Today was taper time so I thought I’d take a trip around our local fields and video just why I enjoy running off road. I could describe the nine miles that included fields on the outskirts of Fareham, up towards Stubbington and then back towards Ranvilles Lane but seeing as a picture paints a 1,000 words then sit back for 73 seconds and enjoy the run.

I was pondering on which music to use as I ran but in the end it was an easy choice. Mother Nature ….. she’s so lovely 🙂  This has to be my shortest Blog ever but with next weeks long race on the horizon that blog will more than make up for it !!

One final thought, if you find the perfect location for a selfie, make sure you take 2 photos, just in case this happens !!

 

 

 

After last weeks 21 flat miles today was a complete contrast as we tackled a section of the the South Downs Way (SDW) that has Exton at the bottom of the valley then Beacon hill and Old Winchester hill (OWH) either side, “twice”. Parking a mile or so away from were the Meon Valley Trail crosses the SDW fellow Fareham Crusader and regular Thomasson Tours runner Paul Coates and I set off at 8am so as to avoid the heat. With temperatures of 21 degrees forecast for later in the day this meant the first 2016 appearance of suntan lotion !! There would be about 2,000 feet of elevation in the four hills so you could say we’d be on a countryside rollercoaster. I always remember someone telling me that if you wanted to master the Geordie (Newcastle) accent, Kawasaki and rollercoaster are two really good words to practise, …. try it  🙂

The 100 miles (160 Km) long South Downs Way National Trail follows the old routes and droveways along the chalk escarpment and ridges of the South Downs from Winchester to Eastbourne. The undulating route gives you wonderful views while running.

After the first flat mile we left the old railway line and started the twisting and turning trail that weaves its way up towards OWH. The trail’s mud has been subject to horses and mountain bikes so with the recent dryer weather the going underfoot was quite rutted but not as slippy as usual. The hedge initially hides your view of the hill but there’s no mistaking that you are climbing. Paul is a stronger runner than me but it was only a week ago he ran the 3 Forts Challenge so we chatted about his experience there.

As the track levelled out around the base of OWH you could see down to where we’d started and the countryside that surrounded us. The steepest climb was approaching us with a sharp 90 degree turn straight up the side of the hill. Onwards and upwards !!

The views from the trig point (650 ft above sea level) meant you could see to Southampton. We descended down the hill and on route to hill number two we passed through the sleepy village of Exton. The ever helpful SDW signposts directed us across a field of cows as well as two electrified fence styles !! The cows were largely uninterested in us, it was more the fact that there must have been over a hundred of them. It was funny trying to avoid both the “cow traffic jam” and their “mess” (watch the video). We left the flatter fields and pressed on up the gradient to the millennium beacon and reached our second trig point of the day after a short chat with a group of mountain bikers.

A steady descent was needed, what with the hills camber and then it was a case of dodging the cow pats as we retraced our steps back to Exton. I was pleased to keep my Saucony’s “cow pat free” as we headed back through the “still” sleepy Exton (not that it gets busy you understand) and that was rollercoaster number 1 done.

Ready for the next hill said Paul ?, I replied “why aye man” (Geordie for saying yes, enthusiastically). As we ran along the narrow track that takes you back to OWH we passed 4 runners coming towards us, one commenting that Eastbourne was very busy (84 miles away) I replied, give our regards to Winchester (16 miles away), all good banter. We approached OWH from a different track for variety and had to take it steady with the number of tree roots, one of which Paul almost came a cropper on !!

We were met with sheep at the trig point this time and added it to the video. The sun was noticeably hotter now and I stopped by a stream for some refreshing cold water over my head. With the temperature around 20 degrees I was glad of another walk past the cows and to be honest struggled to half way up our last hill. Paul carried on and I settled for 3 & 1/2 hills. I covered just under 1,800 feet of elevation in 16.5 miles and Paul about 2,000 in 17 but the overriding memory from today was just how much enjoyment we’d had running through the countryside in full bloom, as the month of May started summer in Hampshire.

