Helpfully, just as I got in my delivery of bricks turned up. Not so helpfully someone was parked in the way, preventing the lorry from getting round the back so they had to be dropped off at the roadside. Obviously they cant stay there as they're blocking the path, but not to worry I've got a wheelbarrow and my backs feeling better.
600 odd bricks later and my backs not feeling quite as better as it was! So where did that leave me for this weekends planned fun? Well, after much Umming and Ahhing I eventually decided to head down to Godalming Friday night, ready for the planned early start Saturday morning and see how I felt when I got up. I told "The Emma" I'd probably be back home for breakfast and very nearly was, as when I got up at early O'Clock ready for my 07:00 start slot, it still didn't feel right. I had a bit of a stretch, banged some deep heat on and eventually decided that as I'd got this far I might as well head over to the start, collect my number and see how it felt. A tentative run up to the socially distanced start area didn't feel too bad. Maybe some of the stiffness I was now feeling was down to not having run at all in the week? Going from doing something every day (running, cycling, weights) to nothing, always causes a few issues as your muscles stiffen up and your body starts to ask what's going on. Well, now I'm at the start I might as well go for it, I can always pull out if things don't feel right. So, through the excellently organised, socially distanced start procedure and on the nod from the starter off I go. 6 Months after the cancellation of everything, were finally back running organised events again and this was going to be a good one. 38 miles of trail running on a mainly off road loop around Guildford following the route of the The Fox Way, what's not too like about that? The Fox Way walk can be completed in 7 easy stages it says on the website. Surprisingly it doesn't mention anything about running it all in one go. But "a feint heart never won fair maiden" as they say, so lets see what we've got.
From the start it was a great route, following the Wey Navigation from Godalming before heading out towards Shere and the Surrey Hills for some serious climbing. A couple of miles in and my stiff and achy muscles seemed to settle in. With the aches and pains fading, and the trail stretching away in front of me, all seemed right in the world again.
Having been set of at 20 second intervals there was always someone just in front, making it all too easy for the pace to creep up as you slowly gained on them. Keeping it slow and steady was going to be the secret for today though. Over this sort of distance going out too hard is a sure fire recipe for disaster. If there's one advantage to taking it slow, it's that there's plenty of time for looking around and the view from the highpoints back over Hampshire was well worth the effort of getting up there in the first place. By the time the second aid station came along at the 13 mile mark I was thoroughly enjoying myself. The sun was shining, but the strong breeze was keeping the temperature down to manageable levels and the majority of the really hard climbing was behind us. A quick stop too refill my water bottles and grab a biscuit and onwards. Just under the 2 hour mark for the first 13 miles seemed about right and I was feeling good. Across the A3 and out towards Ripley and the top of the loop where we picked up the river Wey again and things flattened out after the steep inclines of the Surrey Hills. This was a great section, following the tow path, with the colourful Canal Barges, families out for a morning stroll, kids on bikes and all the normal Canal side life going on around us making for some interesting running. Pushing on through Worplesdon towards Aldershot I had a hard half hour or so. Despite feeling good only minutes before, the dreaded cramps started to bite, getting first one calf and then the other. Dropping the pace a bit I knew that things weren't going to get any better until I got to the next aid station and got some more fluids on board. Dehydrations always the killer when it's warm, and despite having already tucked away a good 1.5 Liters of fluids it obviously wasn't enough. Plod on though, there's only a couple of miles to go to the next water stop and the chance to rehydrate properly, and not a lot of choice but to keep going. By the time I covered those couple of miles I'd been stopped in my tracks a couple of times and reduced to not much more than walking pace, making for a long couple of miles. But, arriving eventually and putting away another Liter of water and refilling my bottle seemed to do the trick and when I set off again a few minutes later things felt much better, or as well as they can do when you've got nearly 30 miles in your legs! Onto the last stint then, slog up the steady climb to the Hogs back and then it's all down hill from there. Yeah right! Of course it's not, but it's not as hilly as the start so that's a blessing. I'm quite happy to admit that the last few miles were bloody hard going. Ticking off the miles one by one seemed to take forever, 34,35, come on how much further? 36, my God it must be nearly over! 37 and the finish lines in sight, 38 and that's it, over and done. 6 hours and 33 minutes after setting off and I'm back where I started from, having burned an estimated 4000 Calories, covered 55,470 steps and spent most of the time with a big smile on my face. 6 and 1/2 hours for 38 miles, I don't think that's too shabby. I think that if I'd managed to avoid the dehydration and cramps in the middle I could probably have cut half an hour or so off that time and I've learned a few things from this one, so well see how we get on next time. That's assuming there is a next time!
