Geographical area, or personality critique?

Caesar's Camp.

This could mean either: "An encampment belonging to Caesar" or "Caesar is known to pose in an exaggerated fashion"

I'm fairly sure it's the first, but the second makes me smile. Tonight's run made the most of this geographical area, and some excellent work by an event planner by the name of Henk Van Der Beek, who is known for NOT posing in an exaggerated fashion.



Map showing Caesar posing in an exaggerated fashion

 A few years back, Henk, local endurance runner and general Dutch hardcase, created a set of events called the Caesar's Camp Endurance Runs. Held each October, with entry options of Thirty, Fifty or a Hundred miles, each race uses a ten mile lap, around which the distances are achieved. After year one, the route was tweaked to make it more brutish, and now includes over 1500ft of ascent per revolution. Both the Hundred and Fifty start at midday and go into/through/beyond the night, whereas the "Midnight Thirty" starts at.... wait for it..... midnight. Each year it attracts more and more runners, of an increasingly high calibre.

I've had a couple of stabs at these events myself as they're so close to home. In between, I'll occasionally run the route, which remains permanently scored into my memory for three reasons:

1. Because running laps at night with only your mortality for company will do that to you.

2. Because the route is a work of genius, as within just a couple of square miles, it manages to extract over ten miles of everything, including crippling ups and terrifying downs, flat slogs and fast blasts, and generally, some amazing, demanding running on a mix of surfaces. If you don't believe me, check out my GPS track on RunningFree.

3. Other than running up and down the same hill for the sake of it, this is undoubtedly the most engaging, and most challengeing  long-distance short-hill training route I know within a fifty miles.

My most regular running buddy, James, has accompanied, and led, me on runs through this area for years, but he's never actually run THE route. So this evening, we did.

What a night to pick. I had sat in my office all day watching rain, and then sleet fall heavily outside, knowing that the trails would be thick in mud, and the pebbly ascents loose and slick. Briliant any other day, but not in the testing depths of Janathon.

The temperature hovered around a balmy two/three degrees as we ran, but other than the occasional spot of rain, and clouds of mist in the beams of our headtorches, from the ankles up it was a mostly dry run. To be honest, I was partly grateful for the squelchiness underfoot, my knees felt better tonight than they did a week ago!

Average pace for the outing was exactly ten minutes per mile, markedly slower than most of my recent running, but then this route is significantly more demanding than a regular trail run. James was also finding it hard going, but then I've put in a bit more training than him this year (ho ho!). Having contemplated avoiding this route until February, I'm glad we did it.

We tried to take couple of pictures, but the air was so misty as soon as we stopped for more than a second we were surrounded by fog. I have half a dozen action shots of "grey" on my phone, which you can probably live without, and our fingers were getting numb trying to work the tiny buttons.

My turn to cook the chilli this evening, which wasn't as good as James's, but went very well with a litre of banana flavoured For Goodness Shake. Classy.


Summary:
Today: 12.1 miles, 2:00 hrs, 1664 cals
January: 84.1 miles, 11:58 hrs, 11486 cals

Dahn Sahf to Oop North

Today I ran from Surrey to Yorkshire. And back. Kind of. 

The odyssey began with a short (but very early) potter to my nearest train station, complete with rucksack containing warm clothes, laptop, towel etc. Sitting in the heated carriage in my slightly sweaty running gear, the noise of the train drowned out the grumbling of my knees, and I was soon enjoying a nice sleep.

An hour later I awoke, stepped from the train, and jogged across the concourse of Waterloo and onto the dark streets of central London. Heading north over a windswept Thames I pulled my shirtsleeves down over my knuckles, and hoped that by the time I reached the crest, the exertion of the incline would have warmed me up a bit.

Trying to find a comfortable running form between the constant stop-start of road crossings, and pedestrian hip-swerves proved a bit tricky. Too fast, and the weight of my pack was forcing me to hit the ground hard; too slow, and the pack seemed to want to eat my shirt from the back with every step. I’m sure that in my headtorch and reflective ankle bands I looked fetching enough, without adding an exposed midriff to the ensemble. Luggage issues aside, this was a great time to be running across town, and I’m eternally surprised more rat racers don't begin their day this way.

York Minster - a fleeting glimpse



But my journey was taking me further. Arriving at London Kings Cross at the end of this second leg, I then boarded my next train of the day, and settled down to another kip. This is definitely my kind of interval training. Still in my sweaty top, (which is a kind off off-white I like to call "laundry-oversight blue") I had no trouble in securing a spare seat beside me, and with a bit of rare legroom, awoke in time for my stop at York.

