Night Time Running - The Build to 100 Miles
Weeks Until Castle to Castle 100 Miler: 18 weeks (eek!)
One thing I’ve noticed on previous ultras is that I’ve struggled / slowed when the sun has gone done. I think this is partially to be expected. After all, you’ve been running all day, energy levels are probably low and its harder to see. Also nutrition through the night is a challenge with the normal routine of the body shutting down.
As such, as part of this years training regime, I’ve vowed to tackle some evening / night-time trail runs to see if I can help adapt a little and reduce the struggle (I suspect it can never be removed completely).
Last time, stuck for ideas of a route, I decided to head out just as the sun was setting and take in a local trail - the Hitchin Outer Orbital Path (or HOOP). It’s around 12 miles round, and with a few extra miles to join it, I should see me reach my target 17 miles without too many issues. It is also a route I know well, and as such evening navigation wasn’t going to be a challenge.
Main focus for the day was to stay in Zone 2 for Heart Rate, walk the hills, and ultimately try to finish the last 4 or 5 miles strong - not necessarily fast - just strong. A hilly route, done in 3 hours 15 mins, in the dark. Happy days. And ultimately I felt strong all the way round, and stuck to mainly Zone 2 running. Think Zwift and the Gym work is paying off, albeit I would have liked the mile splits to a be a little faster.
Quakers Walk parkrun - Q in the Alphabet Challenge
(First blog here - not quite a micro-post but majority of others will be!)
Friday
Continuing the parkrun alphabet challenge, this little adventure started on the Friday night, with a little escape to Swindon to stay at hotel with a swimming pool for a little half-term treat for Iona. We managed to get a good price for the stay, but turns out the swimming pool was busy - with other families who presumably had found a similar bargain price!
After a quick dip, it was a short trip in Swindon and Fabio’s Italian. From the the outside it didn’t look like much, but once inside it was lovely and the food was fabulous. I opted for the Lasagne, and Iona, as always, opted for the spag bol.
Saturday and parkrun
The parkrun was a 30 minute drive and we easily got parked in the gravel car park at the rugby club. A quick use of Google Maps and a 5/10 minute walk along the canal we made it to parkrun just in time for the run briefing.
The course was 3 laps in a kind of ‘P’ shape, with the outward 0.5 mile being mainly on tarmac path through a new housing estate, and the return 0.5 mile being on a slightly muddy trail path. The support from the marshals and fellow runners was fantastic and Iona and myself got round in just over 39 minutes.
I video’d the run, so the run is available on YouTube.
Post parkrun faff
The run director had mentioned a charity cafe for post parkrun drinks (and cake!). After the run, and the asking fellow runners to take the obligatory parkrun photo, we enquired about where it was and at this point another runner offer their daughter to escort us to the cafe!
Sure enough, a slice of homemade cake and a hot drink for £2. I settled for a cheese scone and cup of tea, whilst Iona opted for a hot chocolate and a rice krispie chocolate cake.
What a fantastic little parkrun, and a great piece of parkrun tourism.
Just letters Y and Z to go in the parkrun alphabet challenge now.
