A new boiler, a first 20 minute run, a cycle ride and a better run!

Monday 15^th February 2016

After my Thursday sessions, which I found hard, Friday was to be a rest day, also the plumbers would be here to fit our new boiler. They promptly arrived at 8:15, two very pleasant young men and quickly surveyed their job and got to work, Mrs IanB supplying them with a mug of tea! They were efficient in their work and made sure all areas were covered to avoid mess, they didn’t have to turn the water off either! Which was a bonus, meaning we could use the loo and top up the kettle. By mid afternoon they were packing up, new boiler working well and our new remote control seemingly efficient to control the system. So my only trip out was to the local bike shop for a chat with Andy [the owner] about retro bike stuff and to pick up some more gels.

Saturday dawned very wet and cold, but we decided we needed a trip out, so Sidmouth was our target and hopefully the White Horse café would have reopened after a refurbishment. We parked easily at the road side for a change, and walked down to the front. It was a very cold lazy wind [goes through you rather than round!] there were signs of rough weather with shingle all along the seafront, the sea looked very cold and was very brown as the red sandstone clearly being washed from the local cliffs, it was also high tide, so care taken as we walked along. It was nice to get into the shelter of the town, particularly as I had forgotten my gloves [schoolboy error]. Lunch in the Whitehorse, to its usual standard and a I managed to pick up a nice Merino base layer [used to be called vests] from Mountainwearhouse for £15 reduced from £40++.

As the weather improved in the afternoon, staying very cold but with less rain I decided I needed to get out and run. I layered up and set out up Snowden hill once again, the lanes were very wet and muddy, made worse with the local hunt followers in their 4x4 etc. it started to rain half way round, only a short shower. 9 miles covered and I must admit felt much better today, less tired, more energy in my legs etc.

Sunday saw me accompanying my daughter on her first 20minute run as part of her C5K, a really splendid effort saw achieve her goal, so well done to her, I am very proud of her achievement. The weather on Sunday was much better, but very cold, more of a spring day, as nothing was planned for the rest of the day a cycle ride was a possibility after lunch. I dug out my cycling kit made sure my tyres were pumped, and I was well layered against the cold, according to my Garmin it was only 3 degrees centigrade, 31 miles covered around the lanes of North Curry, lots of big puddles, lots of muddy roads and many more pot holes appearing as the winter progresses. A view from near North Curry showed the levels flooded once more. A good ride, my first for a couple of weeks the temperature dropping to nearer 2 degrees by the time I got home.

So a successful couple of days, I seem to have regained some energy, my calf muscle pulls a little so wearing a support bandage, Hamstring only vaguely irritating sometimes and my niggly knee stays as a niggle [ all sound worse than they are, none really causing me real issues, the calf is the worst] My plan for this morning is to do the Seaton - Fountain Inn route along the coast, the temperature at the moment [ 6:30 am] is 0.7 degrees!! So quite cold but a brilliant day forecast. I also have company today the other BLRCC member from up the lane, Rachel, it will be nice to have company, we both need the miles for the Grizzly, now a month away.

UPDATE: Tuesday 16^th February

Monday dawned very cold with the temperature showing 0.8 degrees C. I went out early to clear the van screen and warm it up ready for a trip down to Seaton to run the coast once again, 12 miles planned with Rachel from up the lane.

We got to Seaton safely, roads were icy and at one point we were flagged down as a car had hit ice and parked in the hedge!!

The sea front at Seaton was bright and sunny with a chilly wind, a few people about and as we were to see later quite busy around Branscombe,clearly half term bringing people out.

We set off at a good pace layered up against the cold, the first pull out of Seaton over to Seaton Hole telling on our calf muscles and both our thoughts being ‘this is hard’ so it took a couple of miles to warm up. As we climbed to Beer Head the frost had firmed up the mud, but as we saw later when it melted it was difficult. It was a good run over the top and the descent down Seaside we took carefully as Rachel only had road trainers with no grip in the gloopy mud.

At Branscombe mouth I took a few pieces of a ZipVIT energy bar – banana flavoured and a swig of drink. It was then the pull up from Branscombe, the views were stunning under the clear blue skies and the climb up from the Fountains Head Inn was again very muddy and difficult to grip on the steep ascent. We were soon joining the beach, time for another snack, we ran the length of the beach, which had people on it!! Something I had never seen before, half term escapees! The climb up the stairway to heaven was as hard as ever, but I still felt ok. Rachel had managed to stay upright so far but the descent from Beer Head had her on her bottom! Not managing to control and grip on the now defrosted mud, so a muddy leg was the result, but no injury.

We hit the road into Seaton and ran to the seafront, running the length before returning to the van to ensure we made the 12 miles infact it was 12.04 miles!!! In 2 hours 45 mins. I felt ok, legs a bit achy, but felt I could have gone further if I needed too. Coffee followed with one of MrsIanBs Almond Macroons J a fitting finish to a great run in fantastic weather, and once again I felt a little more confident that I might complete the 20 mile Grizzly.