#Marathon "monkey on my back" - PT4

See my blog 4th August - "Monkey on my back".

So another 6 weeks on. Well where am I - a good question to ask myself  - ha!?

In my last blog about my preparation to run my first marathon in Paris April 2017 - I got a bit technical. 6 - actually nearly 8 weeks further on things have greatly simplified in my head. I have cut to the chase. No more bulls..t! At my level it comes down to this - 1) you have to run ever longer distances in preparation and it is time consuming and very tiring. 2) it is almost entirely about a mental test. Determination is pivotal - because there is pretty much always something in your head challenging you not to start or to give up! Here are a few more thoughts and observations.

• While I have been committed to my running there have been a couple of weeks where for circumstances largely outside my control I was not able to put a normal weeks running in. This is very bad news. I have found at my age (of 62) you very quickly lose the benefits you have built up - ie a break of a week feels like you are starting again. This might be an exaggeration but I am sure you have to keep the momentum going otherwise it becomes a bit soul destroying. (a dodgy analogy - I have an allotment - turn your back for a week or two and the weeds start to take over rapidly!) 
• I read a while back that a simple way to prepare for a marathon for an average person is to run one increasingly longer run at the weekend and do whatever you can in the rest of the week to tick over. This approach has suited me.
• Over the last month I have done a weekend run - started at 7, followed by a 10 and yesterday I did 2 laps of the 7 to make 14. In the week I typically do a 2 mile and two/three 4 milers. All the runs are off road in the main - on bridleways, fields and lanes. The advantage is it is easier on my knees - there is no traffic (wow you really can smell those cars - not good!) and it is definitely more spiritual being out on your own in the countryside. The down side is there are several significant hills. I have in mind that when I do the Paris marathon - which I know is flat - I will have put something extra in the bank stamina wise.
• I have found lactic acid build up in my legs can be a problem shifting but I have always scoffed at warm downs as a bit "poncy". What I have found is the benefit of jumping in a hot bath as soon as I have finished a long run. It makes a huge difference in getting rid of stiffness.

Yesterday morning I set out at 8.30 to do my 14 miler. This was the culmination of my weeks plan. I was looking forward to doing it in a perverse sort of way. I was doing it as two laps - so I could have a bit of banana and especially some water as I passed by my house at the start of the second lap. Doing laps is an extra mental test for obvious reasons. I felt tired at the end of the first lap - I didn't fancy the second one at all - but then something kicks in your head. You said you were going to do it. You have to do it. Gradually you start to chalk off the miles.

This is my thought for this blog. I ran 14 miles. I was seriously tired. (I was out so long my Forerunner GPS watch ran out of charge!). The thought that this is only a shade over marathon half distance is scary - I was so slow and I was out on my feet. However my over riding feeling - and not to over state it - ha! - is a feeling of elation - of deep quiet satisfaction. It is a great feeling. It really makes the effort worth it. I have the bug. I like the drug - or is it I am a high level masochist?

I am going to do 3 more 14's and aim to get to 20 before Christmas.

#NewForestbikeride

Last week I did a 40 mile bike ride through the New Forest (Hampshire) on a really lovely early September day. It was fresh and clear and became sunny and warm - in the main short and T Shirt weather.

As I live on the Isle of Wight it was a foot passenger ferry crossing from Yarmouth into Lymington on the edge of the New Forest - a 40 minute crossing sat on the top deck in the lee of the breeze but in the early morning sun. Quiet and lovely and thinking about the day ahead.

From the Wightlink Ferry it was straight out onto the route - going east eventually towards Bucklers Hard and up towards Beaulieu. This is flat easy riding mostly on quiet lanes. This area is owned and maintained by the wealthy Beaulieu estate with Bucklers Hard and Beaulieu (Motor Museum) obviously tourist attractions. Traffic increases around them it was not an issue..

It is not long before we are in the forest itself on gravel tracks and Forestry Commission land. Our route takes us anti clockwise eventually towards Lyndhurst and down towards Brockenhurst, Setley and Boldre to complete the circular course back at a lovely pub and well earned beer and dinner on picturesque Lymington Quay with a view of all the beautiful (and expensive) yachts in the extensive harbour formed in the Beaulieu River Estuary.

To be honest I was not navigating on this occasion so I am not certain of the actual route. I do know it was an amalgam of 2 designated cycle routes put together to make up the distance for a days cyling in leisurely mode - with unhurried stops. Except for one stretch of A Road around Brockenhurst and the run back into Lymington we were occasionally on quiet tarmac lane but mostly on very quiet gravel walking/cycle paths through the lovely forest.

