Black roads and fields of gold....

[Madge50]

Hi gang, I've been away for a bit, thought you might like the picture. This is me on holiday, yes, my running gear goes with me every time - yes I really said that 😄 I'm training for a 10 miler (slowly, very slowly) and this was one of my 6.5 mile runs.

This is early morning (still hot though!) near the north Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, very rural, known as the bread basket of Europe. Black roads refers to the farm tracks which are often used by locals as alternative driving routes to a) get places quicker than the long straight roads and b) avoid the numerous pot holes that are characteristic of some lesser used roads. The soil is also similar to Black Fen soil, excellent for growing but very dusty when dry. The 'fields of gold' stretch for miles, corn, wheat, sunflowers....I have a tune going through my head 'corn to the left of me, sunflowers to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with you....'

The routes did involve some road running, which have their own adventures, it is unusual to see runners/walkers in this countryside, usually people are going somewhere, I.e the next village or town, so much so that if you are waiting at a bus stop, taxi drivers will stop and pick you up and charge just the bus fare, known as the 'taxi bus', other car drivers will also offer lifts, which we were offered one morning on our way out for our run....😄, on another day a farmer drove across the field to check us out, it's not unusual for a passing car to have all faces turned and looking at you as they drive by...........slowly.........😄

It's a beautiful place to be, the sun just rising, it's warmth begining to come through, watching buzzards slowly circling on the early morning thermals, a weasel popping its head out to have a look at what on earth is trundling up the track! And not least those fields of gold that stretch for miles and miles.

Hope all is good with you

Happy running all

Mx

[Bluebirdrunner Graduate]

Sounds lovely Madge..not converting the locals though?😊😊

Happy holiday..

[Madge50 Graduate in reply to Bluebirdrunner]

Thanks Jan, we saw some people jogging in the town, and you do see the young men jogging along the beach - for exactly how long it's difficult to tell.....think that's more about showing off to the girls that they've been to the gym 😄

I don't think we're going to convince the locals though, they have similar thinking to a cat we used to have, he would only move if there was a purpose to it, food, getting somewhere etc., he would never run if he could walk, he'd never walk if he could sit down. 😄

Mx

[misswobble Graduate]

Well done Madge! Welcome back ☺ I think running on hols is a fab idea? All those new routes! Sounds an interesting place

[Madge50 Graduate in reply to misswobble]

Thanks missw, yes, these were new routes we hadn't tried before, quite exciting, but some of these fields are massive, so you could end up miles away!

Mx

[SuperMouse Graduate]

What a lovely post. Made me laugh at the thought of the locals driving past you slowly with faces all looking lol. Bet you are quite a celeb in the area now? 😃😃

[Madge50 Graduate in reply to SuperMouse]

Thanks super mouse, oh this is normal for Bulgaria, they will just stand and watch you, they probably just think we're crazy! If you're doing something, gardening, whatever, they will actually come up and stand and watch you, there is no sense of being nosey, or shy, they will speak - not that our Bulgarian is any good, but then everyone in the village will know, you've been out, planted a rose, cut the grass etc.,

Mx

[McFitty Graduate]

That looks absolutely gorgeous! My brother has just bought a tumbledown farmhouse in Bulgaria (under £750 on ebay can you believe)! I might have to offer some help with the 'doing up' after seeing your pic. It looks totally serene. But 6.5 miles is over 10k! I really hope to emulate you one day... but very slowly and def not manageable for me yet! Good luck with the training. And I've got Stealers Wheel going round and round in my head now dammit

[Madge50 Graduate in reply to McFitty]

You know what, that's exactly what my other half did! I came home to find him grinning like a silly, saying 'I've just bought a house in Bulgaria on eBay' , ours wasn't much more than that and is done up now, we've had it eight years, in a small village near the Black Sea coast, it's a great place, if you want everything 'on tap' then a village house is not for you, but if you like a bit of an adventure, and happy to be a bit independant, you'll love it.

Well I amazed myself and did 8 miles this morning, very slowly mind, I'm following a 'my asics' plan, it's really boosting my confidence, you put in your goal, how long you've got, how often you want run and it gives you a plan, I now cut back a bit, will do one more longer run, then it's short runs until the event itself.

You will get there, and you'll be amazed that you'll start looking at your routes and go, mmmmm, need more distance...😄 I've seen your posts, you're doing great!

Mx

[McFitty Graduate in reply to Madge50]

Oh my goodness! I've been telling my brother he's bonkers. I'll have to have another look. (although with 2 pooches to transport, I'm not so sure). He is absolutely passionate about Bulgaria. He's in Rakovitsa. Close to the Danube but not close to the coast I don't think.

I've started the whole programme again (sort of). I wanted to try and run a bit faster so I'm doing a couple of runs from the podcasts followed by a 35 minute one at the weekend. Next week I'll do a week 5 and a week 6, the following week I'll do week 7 and week 8 and then once I'm back at week 9 again and doing 3 x 30 minutes I'll start increasing the distance. I'm not sure I like my new shoes They make my knees ache!

[Madge50 Graduate in reply to McFitty]

Bulgaria is a beautiful country, you eat like a king too, very seasonal in produce, although you can get all year round stuff in the supermarkets. If sold here the meat and veg would be classed as 'organic' and be expensive, not there, that's just how it comes, cheap as chips too.

