Cheddar Gorge, Sommerset 15-16 June 2007

Despite the dire weather prediction, we decided to head out to see the Mendips. We stayed the first night at a campground off the M5 that was nicely deserted, but as the background noise died down at night, we figured out why... the road noise was unbearable. Sleeping with the ipod on was the only recourse.

The next day we did a 10 mile walk looping around Cheddar Gorge. We managed to miss most of the rain sheltered under trees, but an ice cream/beer stop at the end was perfectly timed to poke around in the touristy shops in town while it rained. Scouting sites to camp wild up the canyon we chanced on a National Trust dead end property- perfect- rolling hills and quiet with only a few dog walkers for company.

I think this is the area where the Mendip Muddle is run in October, but the club website does not give a map. So the second day of the trip we tried to scout where Nick and I will run the World Wide Half - even if we don't know exactly where we will run. I assume it will be somewhere along the Mendip Way walking path? The last night we found a great place to stay - it felt like we had a secluded site on a golf course.

We'll come back here with Nick. Then we walked on the beach south of Weston-Sur- Mare before trying to have lunch with Ali for Father's day. A bit of a fiasco. We got to her place at 10am as planned, but no one answered the door. Finally Billy climbed in the window and spoke with one of her roommates who said she did not come home! Finally we located her and had lunch but she looked worse for wear after the Bristol end of year ball the night before... ah foolish youth - to plan to meet your parents the morning after a planned big night out!

Running with Cherie

Wednesdays at 1:30 Cherie and try to meet and run around Battersea Park, but as often as not I get buried at work and have to call up at the last minute to catch her and send her on her way alone... but today we arranged for a Friday run, which is much better because so many people are out on Fridays that the brushfires are less likely.

She's switching job contracts next month and I do hope her next one will still be in SW London so we can still meet up. She's a much better conversationalist than Nelly!

OK, I should have an action shot... but we would have just been a blur! (Too much stuff strapped to my belt to run too fast)

Here's a snapshot from Buckeyeoutdoor.com with my route highlighted. I've got a mile from my office until I meet her, picking my way through back streets from Whitehall down to Buckingham Palace Road. Then together we run across Chelsea Bridge, which Queen Victoria opened in 1858, and around the park. There's a running track in the park, but we've yet to have the nerve to ask if we can run on it.

As we've been running after lunchtime, we don't see as many runners as I usually see (as they pass me) in Hyde Park, and there are little passageways through the trees to explore around the fringe of the park.

The Albert Bridge on the west side of the park is spectacular baby blue and I think is the most beautiful of London's bridges. Along the river is the Japanese Peace Pagoda, a gift to London in 1985. I mean someday to stop and really look at it, but we just race by, chatting away.

Then back across the bridge and back to her office. I walk the last mile back to mine - to cool down avoiding humiliation for my tomato-red face back at my desk. Here's a snapshot of the RunningBuddy log of the Nike+ info from the run (see http://runningbuddy.info/ but remember to un-hide hidden files to run it). Better than a pizza for lunch!

June 1st 07 Trip to Norfolk

A three-day weekend challenge - how far can you get away from home without spending too much time travelling? Norfolk was a great solution. Leaving home at 9am on Friday we made it to our campground in Holt by lunchtime. Here's Billy geared up for a walk, with the ipod and headphones, gps and camera. OK, so I'm just as bad with ipod, blackberry and camera, but I lack the nifty pockets and hide my stuff in my backback .

We ate our sandwiches in the campground and started a circular walk but I pulled a muscle in my leg climbing down a sandy slope, and it really bothered me on the second half of the 10 miles we walked. Back in the campervan that night, I crashed by 8pm, but fortunately woke the next day feeling fine.

Saturday we headed up to Holkham Bay and tried to find a place to camp away from the heaving crowds at Wells-next-to-the-sea. Finally, we spotted a little field with a few tents on a back road and Billy managed to convince the grumpy owner to let us stay. We planned a long circular walk around the Holkham Estate, looping out to the sea and back. One of those days where you're always packing and un-packing, pulling the jumper back on away from shelter from the wind. But the sun was glorious and we finally emerged on to the salt marsh, where Nelly and I had a bit of a run.