For some strange reason when I dragged myself out of bed on Sunday morning my legs felt a bit stiff. I thought about having a cup of tea in bed, but having struggled down the stairs in the first place I couldn't face going back up, just to come down again later, so bravely retreated to the sofa for a couple of hours.
Eventually boredom got the better of me (Ok I lasted about 10 minutes), so I wandered slowly up to the allotment, for a couple of hours of gentle pottering in the early morning sunshine. Legs stretched and back home for a mid morning brew, then best make the most of my day at home and the dry weather and start shifting some of these bricks that are now filling up the entire back garden before it get's all wet and wintery. Now my Bricklaying skills are at about the same level as most of the things I do. Lets just say that they are agricultural to say the best and probably wouldn't have looked out of place on the Generation Game back in the 70's. But like most things, if nothing else I'm a trier and I'll get there in the end. Oh and spending the afternoon bent over did wonders for my tired legs and back. Not!
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An unusual mid week update. I've made it through the last 6 months of lock down with neigh a niggle or a twinge, yet this week when it looks like we might finally get the chance to take part in a bit of organised long distance running at the weekend I'm in bits!
I've no idea what I've done but Sunday night my back started playing up, which moved down into my Right Glute and has now progressed to pins and needles and numbness all down my Right leg. Bloody typical isn't it, you look forward to something that looks like it might actually go ahead and the old body decides it's not playing ball. I'm on the; rest, heating, icing, rolling and stretching regime in the hope that I'll be back in the park for Saturday but things aren't looking to hopeful at the minute! The only thing I've got to say at the moment is; Arrrrggghhh F.F.S! Whilst I was out wasting yet another day riding round in circles like a small child on Saturday, I spent a bit of time thinking. Now that's not particularly unusual (shut up at the back), there's plenty of time to spare when your sat for 10 hours peddling along, and letting your mind wander a bit helps to pass the time. I've thought about numerous things over the years, I've solved all sorts of problems, I've come up with all sorts of ideas, some of them good, some not so, and I've pondered everything from the creation of the universe to where Bumble Bees go in the winter. What set this weeks pondering's apart from the normal drivel is the thought of what a brilliant invention the Bicycle must have been when they first came up with the idea. Now, on modern roads it's no problems to cover some ridiculous distances. Indeed, I did 127 miles on Saturday with no real problems. I set off from Stockbridge, headed up to the North of Salisbury, before looping round towards Shaftesbury. Had a bit of a detour across the top of the New Forest, before heading down towards Hambledon (where I stopped for an Ice Cream) and then headed back to the start via Winchester. And a great day out it was too, but what's that got to do with the bicycle being a brilliant invention? Well, you can walk 20 miles in a day without any real problems and if you want to get there a bit quicker you could run the same distance. The problem with that, is that doing it over multiple days is quite hard going and if you've got any baggage, then it's really hard work. Not ideal if you want to pop over to see Aunt Mabel for your summer holidays. You could get yourself a horse, but that's actually an even worse idea. Not only will you probably get bitten or trampled to death within the first 10 minutes, but horses are actually pretty inefficient. People evolved as hunter gatherers and as we evolved our best method of hunting was to just chase things until they fell over from exhaustion. In many cases, especially if we work together, we can outrun a horse over a long distance, require less fuel (food) to do so and don't tend to bite! If you don't believe me see what Google throws up, that will be a couple of hours of you life you wont get back! But the Bicycle, well that's a whole new ball game in the evolution of travel. Not only do you have mechanical advantage, but you've got a nice comfy seat and somewhere to hang you baggage without sticking it in a big bag on your back or pushing it in a wheelbarrow. The distance you can cover, even on the rubbish roads of the time (not that there much better now), are quite phenomenal compared to walking. Suddenly your summer holiday in Cleethorpes looks achievable, without having to spend your entire holiday allowance walking there and back. It's cheap too, you don't need fancy shoes, you don't need a stable to keep it in, it wont bite you when your not looking, and you don't need any real ability to master it. All you need is a few pies, the odd jam butty, a bit of imagination and the worlds your oyster. Dating that attractive lady in the next village, a bit of a problem if you've got to walk there, you'll need to come home before you get there. It's only 20 minutes on your bike though, leaving plenty of time for a quick fumble in the Dahlias. A quick jaunt down to Bridport for Fish and Chips by the seaside. It would take you 2 weeks to walk there and back, it's just an easy weekend away on your bicycle though. Always late for work as its an hours walk away. Not a problem, get yourself a bike and you can have an extra 40 Minutes in bed every day! See, its a brilliant invention and not only that, it's bought joy and delight to just about every child that's ever mastered the skill. Have you ever seen a child look unhappy when they're speeding along outrunning their parents, going faster than they've ever been before? I suspect not. And you know what, I'm no child, but feeling the wind in you face, hearing the sound of the tyres as they flow over the pothole riddled roads and feeling the exhilaration of flying along under your own steam, never fails to bring a smile to my face too! So, in my humble opinion, as a means of getting around and making you smile, the bicycles got to be the best invention ever! I thought that whilst I was out, I might as well make a weekend of it, so stayed out in the van Saturday night ready for a spot of running Sunday morning, and to be honest with you, I'm glad that I did. It was one of those still, cloudless nights, and when I turned in the stars where shining brightly, resulting in a slight delay to bed time due to half an hour of staring at the sky. More than worth the loss of 30 minutes in bed in my opinion.
