A nice running experience

Yesterday I headed out for an hours run, it wasn't really planned I just wanted to get out and run so I did. 

I headed out to Ingrebourne Country park with the aim of running through to the far side of the park, up Ingrebourne Hill and back again, a total distance of around 12km. 

On my route out I decided to deviate away from the main path and take on one of the off road trails just for a bit of variety as I don't usually run that way. The trail I headed onto is part of the Spitfire scramble course which naturally brought me to thinking about the event, both last years and this years up and coming race.

So Spitfire scramble was fresh in mind as I continued my run, I was thinking about what objectives I should set myself for this years race and reflecting again on how much I enjoyed last years event.

As I headed up Ingrebourne Hill I was aware I was being followed by a cyclist so naturally I pulled over to one side of the path to allow him to pass. He didn't seem to want to pass though. I wasn't sure if he was hanging back as he was either struggling on the steep incline or perhaps didn't want to risk passing me on such a narrow and twisting path. I just tried to concentrate on my running and the climb up the hill. 

Next thing I know I hear, 'excuse me, sorry to interrupt...' as the cyclist tried to strike up conversation with me.

The cyclist preceded to question me about whether I know the park and knew the route of a 5.8 mile course. After some discussion I realised he was referring to the spitfire scramble race. We soon stopped at the top of the hill and engaged in conversation about running in general, his running and cycling around the Ingrebourne area. I tried to advise him and direct him around the course which in fairness was quite easy a he had a good knowledge of the area from his previous experiences training here. 

He went on to explain that he had read about the event and in particular the solo male category and he was aiming to better the 17 laps achieved by the male winner last year, I felt quite inferior referring to my 6 laps achieved as part of a 6 man team. 

Some 10 minutes later I continued with my run after I had imparted by knowledge and we had gone our separate ways. stood at the top of the hill in the cold and the wind was not ideal and I never really warmed up on the run home! However I was left feeling a great sense of friendship and camaraderie that you can experience as part of the running community. 

I always enjoy the opportunity to share my passion with other runners and that is in part the reason why my blog exists. This chance meeting has reignited my desire to interact with other runners wherever possible both in person and online via social media and my blog. 

Day 1 of my runstreak

Todays run: Morning - distance/tempo - pavement/trail - 8.52km - 46.34mins

So today is the first day of my planned 29 day runstreak, OK so today isn't really a runstreak but just a normal run but I am hoping it will develop into a long runstreak.

The full reasoning behind my runstreak can be read here. The plan for my runstreak is to run for 29 consecutive days and to cover a minimum of 5km a day. I plan to incorporate a range of different runs including morning and evening runs, sprint and interval training, running partially to and from work, a parkrun or two and a pre Christmas Santa run. 

For my first day I headed off earlyish as I am on a day off work. Normally when I head off before 9 am on a weekend its so quiet with not many people about but on a Monday morning it was so busy! It was so weird to see so much traffic with people on their way to work and kids off to school and college. It was weird to have so many people getting in the way of my early morning relaxing run!

The colours of the trees in the late autumn are really amazing at the moment non more so than the trees outside at our flat. 

As my runstreak is in support of Pancreatic Cancer and November's Pancreatic Cancer awareness month I thought it only right I wore my Pancreatic Cancer research fund top from when I ran the British 10K for them two years ago.

My route was heading out to my local country park Ingrebourne Way and I was aiming to do around 10K.

The route took me along part of the Spitfire Scramble course which brought back good memories from August this year when I took part in this 24hour race event.

As always it is an interesting and scenic place that I enjoy running through.

So that's day one of a potential 29 completed, 8.5km covered of at least a potential 150km if I run at least a minimum of 5km a day.

Thanks for reading and can follow my runstreak progress on twitter, bloglovin, pinterest or google+.

1st run with my new camel pack

For this weekends long run the plan was to run around 30K as my major long run before the marathon 3 weeks today. 

The run was also going to be my first venture with my new addition to my running apparel, a long desired camel pack/running bladder.

