply uphill, on past another Folly across a flat field out onto the road. We turn left along the road which still has snow in the hedgerow. After a mile we enter a village but immediately go off road again. Skirting around some fields we emerge onto a country road then carry on past a castle and over a main road. The road climbs out of the village before levelling out, at this point we again go off road running around a huge field before our route takes us across some rough ground beside a farmhouse. We make our way carefully through a field that contains sheep with lambs then over some ploughed ground that was quite soft. Not wet just soft like deep sand. Through another hedge and we were back onto the track from where we started leaving an easy run home. The Garmin said we had covered nine and a half miles. According to my estimation six of these were off road and our longest run for a month. We climbed over four hundred feet and burned eleven hundred calories. A target of twenty five miles for the week should now be obtainable but you never know. If every day was like today I could begin to enjoy running.  

Wind abated so no excuses.

Bitter cold winds yesterday persuaded us not to run. I spent half of the day writing a chapter for my book but it was hard work. Today the wind had abated so no excuses just get out there and do it. We did not fancy anything too difficult just a pleasant run to clock up the last of the miles to reach target. We added a slight variation to our route just to freshen things up a bit. It can be boring running the same route all the time. You begin to race around it just to see how fast you can complete it which can take some of the enjoyment away. The fields that we ran in today were firm under foot which made it a whole lot easier. No significant hills so it was at a respectable pace without killing ourselves. We have completed twenty five and a half miles for the week and all parts are still in working order. If things stays like this we could have a good run on Sunday.

Joking aside it's good in the country.

Another sunny day! Two in a row! Is this spring, or a late April fool’s day joke. Too good to miss we got out early to take advantage of the conditions. We started off at what we term “talking pace”, a speed you can run at and hold a conversation. It was windy but the wind did not have the rawness that it had in the weeks gone by. It was quite pleasant and the first two miles went by quite quickly. We went up a short sharp hill and then across fields that we had not run for some months. They had been ploughed but the path was compacted by walkers, other runners and the wind giving it a hard crust. This off road part of the run was about two miles long with some stiles and the occasional gate to break our stride it was easy going. The last part of the run took us through a village then alongside a main road. A mile downhill followed by a mile up hill. It was not that steep but energy sapping all the same. We saw more runners on this section but none going in our direction so no chance to exchange pleasantries. Six and a half miles, more calories burned and nearer the target. We now need to run five point two miles minimum tomorrow or Friday to achieve the target. Even managed a bit of gardening this afternoon. If this weather continues I will have to put the lawnmower on the launch pad ready for action.

Suprise! Suprise! it's a sunny day.

Bright sunny day and the temperature was rising. Unfortunately we are waiting for a parcel to be delivered (it should have been delivered last week) otherwise we would have run early. I passed the time tidying the garden and then got stuck into some digging. Big mistake. The parcel arrived at 12.30 by which time I had been wielding the fork for a good two hours. To run or not to run that was the question. Wanting to regain my twenty five mile schedule and only running seven and a half on Sunday to miss today would put us too far behind. I thought if we took it steady and completed five we could recover from that position. We set off in hope rather than expectation but at least we were giving it a go. Along the road and then down a track for a mile, I checked my watch at the end. We were going too fast. The next mile was slightly downhill and I attempted to apply the brakes but failed miserably. We had run fast and were travelling at my race pace. My legs finally acknowledged that the pace had been too hot when we came to a hill. They rebelled to such an extent that they had to walk. At the top we set off again at a more sedate pace and almost got to the top of the next hill before swing left handed across the fields. Maybe it would have been better to run home on the road. The fields have dried quite a lot but it was still very sticky in places. I could not get my heart rate down to a comfortable level but with home in sight I struggled on. We did five point eight miles so are over half way to the target. If my back has recovered from today’s digging we will get out there tomorrow and clock up a few more miles.