After a Wednesday night with the Striders, when I once again fed the insatiable appetite of my group for interval training, and a Peacehaven parkrun, the most significant run of the week was today’s, a ten miler to Bo Peep and back.
Conditions were poor; for the first two or three miles, sheltered from the south-easterly, and in fine drizzle, I thought to myself that this is not too bad. But when I ran onto the more exposed sections of the route, I was exposed to the wind, and alternating sleet and heavier rain. In spite of a waterproof top, I was soaked through by about mile 4. There was mud too; a dog-walker I passed at Fiveways warned me that it was like an ice-rink. And indeed it was, in sections. After that dog walker, I didn’t see a soul till, past Bo Peep, heading up an extra hill to get to the five mile point, when I surprised another dog-walker. Paradoxically, though I was slow on the way out, on the return trip I seemed to find form, and managed a decent pace. Visibility came and went, sometimes I could only see a few yards in front of me, then the rain would clear a little, and I could make out Windover Hill, or Seaford Head, or other features.
I arrived home soaked and frozen. Fortunately Mrs R, home with the flu, had the heating and hot water on. I made myself a dish of pasta and some leftover Abruzzi lamb sauce (it has chillies in it) and felt better.
Total mileage this week: 19.09 miles
Five weeks till the Brighton Half. Running for the BSUH Charity: sponsor me