The New Forest is not of course new as it was declared as a Royal Forest by William the Conqueror in 1079! Much of it is wide open heathland - covered with bracken or gorse. There is much pine and some deciduous wood. It is very much a leisure area with lots of quiet car parks - camp sites and picnic areas. However it is not spoilt by commercialism - the camp sites are run either by the National Trust or the Forestry Commission. On this day - out of the main school season it was quiet and lovely and it is relatively easy to get away from civilisation although perhaps it never quiet feels truly "wild" as it is managed land after all.

The New Forest is perfect bike riding territory - mainly flat - mainly quiet and off road. I know it reasonably well from past visits - it would not be my idea of summer camping as it does get busy - but an easy place to enjoy out of season - very picturesque and convenient. A lovely day indeed.

I attach a few forest scenes from my mob camera below.

  

#AsailaroundtheIsleofWight

Yesterday I sailed around the Isle of Wight with a mate who owns a 30 foot Iroquois catamaran. She is old but sails well. Iroquis are well proven yachts and like most twin hulls - quick through the water - and in light airs especially, a very stable and dry platform.

We left Ryde Harbour at about 7.30 am (just after high tide) to sail westerly with the tide down The Solent to The Needles. Wind was southerly and light but due to fill in later and we expected a fast sail up the back of the island.

It was a slow but pleasant easy sail down the main channel (to maximise tide stream assistance) to Yarmouth which we passed with a favourable tide. South channel through Hurst Castle down to the Needles which we rounded at 13.30 - later than expected because the light breeze was often affected by the land mass of the Island on our port side. Alum Bay, The Needles and Tennyson and the long view to St Catherine's is a great sight. Sometimes the Needles chalk gleams bright white and it did on this day in the sun.

As my skipper says with mirth - scoffing a pasty - it is all in the planning - and we set out for the long sail up the back of the Island - with a favourable tide - now low. However the wind never really picked up and we had to put in a couple of long tacks to round St Catherine's but had great views of the coast line all the way up. What is very evident is the scale of coastal - cliff erosion on the back of the Wight and there are a number of properties now precariously placed.

With a shallow draft and a high tide (albeit neaps) we chance cutting the corner a bit into the eastern Solent but we edge a bit too close into Bembridge Ledge and depth starts to run out. A quick turn east again and a lesson learned. Not too long - past my home village of Seaview and we make Ryde Harbour at High Water - 19.30.

So it has been a long sail (about 70 miles) - mainly uneventful - but certainly enjoyable and a great thing to do on a lovely late summer (or I guess) early autumn sunny and warm day. Shame there was not a bit more wind to speed us along.

Leaving Ryde behind

Off Cowes - not much happening

Off Gurnard

Approaching Yarmouth

Fort Victoria

Fort Albert

Hurst castle at the end of Hurst Spit

Approaching The Needles

The Needles of course

The rocket engine testing site (WW2)

Tennyson Down leading down to Freshwater Bay

Chalk becomes soft shale on the back of the island 

Approaching St Catherines

Coastal erosion and landslip very evident

St Catherines Light House

Steephill Cove

Off Ventnor

Shanklin

Sandown Bay - Shanklin left - Sandown right

Approaching Culver

Around Culver, avoid Bembridge Ledge, enter the Eastern Solent - pass Seaview and home to Ryde Harbour!

#Paralympics - Dame Sarah Storey & David Weir as examples

On 23rd August I posted a blog about my unease with certain aspects of the Rio Olympics and Paralympics - see blog - #RioOlympics2016 personal thoughts from a GB perspective and Pierre de Coubertin

One of the objectives of the Paralympic movement is to achieve parity in credibility with the Olympics. I want to buy into that in theory but I am struggling to put the level of achievement by Paralympian's at the same level as an Olympic champion.

Yesterday the news from Rio was that Dame Sarah Storey won another gold medal to make it her 12th so far!

I have nothing against Sarah Storey - I know little or nothing about her. She is clearly a tremendous athlete - very fit and very tenacious but I did google her to find out a bit more about her background. This was the extract from Wikipedia :-

Dame Sarah Joanne Storey, DBE (born 26 October 1977), is a British road and track racing cyclist and former swimmer, multiple gold medal winner at the Paralympic Games in both sports, and three times British (able-bodied) national track champion. Her total of twelve gold medals puts her ahead of Tanni Grey-Thompson and Dave Roberts as the most successful British Paralympian of the modern era (but still behind Mike Kenny in the all-time list).^[Storey's list of major achievements also include being a 27-time World champion (5 in swimming and 22 in cycling), a 21-time European champion (18 in swimming and 3 in cycling) and holding 72 world records.

