This Forestry Commission (FC) site has a network of varying trails and wooded areas. Some of the trails are well surfaced, some are natural dirt tracks. Once I’d run the more obvious “new visitors” sections I couldn’t resist taking off down a few muddy routes that had no signposts. The Forest of Bere has trees that tower above you and which sway in the breeze as well as more densely planted areas that the sunshine struggles to get through. In short it’s ideal for trail running.

This FC map shows you the layout and the three pay and display car parks. The main car park at West Walk has toilets and running water (always useful) then there’s small car parks at Woodend and Upperford Copse which lead down to the Meon Valley Trail (MVT) . The links above will give you loads of information from their official website. Once I’d been running for a while I also noticed a food and drink mobile shop had been opened up by the Great Big Food Company who are locally from Wickham and offer quite a selection of drinks and snacks. They are there at weekends and school holidays.

The first trail I ran was the signposted route from the main car park through the two others and down to the MVT or as some may be more familiar with it, the old Wickham railway line. These trails were a combination of compacted gravel and occasional mud. Mileage wise it was about a 5K round trip.

My second route was the old oak trail on the other side of the park which has some of the oldest oaks. The trail was a lot more demanding with boggy sections and narrow tracks. Once back at the West Walk main junction of trails I set off down quite a steep hill, did some 600m reps, and then followed the circular route back.

Next it was time to go “off piste” and try some muddier and quieter routes. I largely relied on counting how many left and right turns I’d made here because there were no signposts. As I suspected the reward was some great running. You certainly get a better work out when running hills and mud because it’s impossible to keep up an even pace.

Autumns’ leaves have all disappeared and Springs daffodils aren’t out just yet so todays Winter sunshine and the double digit degrees gave you a hint of what’s to come. Dirty trainers may not be everyone’s cup of tea but forests really do have a special feeling. The trees go through their cycle of the seasons and I come to visit whenever I can. Running with views like these made the nine miles a real pleasure.

Happy Trail Running 🙂

What’s been the talking point on the South Coast’s running scene recently ? Donald Trump … “No” … Absolute Running (AR), with their trademark “what can we do next” approach, have opened AR Southsea (pictured above). In a clever move that really complements their Wednesday 5.45pm AR Gosport run there’s now a 6.45pm AR Southsea option for a social and all inclusive 5K or 3K.

No. 14 Grove Road South is just North of both Palmerston Road and Southsea’s main shopping area. As I approached the shop those unmistakable grand windows were plain to see as well as a good 25 or so runners all listening to Kim Carter describing the route we would be running. Kim was taking the 3K group and Harry Carter the 5K group. As I opened the shop door David Brawn (sports journalist for The News) greeted me with a hand shake and a “good to see you nod”.

In no time at all we were off into the crisp night air and the streets of Southsea. Our run was mainly along the well-lit seafront people may know from the Great South. I say well-lit because the rows of colourful bulbs that are hung between the street lights give the whole area its seaside feel. We ran along Eastney Parade, past South Parade Pier, around Canoe Lake and then back along Clarence Parade before returning along Kent Road. I chatted briefly with some ladies as we got going and swopped likely upcoming races with David, then concentrated on keeping up 🙂

Once back to the shop I was impressed with the smart dark flooring and funky lights in the high ceiling, I also saw triathlete Mick Hawkes and met his wife for the first time too. AR have worked hard on developing their running community spirit and this shone through with us all happily talking to people we both knew and didn’t know. Harry was keen to make sure everyone had a refreshing cold glass of water as well as answering questions on what plans there were for the shop. With tonight’s Wednesday run established the Sunday breakfast run has now also been advertised, all comers welcome. It starts at Greens café , Canoe lake 8.15am for 8.30am, 30 minutes out, 30 back and then maybe add on some eggs & beacon !!

The shop has what you’d expect in terms of a great choice of shoes and related gear but I wasn’t expecting the place to be so stylish. The huge shoe display especially worked well as your eyes were drawn to the array of colours and makes. Naturally the treadmill was there for Harry’s running gait analysis and which shoe would suit you.

I chatted with Craig from the runr clothing line who I’ve talked to on twitter but not actually met before and as he said, it’s great to actually chat in person. So in summary a great run with great people organised by AR Southsea. Just like those coloured light bulbs along the seafront I’d say the shop has a “bright future” 🙂

Happy Running all …………

The Trail Running Association (TRA) individual, annual membership, is £10 a year.

