Training: The Long Sunday Run

Part of my running resolutions for this year was to consistently do a long 90 minute run at least once a week. Harder than you think, especially with a wife training for the London Marathon!

Get Out That Front Door!

So it was yesterday afternoon, an hour and a half after a mega sized roast beef dinner that I forced myself into my running kit, laced up my trainers and headed out in to the amazing Spring sunshine. I find that once you’re (finally) out of the door, there is nothing like the feeling of just running. Life is so full of routines and schedules, timetables and long made plans that to just run where your mind takes you for 90 minutes is quite literally and breath of fresh air.

Beaut Views + Mud

Being at my folks house in Swanage yesterday I headed straight up to the national park which is right on their doorstep at Durlston – actually now a World Heritage site and bloody lovely to run along! Following the path of least resistance turned out to be futile as many of the fields and paths were so boggy, it was like running through treacle for the first 4 miles. Looking at my Garmin after 30 minutes I thought crikey, ‘only three and a half miles and I’m cream crackered!’ Some might call it resistance training, I call it slipping, sliding and squelching through mud and cowshi*t!

The views in this part of the world are incredible taking in the light house at Anvil Point

Along to Dancing Ledge, with it’s swimming pool blasted out of the rock using dynamite by a Victorian teacher…

…and on to Worth Matravers, the home of the renowned Square & Compass pub. Running past that pub without stopping really is the hardest part!

Back on to the road at Worth which I followed as far as Langton Matravers, before cutting back in towards the sea and joining what’s known locally as Priests Way – a newly resurfaced ancient path running all the way back down in to Swanage.

Next Training:

A light recovery run this evening of 4-5 miles tonight.