Which marked the start of today's third run. I may have mentioned a sporadic work schedule, and less than 24hrs earlier I had been summoned to a team meeting at my client’s offices, on a business park to the north of York. For the first time I wasn’t rushing to make it to my train, but without the clock against me, the rain had a go instead, so I tried not to hang about.

Once at the office I washed and changed, to see the arrival of the other two members of the Planning Team, who’d also just run in from the station, from Glasgow and Edinburgh. There’s no doubt that Adventure Sports Event Planners are a certain breed, as whilst this was the first time I’d arrived on foot, they thought nothing of it, and probably assumed I’d left another folding bike "folded" under a London taxi.



Six hours of meetings followed, which was typically an hour less than we’d have needed to wrap things up (TR=ta+1, where "TR" is Time Required, and "ta" is Time Available). Promptly using up my buffer to extract myself from the meeting, I scarpered out the door to catch my train with no time to spare. The GPS checkers among you will see a manually tweaked track in my RunningFree data for Leg 4, but when you’re pushing eight minute miles just to get the train home, you don’t hang about waiting for your GPS to find a satellite. Fortunately I caught sight of Stewart from our team, who'd left ahead, he's an excellent orienteer, so I caught him up and ran with him along the river. Slightly longer, devoid of pedestrians and road crossings, so suitably quick (thanks Stewarty!).



The illuminating South Bank - London Waterloo



More sleeping on the train back to Kings Cross, and a much more relaxed run to Waterloo. I learnt a while ago that there's no fast link to be had here, so after running almost to Waterloo station, subway works diverted me back towards the river, so I took an five minute detour to enjoy a stretch of South Bank.

By the time I alighted from my final train, my legs were just about shot. My bag felt like it had gained another rock, and my thighs were complaining with every uphill step. Unfortunately, my stubborn streak trumped my complaining legs, and keen to complete the day with another orignal return route, I decided to take the alternative hilly option for good measure.

So there we go. One rucksack, two aching quads, three counties, four trains, six runs, and another fourteen-and-a-bit miles in the bank. That which doesn't kill us......


Summary:
Today: 14.9 miles, 2:01 hrs, 1962 cals
January: 72.0 miles, 9:57 hrs, 9822 cals

Powerlines and waterlines

Another new route for tonight's bipedal excursion, which meant some brand new trails for me to run within just a few miles of my house. Since necessity is the second cousin of "where the heck am I gonna run tomorrow?", I'm still quite glad that I set a private Janathon goal of not running the same route twice, as although I may end up with a sprained brain (let alone everything else), I'm considering my surroundings a little more.

Like many people, and probably most runners, I can be a creature of habit. My main reason for running is to unwind, and I like to be able to zone out and let my feet follow familiar trails. However, since I moved house in the summer, all my routes are really extensions or rehashes of my previous ones. I've never really stretched myself from my new address. I'm feeling stretchier everyday.

With today's work day lasting a little longer than hoped, were it not Janathon, I'd have foregone a run completely. As it was, I left the house at nine, and within half a mile was off the tarmac, and winding my way uphill onto the military training area of Caesar's Camp. I followed the perimeter as close as I could on vehicle tracks and deerpaths, with the main road never more than 100ft away. Passing the hidden trig point marking Beacon Hill I clattered down the steepest section of fireroad I know to exist (known a the "Ski-jump" by local runners), and picked up the overhead powerlines that cut through the woods.



Mmmmmmm....... new shoes

I remember trying to follow these lines as a kid on a bike, and giving up within a few hundred metres of each road intersection. Back then they were heavily overgrown, as people tended to stay off the military land. Nowadays the whole area is a wealth of criss-crossing paths used by dogwalkers, runners and best of all, kids on bikes.

I'd seen the swathe cut by the lines of poles on GoogleEarth (where would we be without it?), so tonight, I linked together all the sections across Caesar's Camp, Tweseldown Racecourse, and into Eversley Woods. Eventually as they entered the town, and I turned on the trails to pick up the Basingstoke Canal for the return, a few miles east, to Aldershot Military Town, then a final tarmac slog over my hill, and home.

I would love to include photographs of the many deer and foxes that accompanied me tonight, particularly as some of them just stood firm while I passed within six feet, but even though I can spot their eyeshine from almost half a mile with my Ay-Up headtorch, my camera prefers to focus on spots of rain, and the blurry brambles two feet infront. So here's a photo of my new roadshoes instead, fresh from the postman this morning. Spoil yourself, scratch the screen for that new-shoe smell.


