Another week's running is behind me. It consisted of a run with the Seaford Striders, an agreeable session, half off-road, some speed work on Seaford front, a four miler over Seaford Head and, the crowning glory of the week, a twelve-mile excursion in the company of Claire of the BSMS runners. It was the most beautiful September morning, and the view, sometimes those views where one sees little glimpses of the sea, were the finest there could be.
I'll describe this last in as much detail as I can recall. We met at Falmer, and, ignoring some triathletes (is there any weekend when there isn't a triathlon in Sussex), set forth under the shadow of the new Brighton and Hove Albion stadium. I don't subscribe to the view of those who hate this building, but if I still worked for BSMS and had an office in Mayfield House, I might be a bit miffed at having lost my view. We ran through Falmer village and out on the road, then off on the path to Blackcap. The final section before Blackcap can be a morass of mud and cow poo, but, in spite of the previous night's rain, it was still mostly solid underfoot. Then we turned west, observing the beacon above Lewes, and headed to Ditchling Beacon, dodging a few runners and many bikers all wearing red shirts. Then I trod a stretch of the South Downs Way I have never run on, until we turned off towards the sea; Claire told me that this route ,might take us near the Chattri, though in fact we only glimpsed it from a distance.
By now I felt a little weak, and was dismayed to see a steep climb back to Stanmer Wood above us. A hill was the last thing I needed, and I wondered if I could run it all, but I kept going and arrived at the top, though some hundred paces behind Claire. Then we crossed the road to Ditchling and cam down through the woods above Stanmer; in a few weeks these will be brown and gold.
On arrival at Falmer I found that the bottle of Powerade that I thought I had put in my bag wasn't there. But I had water and Claire had fig rolls, which she generously shared with me.
Distance this week: 26.47
Two weeks till the Firle Half Marathon
Thirty weeks till the Brighton Marathon
