David Currie

Having taken it easy for the past couple of weeks my calf was feeling well enough to venture out to Wilverley on Tuesday night. I’m happy to report that I made it round the run without feeling any pain in my calf which is great news. It may have something to do with the soft going (well, it was more like swimming at times). I wasn’t going to push my luck though and join Neil in running on to the pub at Bank. Instead, I felt a bit of a fool stood at the bar at the pub waiting to finish buying a round when only four people had turned up. It eventually transpired that Peat had managed to shut his car keys in the sill of the boot, locking it shut in the process. With assistance from others he’d eventually managed to open the boot from inside the car (one door was still open) and then retrieve the keys from the crevice they’d fallen down. They took sufficiently long that we’d eaten all the crisps by the time they arrived though!

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Half way round a lunchtime run last week my calf just went. I tried running on it again the following day and came hobbling back. After another four days rest the pain had gone when walking and cycling and I tried another short run. The pain was back but wasn’t so insistent so I decided to give the RR10 on Wednesday at Itchen Valley Country Park a go.

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A rather belated posting relating to our final Tuesday run from Nomansland for this year. We did an anti-clockwise loop round Fritham. For the return leg, Alex and I joined Neil on a slight detour to hunt out the elusive Bramble Hill Hotel. In fact, we got rather closer than I had anticipated and had to make several attempts to escape the walls of rhododendrons that line the lawns!

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For tonight’s run from Nomansland, Neil had planned a route out through the Hamptworth Estate to Bohemia. It started well enough albeit as a bit of a road run. We were still on track when we were within spitting distance of Bohemia at which point we decided to follow the track back through the woods to Telegraph Hill. Unfortunately something went wrong around Franchises Lodge and we continued east rather than going south to Telegraph Hill. Ian and Peter then picked up on the next bridleway that leads back to Telegraph Hill. Sadly, when the rest of us tried to cut back to join them we picked up a different path and then proceeded to wiggle our way through the forest. Miraculously, we then rejoined the other party when we eventually re-emerged in to the open. Another 75 minute run!

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With two locals out for tonight’s run from Nomansland I had hoped that we might finish a bit closer to the hour. Ian lead us on a tour round Canada Common and we then returned via another closer encounter with the Bramble Hill Hotel. Sadly this turned out to be longer still than last week’s run both in terms of distance and time, and without the sunshine!

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I made it out for my second RR10 of the year on Wednesday. It was at Flemming Park where the race uses the old golf course. I can’t say that I particularly enjoyed it as there are far too many twists and turns for my liking. I was grateful for some support from a Winchester runner who urged me to join him in catching the competitor in front. Unfortunately when he caught the guy he then proceeded to take him with him through the field. It did at least spur me on for a bit. I can’t complain too much though as I did improve my position to 18th.

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I’d missed the last couple of runs at Beaulieu Road Station whilst on vacation and with the arrival of a new month, the venue had moved to Nomansland. Sadly, no-one who knows where they’re going turned up so we had to rely on Neil. 😉 Having poured scorn on Peter for being unable to find the Bramshaw Hill Hotel from Fritham, we then proceeded to miss it again on tonight’s run. All due credit to Neil, following a dash along the road through Bramshaw he recovered his sense of direction. All in all a good run if a little long at nearly 80 minutes elapsed time (if only about 60 minutes running).

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