And then I got high!

[SueAppleRun]

And goodness me I enjoyed it. According to Garmin 146 metres and back down over 4 kilometres. I wanted to try out the trail shoes once more before I invested in a better pair, they were fine, which makes me realise it was me and not the shoes last time I wore them.

I jogged gently up the road until I reached the track, spoke to a couple of people, turned and took some photos of the sea glinting in the distance. Realised I hadn't got anything to blow my nose on, looked back to where I'd left the car and decided if I went back down this hill I wouldn't come back up again, so onwards, very slow running but my legs feel good and strong so on I go.. a decision to be made, up over the top or round the outside? I looked left and the track was narrow, overgrown with brambles. Over the top it is then. So going up I remember what looks like the top isn't, it goes a bit flat and up again. Well worth the effort though, I stopped, turned full circle and gazed at the beauty that is the South Downs. It's steeper the other side so very little running was done going down, steep and narrow but through the gate and joined the round the hill track. It's 23 degrees but there's a little breeze which makes it feel perfect.

This track splits in two in places, just wide enough for a bike, a guy on a bike stayed on one track to let me pass, we exchanged a grin and I thanked him.

My poor feet had to go single file, one in front of the other, I can't run like that so I walked even though it was flatter. So narrow that a bramble grabbed my arm on the way past and left its mark.

Now down and down back towards the car, I'd taken a drink of water with a hydration tablet in it and nearly finished this. There was more water in the car which I drank when I got there.

So. ... I got really high this morning and had a wonderful time, saw flowers, trees, birds and butterflies, listened to gentle songs on my headphones, gazed across green fields, hedges and the sea, breathed sweet air away from traffic and realised how lucky I am

Happy weekend, run or rest well.

[Gthants 60minGraduate]

The South Downs are SO beautiful! Terrific run and lovely pics.

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Gthants]

Thanks, I don't do that often enough

[59er Graduate10]

Well done you. You're lucky to live in such a beautiful place to run AND have the sun shine. 🙂

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to 59er]

Yes I know

[Annieapple]

🍏 No wonder you are on a high! Point me to the skies says that photo! The South Downs is remarkably picturesque with those vast skies especially when you are high up. Love your posts Sue.. you really take us along with you.. 🤗💝

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Annieapple]

Thanks Annie, it's so lovely up there

[Sulley101 Graduate10]

That sounds lovely, beautiful nature away from the usual day to day noises and fumes! 😊

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Sulley101]

Yes, much as I love the beach I love the Downs too 😁, and if course the river 🤣 but getting up there more often will make running on the flat easier

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10]

Wow-what a run! Absolutely epic stats with all that climbing. Amazing pictures too. Massive well done to you-I’m smiling just reading about it. I bet you’ll be grinning for ages! ❤️❤️❤️

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to MissUnderstanding]

I have been hungry and eating since I got home, I wanted to go out today because that meant I'd worn all my running gear this week since Monday, it's now blowing gently on the line all ready for the coming week, yes I'm grinning, it's quite an achievement for me to run however slow up those hills, I used to have to stop to catch my breath just walking upwards 😁

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

It’s so wonderful to see progress like that. I think hills are brilliant for really showing up how much fitter you now are. You deserve to be super proud of yourself

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to MissUnderstanding]

Thank you, I am 😁

[Jools2020 Graduate10]

that’s a brilliant run! You’re turning into a trail runner. Oh I can imagine how wonderful it was to look at the views after the effort of getting up there!

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Jools2020]

I've always loved it up there Jools, but haven't been for a while, hills are good for us aren't they? The going up was the easy bit, going down the other side was steep and the narrow tracks not safe enough to run, it evolves, I've been there before where there's nice wide tracks, it depends on the rangers going across in their buggy things when we've had a lot of rain to make the paths wider

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

Hills are my nemesis! 😀

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Jools2020]

I shall try and go up there once a week, it's where I do hill repeats, up a bit down a bit 🤣

[Dexy5 Graduate10]

A lovely post  SueAppleRun , glad the trails felt better when running on trails. They anre invaluable on soft ground and grass .