I have really wanted one for ages as an addition to my long distance running gear and decided to order one from amazon. It was pretty cheap but had a high number of really positive reviews so I decided to go for it just to see how I got on with using one.

Being 3 weeks to my marathon and this being one of my last long runs I decided to focus on practicing my race preparation. 

So I put 100% effort into my preparation, Friday evening I loaded up on protein with a steak, Saturday I carb loaded and was selective in eating clean and whole foods. Saturday evening I ate my pre race meal of double carbs in the form of potato and brown rice with chicken and vegetables, completed with a protein shake before bed.

Sunday morning I continued my carb loading with an early breakfast of cereal, flapjack and fruit juice at 5.30 before returning to bed until 7.00. At 7.00 I got up and had my second breakfast of cereal with natural yogurt with another flapjack. I then prepared my gear for my run:

I took an energy drink before I set off and spent some time making sure I was comfortable with my camel pack before I headed out.

So off I went, my route was to head through Ingrebourne Country Park out to Rainham and along the Thames out to Purfleet and back.

I started off feeling so good, really feeling the benefits of my training and feeling so strong and fit. The feeling of being 'carbed to the max' felt good as I really felt I had fuel to burn over the next few hours.

I was aiming to run just over 5minute/km splits but my first Km was nicely under the 5 minute mark. I started to focus on slowing it down and settling into a rhythm, when just coming up to my second Km I felt pain in the ball of my foot. I shrugged it off as a niggle that I could run off, I soon realised I had been covering a whole Kilometer while experiencing pain with every foot strike. So I reluctantly but sensibly decided to stop, I walked for a few hundred metres and the pain eased off so I sped up to a jog only for the pain to return.

After walking for another minute or two I pulled over to sit on a bench. I removed my right trainer and started to rub and massage the sore area as I thought it could be a cramp as I have suffered from cramp in the same place before. After a bit of rubbing and mobilising of the area I set off again only for the pain to return again after a short while.

Now I was in a dilemma, if its an injury I need to stop to avoid making it worse and to hope that I could still successfully take part in the marathon in 3 weeks time, but if its not a serious injury I really need to run through it as I need to get a long 30K run under my belt.

I kept on running trying to push through the pain hoping it would ease off. It wasn't getting any better though and I noticed I was starting to twist my ankle to compensate against the pain in my foot to try and put less pressure on it. I knew this was bad news that would only get worse so I started to come to terms with the fact I wasn't going to be able to see this run through.

Continuing along the path I was reluctantly starting to think about pulling up but was so keen to keep going, then around the next corner I was confronted with this:

The path had been a little watery but now it was completely flooded where the path passes alongside the river Ingrebourne. All the way to the gate you can see ahead the path was flooded and I could see it was a good few inches deep. That was it! I decided this was a sign that the run was over and I gloomily turned around to trudge home. I had only covered 3.5Km.

It was disappointing and so difficult to come to terms with on many levels. The main two being all the preparation I had put into the run, the eating, the getting up early now all for nothing! The second being that my training for the marathon would suffer without this long run especially as I had only manged 20K last weekend due to illness.

Anyway I was soon home and starting my rest and recovery process.

Lots of RICE for me today and I guess I will just have to see how I go to see as to whether I can get up an running again soon and maybe squeeze in a long run in the next day or two or leave it until the weekend.

I wasn't resting for long though as after a bit of ice I decided I had all the energy and preparation to do something so I had to do some activity, so I headed out on my bike and covered the same route I had planned to run. I must have covered close to 30Km in just under 2 hours, as I had consumed close to 1500 calories before heading out to run I needed to do some exercise and I felt so much better for getting back out and doing something.

Thanks for reading, come back soon to see how I recover from this injury and if I can get back up and running this week.

My attempt at running section 22 of the London Loop

After running part of this section earlier in the week I finally decided it was time for me to run the whole section. Its taken me some time as I have probably been aware of the London Loop and this local section for around 3 years and it is something I have always been interested in and that I have read about a lot. 

Inspiration

My decision to finally give it ago is thanks in part to a blog I found this week which inspired me to finally get myself in gear and tick it off my ever expanding wish list of routes I plan to run.