On returning to the Meon Hall I drank two 500ml bottles of cold water in 5 minutes !! No sun burn and plenty of laughs with Paul #goodtimes. Thanks to Paul for the videos too.

Today I thought I’d try something different, a 3.5 mile, multi lap, timed event with a maximum time limit of six hours. The newly created On the Whistle Ltd (OTW) team had come up with this concept and seeing as the Meon Valley Trail (MVT) is quite close to me I was keen to support it by entering. With today being OTW’s first event they must have been really pleased to have sold out a few weeks ago with 150 runners.

The MVT was origionally the railway line from Fareham to East Meon and today was the anniversary of the last passenger train to operate on the line some 55 years ago !!

The Wickham Whistler is in reference to the guards whistle so lets get all the puns out of the way now. Yes everyone had been “training” and it was “full steam ahead” for the 9.30am start until the end of the tracks at 3.30pm. Race HQ was aptly named the Aid “Station” and it was near this tent that you collected your coloured wrist band after each lap. When you no longer wanted to head out for another lap there was a bell to ring to “signal” you had finished. I was aiming for a steady 21 miles or 3 1/2 hours.

Before collecting my number I’d talked with Kiernan E. from OTW who I know from being a director at the QE parkrun and it wasn’t long before I bumped into some familiar faces near the start line. Crusader runners Paul Coates, Joy Rich Smith, Sharon & Paul Gwyn as well as twitter runners Hannah & Graham and Phil Hobby from Stubbington Green runners. Phil Hoy & Teresa from Second Wind Running were there (well done Phil on your London marathon 2.59.47). I also spotted fellow blogger shewhodaresruns Tina. However, the surprise of the day was to see Steve Cousins from Film My Run who takes his gopro to numerous races and his films are really worth a look at. You can read Steve’s report and watch his film of the Whistler here. Uplifting music, creative camera angles and a real sense of why we run the trails.

So the stage was set as we stood on the “platform”, sorry, start line. The one factor that came across immediately was how friendly everyone was, local club runners, unattached runners and the quick boys all had time for words of encouragement as Kiernan gave his pre race talk. I think the nature of the six hour time slot had relaxed everyone so the concept really did work.

The laps ticked away with the sun shining and thankfully the tree cover did mean we were sheltered from the direct sun but I still came away with a bit of a glow on my face as well as a great big smile.

Now, an out and back distance of 1.75 miles could be seen as a bit boring, however, this meant frequent encouragement, banter, high five’s and either a smile or a nod to our fellow runners, something that just isn’t possible in the pressured atmosphere of a 5 or 10K. The nature of the route also meant we ran under four different railway bridges too !

There was a slight gradient on the outward leg but this naturally gave you a slightly easier return trip. My first 4 laps passed without any incident and, as well as chatting with people, I did enjoy that for once there weren’t any big hills to tackle. I love a hill but it does make a change to run a largely flat but still beautiful countryside route. Laps 5 & 6 were harder but still enjoyable. I left taking any video until the last lap, then I rung the bell and that meant the end of a great day. Hopefully the film sums up the route and the people.

Considering this was On The Whistle’s first race it went without a hitch as far as I could see, so it’s a big vote of confidence to Kiernan, Claire & Del. As our American friends say the medal was “awesome”. Race Results I came 48th out of the 143. Finally a date for my diary July 17th and OWT’s World Emoji day run with the same 6 hour format.

The reason I like to run in the countryside is that many of the trails and footpaths have been there for decades and maybe even centuries. The modern world has devised motorways and dual carriageways which leaves these narrow rural rights of way largely forgotten. However, that’s the very reason why as trail runners we love to discover where they lead. As a bonus the trails inevitably give you great views and a connection to nature while running through it. These sights and sounds would have been enjoyed by countless people over the ages and it’s why I feel compelled to revisit whenever I can.

