‘Give to our tables meat’ (Macbeth 3:6)

[Shake-and-run]

Ilmington is a genteel Cotswold village just 8 miles south of Stratford upon Avon, it has a population of about 800 and is the highest village in Warwickshire (according to an AA guidebook). On 5 Sundays during the winter months runners gather at the sports club on the outskirts of the village to run for sausages! (Meat sausages from a local butcher, flavours vary, this time it was: pork, asparagus and Stilton; and Cumberland and sage. Veggie and vegan ones also available). The race is 10k and the route takes you through the village with its picturesque Cotswolds stone church and cottages.

It also takes you up a hill. On this occasion we went clockwise, up Campden/Nebsworth Hill and down Larkstoke (sometimes it goes the other way). 132m of up over 2.5kms with an average gradient of 5.2 percent, (steepest bit is 14.5 percent). Then 153m of down over 2kms, average gradient 7.5 percent (steepest is 14.3 percent). The views are amazing and yesterday we had blue skies!

TailChaser was keen so added an extra 30 mins of running before the start. Katnap and I just had a gentle stroll from the car park to the start so I could collect my bib (having not run the 1st of the series). There we met Time_Lord who managed not to get lost in the space-time continuum on her journey from home (I’ll leave them to tell their stories in the comments).

The fastest of the 348 runners was back in 35 minutes. My fellow HUVRBs all finished before me as I took 1 hour 24 mins. There were 17 runners behind me with the last one coming in a 1 hour 44 mins. According to my Strava I got a PB for this route (knocking 30 seconds of my best time) as I have run it twice before. Amazing given I wasn’t really trying, I was more concerned with making sure I did not aggravate the sore shins and calves from the recent ‘shoe related’ injury. Tailchaser reminded me we do a Half Marathon in a fortnight (scary stuff) so it was important to focus on staying sound. I was also pleased that my time, if I can sustain it over 21.1 kms, will get me home in under 3 hours, and given I am assured there are no hills in Bordeaux, I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

[AlMorr Half Marathon]

Nice 10K run for you Shake-and-run , glad you enjoyed it, I am sure that you will be able to sustain that pace and complete that HM in two weeks in under 3 hours, good luck ✅🏃

[Shake-and-run Half Marathon in reply to AlMorr]

Thanks Al, fingers crossed.

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon]

Great photo of you all! What a great run for you Shakes 👍 Definitely fab training for Bordeaux and I’m so pleased your niggles have behaved.

[Shake-and-run Half Marathon in reply to Irishprincess]

Thanks IP , It was a great morning.

[Beachcomber66 Administrator Half Marathon]

Beautiful report Shakes. That sounds like a really good run, built on to an excellent day and shared with lovely friends who must qualify as HUARBs by now. Lovely views here too, but 1C temperature meant running in so many layers that I felt as though I was wearing a sixties duffel coat. Should warm up by Saturday!

[Shake-and-run Half Marathon]

thank you BC, you are right, they are all ‘actual’ now, and haven’t been ‘virtual’ for some time, long May that continue. If weather forecasters are to be believed, you might be glad of that duffel coat this week, when you are out building snowmen. I’m heading north tomorrow (well Manchester) and hoping it will just be a dusting.

[Dexy5 10 Miles]

Is this a Guinness I see before me? I am sure it must be very restorative after a 10k of hills up and down.

It sounds like a grand day out with TailChaser and Katnap ; the promise of sausages at the end was a good reason to keep going. The toad-in-the-hole looks very nice.

So pleased to hear that you were able to run without the pain you experienced last week Shake-and-run , which bodes well for your half marathon.

[Shake-and-run Half Marathon in reply to Dexy5]

Thanks Dexy, a Guinness would have gone down well but Tailchaser was keen to get home and run for another 30 minutes 😳🥺

[Dexy5 10 Miles in reply to Shake-and-run]

ha ha - on closer inspection a brown paper cup!