For my long run this weekend I needed a special course, something new, interesting and challenging as I knew the run would be a mental battle. A battle between my mind really wanting to continue building up my stamina with a long run and my body rebelling as it struggles coping with a bank holiday weekend of excess alcohol consumption and copious amounts of my homemade barbecued burgers. 

The blog is by a writer called 'Diamond Geezer' and the particular article can be found here . I would recommend giving his blog a good read as it is very interesting and informative, especially his articles about walks in London and the origins of some of Britain's great roads.  

Starting off

So for London Loop section 22, the official start is by Upminster Bridge tube start but after running a few Kms through Upminster I connected with the route here at its first off road section.

Its a very uninspiring start and looks like the start of an urban alleyway sure to be crowded with knife welding teenagers but surprisingly it opens up onto several fields of crops.

The path initially is a narrow little muddy track leading down the side of one of these fields. 

The route does provide a few idyllic snap shots to rival any picturesque countryside and the first of these is a little tree covered bridge over a ditch in my picture below:   

When I ran here only a few days below the paths were rock hard and bone dry but after a typical weekend of pretty consistent rain the paths have become squelchy and greasy and slippery to run on. 

After some barely passable tricky little paths around fields, under trees and through woods the path eventually opens up into a lush green and grassy meadow.  

The meadow is short lived though and soon brings you to the river Ingrebourne upon which the route is meant to follow although you barely see it, notice it or cross it. As per my previous blog the Ingrebourne is much more a trickling stream as opposed to a flowing river. 

This section is the last off road part of the route as it leads up into residential Cranham. It is an excellent little section through, slightly uphill flanked by trees creating a natural alleyway. Under foot is treacherous though as the path is made of gravel and largish stones and the path seems to have been long since washed away by rain water gushing down from the roads higher up int the Ingrebourne. 

I will spare you the photos of residential Cranham, not that it isn't a nice enough area with well kept houses just that residential roads are residential roads and nice houses are nice houses. 

Coming out of Cranham and heading towards Pages Woods I was disappointed to be running along the side of a busy carriageway instead of through the fields by the side of the road, its a shame the route couldn't have been rerouted through a more pleasant landscape.  

Heading into the unknown

As I headed into Pages Woods for the first time I was pretty impressed with how well kept it was and how green and lush a pleasant environment it was. I was struck with a certain uneasy feeling as it felt slightly eerie, underused and underutilized. It had the feeling of a closed down playground long since deserted and long since forgotten. Realistically I think it is more the case it is under advertised if you like and the result of being out of the way and less accessible and popular than other local green areas such as Weald country park. 

One of the trails led me past this sculptured wooden bench which although nice was odd as it was all on its own and didn't seem to have any relevance or anything else associated with it in the wood. 

Taking a turn for the worse

This is then where things literally took a turn for the worse. 

I was aware from reading up on the route that it was poorly signposted and directions were very sketchy in places and this I found to be very true. 

Several times I had to make educated guesses as to where to go and had to follow my sense of direction and my background knowledge of where the route was heading to guide my way. 

At one junction in the path I took an educated guess which turned out to be wrong which led me out of the woods and towards Harold Court Road. I still wasn't convinced I was heading the wrong way some time later when the path took me across a road and onto a marked bridal way. 

As the London Loop conjoins with other recognized pathways and bike routes sometimes there are only signs for the other routes that follow the same way without specific London Loop signs. I went wrong in one of these instances as the path split into a junction and the only clear signpost was for a bike route which I thought was heading in the correct direction. 

While I ran along trying to figure out if I was on the right path or not I did enjoy this part of the route on the bridal way flanked by trees and greenery. 

I did however have the same feeling of eeriness and of being on a deserted and seldom used pathway although it did appear to be regularly used by riders from a local horse stable.

Once I got to the end of this bridal way I finally admitted I was going the wrong way.  

There were two paths on either side of the road I was on and neither of them bared any reference to the London Loop. 

At this point I took stock of my situation, I wasn't sure where I was heading and had ran further than I anticipated and at that present moment had no idea of how long in time or distance it would take me to get home. 