If any piece of literature ever summed up our Great British countryside it would have to be the patriotic poem by William Blake, “And did those feet in ancient time” which was later developed into the hymn Jerusalem. Yes, we run England’s mountains green and fight the mental fight in England’s green and pleasant land.

• And did those feet in ancient time, Walk upon England’s mountains green: And was the holy Lamb of God, On England’s pleasant pastures seen!
• And did the Countenance Divine, Shine forth upon our clouded hills? And was Jerusalem built here, Among these dark Satanic Mills?
• Bring me my Bow of burning gold; Bring me my Arrows of desire: Bring me my Spear: O clouds unfold! Bring me my Chariot of fire!
  I will not cease from Mental Fight, Nor shall my Sword sleep in my hand: Till we have built Jerusalem, In England’s green & pleasant Land.

The “Views from my Shoes”, (Saucony Peregrines to be specific). Ok, so sitting down might not have been the most sensible angle to take this photo but it’s the weekend so why not do something silly !!

Today’s temperatures still meant I could see my breath in front of me, now and then, but as the sun came out and cast it’s shadows, these are the signs that Spring is upon us. I ran on the outskirts of Fareham out towards Knowle and beyond. The steady 6.6 miles weren’t that fast but today summed up the enjoyment I get from running off road.

At this time of year if your trail running takes you into the woods there’s a good chance you will come across bluebells, lots of bluebells !! I’m sure this blue carpet, which only covers the ground for a few weeks, has been something to look forward to since William Blake’s time. Run for fitness, run for fun, just make sure you get out and run 🙂

Many thanks to RunUltra for selecting my Imber Ultra review as being in their Top 10 for March 2016. It’s always great to have fellow runners acknowledge your writing efforts. Their website has many other such race reviews as well as an extensive calendar of events. Click on the first link for their home page and the second link for the top 10 reviews. Secondly, well done to Jeff and Howard who also figured in the shortlist 🙂

Seeing as my recent cough hadn’t 100% cleared up I decided that 13.1 miles done properly would be a safer bet than the marathon, as it turned out 1,800 feet of elevation was more than enough for me at this stage so, yes, being sensible does pay off !!

I arrived early enough to see the marathon start as I wanted to catch up with a few Twitter friends who were running. It’s not often you get to chat with a GB Ultra runner but that’s how down to earth Jo Meek is. I had met Jo once before at a Q&A talk that she was giving and I think it was fair to say she was one of todays favourites. Secondly, Terry Arnott from Gosport RR is someone that I chat to on twitter but hadn’t met until today, great to meet your Terry, unfortunately he too had moved down to the half due to similar germs as mine. I talked with Trevor Kettle from Fareham Crusaders, wished him good luck for the marathon and they were off !! Unfortunately I didn’t get to see Phil Hall who was sweeping the marathon, next time !!

Above : Phil Hoy giving the marathon race briefing & Jo Meek already in her stride !!

The beauty of our running community is that these kind of events bring out runners and support crews alike. Jason Kinge and his assistant from Body Fusion were attending for “pre and post” race massage. I’ve known Jason for a few years now and would recommend his services for both injuries and sports massages. His skills and banter make him a perfect choice. Naturally the running community also needs organisers so it was great to see Phil  & Teressa from Second Wind running (SWR), todays hosts. As the Half was approaching I also saw Ros Clarke who’s recently joined Gosport RR and was running with some other ladies from their club.

The Queen Elizabeth Country Park (QECP) weather was ideal for running and the route was a twisting & turning helter skelter of hills and trails, in short, all the good stuff.

Phil Hoy once again talked us through our race brief and as the hooter started us off we went straight uphill and this set the tempo for the rest of the run. The going underfoot was “mucky” rather than boggy and we were lucky that it had been dry recently as this area of the South Downs can be slippy on the exposed chalky trails when the rain has washed away the surface mud. So all in all it was good to run on. The first two miles were largely uphill which both spread out the field and made me realise that I would have to pace myself today as my breathing was quite shallow.

