Much of my training takes place on the streets and trails around my home, which is fine but its always fun to run somewhere new. This is why I always like to look out for any 'running potential'when I'm going somewhere else, it gives me a chance to view some different and hopefully interesting scenery - and on one occasion to nearly get locked in a park in France!
For reasons primarily connected with Highland Dancing we went to the Chatsworth Country Fair recently. I've been to the Peak District a few times and so knew the running potential was high. I was tempted to run the Derwent Valley Heritage Way from our hotel in Derby all the way through to Chatsworth, however as this was going to be over thirty miles I decided to get dropped off at Ambergate which should have left me with about seventeen miles to run.
The first five miles was a fairly easy and very enjoyable run along the Cromford Canal. The highlights were running through the canal tunnel (well, walking carefully - as I wasn't expecting to be running in the dark I didn't take my head torch!), Leawood Pump House, and crossing both the railway line and the River Derwent on canal aqueducts. After reaching the end of the canal my unerring sense of direction took me through Matlock Bath and - needing a change from running along a nice flat tow path - up and over the High Tor. Coming down from the High Tor my unerring sense of direction erred which is one of the reasons I ran 19 miles rather than 17. Once I was facing the right direction I got back onto the trail just outside Matlock and had a very pleasant run by the river, across some fields and amongst sheep until I reached Darley Dale. At this point I would like to put in a plea for more signs for the Derwent Valley Heritage Way, I found one that lead me into the middle of a field with no obvious way out but that was it. I could have tried to find my way on my map but decided to take the advice of the locals and followed the road from Darley Dale until I was into the grounds of Chatsworth where I rejoined the Derwent and arrived at the entrance of the Country Fair 3 hours and 19 miles after I started in Ambergate.
Saturday and Sunday I decided to do no more running but just enjoy the sights, sounds and free food (and alcohol) samples of the Fair. However on Monday we decided to have a final run in Derbyshire around Carsington Reservoir.My experience of reservoirs is limited but I assumed a path around the edge would be flat - this is probably true if the path follows the edge of the reservoir.... Anyway it was a nice run if a little harder than I anticipated!
One event that is far from home but becoming very familiar territory is the Great North Run. This year was to be my 15th in total and the 14th consecutive one. I really had no idea what sort of time I would do, I knew I was fit but most of my running had been done with a rucksack at 9-10 minutes per mile so would I be able to run the 7:30-7:40 minutes per mile pace I would need to beat an hour and forty minutes, my target?
The best that can be said for the weather is that it wasn't as bad as forecast! Actually it wasn't too bad, the rain was only heavy for about a mile and the wind was more with me than against. I felt good while running, overtaking people on many of the uphill sections and generally feeling the benefit of the hours of training. By eight miles in I was fairly confident that sub 1:40 was reasonably assured, however due to some overly pessimistic calculations I was 800m from the finish before I realised a personal best was a possibility. In the past I've never dared really push before the 200m to go mark but the park runs have given me a better idea of how far and fast I can run at the end of a race so at 800m I pushed may pace to 6:30 minutes per mile and finished in 1 hour, 34 minutes and 36 seconds, 8 seconds faster than my previous best! Celebratory wine and fish and chips soon followed.
I always enjoy the Great North Run, the people and the atmosphere are always fantastic come rain or shine. This year was particularly encouraging though as it shows my training is paying off. My next challenge is however is very different, 75 miles over two days around the coast of Essex. I've got three weeks to recover from the Great North Run and rise to the challenge that is the Saltmarsh 75. How will I get on? I'll let you know...
