It’s a busy weekend for me so I will have to keep this relatively short. I didn’t know when I was going to run today so when a few hours were on the cards at 12.30 I jumped at the chance. My plan was 1 & 3/4 miles to the bottom of Titchfield Hill and then as many hills as I could fit in. The hill can be used as a roller coasted as it climbs up half a mile either side of the lowest point where the village is. Both of the half mile climbs have a 100 feet elevation and a grass verge next to the tarmac pavement to save on pounding your knees downhill and making a springy more challenging uphill experience 🙂
I’d only just started the first hill when two cars worth of encouragement came from Claire Jeffrey and another well wisher, who knew my name, but I couldn’t make out them (sorry). The trees that line the hill are fast loosing their leaves now but the sight of orange leaves on particular trees was quite a sight. My breathing was good and my legs were working well so a target of 10,12 even 14 hills looked achievable. Having watched the SAS program with their ascent of Pen y Fan I was inspired to push myself today.
Hills 2 to 6 passed without any hitch and the forecast rain seemed a long way off. Nikki Yeo shouted out of her car as I dropped down towards Titchfield Mill (a converted pub) and all was building well, until, a “tweek” on hill 7 and a growing realisation on hill 8 that my hamstring was getting tighter. Why ? Hmmm … maybe I didn’t warm up enough, should I have included some recovery flat sections between the descents & ascents ? All of which was academic, a decision needed making and I called it, at the top of hill 8 I carried onwards back home.
Lessons Learnt :-
- Even with taking it easier at the end, a 2 hour run is still a 2 hour run
- 8 hills and 800 feet of elevation are in the training bank
- I know in my head I had plenty more to give so “mentally” it was a success
- Warm up more !!
- I did the right thing, no regrets, just add some extra miles onto another run
- And finally, Listen to your Legs ……. “If you listen to them when they whisper to you, you won’t have to hear them scream late on” 🙂
irunoffroad 