Thank goodness for modern technology!

I quickly fired up my sat nav on my phone and headed off in the direction of Harold Wood station. I don't like running with too much assistance from maps as it takes away from the freedom of running but in this instance it was wise to call on the technology I had at my disposal. 

On the right track 

My path now took me back over the Ingrebourne which I took as a good sign I was on the right path and onto a residential street. 

A few minutes through the suburban back streets of Harold Wood and I spotted my quarry, the magical little green sign of the London Loop.

My problem now was to decipher which way was the correct way, which way was route 22 hopefully heading to Harold Wood Station and which was route 21 heading away from Harold Wood and towards wherever it is that section begins from.

I quickly investigated a few hundred metres of one direction and dismissed it as being part of section 21 before confidently heading off following the other sign towards Harold Wood Station.

Sure enough after a following a few more signs and taking a few more back streets I spotted the welcome sight of the train station.

Now I had reached my destination I felt a great sense of both relief and achievement in my accomplishment both in terms of running and navigation! 

The return journey 

I again took stock of where I was, the sign ahead was the route I should have traveled to get here and would lead me back on the right route back to Upminster Bridge and home.

I checked mapmyrun and saw that I had already covered 11Km and although I knew it wouldn't be this far back as I was planning on both taking the more direct route through Upminster and not getting lost I still estimated it to be around 8Km to get back. My total distance would therefore be around 18-19Km which was the kind of distance I was aiming for but was also the furthest I was run in around 3 months, so I knew the journey back would be somewhat more challenging.

Soon after leaving the train station and safely navigating more of Harold Woods residential roads the route brings you out to the park.

Helpfully there is no signage or indication of which way through the park you are supposed to go. I decided to take the path round to the right and took the opportunity to shelter from the rain by running on the grass under the coverage of a row of large trees that lined one of the path ways. The opportunity to run on grass was also welcome and provided a nice variety as well as a little bit of extra cushioning to my weary legs.

The park seemed pretty well equipped for all manner of activities and included tennis courts, football pitches, children s play areas as well as body weight exercise machines designed to help combat out growing obesity problem.

The highlight of the park for me though was the cricket pitch and pavilion which I found quite picturesque for its location in a relatively urban and built up location.

Exiting the park took me back over the Ingrebourne and into Pages Woods for the return leg of my journey.

It wasn't very far until I came back to the ill fated junction where my wrong turn had occurred. 

In the picture below as I approached I should have just headed straight but instead followed the signage in the bottom right to head to the right instead. 

I can only presume there is a London Loop sign buried deep in the foliage to the left of the picture. I did take a closer look to see if I could see one and possibly make it more visible for future travelers heading this way but couldn't see any evidence of one in amongst the leaves and thorns. 

Following the path round the wood and up towards the car park was fairly steep an incline which my tired legs found more challenging than it probably actually was.

Exiting the wood I began my return into civilization along the road into Upminster and the sign below confirmed my thoughts that the end was soon approaching. 

The highlights of the return journey 

Heading back I took the direct route back along Hall Lane the main road back in to Upminster. Although not as interesting as the off road track I took on my outward journey it still provides some visual highlights. 

Firstly is Upminster Court as pictured below which is a grand old manor house once owned by a wealthy local land owner and industrialist which now provides a curiously interesting spectacle on your way into Upminster.

 The stone Japanese samurai type figures that stand close to the house appearing to stand guard are well worth a closer look by peering through the gates.

I know from previous experiences of walking this way that looking over and through the Upminster Court estate to the west provides you with a glimpse of the tops of London's skyscrapers such as the Shard, the Gherkin and the new Cheesegrater, but not on a grim murky day like today.

Next up on the opposite side of the road is the Upminster Tithe Barn and Museum of Nostalgia. I am ashamed to admit I have not taken the time to visit this facility but have in the past been struck my the Tithe Barns impressive structure. To be fair I should have included a picture but I was too tired to run up the path to take one so you will have to make do with a picture of the sign instead.