Storey was born Sarah Bailey in Eccles without a functioning left hand after her arm became entangled in the umbilical cord in the womb and the hand did not develop as normal.

So Sarah is aged 38 now. Her catalogue of gold medals and world records are in 2 completely different sports. She has held 72 world records.

Similarly David Weir the acclaimed wheelchair athlete has won medals at 100 metres and every distance up to 5000 metres and also 6 London Marathons. He competed in his first games in 1996.

This multi discipline, multi event range, longevity and dominance is unparalleled in the Olympic world. 

I want to put them on a pedestal - but I am struggling. It has not been helped by the fact there is an ongoing debate about the appropriateness of Paralympic categories and the unique professionalism of UK lottery funded Paralympian's.

Does it matter. No it doesn't matter until the people behind the promotion of the Paralympic movement claim full parity with the Olympics. In that I feel they have some way to go despite the incredible dedication and wonderful achievement of great people enjoying their sporting life. 

It would be a lovely world if we could see past disability and just simply acknowledge we are all different.

#WorthMatravers & environs

I have just returned from a 3 night/4 day camping/walking break on the beautiful Isle of Purbeck, Dorset.

My tent was pitched at The David Donald Field Studies Base, Worth Matravers. The centre provides basic camping facilities in its grounds and importantly offers some protection from the south westerlies that blow off the nearby exposed cliff tops.

Worth Matravers is a classic Isle of Purbeck village - perched on the cliff tops west of Swanage and close to Corfe Castle. The village is unspoilt - has a history in quarrying beautiful limestone (which still continues today) and in fishing and agriculture of course. It is a superb base for walking on the South West Coastal Footpath and enjoying the Purbeck Hills and in and around Swanage and Studland.

On the Friday I had a good look around Studland and Swanage town. Studland is rightly well known for its beaches and National Trust Nature Reserves. From Shell Bay, Studland runs the chain ferry which takes you across the entrance of Poole Harbour to Sandbanks. (this saves an extra 25 miles by road from Swanage to Poole (it is also very picturesque.) Swanage is a lovely small coastal town.

Next day was a 12 mile coastal walk to the west of Worth Matravers - mainly on limestone cliffs. This is part of the SW Coastal Footpath. It is really great walking - steep at times - unspoilt - a spectacular coastline - Chapmans Pool is particularly lovely.

Saturday evening and later on Sunday - a must visit - The Square and Compass - Worth Matravers. I consider myself a conniseur of "real" pubs. This is certainly one. It has a history going back to 1793 - is listed of course and remains almost entirely unchanged I would say. It is authentic. You queue in the door way for service as there is no proper bar as such - just a hatch. Just about the only food they serve is home made pies/pasties. Ales are only gravity fed. Inside is quite tight but they specialise in folk music and bring in folk performers on the national circuit. A really great atmosphere. At the front of the pub is a large sitting area with views over the village to the sea - weather permitting. There was a real bustle - locals and walkers. (The Square & Compass has a small museum and it also well known for staging a stone carving week when anyone can have a go at working local stone) Put it on your list!

On Sunday we walked from Swanage down to South Beach Studland - and over Ballard Down to Handfast Point that seperates Studland and Swanage. Great views of Poole Harbour, Brownsea Island and the continuation of the chalk downs on the Isle of Wight in the distance. Particular mention of Old Harry Rocks - chalk formations including a stack and stump at Handfast Point. They mark the most easterly point of the Jurassic Coast and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Isle of Purbeck is wonderful area if you like walking and the coast. While we were there it was quiet but I can understand this is a very popular area with tourists in the summer - but it is the opposite of tacky. A really lovely place to be.

Here are a few photos from my mob camera.

Poole Harbour from Studland

Chain Ferry running across to Sandbanks (some of the UK's most expensive properties)

Worthg Matravers limestone

Views going west (looking back here) from Worth Matravers on the South West Coastal Footpath

Limestone quarry

Coastguard station manned by volunteers. They are happy for you to go in and they will explain the important job they do.

There are some steep staircases - up and down.

lovely Chapmans Pool - a beautiful natural bay

Wonderful quiet natural scenery

Kingston Church - another beautiful village.

Swanage

Poole Harbour entrance in the distance. Brownsea Island to the left.

South Beach Studland. Handfast Point in the distance.

Views of Handfast Point and Old Harry Rocks

Lovely Worth Matravers - beautiful limestone tiled roofs

The outstanding Square and Compass - Worth Matravers