Ironically my last race was a 33 miler were I made a point of running slower, today was in effect a half marathon at not much more than ultra pace. That said this didn’t make it any less enjoyable. The reward for more “up’s than down” was a long downhill to the first feed station at 4.5 miles but this was followed almost immediately by a steep section that just had to be walked. Walking “with purpose” can be quite effective and I would employ this tactic again 🙂

The 200 strong field was quite spread out now and running through the woods with the sun glinting through the trees and the birds chirping away just reminded me why I love to run in the countryside. After a section of the South Downs Way we were descending towards another event that Phil had mentioned. A mountain bike race was also being held in QECP and the route crossed directly in front of us. A simple but effective whistle blow meant I was off again after a short stop.

The trails varied in width, camber and state as we progressed onto the 9 mile water station. I didn’t recognise the next mile or two but we were never in any doubt where to run what with orange dissolvable spray paint, orange ticker tape and direction arrows. Praise must go to SWR as this must have taken a lot of time and effort. Talking of effort once I saw a familiar style that enters the park from the Staunton Way I knew where I was again and started to try and push what I had left in the last mile and a half or so.

Approaching the finish I could hear Jason shouting out my name and I crossed the line knowing that I had spread out my energy and couldn’t have done a lot more. I was pleased to find out I placed 101st out of 198. A very welcome chilli con carne awaited us and as I eat it Simone Newton waved as she ran past. “Sorry” Simone I didn’t see you, us men can’t do two things at once 🙂 I thanked Phil for a great race and picked up a SWR T Shirt. I spotted Terry and congratulated him on his 17th place then 15 or so minutes later I watched  Jo Meek sprint through the finish line in a time of 3.22 for the marathon and 1st place !!

After a post race massage I had to get going so apologies to Ros and Trevor who I missed finishing, while I was having it, and thanks to everyone in our local running community that made today such an enjoyable event. We run, we smile, it’s as simple as that 🙂

 

After the highs of my 33 mile ultra I had a weeks rest and then caught the flu. However, there’s always a silver lining to every cloud because it’s given my legs time to recover. After a 3.6 mile test run on Wednesday I needed a half descent Bank Holiday run as I have the QE Spring marathon April 3rd. The plan was 10 + miles with some good hills and hope my chest would take one and a half hours, or more, of running !!

The weather was surprisingly good (considering it was a Bank Holiday) and as I set off the rest of the world must have been having a lie-in because it was eerily quiet 🙂 As I ran past Fareham creek the sun was actually quite bright but the perfect opportunity for a quick photo of the yachts bobbing on the morning tide was dashed with a battery flashing fail !!

Bath Lane recreation ground runs parallel to the creek and as I ran across the surprisingly firm grass I was reminded that Spring and Summer aren’t too far away  with the sight of rows of daffodils and the cricket square being roped off. Heading out of Fareham I turned up the wonderfully named Paradise Lane which is a narrow track that takes you across the fields. A curious section of tarmac appears here from when Military Road used to link Fort Wallington and a number of the forts along Portsdown Hill.

Running past Fort Nelson there’s a footpath that takes you across the fields and between the crops to Portchester Lane. The Google Maps Street View link here shows you the gradient, a half mile section has 215 feet of elevation so 3 of those and it was time to head back as the wind from that side of Portsdown Hill was making me cough again. I had one last surprise before I made my way back, a pheasant landed within ten feet of me, what a sight, striking colours and almost an arrogant strut (that’s the pheasant and not me !!)

Once on the southerly side of the hill the temperature warmed up and by the time I arrived home it was quite warm so I had a well earned cup of tea on the patio. I bumped into Jason from body-fusion this weekend and he said he’d be at QECP so I look forward to some post race massage and banter. In summary, 11 miles and just under 1,100 feet of elevation run at a slow/steady pace.

Today’s run was enough to suggest that next weekend’s marathon was still a viable option, I won’t be breaking any records but the miles will be great training for my ultra in May.

