So plans have changed again, and it's not my fault. Having found an actual HM and booked it in August I re-re-wrote the plan and was only 2 weeks, one 10 miler away!!!! Came home from hols all excited, checked emails for details and found it: another cancelled race.
Feeling very grumpy, I looked here and realised the 10 mile virtual was this week so I popped on me trail shoes, looked at a map and got dropped off by husband to meet him later. The first 2 miles were glorious, running through woodland trails at Blickling, Norfolk, relaxed and easy feeling good. Then I took a wrong turn, knowing I had a road section to link the trails.....but it went on and on and I realised I'd made a mistake. Meanwhile my tail shoes were jolting on the road and I wished I had the comfy, bouncy shoes on instead. I ended up calling hubby (stupidly he had the map) for directions, which he sent by text as I can only remember 2 instructions at a time.
Setting off down a trail again I spied a local outside his cottage and asked if I was on the right track "Yes" came the answer, but not so straight forward as I thought so he went inside and gave me(!) an OS map, just like the one I should have put in my bag. What a nice chap, feeling much jollier on I jeffed, eating black berries and wishing I had some sweets. The next mile was nicer and I picked up the trail, seeing husband, man-child and dog in the distance, I moved gracefully(ha!) towards them and had a much needed slurp of squash followed by an argument about where to meet. Bless them, they don't understand running to distance. We agreed to rendezvous back at the pub and I duly turned around to run back on the trail I meant to run the first time.
I found the trail, an old railway line, and arrived at the pub on about 8.5 miles, much easier with the map! I found family, ordered a drink and ran another loop around the parkland, followed by a slurp of beer before the final 0.3 mile bit. Then I was ready for lunch, but decided to go for pork scratchings and peanuts instead (menu was way pricier than I expected). The whole thing took two and a half hours, lots of faffing but I really enjoyed the impromtu, adventurous, making it up as I went along aspect.
I do realise I am not a great example of "proper" running training, I'm more of a make it up as I go along type. I will take from this the lesson of a map, and food, honest. And if you've read this far without falling asleep....THANKS FOR LISTENING!
Brighton HM 2019 race report 
Coming up for air - first 10 miler - race report
New shoes 👎 and HM training update 
