Bank holiday trots on the Mere Way

[nowster]

Monday 26 August 9.40am. Sunny and warm. 21→24°C

I'm a recovering regular runner of many years trying to build up back from a period of inactivity.

I've been away for the weekend and staying at a chain hotel which lets you check out at noon. I'd had a rubbish night due to reflux (a combination of sinus problems and eating at a barbecue for two evenings) and nothing to treat it with other than drinking water.

I'd had a rest day on Sunday after Saturday's parkrun. My watch had said I was "overreaching" and told me to take a rest day.

Anyway it's the last Bank Holiday before Christmas, and it wasn't raining, so I decided I'd get a bit of a run in. I had plotted out a circular route along the guided busway to the next village, along some roads and back along a bridleway. It was a bit ambitious at about five miles and I was running a little late so I decided to scale it back a bit and only do an out-and-back run on the bridleway bit.

Google's StreetView imagery suggested it was a dirt path but, as you can see from the photo above, it's had a bit of an upgrade since they took their photos.

Short sleeved tee shirt, trail shorts, peaked cap and below ankle socks. Also prescription sports sunglasses.

I exchanged nods with the hotel reception staff and went out the automatic sliding doors. The heat hit me. My decision to do a shorter run was vindicated.

I did a five minute warm up walk which took me to the busway. There is a shared pedestrian and cycleway alongside with the Evel Knievel "no motor vehicles" sign (except buses) at each end. A lady went past on an electric scooter (the stand-on a footplate type) which I thought might be marginal.

The terrain is pretty flat. The busway had a junction with another bit of busway but the footpath I wanted was on the far side of the junction. No buses around. Up a narrow passage which went to the edge of the fencing on the bypass, then a left turn through an underpass and on to the bridleway.

No speed target at all today, just running by feel. I'm not even that sure how long the bridleway is.

And then I get an unwelcome feeling in my lower gut. Not surprising given to the upset I'd had during the previous night. I start looking for somewhere off piste in case I need to avoid a messy accident. Eventually there's a dirt path to the right which I explore. I'd found a suitably secluded spot and was just on the point of taking action when the feeling passed. (Having tummy troubles during a run is not unusual and most regular runners will have a tale of having to make an unscheduled detour.)

I restart the watch and jog back to the bridleway, continuing the route. Eventually it met a main road. I paused, looked round, took a photo, then returned the way I'd come.

No pressure at all, so I stopped a few times to take some photos. Back at the underpass I spotted something I hadn't on the way out: there was an impressive mural depicting a rural scene on it, rather than the more expected graffiti. That disorientated me and I overshot the passageway I should have taken. Once I realised I'd missed the footpath (hold on, I can't see the busway) I backtracked and found it.

Back along the path beside the busway, stopping when I guessed I'd probably got a five minute walk left, then walked the rest of the distance back to the hotel.

Getting inside I'm half blind because I'm wearing sunglasses and my eyes have got used to the sunshine outside. I can't take the sunglasses off because I need them to see clearly.

Stats:

Duration: 37'40" in total (28'25" running)

Distance: 5.23km total (4.48 km running)

Splits (by km): 6'13", 5'44", 6'26", 6'54", (last 480m) 6'30"/km

The watch still ranks me as "overreaching".

Tomorrow will be another rest day. I'll probably do a shorter run on Wednesday.

[Indielass00 Graduate]

Well done nowster . I’m glad your pit stop came to nothing in the end! That must be a tricky situation when you feel like that.

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

An exciting, unpredictable but good run... and hopefully, things will settle and the over reaching will cease... well done you.

On the way back , as are a fair few of us right now!

[Annieapple Administrator Graduate]

🍏 A tale of two paths, a non event and success! Well done on getting in a 5k run after a rubbish night. 🙌 ( Emergency treatment for reflux that works better than water & can be found in most hotels is an apple! 🍏 🍎 Peel it if you can!)

[Jools2020 Graduate]

Nicely done, nowster. Good that the emergency was averted!

It really didn’t sound like you were overreaching on this run and it seems like you are taking care.

[nowster Graduate in reply to Jools2020]

It's more that I've been doing more activity intensity and duration than it reckons is good for me after that long break.

I'd already planned to keep it at four runs a week for the next few weeks to make sure that I don't risk injury. Rest days are important. If there is possibly some problem still there, I want to make sure that any tiny aggravation of it has time to heal before I next stress it.

I'll probably do a slightly faster 3 mile loop tomorrow.

[Jools2020 Graduate]

I’m afraid to do 4 runs a week! Although I probably could as most of my running is low effort. Good that you’re having rest days, gives you a proper chance to assess.