April 3rd sees a great local event, organised by keen local runners Phil & Teresa from Second Wind Running The 26.2 miles include 1,1oo metres of climbing (3,600 ft) and will take us on some trails that I haven’t run before, even though I know the area fairly well. The Queen Elizabeth Country Park is a real gem with its wooded areas, hills, trails and scenery. The route marked out above is a 13 mile loop, hence the half and full marathons are one and two loops. With drinks stations every 4 & 1/2 miles and the promise of  a bowl of chilli at the end all I need to do now is get rid of my current germs !! I will also be joined by a handful of my Fareham Crusader club mates.

Bank Holiday Friday 10 a.m. also sees a recce run of the one loop with Phil & Teresa so this will be great for course knowledge. Running through the different seasons becomes most noticeable when you are running through nature. The flowers, the birds and the whole forest seems to be waking up after a cold still winter.

April will see the 2016 Running Awards in London were my Blog has been shortlisted. The day is promising to be very exciting what with Strava looking after us, as well as the London marathon expo being on at the same time. The top 3 Bloggers will be recognised so it’s fingers crossed for my Blog and good luck to everyone else.

Looking further ahead I have also entered The Ox Ultra May 22nd, organised by White Star Running (WSR). This 36 miler will be a short step up from Imber and another good step towards running outside of my comfort zone.

After four marathons last year it was time to step up to the next chapter in my off road running adventures with 33 miles and 3,000 feet of elevation around Salisbury Plain. The hour and a half drive had given me plenty of time to ponder on how the day would pan out and as I arrived it was a balmy 2 degrees. Fareham Crusaders, Geraldine Perrier, Pete Barty, Mark Greenfield & me were joined by Stuart (Mark’s friend who took the photo).

Talking of friends I also managed a quick chat with 3 twitter runners that I’ve talked to but never met so it’s a “great to meet you” to Louise, Jeff and Beth. We were set off at 9am by the local town crier with a lap of the field. Even in this first half mile there was lots of encouragement from the organisers and marshals and this set the tone for a very friendly event. Today would be challenging for us all, runners and marshals alike.

Our first task was a muddy mile or so that took us up a hill onto the Imber Ranges footpath and the signposts with a cannon on, which would be a point of reference for the rest of the day. I have to say the maps and race notes were fantastic what with the event being relatively low key i.e. a limit of 150 runners. I’d laminated mine and referred to it regularly. During the first hour or so we all kept together and chatted amongst ourselves as well as with other runners.

The first checkpoint wasn’t until 7.4 miles and a large proportion of that was uphill but as I said to another runner “lets get as many of these hills out of the way as quickly as possible” !! It’s true the big climbs were towards the start but there were lots of gradual climbs waiting for us to enjoy later on 🙂

By ten miles the wind was quite a feature on the high ground and I was pleased I had my  trusty eGloves . Just to add some mental arithmetic to the day I realised I’d inadvertently stopped my watch and not started it again, Charlie (a new friend I’d met along the way) said we were about 2 & 1/2 miles further on than my garmin said. This was a double edged sword as yes it meant we were further into the race but it meant I had to keep adding 2.5 miles when reading the route notes. This became more challenging as the hours passed !!

The terrain was a mixture of tracks, road, grass, clumpy grass and mud which in a way gives you something different to concentrate on. Broadly speaking you could see for miles throw ought most of the route as well as the coloured tops of runners on the horizon.

Thanks to the organisers for letting me use these photos of the flatter sections.

Talking of runners on the horizon I accepted that my club mates were stronger than me so I watched them disappear in favour of me running at a steadier pace. Charlie kept me company until about 15 miles but as we passed the German village of Imber which is used by the Army to practise attacks (no one lives there now) I knew my mental battle was going to start when I insisted she went ahead.