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Dexy5]

Thank you Dexy5 I think I wasn't very well still and nothing felt right, I went out in my favourite Brooks the next day and they felt awful too, this morning I put the trail shoes on and they felt fine, at home, driving and definitely better for all that loose chalk and springy grass

[CBDB Graduate10]

Fabulous! Gorgeous! Love the title … and the pics…. And the post … and the sound of your run!

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to CBDB]

The song is Because I got high, but that didn't fit 😂😂😂

[CBDB Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

🤣🤣

[Cmoi Graduate10]

What a fab run SueAppleRun , well done!

Is the 146m elevation gain the raw one from Garmin, or is it what came up on Strava? I ask because I've noticed that recently my Garmin Connect elevation gain figures can be significantly higher than what shows up on Strava. Distance, however, tends to come up shorter on Garmin than on Strava.

I'm used to discrepancies if I record the same run on Strava with my mobile and also with my watch, and that's logical because they're not using the same GPS. However here I'm talking about discrepancies between the same run recorded on Garmin and how it shows on Strava - I assume there's a conversion between the two systems!

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Cmoi]

So it could actually be 111, all I know is it's really steep

Hills

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to SueAppleRun]

That's Garmin

Hill

[Cmoi Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

Thanks for the graphs. Looking at them I think that the 146m is probably height above sea-level, and the elevation gain (or vertical) is 111m. You started at 41m and went up to 146m, but then dropped and rose again, which is why the elevation gain total is more than 105m. That's pretty hilly, definitely the sort of thing that would give many forum members the screaming heebie-jeebies!

I live at 680m above sea-level. According to Garmin Connect, during my most recent run the lowest altitude was 539m and the highest 703m, overall elevation gain of 247m. But that was over 11-ishkm, so much flatter than your run!

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Cmoi]

Oh good, thank you for the explanation, I'll have to remember that unless I start from home I need to deduct where I start to sea level, anyway, it is steep, the hill is called Steepdown 😁 but much harder going down the other side where it's short and sharp, that once a week should make the flat river route feel easy

[Cmoi Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

Garmin will automatically calculate the elevation gain for you - it's in the Garmin stats, and shown in that Strava image. It's just a matter of not assuming that elevation gain is the same as the maximum elevation, which occasionally people do. Happy trails!

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Cmoi]

Thanks, I so love it up there even if I'm slower than walking on the flat

[Cmoi Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

Sending a solidarity hug 🤗

I have never, ever giggled with joy or been moved to tears during or after a faster, flatter run. Stick me up a hill or in a forest, and I feel alive.

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Cmoi]

Ah...don't get me started on trees, brought up on a farm called the Oaks and spent more time up a tree than on the ground. There is a small wood near where I was today but it was up another hill and just wouldn't have been sensible, but another day I'll park somewhere else and run through the trees

[Week7 Graduate10]

Beautiful. Lovely weather too!

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Week7]

It was a good day

[RunBrianRun Graduate10]

That’s a lovely and uplifting post Sue. Loved it. Really well done on taking the high road and completing it despite your bramble encounter. 👍👏👏👏

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to RunBrianRun]

Thank you for taking the time to read it Brian, your head must be so full of travel and races, I'm surprised you can sit long enough to read anything, my poor arms always take the brunt of everything, between dog, cat, rucksack (don't ask) and brambles they are a bit of a mess, I could do with cold weather and long sleeves, but I heal fast. The Downs are my favourite place, when it's not the beach, river, park or just streets 🤣🤣

[Redbook5 Graduate10]

What a beautiful place you live in! Thank you for sharing - you’ve inspired me to tackle those hills!

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Redbook5]

Just remember with hills especially, there is no shame in taking walk breaks

[Jell6 Graduate10]

That was joyful 🥰 Hills...shudders!

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Jell6]

Not as much running as I'd hoped, too overgrown, but worth it to look upon the world

[Doris8 Graduate10]

Lovely day for a run. Think would suit me walking. Send some of your blue sky up here and warmth. Great photos.

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to Doris8]

The blue sky has gone and rain and thunder are promised, I'll be out in it with the dog tomorrow.Hope you get some blue sky and sunshine before the next round of wind and rain

[Hedgehogs123 Graduate10]

sounds a lovely run and such a lovely place to run too, you're very lucky!

[Cowladyrunning Graduate10]

How lovely that sounds! Love the photos too 😍