I was initially draw to the website with their race directory feature which has a really useful postcode / town, race finder. Once you’ve entered your location then there’s a drop down menu for the range of miles you are happy to travel. The race results are then shown on a map of the area and each race has its details listed.

Naturally they can’t list “every” race but there was a good selection for the area I tried.

The Race Directory can be used without joining up which I thought was a mark of their commitment to getting runners involved.

For this £10 you receive newsletters, discounts from races and a members area that will allow you to learn more about the trails and that’s why I’m now a member of the TRA.

Find a race and go run the trails.

Thanks very much for voting irunoffroad into the shortlisted top 12, out of 80 blogs entered. I really do appreciate fellow runners reading my blog. The fact that this is my second year and my second top 12 makes me very proud.

The voting is now open for the shortlist contenders here Click here to vote

Thank you and #happy running 🙂

 

If you read the running magazines you’ll often see various percentages or multiples used to calculate your pace for that all important long steady run (LSR). Building up this solid aerobic base is the cornerstone to your training especially for distance races. What works for one person won’t for another so ultimately I’ve always found the best approach is to pick a few friends and just get on with it.

Today was a good example. Paul had run 18 miles the previous day, I was mindful of a hamstring tweek from ten days ago and our friend Ros is gaining in distance and confidence after some time out. In short, we had 16 miles planned along the South Downs Way (SDW) and no agenda for pace other than to enjoy being out in the countryside and clocking up time on our feet.

Starting from Queen Elizabeth Country Park at 8am we were confronted by thick mist which would largely steal the views on or run but at the same time it gave an unusual outlook on a route we knew well.

I hadn’t seen Ros since December and before her first marathon so it was great to hear her talk about how it went. It’s noticeable how you drop into a comfortable pace when chatting and at the same time the miles just fly by.

Once we’d run the big hill out of QECP there are about nine undulations until Harting Down and the glorious National Trust (NT) land that stretches along the top of the South Downs. A, LSR, will help you develop your own running rhythm which alters according to the conditions, elevation and terrain. Todays conditions underfoot were reasonable even allowing for a fair splattering of mud and puddles.

With the first 5 miles under our belts the National Trust sign was an obvious point for a quick refuel and the photo from the start of my blog. Once onto the NT land the sheltered trails change to wide open areas of grass land.

The wide open spaces are also home to some very hardly looking cows with hairy coats that look like they should be in Scotland rather than Hampshire. Turns out the National Trust are trialling these Scottish cows downs South Galloways

Needless to say the cows had no interest in what we were doing as I’m sure they are used to passers by !! The banter between the three of us is also a key ingredient that helps the miles pass by and I think this photo summed up the fun we had today.

The latter part of our outward leg was down and up a steep chalky trail that’s often photographed by SDW folk. The cattle grid was a reminder that we weren’t alone and as Ros took this photo of me we carried on for another mile or so before heading back.

The second half of the run was slightly slower but again it’s all about listening to each other and gauging how you are feeling. There’s a time and place for speed work but today was all about a steady pace, miles in the bank and knowing that we’d all benefitted.

Naturally you recover quicker from a steady run and this recovery process was helped by a pot of tea in the QECP café where we chatted to three Stubbington Green runners who’d also been out. A lovely run with great mates and 16 miles in the “running bank”.

I often hear people say they’d love to go trail running but they don’t know where. Here are a few ideas from the people that protect our Great British countryside.

The National Trust have both organised day and night runs of differing distances within their grounds, as well as ideas on locations where you can create your own run, https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/running

The Forestry Commission have a great “wild running” section on their website which lists locations and events up and down the country, http://www.forestry.gov.uk/wildrunningroutes

The Woodland Trust has an interesting search option called “visiting woods” which does exactly what it says, https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/

Now that you have a host of locations to consider the second question from most road runners would be, why should I run trails. After all if you’ve run pavements for years what are the benefits of a new approach.

I particularly like this write up from Cotswold Outdoor because I covers just about all the scenic benefits of the trails. I could ramble on about why I love running off road but all you need to do is read my previous blogs, http://knowledge.cotswoldoutdoor.com/c/road-to-trail-running-the-secret-benefits/

The final resource I’d recommend reading is the Ordnance Survey “get outdoors” link as they will not only guide you with their maps (paper & digital) but they also have lots of great ideas, https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/getoutside/

I hope these links will persuade more people to run off road. You don’t have to go far, start with a National Trust parkrun and work your way up. The beautiful countryside is waiting for you 🙂

Finally, why not run with others and share the experience.

My work is done !!

