And another run! Chacewater (Friday)

Yesterday was meant to be an easy run, but once I got started I couldn’t stop.  I’m going to have to get one of those measuring things that go on your chest  (or wherever!) because I don’t actually know exactly how far I go!  I know one particular road stretch is 1.5 miles because I’ve checked on my car’s mileometer; I know one of the cliff paths I take is 1.5 miles, ‘cos there’s a sign that says so at the beginning, but anywhere else I go is a bit of a guess, a bit of a comparison to the other routes I mentioned.  Not very scientific, but hey I’ve never claimed to be a scientist!  Hm, just thought I’d have a look at one of those map sites and this one’s pretty good, according to this yesterday’s run was roughly 4.5 –  5 miles; not bad!  I ran solidly for about 3 miles and then jogged/walked the rest. I’ll call that ‘interval training’.  You can call it what you like!

This bridle-path was on my last stretch home

This bridle-path was on my last stretch home

When I got home I kicked off my trainers and soon fell asleep!

When I finally got back I kicked off my trainers and fell asleep!

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Run, run, run to Chapel Porth (Wednesday)

Well now, this was a killer, but oh so worth the rewards.   My limbs were a bit achey from Tuesday’s foray into road running, but I ignored that inconvenient truth and headed for the rocky cliffs of the north Cornwall coast in the UK.  The wind was blowing an arctic gale that morning but I felt determined to brave the elements and push myself a bit.  I donned my sensible running clothes (see last  2 posts!), hat and ipod and off I went.

The first part of this 3m run is up a fairly steep cliff

The first part of this 3m run is up a fairly steep cliff

I made it 1.5m to Porthtowan, but I have to admin some of the very steep parts of the cliff path became a real slog and I had to walk up those!  I cursed my aching limbs.

I made it 1.5m to Porthtowan, but I have to admit some of the very steep parts of the cliff path became a real slog and I had to walk up those! I cursed my aching limbs. At this point I did a (planned) u-turn and ran back.

I keep forgetting to stretch after a run, so I decided to go down to Chapel Porth beach and do some stretching there, before getting in the car and heading back home (3m or so)

I keep forgetting to stretch after a run, so I decided to go down to Chapel Porth beach and do some stretching there, before getting in the car and heading back home (3m or so). That cliff is the first (and last) part of the run, you can see how steep it is!

but I was distracted by something that had been washed up on the beach.

But I was distracted by something that had been washed up on the beach.

It had a surreal beauty that I found completely fascinating.

It had a surreal beauty that I found completely fascinating.

I poked and prodded it

I poked and prodded it

I smelt it

I smelt it

I inspected it

I inspected it

I marvelled at the structure of it

I marvelled at the structure of it

I stared in awe at the scale of it

I stared in awe at the scale of it

I wished I could take something home of it

I wished I could take something home of it.

This beautiful fin whale, 2nd largest mammal on earth, washed up on my local shore, was a wonder I would never expect to surpass on any other run

This beautiful fin whale, 2nd largest mammal on earth, washed up on my local shore, was a wonder I would never expect to surpass on any other run.

I took a day off from running yesterday, not intentional I just kind of run out of time, but I went for a good walk, which compensated a bit.  My plans for today are another road run, around 3 miles or so.  Taking it easy at the moment, edging myself back into it before any serious training regimes are thought about…

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Run, run, run to Mylor Churchyard (Sunday)

Not my favourite running garb!

Not my favourite running garb!

Yes, I’m still keeping up with the running thing, though it’s been a bit sporadic this last week.  The motivation to move can be so difficult sometimes, nigh on impossible when you’re feeling down.  I was lucky for a while because I had a good friend to motivate me.  I’d never been running with anyone before, but it’s so true that it’s easier when you’ve got company. You could talk about the birdsong, or your heart-rate, or your love-life  or a possible half-marathon while you tick off the minutes or the miles. But, my friend’s suddenly got a lot of difficult stuff to deal with, and understandably her thoughts are elsewhere at the mo. So the motivation is totally back in my court.  Oh dear.  I think I need to get a plan together, a training programme.  Maybe that would help, goals and progress, all that stuff.  But really, can I be arsed?

I’ve run on Sunday and Tuesday this week, and today too, so far. Actually not far in any case, but the running has been more consistent with less ‘walking’ in between.  I don’t know if I should really call what I do running.  It’s probably more of jog.  Thing is, I have stamina and know I can build it up to ‘run’ for a long time, but try and sprint or run at any kind of speed and that’s it, I’ve had it. I’ve got another friend who’s planning to run the Boston marathon later in the year, he seems to have a full on training programme worked out.  He’s even keeping a blog about it! At the moment he’s running round and round a cemetery in LA.  Think I’d probably end up in it earlier than I was meant to :)  Still, thinking about Jon and his cemetery reminded me that I’ve often run to a cemetery myself in the past.  It’s a tiny little churchyard in a village called Mylor.  And it’s where I ran to on Sunday.

Sunday was a bit of an impromptu effort.  I’d taken Kim over to his dad’s and when I got there and my usual pancakes weren’t on the table (slack service or what!), I thought I’d leave Paul to his cooking and go for a walk down to the church and the harbour.  It was a beautiful morning.  And once I was outside, I thought I’d run instead of walk.  Sounds ok, but take a look at the picture above: that’s what I was wearing!

Not pretty, but you have to understand that being in Paul’s house is akin to being in a fridge, and when you go there you get dressed up for the occasion: trousers, t-shirt, long-sleeved dress, jumper, winter coat and scarf.  And trainers.  And you don’t take your coat and scarf off the whole time you’re there.  I thought a bit of a run might warm me up.  I got that right.  Good god, now I know exactly what’s meant about running with extra weight – it was so HARD!  Normally I’d fly along the creek to the churchyard, but on Sunday I was labouring along getting redder and redder and wondering if I might need a coffin by the time I got there.  It was an absolute killer.  Normally I’d have just kept running, but that day I had to take a break at the churchyard.  It was a long break – at least half an hour if not more.  It made me realise that it would make life even easier if I got rid of the extra weight I’ve been piling on over the last few months as well.  Now, there’s a goal forming in my head, but I’ll tell you about that later, probably. First, I want to show you some of the stuff I found in the churchyard during my much needed rest.  Some of it seemed so bizarre!

This is the church at the centre of the churchyard, picturesque isn't it?

This is Mylor Church, picturesque isn't it, with the sea as a backdrop?

The white building on the right is the separate bell tower!

The white building on the right is the separate bell tower!

I saw my first primroses :)

I was lucky enough to see my first primroses :)

And a bright patch of snowdrops

and a bright patch of snowdrops.

Can you guess what this might be?  Beautiful isn't it?  It's a cone, from a monkey puzzle tree!

I wonder if you can you guess what this might be? Beautiful isn't it? It's a cone, from a monkey puzzle tree!

And what's this, Rosa fabricus?!

And what's this, Rosa fabricus?! Not the right time of year for roses surely?

There seemed to be a lot of roses around for the wrong time of year...

Or maybe it is...

I even thought I heard some exotic bird song

Oh and the birds!

Erm, I could tell you what crossed my mind when I saw this, but I won't!

Well, they weren't as 'cheep' as some of the memorial flowers!

But just look at this!  How perfect is this with it's rusty colour and cobwebs - just what you'd hope to find in a grave yard!

But just look at this! How perfect is this with it's rusty colour and cobwebs - just what you'd hope to find in a grave yard! I wonder what's inside...

After my rest I ran back to Paul’s where the smell of pancakes was divine. “Where’ve you been” he said, “they’ve been ready half an hour.”

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