Then we crossed the dunes onto the beach and encountered thick fog, a bit spooky listening to shrieking children in the distance and occasionally glimpsed horseback riders cantering along near the surf. Billy dropped his GPS and I was sure it was gone for good, but we circled back and he found it! Nelly loves to run on the beach, there is something about the sea breeze and soft sand underfoot that makes her prance about,tossing up bits of seaweed.

A fancy dinner at the Lord Nelson Pub was a treat. Back to work and commuting tomorrow!

White Peak Half Marathon 19 May 2007 Matlock






OK, I look nervous... its raining. I've dragged Billy and Nick up here to the Peak District to run this half marathon and the rain is lashing the windscreen of the campervan! The start is about a half a mile from where we parked and everyone is miserably cold. Nick and I started at the very back as everyone looked like pretty serious runners. Finally, we notice that the crowd is moving forward... I guess that's it then, we're off. Its about 2 minutes shuffling ahead until we get back to the starting line, I think.



By the time we get back to Billy and Nelly at the campervan, the sun is out and the gloom has lifted. We toss Billy our jackets and he cheers us on with Nelly pulling on the lead - she wants to run too, she's done all the training with me!


Nick is fit from climbing but hasn't run for a month because of hay fever. But he's pretty confident he can keep up with me, as he cruised easily through the last half marathon and only really gave it his best when he left me in the last few miles, and beat me by 4 minutes! But I've been running at least 3 times a week and doing long runs on the weekends up to 11 miles long. I feel like I'm ready for this one!


The race was described as "swift" and promised downhills, but we only found uphill runs and flats in the first 8 miles. Every time I got to a crest, I thought to myself, "OK, its sure to be downhill now" but there were dozens of false summits. Finally, the abandoned railway grade did steepen at High Top and we enjoyed a good long downhill which much have been a scary ride for a steam train filled with iron ore or coal! I followed the advise to lean forward and just relax and my pace picked up considerably! But then we were back into the low hills until the next roller coaster ride down to the river 800 feet below. I lost Nick racing down the hills, but I couldn't run but one speed downhill... and just hope I wouldn't fall down. That last mile stretch along the river was really tough, because my legs were used to the incline - they just felt dead. But I just kept putting one foot in front of the other and finally rounded the bend to find Billy and Nelly waiting for me before the finish line. My time was 2hr 05 min 35 sec (compared to the wining time of 1hr 11 min 38sec!) but I figure I can take off the two minutes it took me to get to the starting line - so 2hr 03 it is! A PR for me.



Nick came in a few minutes later. His thighs had really suffered in the decent as he hadn't been training. I think I'd better enjoy this win - its likely to be the only one I'll get! He's sure to be back in winning form by the Phidippidations World Wide Half in October!

Here's a short video of the race (click triange bottom left on screen below).

Field trip and family trip to the American West (21 April -4 May)

As the DTI supports Imperial College geology research into Transgressive Reservoirs, three spots on a fieldtrip were offered and I was one of the lucky winners. Despite five long days in the field and total submersion in the arcane jargon of sedimentology, it was fantastic... as if days walking through remote river-eroded canyons looking at cliff faces could ever be bad? The other corporate sponsors of the research came from New Zealand (!), Germany, Houston, California and the UK - really interesting people, all expert sedimentologists, who were patient with answering questions. Despite snow one morning, a bit of sunburn (and windburn) was the worst hardship we faced, and we managed to fit in a bit of culture as well as rocks.

We had a tour through the Pueblo Bonito ruins in Chaco Canyon, the centre of native American Indian trade and worship from 850-1200AD. Archaeologists have only theories about the use of the many kivas (round rooms) and other tiny rooms in the 5 story palace. We then moved on to examine the cliffs near Mesa Verde and wondered at the agility of the people that lived in the cliff houses perched high on ledges (wave ravinement surfaces, actually) in the sandstone.

Jet lag made early morning runs easy, so I explored the back streets of Albuquerque and Gallup, New Mexico before leaving for the field. Farmington was a bit too industrial for a run, but the last hotel in Cortez CO backed on to the mountains and I surprised a herd of elk, who joined my run for a few incredible moments. With only a few weeks before the half-marathon, I'm glad I could keep to the training schedule while travelling.