With the Race to the King double marathon in June the plan for today was 17 miles and 1,800 feet of elevation i.e. a third of what’s coming up in Summer. After only a mile I reached Fareham creek which looked just like a Christmas card with a liberal amount of frost and ice on the shoreline as well as the still water having a thin covering of ice too.

I’d loosely mapped out the route beforehand so that I could maximise Portsdown Hills trails as well as running it from different sides.

Today would be the furthest and steepest I’ve run for a while but it would also be a good test of will power. Clearly it’s more fun to run with others but completing challenging runs on your own really adds “buckets” of self belief. I wasn’t worried about pace or even walking occasionally, today was all about getting the job done.

Once I’d left the wintery creek behind I joined Paradise Lane as it climbs out of Fareham. It’s funny how leaving the tarmac and houses behind immediately relaxes me. I find there’s no need to think about anything, just concentrate on the best line and avoid any pot holes. It’s a cliché but time almost stands still, all you can hear is your breathing and the birds.

Once I’d reached Fort Nelson and the top of the hill I followed a narrow trail back down the hill, over the motorway towards Portchester. Naturally every downhill is followed by an up so I ran up Dore Avenue, followed by Hill Road and again found myself heading for the top of the hill. At this point I saw Brian from the club but with him wearing a beanie I mistook him for someone else !! Hello Chris was soon corrected to hello Brian once he’d said “hello Rog” and I realised who it was 🙂

I couldn’t resist the chance to run down the other side of Portsdown Hill so I threw in Portchester Lane which was quite slippy what with the sun not having risen high enough yet. The telegraph poles show the ascent !!

Back on the trails I ran parallel with the main road and pondered to myself how long this track had been there, 10 years, 50, a few hundred, who knows !! Dropping down towards QE hospital I shouted encouragement to 3 cyclists and then this lead me to the steepest climb. Instead of following the road I ran on the grass almost vertically up towards Micks burger van. The killer section was a series of steps half way up the hill that had to be taken slowly. I was reminded of the cycling phrase “Legs shut up” at this point and had to walk for a short while.

Once at the top I spotted a sign I’ve never noticed before in front of a thicket of trees. Stopping for a quick read as well as a couple of the fig rolls, which were part of my on going “try eating on runs”, I was impressed to see that the trees had been planted in commemoration of the Falkland War servicemen.

As the 12 mile point approached I decided to leave a second Portchester Lane and settled for 1,600 feet elevation overall. As I retraced my steps I glanced at my watch for probably only the second time. Two hours had flown by !! Some days that sense of well being and contentment that you are coping with what you have set yourself really does make time fly. It hadn’t been at a great pace but that wasn’t the point, it had been manageable and enjoyable.

All that remained was the trail back up to Fort Nelson which was “steady” and a few comments with some ramblers as I dropped into Fareham.

It’s hard to explain how a testing run can still be relaxing and as I sat in the back garden once I’d finished there was a big smile on my face as I said out aloud “Good job Rog 17 hilly miles” , yes I have to confess to talking to myself !! Thanks for reading.

Running is just like anything else in life, if you want to achieve something you need a plan. I didn’t run too much in December and it’s taken a while to get going again properly in January but a tv documentary and a random piece of graffiti (on Saturdays run) have now combined to focus my thoughts.

I have entered Race to The King in June and that means a double marathon with 5,400 feet elevation. This adventure won’t be achieved with reading maps, watching videos and pondering (although these will help) the only way this race will be overcome is with training.

What was the tv documentary I hear you say ? Netflix may not be the obvious source of running inspiration but I spotted Stuart from twitter talking about the Barkley marathons in America. I had an idea about the race, I knew it had been going for 20 odd years and only a handful of people had finished. I won’t spoil the entertainment anymore for those of you who want to watch it but when your entry confirmation is an apology i.e. we are sorry to say that you have been accepted, you just know it will be tuff !!

I set off on a chilly early morning start with the intention of adding to the 11.5 miles I’d done last week and try to follow the advice of one of the tv off road runners, “I loose myself in my surroundings” was his philosophy.

Challenge no. 1, staying on my feet !! After about 3 & 1/2 miles north of Fareham there’s a country lane heading for Wickham. The water had run off the fields and was still icy. The 3S scenario followed, I was slipping, sliding and swearing, luckily I stayed on my feet.

An additional part of my 2017 plan is to use fewer gels and more food so armed with soreen cake, grapes and mini pork pies I had quite a selection to test. Last weeks soft flasks test was carried onto this week too. Once onto the railway line I saw the “plan” graffiti not long after I’d passed the Forestry Commission signs. I thought, “yes” I do have a plan, I plan to try out what will work for me on longer runs.