Summary:
Today: 11.4 miles, 1:28 hrs, 1607 cals
January: 57.1 miles, 7:56 hrs, 7860 cals

Last day of the holidays

Only three days into Janathon, and already I've enjoyed the lease of life it has brought my running. The 2011 working year begins again tomorrow with a bump, and our plodding exploits will have one more thing to fit around between Monday and Friday.

The working week is often a bit of an unknown for me. With very little notice I can find myself in other parts of the country, and whilst this might give me the opportunity to log some miles in interesting locations, finding (and fitting in) a good run, of an appropriate distance, with easy directions can be a test. I'm also very wary of rocking up at a B&B at 10pm, in fell shoes, caked in a cocktail of mud and sweat to ask for a room.


So for today's run I was keen to make the most of the time available. I was pondering where I might head to, when I got a text from a running-club buddy, Fiona, asking whether I might like to join her and Angela for a gentle morning run. This sounded perfect, as she suggested a location I run from very rarely, so at 9:30 we met in the wharf carpark by the Barley Mow pub in Dogmersfield, and joined by Angela, set off for a bimble along the country lanes towards Hartley Wintney and Winchfield.  

GV & Angela at Barley Mow Bridge (pic taken by Fiona)

Chatting as we ran, we discussed Janathon (it seems both Angela and Fiona have been following blogs via Facebook), aswell as their own trail-run and marathon goals for this year. They're both keen (and strong) runners and like many of us are looking forward to getting back into their strides after the holidays.

Both of them ran a tough cross-country for our club yesterday in really sticky conditions, so an easy pace suited us all round, and after a five and a half mile lap, they headed off for a cuppa, while I decided to make the most of the Basingstoke Canal towpath. I was looking forward to a little blast from the past, as this section of the canal harks back to my childhood, when I used to cycle the ten miles from my home to this point, and then onwards, to try and discover the canal's end.

The intention was to try and log another five miles or so, but as I continued to enjoy this trip down memory lane, under old brick bridges that now only carry pedestrians and horses, I realised that I wasn't too far from the western extent of the canal, the Greywell Tunnel. Apparently the canal used to connect Basingstoke to the river Wey, and then the Thames, but was never a commercial success. Hence when a section of roof collapsed within the Greywell Tunnel, the canal fell into disrepair, until a society was formed to rejuvenate it, along with over thirty miles of towpath. With colonies of protected bats now resident at Greywell, this is as far as the canal will ever stretch, and today, this also marked my target, and turning point. 





Odiham Castle & GV, more than a little dilapidated

On the return leg I paused to take a couple of snaps of the remains of Odiham Castle, which has always struck me as one of the most penetrable looking fortresses you might find. Constructed from little bits of flint and a lot of mortar, I suspect that its inherent vulnerability, and lack of decent building materials is the reason it remains standing to this day. I could imagine the disappointment for its first assailants, as having swiflty undermined, or smashed its walls, they realised it was simply too fragile to be worth rebuilding in situ, and its materials too poor to be worth pinching for other buildings, and it has probably stood here since.

The return to the Barley Mow was more smooth running, and as I felt increasingly loose, I was aware my pace continued to creep upwards. I made a mental note of the recuperative effects of an easy five miles at the beginning of a long-ish run, and quietly thanked Angela and Fiona for setting me up so well for this little extension, hoping they'd be proud of my Day Three efforts.

Another great run in a new location, which I wouldn't have done were it not for Janathon. I'm slightly nervous about the next four days, and the impact of the day-job, when I'll have to plan a collection of much shorter outings. However, I'm sure my legs will thank me for the respite, and with luck, be refreshed for next weekend.


Summary:
Today: 15.2 miles, 2:03 hrs, 2136 cals
January: 45.7 miles, 6:28 hrs, 6253 cals



Into the Valley

Yesterday's stops, starts, ups and downs definitely took their toll on the quads, so for Day Two I was looking for something a little flatter.

Trouble is, I live halfway up a hill (or is that halfway down?), so unless I bike or drive to another location, there'll be a lump in it somewhere.

Accepting my hill would need to be overcome, I consulted the Ordnance Survey to work out the gentlest way over it, and stumbled upon the nearby source of a stream, which flowed north to eventually join the Thames some twenty miles away. More importantly, I discovered that when a dual carriageway heading in the same direction was constructed in the 90's, the planners created an accessible riverside trail along the first half of its length, the "Blackwater Valley Path".

