We all headed over to a sunny Flemming Park this evening for a new RR10 venue. The municipal golf course was decommisioned earlier in the year and the fairways were to provide the setting for the race. I felt pretty sluggish the whole way round and seemed to be forever being overtaken as we did two very convoluted laps to squeeze in 4.2 miles (the race didn’t venture north of the motorway). I finished 21st which isn’t too bad but I suspect that reflects the fact that it is now the school holidays rather than my running. It was obviously faster than my two supporters were expecting as they didn’t make it back from the sandpit in time to see me finish! The area would make a good location for a permanent orienteering course as has been suggested.
Author Archive
Running a round
Wednesday, August 5th, 2009West Key
Wednesday, August 5th, 2009I had a phone call from Christine this morning saying that she’d driven in to Southampton with Emma and when she got back from the parking meter she no longer had the car key. I cycled home, picked up the spare key, cycled to the station and took the train in to Southampton. Needless to say, just as I arrived Christine had been contacted by security in the retail park to say that a key had been handed in at the information desk in West Quay itself. Emma seemed to enjoy all of this fun and games but then she came out of it all with a new pair of shoes (now size 7) and a Fifi and the Flowertots potty (which seemed to do the trick when we got home!).
Running late
Wednesday, August 5th, 2009Yesterday evening I left work late, forgot that one our local roads is temporarily closed, drove past the junction I wanted on the dual carriageway whilst thinking about work, got stuck in traffic, and discovered that the usual entrance to the car park was closed. It’s therefore perhaps not surprising that I arrived at Wilverley more than 10 minutes late to find no-one in the car park. Thankfully though, you can see a long way across the plain and I just caught site of a group of runners heading north-west along the edge of the inclosure. You can see from the start of the GPX track below how long it took me to catch them and hence pause long enough for my watch to find a satellite or two.
Island hunting
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009It was our last run from Godshill yesterday and for once it wasn’t raining. This week we had two people with maps (it seems to have become fashionable in recent weeks) and, perhaps not surprisingly, we finished the run in (at least) two separate groups. Sam’s party took the long track route back to the car whilst Neil and Peter led a select group of us in search of a small pond with an island in the middle of it! No idea why we had to find it and it would have been easier if we’d had Sam’s orienteering map rather than Neil’s OS map but we found it eventually. On the way back to the car I failed to believe my watch and instead followed Peter hence the figure of eight shape to the GPS track below. Neil, I’m fairly sure, took a straighter route!
Party time
Saturday, July 25th, 2009Second place in photo comp
Friday, July 24th, 2009I try to get an entry in to the monthly competition for the photo club at work. The standard is pretty high now as can be seen by the competition winners and I was therefore pleased to come second in last month’s competition. It’s just slightly annoying that it was in a month where I was really struggling to find anything worthy of submission! In the end, I had to crop this shot of two roses right down to get my entry. That said, it’s nearly the end of July and I have taken almost no photos. I’ll have to try and get out with the camera at some point in the next week (when it’s not raining!)…
Janesmoor RR10
Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009Tonight’s RR10 was out in the New Forest at Janesmoor Pond. The race started at a fast pace along the gravel tracks through the inclosure. My left knee was continuing to give me grief, particularly when trying to stride out on the downhills. There was too much gravel for my liking with only a short detour along a muddy ride in the middle (which is probably what most of the rest of the field complained about) and then the last climb back up the hill towards the pond offering a respite from the pounding. I’d hoped to be able to do some overtaking on that last incline but, despite having four runners lined up in front of me, I had nothing left in my legs and was overtaken by one other runner. I still finished in 18th place which is my best position so far this year.
Cycle taxi
Tuesday, July 21st, 2009Christine was attending a graduation ceremony today so I agreed to collect Emma from nursery. Christine is now taking the car in to work so this meant transporting Emma on the back of my bike. This seemed like a good idea at the time but sadly the weather forecast was as reliable as usual and, rather than rain arriving in the evening, it had been tipping it down all afternoon. It’s now about 10 minutes cycling home and then about 15 minutes each way to the nursery (faster on the way there, slower when carrying Emma!). The rain eased off as I arrived at the nursery but we didn’t make it home before another shower came through. Emma seemed to enjoy it but I was more than happy not to head out in the rain again for a run.
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