irunoffroad

 Late 1930’s Lee On Solent Pier and cinema complex

As I run, I often wonder what my route would have looked like in days gone by, black and white photos can magic you back to that point in time, easy as pie. Once you have those pictures in your head, then your run takes on a new dimension, as the young person that took that photo, is now probably collecting their pension.

I wouldn’t normally run the same route twice but last weekends sun meant too much heat, there just wasn’t any fresh air, even though it was mainly coastal and only partly street. These 20 miles today mean vaseline on my toes, after all, you have to look after your feet. I’m running with Paul Coates and Rob Morgan, an entertaining combination, who’s company is hard to beat. Lee Rhodes also joins us for a few miles, we’ve only talked on twitter so it’s good to eventually meet.

The black and white photos show the atmosphere that the people must have felt, the station, cinema and pier now all long gone, theses are the blows the years have dealt. We maintain a steady pace along Lee On Solent shore, where later, the Park runners go full pelt. The cafes are opening, and wait, is that the aroma of cooked breakfast that I just smelt ?

The park run starts where the station would have been and what now is the car park near by, was where the tower cinema and pier, would of been seen. Ros Clarke kindly takes our photo as she waits to marshals, she’s keen, so who will win the park run, someone that’s fast and lean !!

The people in the photos do have largely the same view of the Isle of White, even if they don’t have a gps watch and a mobile phone, it is still quite a sight. They can’t google the weather or wear compression socks as we might, and I’m sure their tops wouldn’t have been florescent but just simply white. We see Nikki Yeo who’s also out on a long run too, she mentioned it on twitter the other night.

It’s starting to warm up as we reach half way, then we repeat our route from Lee to Stokes Bay. I can’t match the pace of Paul and Rob try as I may, but their encouragement spurs me on, it’s been that kind of day. Good company over a long distance run costs nothing but helps so much that I’d probably even pay.

We all finish together, 3.13 for me, 21 miles for Rob & Paul so a job well done, thanks for reading what goes through my mind on a long distance run, 20 sapping miles, but lots of fun.

Late 1920’s Lee On Solent railway station where the Park run starts and our photo from Ros.