I'm back!

[Beads]

Did you miss me?

I've been lurking and reading the occasional post while away for the week but not posting and not logging my runs.

We went up to Northumberland, stayed in a cottage at Warkworth. I ran a few times, did a few cycle rides (one long and 2 'before breakfast' jobbies), walked the dog and generally pottered around. Strangely enough I saw very few runners out and about and of them one had a red 'Sunderland 10k' t-shirt on and the rest were in 'normal' clothes, it must have been a strange sight for the local residents, me running past in bright fluorescent pink!

The only thing of note, running-wise, was a distinct lack of river crossings. I did a search on MapMyRun before we went. looking for runs in and around Warkworth. Found a few and printed about 3 of them out. Got there Friday afternoon and went out Saturday morning, out the cottage, turn left, along the river, up to the road, over the bridge along the footpath, back to the river, yep, there's the river, nice and deep, 20 yards or so wide, flowing well, the route takes me across here, on the OS map there's a bridleway going across that I should be following, steep bank, 5 ft drop to the river, how the heck!!!! Up and down through the woods, back track to the road, along the road, maybe I'm in slightly the wrong place, carry on, turn left across a field and try to make my way back to the river, found the railway line, found the river, keep running (this was meant to be an easy 8k route), keep running, the railway crosses the river I'll be able to get across there, hmmmm very high bridge, no can do. Admit defeat and phone 'home', please check the map and let me know if there's any other way across, no? Whaddya mean no? Not unless you want a 5 mile detour (no, no, this was an easy run!), have to run back on myself (I hate doing that)! Blast (and other words which may or may not comprise 4 letters)! Anyway, I got home safely and never did find the way across, I never got back out to run the route in the opposite direction.

Sunday was a bike ride before brekkie and back out running on Monday. This one was going to be a medium to longish run, along the bike path, into Alnmouth and back along the Northumberland Coastal path. It's a proper long distance footpath/bridleway, there's got to be a way across the river that the bridleway crosses. I'm not going to believe these blinking maps any more. Anyway, the tide was out, it was a sandy beach, it wasn't too wide so sod it, I took my shoes and socks off and waded across, it came just over the bottom of my shorts, a flat fish swam away from me, squeee!!!! And the best thing was when I hit the mud/sand on the other side I carried on running and only put my shoes and socks on again when I hit a more stony area, I would LOVE to have the sort of surface where I could run with naked feet!

The rest of the running was uneventful (apart from really tired legs on Tuesday so I cut short the run, persuaded myself that 'this' was the bridleway I wanted so I ended up running round a farmer's field and squeezing through a fence to get back on the proper path). I'm now heading over to MapMyRun to upload the week's activities and see how far I ran/cycled (wonder if I managed the 'magic' 100k?).

See you soon!

[suzybenj Graduate]

funny you mention it - but I was thinking about you yesterday wondering what you were up to. Now we know - flipping heck that all looks amazingly active- well done. i do hope you did the magic 100k.

I am just starting the 10k programme -which I have been dabbling with since june - but too many interruptions to give it serious attention. But now nothing until xmas - so no excuses!

[Beads Graduate in reply to suzybenj]

Nope, no excuses! 10k by Christmas!

[Beads Graduate]

Did it! Not that I was aiming to before we went, it's just a nice fuzzy thought. I ran 43.7k and biked 74.9. Hmmm, not pretty numbers, going to have to make that 50k run and 75k biked next time! I like round numbers! No wonder my legs are tired!!!! Unfortunately it was all outweighed (literally, as I've been back on the scales this morning) by all the wine and cheese and other goodies consumed!

[suzybenj Graduate in reply to Beads]

ah yes and the post holiday diet....I'm on that too. well done on the 100k plus - however you did it no mean achievement.

[ju-ju- Graduate]

sounds like a fabulous holiday and its good to see you back here....your runs sound amazing and you really have stacked up the k's thats fabulous progress. Well done you...I am also on the post hilday diet as I have gained a few kilos!!!