If my ramblings can help others along with me then that’s great I thought I’d give an insight into what I’m trying. I passed 7 miles and decided to carry on to 8, I’ve always believed in “run how you feel”. With the forested countryside you really can loose yourself in both your running and your thoughts. I wasn’t thinking about work I was wondering if a robin that flew past me would stay still for a photo and whether I could video the sound of the wood pecker I could hear.

My return leg saw the sun starting to break through and more people on the track as well as Adrian a fellow runner I haven’t seen for quite a while. The grapes were a taste sensation and even though the malt loaf was a bit stodgy to chew I knew its rich sugars were helping.

As I reached Wickham on my return with 11 miles done, the wintery sunshine was out and the birds were chirping. The remaining 5 miles were steadier than the first 11 but it’s a great feeling knowing that you have endurance in your legs and a smile on your face. My egloves had kept me warm, my food options appeared to be working and the countryside was as enjoyable as ever.

If you don’t usually run in the country, try it, it’s a real treat.

Go ahead, loose yourself in your surroundings !!

Something different this week, here’s my edited 2 minute Vlog of Paul’s videos and some of our photos. I chose the route so that it included about 1,600 feet of elevation. Thanks to Paul (Brad) Coates for filming and running today, only a week and a half after his 45 mile ultra. Go for a run in the countryside …….  #getoutdoors #forestfit

 

If you have enjoyed this please vote for my Blog in the Running Awards, here https://therunningawards.com/vote/109/110#vote

Just scroll down to irunoffroad. You do have to register but it doesn’t take long, thanks.

 

I was considering running both a 5K parkrun & a 10.30am 10K down in Southsea today but instead I chose to answer a couple of running related questions that have been on my mind over the last few weeks.

No. 1 … would soft flasks suit me better than my usual 500ml bottles i.e. drinking wise, space wise and ease of use wise. Secondly, there’s a limit to how much liquid you can take on a run so I was keen to find a Post Office hidden somewhere in Meonstock. The significance of a post office in the middle of the countryside is that I’m starting to plan my Race to the King training as this double marathon is June 24th 2017 so re hydrating on long runs means finding practical water sources.

I had time for about 10 miles today so I chose to park in the Forestry Commission (FC) car park at West Walk about a mile and a half outside of Wickham, just past the Roebuck Inn. Considering all the good work the FC do I was happy to pay £1.80 for 2 hours. The fog was quite dense when I set off and what with there being no one else around the setting was like something from a Dracula movie, I almost expected a black coach to come thundering along out of the woods !!

Once into my rhythm I pondered on my tasks for the day, drinking from the squidgy soft flasks and finding the right railway bridge /embankment to climb up to Meonstock. With each drink I tried a different approach, squeezing it like a toothpaste tube, biting the tube with different amounts of pressure etc. I soon realised I was over thinking this when I tripped on a tree root !! I find concentration is one of your key requirements when you run in the country and avoiding falling over is high on my list 🙂

After 2 false alarms bridge wise I realised I’d cracked it on the 3rd when I recognised the road that leads into Meonstoke village. I asked a chap who was cleaning his car where the Post Office was and in no time I was standing outside. It’s nearly a half mile diversion from the Meon valley trail but it will definitely feature in my longer runs.

The sign mentioned locally sourced produce which sounded inviting but I had a time slot to be back home so that treat will have to wait. On my return I passed through Droxford which has the original railway station still in tact as it is a private residence now. The station was a focal point for troops in World War 2 and had none other than Sir Winston Churchill and other leaders pass through it ahead of the D Day landings. This video is a favourite of mine as you get a real sense of history when running past.

The sun had burned off the fog by now and I took the photo at the beginning of this blog with the old railway line stretching out ahead of me. These solo runs are great for mental fortitude and the much longer distances that lie ahead in 2017. The soft flasks were definitely a winner too.

As I reached the Forestry Commission car park my garmin said just over 10 3/4 miles, this extra mileage was a combination of the post office hunt and bridge climbing !! I was in no rush today for my last run of 2016, I’d call it “photos” pace 🙂

If you’ve enjoyed reading where I’ve been and why I went there, as well as some local history, this is the link to the Running Awards Best Blog which is still taking votes. You do have to register but it doesn’t take long. Just scroll down to irunoffroad. Many Thanks. Roger …… Happy New Year

https://therunningawards.com/vote/109/110#vote