February 2005 - Week 2

[Sweder]

Time: 07:30 Hrs
Location: South Downs Lewes - Black Cap - Loop
Distance: 5 miles
Time: 48:35
Conditions: Light rain, strong winds (westerly)
Companions: 3 hounds
Soundtrack: Panet Rock

SP had invited me for a 6 mile in town lope last night, but I had to bail after leaving work too late. Last night the decision looked a good'un as I slumped on the sofa after supper. This morning it looked rather less clever.

Not only was I still knackered (it took 3 'snooze' alarms to get my corpse out of bed) but the weather had taken a turn for the worse. I squinted out of the bathroom window. Are those trees bending? Hmmm. And that wet stuff falling past the window . . . rain. Nice.

Wired for sound, stopwatch set, I plodded out into the maelstrom.
A gentle ascent for the first half mile, the strains of ELO’s Rockaria for company. I never really got into ELO in the 70’s, but I always smile when I hear the occasional tune these days. Comfortable nostalgia perhaps.
No time for sentimental crap like that this morning; there’s a battle raging up ahead and I’m headed straight for it.

As we reached the stables I realised we had enjoyed an element of shelter on the first mile. This first section is run to the East of the ridge of the downs. At the stables the ridge flattens out opening the track to the Westerly approach, and, this morning, to the full force of the wind. I pushed on, safe in the knowledge that another half mile would see us once again sheltered by the thorn bushes that line the route alongside the gallops. And so it proved.

Into the sheep fields, Foreigners’ Cold As Ice in the earphones (although in fairness cold was not an issue – I’d generated enough heat on the climb to warm an old people’s home). The wide-eyed occupants wisely sheltered in the relative calm of the South Easterly corner. I climbed the first of two steep sections that lead to Black Cap. Once again exposed to the elements this proved tough, and I took a walk break at the mini-summit. The final climb to our turn-around point is only about 150 metres, but the incline is severe, and coming at the end of a 2.5 mile rise it has a kick to it. Reaching the summit proper I took a minute to enjoy the view and take on water. The half way split was 27:24, respectable in the conditions.

And off again. ‘Here’s a little-known Led Zepplin track from Led Zep Four . . . ‘
Stairway to Heaven. Possibly one of the best known Zeppelin tracks but for all that a meisterwerk, especially the second section where Bonham pounds in with one of the finest examples of controlled drum fury in rock.

With the wind slightly behind me and mostly downhill ahead I set off at a fair old lick towards home. It’s a great feeling, hammering down soft downland hills, the wind at your back, almost effortless. Back to the sheltered, stony track, the hounds now at my heels, a pack reformed. On to the stables, the Who’s Baba O’Riley blasting into my ears. I hardly noticed the slight incline back to the yards, skipping through the last gate and onto the road through the courtyard.

Some lads struggled to unload a thoroughbred from a horsebox, several of them forming a human shield to prevent escape should the skittish animal break free. I wondered just how effective a 150 lb man would be trying to stop a ton of rampant horseflesh on the charge . . .

. . . and then it happened. No, not the horse. Something of more immediate concern, something we all fear and rarely talk about in these circles: injury on a run. A marble, about the size of a one-er, appeared, suddenly, at the back of my right leg, 4 inches above the back of my knee. Hamstring!!? I thought, easing off the gas. What to do? How bad is it? How long will I be out . . . ? A slideshow of nightmare scenarios flashed across my brain. But hang on – it’s not a sharp pain, and it’s not getting any worse. Shall I limp on? Will I cause more damage?

I carried on through the yard into the last sheep field and the gentle descent into Lewes. Usually this is my finishing straight, the last 500 metres of full-bore, downhill blast before another 500 metre cool down to home. Not today.
I ran/ limped at ½ pace, focused on the injury (?), which was holding steady but felt like it was looking for an excuse to rare up at any moment.

Finally back to the road, through my gate and into the house.
Gentle stretching and massage ensued, but I could find no evidence of the problem except a general soreness/ tenderness in the area.

I finished in 48:35 (irrelevant other than to complete the stats for the run).
Even with the limp, 21.11 is pretty quick for the second 2.5 miles. It’s possible with the tail wind, downhill momentum and euphoria at finally escaping the battering of the climb I’d inadvertently raced too hard. Time will tell. I’m working late tonight and scheduled to repeat the run tomorrow, so I’ll have to see how it feels tonight.