The clear and still night continued into the dawn and Sunday morning greeted my weary running legs with a day well worth getting out of bed for. The cobwebs glistened in the early morning dew and the mist rose slowly from the River Test as the sun gained the upper hand over the chill of the night. A great morning for running! I didn't push too hard, or far, knowing that I've hopefully got bigger plans for next weekend, although we will have to wait and see what the week brings on the Coronovirus front before we know how things are going to play out. I still managed a steady 10 miles though, with some lovely glimpses of the Test and a great view out over the Hampshire countryside from the one high point of the run. There's not much else to report on for Sunday. There's been no progress on my winter project due to an acute shortage of bricks! And I'm pretty sure your not overly interested in window cleaning, which is what filled part of my afternoon. I do like a nice clean window though, and there's no point in having windows if you can't see out of them! Fingers crossed it will be a return to organised running next weekend for the first time since March, so I'll have something more interesting to write about for a change. Watch this space and keep your fingers crossed. It's been a pretty quiet weekend here at the sharp end, with nothing much to report. Unusually I've been at home all weekend, taking the chance to catch up on a few odd jobs before the weather turns and making a start on the winter project. I did manage to get out on the bike Saturday morning for a quick 60 mile romp around the local lanes. Heading from home down to Alresford and then continuing South into the Meon valley, before looping back round at Bishops Waltham to head for home via Ropley. It's always an enjoyable ride this one, with a fast, slightly downhill first 20 odd miles before you come to the edge of the South Downs National park and it get's a bit more rolling. The final uphill slog back home can be a bit demoralising if the weathers grim, but the sun was shining Saturday and all was good with the world. Saturday afternoon was spent on the allotment pottering around before coming home and spending a couple of hours tidying up the front garden ready for the autumn. It's a pity how fast the summer bedding goes over and as soon as it begins to look proper straggly it starts to annoy me and it's time for it to go! Sunday started as it often does with a spot of running. Again nothing of interest, just a steady 16 mile plod from home. To be honest it's been quite nice running and cycling from home for a change, I'll soon change my tune once the winter gets here and I'm bored of the same old routes. But for today, it made a nice change. Clearing the front garden yesterday got me started, so I moved onto the back garden Sunday afternoon. Summer bedding cleared, I stood and stared at the bane of my life patio for a while and then thought "Sod it" it's going and got the big hammer out. I've hated the patio from the day we moved in 8 years ago, and it's been at the top of my to do list for a while. It's been badly laid from the start and the slabs are the worst designed things ever. It's impossible to sweep because the lines in it go in opposite directions so the bits just get caught constantly. It's been laid on blobs of mortar, meaning it's hollow underneath, so the pointing constantly washes out. Once the pointing's gone it's slug heaven underneath and being hollow underneath the slabs constantly crack along the inbuilt weak line. The only positive has been that I've not minded, mixing concrete, plaster and cutting tiles on it. I've been happy to spill stuff all over it and haven't really cared what happened to it. It's going now though, so that's the winter project sorted. It's going to be slow going, as by the time I've been running and cycling there's not much energy left for anything else, but watch this space and we'll see how we get on. Oh, and having started demolishing stuff, there's not much choice but to get on with it now. |
Paul PerrattOld enough to know better, young enough to still feel invincible, stupid enough to keep on trying the same thing again and again. Cyclist, Gardener, Runner, Hiker, Cook, Woodworker, Engineer, Jack of all trades and master of none, Anti social old git and all round miserable bugger. Archives
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