As for the running, I only run twice a week, when doing the programme I found 3 times a week too much and got overuse injuries, since I just relaxed I've moved on in a much better way. I don't care about speed now, I have an aim that I'd like to still be able to run when I'm 80, so slow and steady wins the race! It's taken me ages to get here.

Good luck with your plan

Mx

[poppypug Graduate]

Oh Madge, look at you ! You look fab !

Aw I love that song " Fields of Gold "

"You'll remember me when the west wind moves upon the fields of barley.. tum , tum la la la"

Sounds like you had a wonderful time running on your hols

Lovely , lovely post xxx

[Madge50 Graduate in reply to poppypug]

Thanks pops, I tell you, I'm loving the 'my asics' plan, I'm begining to get tempted for a HM in the spring, I want to see how this 10 miler goes first. So I'm on your tail! (You're getting quicker though!)

Yep, the runs went really well, despite the heat, I found that visor thing brilliant, I think I'm like a horse that needs blinkers, I hate the heat directly on my face and I don't like looking too far ahead - especially if there are hills 😁

Yes, one of my favourite tunes too.

Mx

[AncientMum Graduate]

Hi Madge50 Good to hear from you. Training for a 10miler? Blimey!! You're going to be streets ahead of me when we do the Wings For Life next year. I'd better get me an Asics plan and start putting some training in, lol

[Madge50 Graduate in reply to AncientMum]

Hi AM, oh, no, no ,no, I am very slow, I don't think I'd get much further than I did this year 😄, don't you worry! And if the entry numbers shoot up, it'll take ages to get across the start, by which time we'll already be down 10 minutes or so! 😄

We could let DC's tyres down.........

And it's a long way off yet.......

Mx

[Irishprincess Graduate]

Hi Madge, yes I like the picture 😊 You're doing brilliantly by the sound of it. And that all sounds gorgeous. Go you and good luck with the 10 miler 👏

[Madge50 Graduate in reply to Irishprincess]

Thanks IP, yep, it's the old mantra, go slow, then go slower.....it works.....

Hope all is good with you

Mx

[Curlygurly2 Graduate]

Oh! Madge I missed this post! You look great, and that looks so lovely for running...

[Madge50 Graduate in reply to Curlygurly2]

Hey Curly, yes it's lovely, we were very lucky to have such lovely routes to run, the down side is the roads are long and straight, just go on for miles, so can be a bit boring.

Still on the 10 mile plan, been out and done the biggie 15k/9.5 miles this morning - hard work, I had to really dig in for the last couple of k. Event is in two weeks, at Wimpole Hall, so the terrain is going to be pretty challenging. We taper now 😄, always makes me laugh that!

When are you back? Do you fancy Cambridge Town and Gown 10k? 16th October , we're in.

Mx

[Curlygurly2 Graduate in reply to Madge50]

I get home late on Thursday 13th, I always find the journey mucks up my running for a couple of weeks, so probably not! I am hoping to do some Parkruns this time, but for one reason or another I only managed a couple last winter, as you know, hopefully things will be better this year. We have made the first moves to sell the house in France, I'm really bored here now, it's either freezing or boiling and we spend most of the time hiding from the weather one way or the other lol. And not to mention the hills, and limited running routes....and the fact that I miss all the events. I might feel more enthusiastic if I was in Cambridge all the time....

15K? Bloomin' well done!

[Madge50 Graduate in reply to Curlygurly2]

Oh that would be great to see you at parkrun, they've re surfaced some of the paths, so they're great now, also no dogs on the run anymore as it was getting too congested, and not everyone is good at controlling them......the numbers went over 500, it won't be that much through the winter though! 😄

Yes, the 15k, my legs certainly know it! I'm a bit stiff, I'm putting my faith in the plan I've got, as now I cut back until 'race day'.

Good luck with your plans in France, look forward to seeing you soon.

Mx

[Curlygurly2 Graduate in reply to Madge50]

That sounds good about the resurfacing! I would like to do Stamina at PR one of these days, I always get a good time with that!

Just Googled the Town and Gown race, it looks fun...I'll see how I feel when I get home, I can't see a closing date for entries. I haven't done much distance running here it's just been too hot. Are you wearing the orange kit?

[Madge50 Graduate in reply to Curlygurly2]

I think they take entries on the day, last year Rick was late registering (I didn't do it) and had to pick his number up on the day, otherwise they get sent out in the post.

It's the week after our 10 miler so I won't be going fast!

I've got parkrun orange (I think they call it apricot) t-shirts or an odd peachy/orange bright one, not sure yet, Rick got the orange t-shirt as a finisher last year, but it's just a standard cotton one, so I doubt he will wear that. Rick did really enjoy it, which is why he wanted to do it again, all flat, all round Cambridge

I expect poppy is getting notices every time we message here (sorry pops) poppypug , shall we move to email/direct message?

Mx

[Madge50 Graduate in reply to Curlygurly2]

Sorry, curly, didn't follow the right thread, thought it was on poppypugs weekly chat thread! Doh! What a nelly , sorry pops! poppypug 😁

Having a senior moment! It was doing that 15k yesterday, sent my brain a bit doolally 😳 - too many jelly babies.......

Mx

[Curlygurly2 Graduate in reply to Madge50]

Since I've been here I've reduced my distance considerably, it's been so hot. I've done 11, & 9K last week but not nonstop, I have to have a break where I find shade! I'm much slower now..I see it's also fancy dress though.. I'll keep you posted xx