Tom Roper's Running Training

"Give me a cool drink of water 'fore I die"

From John Henry (trad).
Time: 1:51:46
Average heart rate: 146
Distance: 11.4 miles
Today I took the car to the Seven Sisters Country park and ran over the Sisters, Birling Gap, Belle Tout and nearly to Beachy Head. Though not very far in distance, it was very tough, up and down, up and down very steep slopes, and very exhausting. I tried to count the Seven Sisters in my head as I ascended and descended each one, but lost count (like counting the balls of an over in cricket). Wild daffodils in bud near Belle Tout. Possibly I should choose easier but longer routes.
Total distance this week: 37.3 miles
Now eleven weeks to the London marathon, three till the Sussex Beacon Half Marathon and six till the Hastings Half Marathon

Seaford front

Short run this morning down to the sea where the sun shone brightly, along the front to the base of the cliff where the kittiwakes nest.
Time: 44:57
Distance: 5.1 miles
Average heart rate: 139

Health week run

A different sort of run today, for the University of Sussex's Health Week organised a six mile (they said) run over the downs. I added some extra mileage by running over from the University of Brighton Falmer campus with a colleague and foolishly taking her to the wrong sports centre for the start. But they kindly waited for us.
Time (for the main run): 1:05:00

I subsequently measured total mileage (including the detour) at 7.7 miles

Rest day

Rest day today, and the swimming pool still shut. Rest days in the past two weeks have been consecrated to the pleasures of the table, but as the anti-fascist marble worker is reported as replying to a blackshirt's taunts in Patience Grey's Honey from a Weed, "Credete voi che siamo soltanto affamati per il pane e la minestra? Siamo anche affamati per l"Arte"
So I went to a lunchtime piano recital instead by Richard Casey instead.  A formidable technique and fantastic performances:

Carl Nielsen: Chaconne op 32 (1917)

Györgi Ligeti: Etudes for piano (2nd book) (1988-1994) 8. Fem 10. Der Zauberlehrling 11. En Suspens 13. L'Escalier du diable

Martin Butler: On The Rocks (1992)

Karlheinz Stockhausen: Klavierstück IX (1954, 1961)

Great Wood

Cold today, fingers very numb at the end of a run to Stanmer Park and up into the wood I see is called Great Wood. Dog walkers by the ton, and a party of ramblers on a walk as a part of the University of Sussex health week.
Time: 48 minutes
Distance: 5.1 miles

A27 again

The Newmarket plantation and A27 route again today, as it was sunny, though odd patches of snow on higher bits. Nature notes: biggish green bird and a rabbit. Time: 47 minutes Distance: 4.5 miles

"I got Ford engine movements in my hips...

..ten thousand miles guaranteed". Thus sang Cleo Gibson (I thought it was Bessie Smith, but it seems not). Afraid I can't say the same after yesterday so a short run today to Stanmer Park and into the woods above. The woods seem to be a preferred haunt for professional dog-walkers.
Time: 30 minutes
Distance: 3.5 miles

Alfriston, Cuckmere, Seaford Head

A long run today, along what is roughly the route of the Seaford half marathon; up on the path to Bostal hill, along and down to Alfriston, then the Cuckmere valley to Seaford Head, up along the  cliffs and home. Very sticky, glutinous mud in the Cuckmere valley, the sort that takes shoes and never gives them back. Sheep, larks, swans, oyster-catchers.
Time: 2:25:42
Average heart rate: 147
Distance: 14.1 miles

Total distance this week: 38.9 miles
Now twelve weeks to the London marathon, four till the Sussex Beacon Half Marathon and seven till the Hastings Half Marathon

Short Seaford run

A short local run on a fine cold morning. Ran alternate two minute sessions of hard then easy.
Time: 30:00
Distance: 3.8 miles
Average heart rate: 141 (the monitor seems to have righted itself)

Juggs Road again

Up on the downs today: fine and sunny, though for some reason not always where I was . Hills bright and sharp. A dead sheep.
Time: 52 minutes
Distance: 5.8 miles