Having failed last weekend to run a full 5 miles, run #40 was the run to do it on. Having better armed myself with the route of the Downland Challenge 5 mile course, I set-off.
Basically, hypothetical reader, it was hell. I set off far too late and it was very hot. Each hill I ran up left my legs feeling heavier than the last. Unlike the last run, I got no second wind, no sense of achievement.
The only light moment came running alongside the Gallops. I slowed to walk past a line of horses (is it ok to run, or does that spook them?). I was brought short by a voice that would cut glass, “Excuse me, would you pick-up my dog and pass him up to me? Binky! Binky! Stop.” Being the voice of a woman not used to being disobeyed, what could I do? I put the terrier up on the horse in front of her and started back up again. I certainly didn’t get a please, and I don’t think I got a thank you. What a marvellous sense of entitlement.
Despite arming myself, I still got the route wrong. Even with starting at the bottom of Landport Bottom I still had to run all the way down and to Neville Road before I’d done 5 miles. I’m really not sure where I made the mistake, but I’m slightly worried that the real route will involve even more hilly bits, my legs today would not have coped.
It would be nice to think that the dog-horse incident slowed me down so much that it took me 57 mins 3 secs. Must be. Still, it won’t take much to beat that next weekend.
Leave a Reply