Then I flew to Pueblo Colorado to see my step-mother, Jewell and meet up with my sister Linnie, who was just out of surgery for her shoulder. We ate fantastic Mexican food with Jewell's sister, brother and his wife. Jewell put me to work in her garden, reminding me how I was neglecting the one at home! Her house is lovely and its good to see her settled in with family nearby. Jewell is working too hard as the Admin Mgr for a Charity for the Homeless, but finds helping people, particularly children, makes her feel it is worth all the stress and long hours.

Then back to Denver to meet up with Billy, his parents and niece, Lindsay. Bill and Sally bought a house near Washington Park where we met to walk, roller-blade and walk the dog... simultaneously! Curt's friend, Wendy had just returned from Washington DC where she testified at a congressional hearing on the care of cancer patients. She's a very cool lady!

We also got to see Quang Ho's Studio and he and Nancy, his wife, took us out to a trendy restaurant with fantastic wine. Bill and Sally treated me to a decadent massage and facial for my birthday - shopping, spa, lunch, more shopping - what an indulgent day!

So finally, back home for the Spring Bank Holiday and I managed a 10 mi run along the Chess Valley.

The trip was great, but its nice to be home! Nick, Ali, Tanya and I are planning a weekend in Matlock for the White Peak Half Marathon, with Billy as photographer - 19 May 2007.

Off to the beautiful Lake District for Easter. An early start got us to the National Trust campground in Great Langdale by 1pm and we climbed up to Stickle Tarn, soaking in the sunshine and scenery. With a prediction of Easter crowds arriving on Good Friday we pressed deeper into the mountains to the Wastdale Head NT site.

Nelly and I set out to run around the lake and discovered that the "screes" labeled on the map were not just loose talus, but gradually increased to car-sized boulders, at which point we finally gave up and retraced our steps back to camp. 4.2 miles in 90 min - ARG! Not exactly an aerobic pace... but my heart was beating fast and Nelly was spooked trying to pick her way through the boulders. I worried about her breaking a leg!

Billy had made good use of the time, taking photos around the lake. The nearby pub offered a selection of local brews, so we enjoyed sitting beside the stream soaking up the sunshine.

The next day we climbed up to Black Sail Pass and had a picnic lunch in the soft dry grass, then began the long decent. Why is it always so much easier to climb then decend? Or does that just come with age? Over all only about 8 miles, but over 4000 feet relief.... not sure how to equate that to running miles in my log.

Finally Nelly and I got our chance to run and we followed the road along Wastwater and into the woods at the south end of the lake.
Then for a change of scene we headed to the coast the next day and walked on the beach at St Bees before scouting a field with just a few campers, where we stayed the night outside of Santon. Finally the last day the weather changed and we took an 8 mi walk through fog and rain from Eskdale up to the Hardnott Roman ruin and back, before the long drive home.

The South Downs and Brighton were the sort of places you'd like to visit... if it was just a little warmer. Under an ominous sky, we were turned back on a planned walk along the South Down Way near the Jack and Jill windmills by horizontal rain.
OK, we should have just turned around and put on rain gear, but we decided to go to the pub instead... as you do.

And a lovely pub it was - the Dog and Shepherd. Geoff, the publican said we could stay in the car park, next to the garden with a stream gurgling all night.

The 6 mi walk the next morning up onto the Downs was a bit of a trudge with limited visibility and a cold wind, so we headed into Brighton to explore. Out on Brighton pier, the Brits proved to be a sturdy lot. The cold wind did not deter families and packs of teenagers from having a fun day out. We arrived back in the Nat Park at the remote Devils Dyke car park at dusk.

The walkers cars left one by one, and we popped the top to settle in for the night. Then the strange visits began... cars would drive in, stay only for a minute and leave. We began to recognise some - a flash BMW and a big brown van. All men and they sat in their cars and did not greet each other. So we went to bed, and listened to the comings and goings until midnight when Billy climbed down to try to figure out what was going on. He was pretty spooked when he looked out the window and saw a huge man looking in.... and then another man at the other window! He described zombie like men all milling around the car... ARG! "Toni hand me my clothes!" So we got out of there in a hurry. Not sure what we were witness to, but it was not a cool place to camp wild. We were both pretty shaken and didn't get much sleep when we found a safe pub carpark. Sorry, no photos of the scene, but I'm not sure we would have gotten out alive had we taken their pictures!


I enjoyed telling Adam Tinkoff all about it as we ran together again (without Nigel, again!) around Hyde Park, where Adam seems quite at home.