Almost home

Soon enough I was back amongst more familiar landmarks as Upminster station came into view. I was struck by what a dire and grim structure the station is, or maybe it was just its appearance on such a dark and dank day? I was conscious of the positive affect the brightly coloured signage of the c2c train company has on the station adding a much needed splash of vibrancy to this part of the high street.

Onwards past the station I took the back streets through to Upminster Bridge, even if I had wanted to take the lazy option of jumping on the train I couldn't today as the District line was out of action due to engineering work.

Heading down the hill Upminster Bridge came in to view I was pleased to be nearly my finish line as I was cold and weary.

Coming down the hill the view of Upminster Bridge with a train whizzing over the top with St Andrews church in the background often makes for an excellent picture but again the weather today put pay to that.

Summary

finally I reached Upminster Bridge station with more than a fair amount of relief having completed my journey. 

Having covered 18Km my legs were understandably tired especially as I haven't ran this far in over three months. 

The run was pleasing though as I was glad to have finally got round to completing this section of London Loop after thinking about it for so long.

Choosing this route today had definitely served its purpose well as I really benefited from the extra stimulation of a nee route and new surroundings. The distraction of having to concentrate on some navigation and map reading also served me well as it took my mind off struggling stamina levels and provided an extra degree of purposefulness into my run. 

Trail running part of the London Loop

Yesterdays run was trying out a new route, new in the sense I hadn't run it before but it is a route I have walked several times before.

My route was a trail path 5 minutes away from where I live and the more scenic part of what forms section 22 (Harold Wood to Upminster Bridge) of the London Loop.

Anyone not familiar with the London Loop its basically a section of continuous walkways that circle London divided into sections. 

For further information visit: http://www.walklondon.org.uk/

I did once think of having the ambition of trying to cover all the sections as a long term objective, but writing this reminds me I haven't even fully completed my local section so thats another plan added to the to do list!

When you enter the off road section you are greeted with a view like this:

You could be forgiven for thinking you were out in the middle of no where but you are in fact well within the M25 boundary and only a handful of miles away from the bustling urban landscape of Romford and the industrial areas of Rainham and Thurrock. 

Most of the pathway is well worn by local dog walkers and ramblers walking the London Loop but it is fairly overgrown in places.

The path is quite uneven and technical in several places, in fact I almost smashed my face in about three strides into the route when I tripped on a rock. Nothing gives you an energy boost like a shot of adrenaline caused by almost seriously injuring yourself! 

Note to self: Always focus on your footing on unfamiliar new trails. 

The path leads you to follow the river Ingrebourne, its called a river but more realistically I would classify it as a stream as it is a small, narrow and shallow watercourse for its majority. 

Its nice to run alongside a waterway and to hear the gentle flow of water, unfortunately the river is too gentle and too far away from the path to be heard. Instead you do hear the noises coming from the adjacent golf course and I quite enjoyed hearing the 'piiiing!' of golf clubs driving balls onto fairways.

For the second time this week running trails my path has been blocked by a natural obstruction. The winter storms from earlier in the year seem to have taken their toll on the local trees.

The highlight of the route and the reason why I have walked here so many times before is illustrated in my next picture. 

There is a small free holding where someone keeps a pony and has also had an assortment of goats over the years. They are all very friendly and very keen to receive any spare vegetables or salad items!

This guy seemed particualy interested in checking me out as I passed by!

Workout summary

So my run covered just over 5K in around 31 minutes a real gentle pace mainly be design but also as the path necessitated it as it was barely accessible in places.

It was a consecutive day running for me which is something I have shyed away from in the past through fear of injury but something I need to keep up as I am more than fit and strong enough to run some good mileage on consecutive days.

The other notable outcome from this run was the impact trail running is having on my lower legs. At this time of year the vegetation is lush and subsequently nettles and thorns are rife! So I had quite a few battle wounds from this short run. I had forgotten how painful nettles can be! 

I tried to think of it as mental training, as any long distance runner knows as well as coping with the physical demands of a distance you will inevitably have to learn to cope with the mental challenges of overcoming pain and pushing youself out of your comfort zone. So nettle stings go some little way to strenthening my mental resolve for the psychological battles that lie ahead.