Stepping up(and down!) after Parkrun 17!

[aliboo70]

Well, after initial lack of motivation today, had small porridge and tea and after a bit we set off to Medina parkrun! I was sporting new "Go Faster" shorts from Lidl's sale pile(£1.00 !!!!!!!) and Boz sporting new "Go Faster" short haircut and Brooks trainers! Chatted to some mainland runners who didn't know the course(hoped it was flat- and it is!) and they also said they'd been to lots of parkruns and never found runners that weren't nice people which i think i agree with, especially on here!!

Neither of us got a PB today so the "Go Faster" accessories didn't 100% work! Although i am definitely finding the distance easier overall. According to the Garmin it was my 2nd best 5k effort so pleased with that! Boz did really well coming 14th overall in 22.08 and i was 129th in 31.32 out of 174. It was a couple of people's birthdays there today too, so cakes and choc afterwards!!

Back in for large tea and toasted scones with jam -Yummy!

We decided to tackle the breezy weather as it was sunny and headed to Ventnor with Georgie dog a bit later for walk and a snack! Lovely along the seafront, the waves were crashing and the breeze was fresh, decided to look up an old haunt for lunch "Smugglers haven cafe" that i used to frequent years ago when lived nearby. had to trek along the undercliff, on slippery slopes and steps, eventually found the well hidden "Devils Chimney"(see picture- Boz & George dog in action mode!) ............ found this info!

"Take a closer look at the Landslip, you'll notice a small clearing through the bushes that leads down a winding track to what is called the Devils Chimney.

But what is it ? - its a secret pathway that was cut into the rock face down to the bay below, by smugglers. It's hidden away from prying eyes - so make sure you look closely for the opening."

It really WAS well hidden , nearly missed it! Slogged to the top and to the cafe where we sat in the garden looking out to sea with toasted sarnies and rock buns! Then off to find my old flat to show Boz, it has steps cut into the rock face too behind, even steeper this time but going down, must have been over a hundred in that set. Found the flat and reminisced , worked out it was 17 years ago that i moved out, freaky thing was it was EXACTLY to the day(always remember as the next day was when Princess Di died) though i hadn't realised the date til i looked it up later! And also that i saw my Ex-Boyfriend who i lived there with (but he didn't see me!) about 10 mins previous on the main rd! very strange!

Then off down "The Pitts"(thats the road name!) and along and alleyway to ANOTHER set of steep steps around a hundred again back to the road top Ventnor! So i reckon all those will give me good strong legs so i will be fast like MIles_Yonder!!!! maybe not! Think in general though i'm fitter than i was 17years ago when i lived round that way, probably fittest ever, i certainly couldn't run then!!

Back home, grass mowed, guinea pigs cleaned out and collapse for a bit til shopping and George evening walk! Hope everyone is having a good weekend! HAPPY RUNNING

[no-excuse Graduate]

You have had a busy day Ali! Yummy-toasted sarnies and buns- can't be bad! I reckon MY may have some competition from you if you keep finding steps like that! Glad all is going well for you and that you are still parkrunning x

[aliboo70 in reply to no-excuse]

hi no-excuse! how are you? they were exceptionally good toasties too-Cheese and pickle yum! and date and walnut rock cakes -Lovely!

I'm not sure walking up steps counts in the M_Y stakes! though i hope he'll be impressed! Did run up 89 the other day but had to stop and recover for a good minute or so after!! and that was after a walk not run!

Forgot to put in report that i had fun on the last stretch of parkrun today , overtook a girl on the finishing stretch, then creeping up on a guy ahead, he heard me coming and we had a proper race to the end- he won though!! But it was like being back at sports day at school! good fun, made me giggle! But on results hes shown as 17 secs ahead when it was only 1 or 2! think i've been done out of a few secs

[Miles_Yonder Graduate]

Ali!

I found it! I kept missing your post as I'm still getting used to your new avatar!

Well, that sounds like a Most Eventful Parkrun! (MEP)

Well done on a great time, to both you and Boz, both with your go faster shorts, and go faster hair, respectively. And there were birthday goodies afterwards as well - very nice! Us runners are very nice folk, aren't we? That's what I like about races - so many nice folk to chat with, at the start, during and at the end, it's just all so cool for meeting people and chatting.

Onto the steps then. Oh how great they look. I can't help it; as soon as I see a set of steps I automatically assess them for climbing. Handrail, left-hand side. Uneven. Could be slippy. Rock obstruction, top left-hand side. Steps of medium depth. Debris to the left. My strategy with that set would be to handrail up until the depth changes and the rock obstruction becomes an issue, then move over to the right and grab the right-hand rail, though that is my Weak Grabbing Side. (WGS) Ilove stairs.

They look amazing though; you can just imagine smugglers and pirates (yarrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!) clambering up and down them! Thanks for posting!

And you had quite a spooky day with your flat, and seeing your ex! How unusual indeed!

Oh and I think I want one of these fancy Garmins, one with a HRM and one that tells me things like how one run effort compared with another, and how many days I need to rest for to recover!

Great, as ever, Ali; sorry it took me so long to find it!