May 2014

[Charliecat5]

It is my intention to do one long run at the weekends and a couple of shorter and faster runs during the week. But this weekend I have no time for running, so rather than let the long run slip by I decided to go out yesterday for an evening run.

As I keep pushing my distances I have to think of new runs to do around the Downs… there are lots of options but it becomes increasingly difficult to avoid the hills. So during the course of yesterday I formulated a plan to run from home to Blackcap, then south along the SDW, up Heart Attack Hill and down to Housedean Farm… and THEN up the infamous Loose Bottom (aka the Relentless Bastard) to the top of Castle Hill before heading home via Kingston Ridge and Juggs Lane.

The real challenge on this route, is that the top of the track that takes you down to Heart Attack Hill (at about 5.5 miles in) is the last chance to bail out and take an easier way home – once past this point I was committed to completing the whole route.

The run to Blackcap was ok, it was hot and I did start to worry about how much water I was carrying, but it was relatively easy, and I managed to get there without stopping for a breather which is a first for me. At the top, on the instructions of Glaconman, I stopped for a drink and a bit of a stretch. I would have to say that having stretched I had more aches when I started up again than I had prior to the stretch!

The next stop was to be the top of Heart Attack Hill – I didn’t quite make it, as I decided to stop in the wood itself where it was a little cooler and also I wanted to have a gel at least 15 minutes ahead of the Relentless Bastard. It wasn’t until I got the gel out of my bag that I realised it contained caffeine. Now for most of you this wouldn’t be a problem, but you have to understand that I haven’t had caffeine now for about 5 years… so what to do… I needed the energy… so down it went.

By the time I go to the top of Heart Attach Hill, I was tripping… my legs had detached themselves from the rest of me and I was floating about a foot of the ground as I headed down to the A27. Not an unpleasant feeling it has to be said, but very weird. Fortunately, by the time I had crossed the A27 and was heading to the bottom of the Relentless Bastard, my feet were starting to re-attach themselves to the rest of me and I started to descend from my high, sadly just in time for the biggest climb of my running career to date.

But you know what… the Relentless Bastard was alright. I mentally split the hill into three stages and decided that I would probably walk the second. But as it happens, I ran the first two (at a fairly moderate pace it has to be said) and then walked the first 20 yards of the third stage before realising that running was less painful than walking. But as I approached the gate at the top, a soddin’ mountain biker stopped to hold the gate open for me… Noooooooooo, that’s just removed my excuse to stop… the bastard. It is just the sort of evil trick I do to runners when I’m out on my bike.

From there I turned east for the last 2 miles home – this was really, really tough. I was a knackered and although most of the remaining steps were downhill it was hard to keep my head up and maintain a reasonable pace. But I did it… I made it home and was pleasantly surprised that I had managed to run 11 miles, climb 1,300ft and maintain a sub 10 minute/mile pace.

Running is really a game of extremes. How can it be that 200 yards before the finish I was in agony and seriously thinking about hanging up my boots for ever and yet, 200 yards later, at the finish, I was hit by a wave of euphoria and all I could think about was the next run… how can I go from one extreme to the other in such a short space of time – the joys of running eh!