So this morning I ran up and over my hill, heading due north on straight roads for a few miles, to where I could swing right, and intercept the Blackwater Valley Path at a suitable location. I figured the very gentle descent would be a good warm up for the legs, and the gradual ascent of the return leg would be less noticeable on the twisty riverside trails.
 

GV on the Blackwater Valley Path

It turned out to be a pretty good run, and despite my tired legs, fairly fast and flowing. Providing I ignored the occasional litter blackspots and chainlinked industrial estates, it wasn't a bad place to be. In sections, it gave the impression of no-mans-land, pinned between the front lines of urban sprawl and super-road, but within this sliver, the wildlife seemed to thrive. It's refreshing to see more than one heron, and both types of native woodpecker on the same run.

A couple of quick stops to check the map (and some confusion when I forgot to restart my watch), and I managed to round up a testing  start to a satisfying twelve miles. Despite now very achey legs I'm already looking forward to another reasonable distance tomorrow, before it's back to work, and trying to squeeze in shorter runs (and shorter blogs) when I can.


Summary:
Today: 12:0 miles, 1:36 hrs, 1558 cals
January: 30.6 miles, 4:24 hrs, 4117 cals

The Hardest Day

Whether you're hiking across a mediterranean island, or making the most of a snowy week in the alps, whenever you commit to a period of activity that spans more than a few days, Day Two is a killer.

Day One is easy. Other than a bit of last-minute faffing to overcome, you're generally starting from a state of  rest, with your mind set to take that first step. Soon enough Day One is all but done, and on completion, you're left with the proud glow of a journey well begun.



..and then the cold light of Day Two dawns, and with it, the achey payoff of Day One's exploits. You consider how much worse you feel this morning than you did yesterday, and you dread that a similar effort today will leave you feeling worse still tomorrow. With the sickening fear that as bad as you feel this morning might be the best you'll feel for many days to come, it suddenly feels like that mountain just got a lot bigger, and lot steeper.

The steel-willed may relish this heightened sense of challenge that Day Two brings, but those that have been here before may feel a certain familiarity, and with it the comforting knowledge that once Day Two out of the way, the challenge only gets easier. Each day that is overcome provides one more accomplishment to take forward, to one less trial. Inevitably there comes a growing realisation that you can climb this mountain, day by day, step by step.

Very soon, us Janathoners (Janathonists?) will be getting into our grooves. We'll revise our routines, and pick up good habits, and each day, instead of dwelling on the achievements of our last run, our minds will focus on the preparation for tomorrow's. Unthinkingly, we'll be motivating ourselves by treating every "yesterday" like a Day Two, and every "tomorrow" like a Day One.

Well done all those that overcame the Hardest Day. The only thing that should stop you now is February.

  

Everso Surrey....

What better way to start Janathon, than nineteen miles through the leafy lumps of Surrey?

I had every intention of enjoying my Old Year's Night without the having to stop short, so rather than planning a solo run with nothing but my dented resolve for company, I opted to enter the Surrey Inns Kanter, and put my fate in the hands of the Surrey Long Distance Walkers Association.


Wearily showing my completion certificate
in front of Tilford Village Hall



Starting and finishing in the picturesque village of Tilford, the 'Kanter is a kind of treasure hunt. It begins with the issue of a list of questions, such as "How many planks in the footbridge?", and a corresponding list of grid references, where the answers can be found. These control points are scattered amongst local features including Frensham Pond, Hindhead's "Devils Punch Powl", and Thursley Common, and with no course markings and no support points, participants have to find their way round with an OS map, carrying all their own gear. 

Whilst all questions must be answered correctly to qualify, the choice of routes between checkpoints is down to the individual, depending on how confident or fit they're feeling. This format favours the eagle-eyed as much as the fleet-footed, and trying to think on the hoof is an interesting element to mix up your running.

Today we were treated to ideal conditions in some excellent surroundings: cool and comfortable throughout, and scores of walkers and horseriders exchanging "Happy New Year"s.

I try to push myself quite hard in these events, trying to run smart, and navigate bravely for a good finish. Despite the event's official "non-competitive" status, there's always some friendly sport between the runners, and today I managed to get the better of my peers, completing in 2:46 for a cracking start to the year, and my Janathon!

Summary:
Today: 18.55 miles, 2:46 hrs, 2559 cals
January: ditto!