Checkpoint 3 (19 miles) was at the top of a gradual climb and I have to be honest my spirits were starting to drop. I’d like to say thanks to one lady marshal who was particularly encouraging after I’d said I wasn’t enjoying it. I put on my jacket as it was getting colder, more grass and tracks passed by with the occasional tank in the distance and by 21 miles I had hit my low point, I was now combining walking and swearing with equal measures !! It was then that the whole spirit of distance running was summed up by a chap that stopped to walk with me. His constructive advice could be summed up in a short sentence, “we all have dark times of self doubt, it’s how you manage it”.

After a cup of tea at Checkpoint 4 (22.4 miles) a wave of positivity swept over me with his words in mind and within half a mile of a long gradual climb I’d overtaken two people who’d passed me earlier. With less than 10 miles left I started to believe again and had the advantage of a handful of runners ahead of me. A clif bar and the last of my jelly beans meant I was fuelled and gaining in optimism. Checkpoint 5 (28 miles) was a real boost as the 5 runners I’d been tracking hardly noticed me take a quick drink and then set off ahead of them !!

The next 2 miles were another gradual uphill but on good tarmac so that was easier to maintain a rhythm. The chap with his words of wisdom from earlier caught me and it was all smiles and well done’s which felt really good. The red flag that marked a right turn off the ranges was in sight and after a tricky muddy descent I was now filled with self belief and smiling. How ironic it was that the lady marshal from checkpoint 3 was pointing us in the direction of the last half mile and again it was all smiles. As I crossed the finish line I found out I was only 25 minutes behind Mark, Pete & Gerry in 6 hours 41 minutes.

Pete kindly bought me a coffee and Stuart kindly bought me a burger as I must have looked like I needed them !! A quick chat and well done with twitter friends Jeff and Beth was great too as I realised they were on 2 minutes ahead of me. Mark and Gerry said their goodbye’s as I had my post race massage and I thanked the organiser from Avon Valley Runners for the event. The Imber Ultra mug was a surprise and it will serve as a reminder that it’s how you manage your dark times that gets you across the finish line. The long distance community (runners & marshals) really does pull together in events like this and I’m proud to be a part of it. Thanks for a great day.

 

Ok so the plan for today was a Park Run followed by a few miles along the coast. With this in mind everything got turned on it’s head when I had to pick the car up at 8.30am on Saturday. So, it was onto plan B, what was plan B ? good question … I didn’t actually have one. Luckily I’m only about a mile and a half from a footpath called the Deviation Line which was used as a link to the Wickham railway.

With only 8 or so miles in mind for today, what with 33 on the horizon next Sunday at The Imber Ultra, it was taper time. I decided to have some fun by taking my camera and experimenting with a video. It’s only short and it isn’t meant to be a masterpiece but hopefully it sums up why I run off road. My Blog will be a year old next week and I’m always looking to add new features to them.

The trail wasn’t too muddy underfoot and the cold crisp air was quite refreshing after spending a week in a hot office. The sights and sounds of the countryside were mixed in with the traffic from the motorway but once I’d run through the underpass that was soon left behind me. I stopped and walk for a horse rider and we both agreed it was a lovely morning to be out and about.

The woods on the other side of Knowle village had an erry silence and I tried to capture that with the shot of the trees blowing in the wind. After all my recent miles turning around after only 4 seemed quite strange !! On my return trip I couldn’t resist jumping a big puddle and dropping down the embankment for a short sharp hill, although as you’ll see in the video I did nearly loose it at the bottom.

In a funny way with today’s blog being the last in a very eventful year and the taper run being preparation for the furthest I’ve ever run, it feels like a moment to reflect on all the time and hard work that I’ve used to get to this point.

• Will next weeks 33 miles be the springboard to longer distances, who knows ??
• How will irunoffroad fair in the Running Awards Best Blog, who knows ??

All I know is that I’ve enjoyed writing a Blog a week, for a year, and if people have enjoyed reading them, then they might be kind enough to vote.

Breaking News !!!! Thanks to Strava for inviting me and other Bloggers for a pre Running Awards 5K, Q & A session with special guests and more. Much appreciated.

     Thanks for reading …. Rog 🙂