Week 28

Evening swim down the river Avon
Lovely sunset behind the hills
Another fab bit of bridleway begins here.....
Who can you expect to find down this track?
Swimming towards Bantham...

One of my favourite bits of bridlewayAnother late summer evening
My evening run home from work - 13miles!
Saturday 4hr ride


It is now the end of week 28 and the end is coming into sight, but also getting scarily close - it's just gone 10pm on Sunday evening and all day I have been saying to people 'this time in 2 weeks I'll be.....' and I realised that this time in 2 weeks I'll likely still be running my first ever marathon!
Week 28 started strong - I'd had to re-jig my training last week with all our house guests over the weekend, with the big swim, plus heading out for my 3hr run to get soaked through within 45mins and not getting very far with flooded roads and requiring a James rescue. So, after a well earned rest day and bellyboard session with the Baskcombs at Bantham on Monday evening I was feeling very refreshed. Tuesday morning we decided to get up early and head to the pool to make sure I got a proper training session in. After Saturday's swim I found this really hard work and took a bit longer than planned to swim the 3.5km, I could really feel it, and felt like quitting, but kept going and actually got a second wind. That evening I ran home from work - this was going to be my 3hr run.
I left work and ran round the back way to avoid the main road, crossed over, and down the hill into the Avon valley behind AG. I took a right at the bottom of the valley and along towards the Loddiswell road, across and up to the old railway line behind Avon mill. This was just luxury - flat, soft and through the woods next to the river - it felt great to finally avoid some hills and I ran on, only a little concerned that I had no phone signal and it was a bit of a grey day, so the light was starting to fade already. I had checked on the map and wanted to run to Gara bridge, but had no idea how far it was or how long it would take, then I'd have to return through the woods in the dark, on my own with no phone signal. I am pretty adventurous, but that just is asking for trouble, so when I reached the first bridge I turned round and headed back. Instead my route took me up to Loddiswell, up a ridiculously steep road, up to Loddiswell Butts crossroads, down into the valley past Alleron house and up Beer hill bridleway. Beer hill is a bit of a long steep climb, so I took my time and whilst having a little breather, saw a deer run across the field, little things like this make it all worthwhile!
I inked up with some other roads and bridleways and ended up on the tidal road and back to the house - all in 3hrs. I covered just under 13miles, so a half marathon home from work, great! It's a pretty slow half marathon time as they go, but it's way hillier here than the run will be in Tenby, so I'll be fine.
Wednesdays quick change session was not great, the crap weather was here to stay, so we ended up getting soaked on our ride. Forgetting our glasses was a big mistake - rain drops really sting your eyes when you're trying to bomb down a hill at speed! the run was okay, just a quick down and back on the tidal road.
Thursday am we had a photo shoot with EL new kit, so were down at Slapton sands again, I had my bike with me, so I jumped on once finished and road home, again, it rained on me, infact at one point it was raining so hard I had to pull up next to a lorry for shelter because it was really painful. I made it from Strete gate to Strete, across to the golf club at Dartmouth and back via Halwell, Stumpy cross, Churchstow and down AG hill in just over an hour, rubbish really, but still a good hard hour!
On Friday afternoon we had another Baskcomb outing planned. We canoed down the river, I jumped out twice and swam sections as a recce to see if it was any good. I had to jump out at one point due to waterskiiers in the river, then again just as we came round to the boat house in Bantham as there was a bit of a chop to sea and we were paddling out through the waves. It was an okay swim, I should have stayed in for longer, but was aware that I was slowing everyone down.
James and I got changed, shoved the canoes into John's van and ran back to AG along the heron valley trail. It was great, there are a few big climbs, but nothing too major from this direction and the cows were in other fields this time. I had to give James my tee shirt at one point as he was cold and I was too hot! It took us just over 45mins and we made it before it got too dark.
Yesterday I had a 4hr ride and a 30min run to fit in. We didn't get up early as we had spent all Friday night in A&E getting James' lip stitched!!
We headed out down to Noss Mayo, back to Yealmpton, behind Ermington to Ivybridge - up to South Brent, across to Totnes, back to Avonwick and back home. I felt okay to start with, I was keeping up my nutrition plan and had added some ribose to my water (aids rapid recovery to stop my legs feeling tired and sore). I managed a few fast cadence hill climbs and practised some new strategies - ie; keeping my head down and focussing on the motion my legs are making, rather than on looking ahead worrying about the hill. This seemed to work well and I was surprised at how easy some of the climbs felt. Unfortunately, James was having a very rare instance for him - he had nothing in the tank, so I had to keep stopping to wait for him, complete role reversal!! I never had to wait for too long and I shared as much food with him as I could spare, but also wanted to go as fast as I could, so I would power down each section, then wait for James to catch up, only to power on some more. The last few hills from Avonwick to Kitterford cross and back to AG always seem unnecessarily harsh and steep, but some how I always manage them, and to pick up speed on them. My right knee has started to be a bit sore on longer rides since slipping on Benjies chewed up biscuit last weekend, but hopefully it's nothing too serious that won't heal by itself, bring on rest day! I got home and headed out for what turned out to be a pathetic run, but still a run nonetheless!
Today I had a 2 hr run to do, I linked up all my favourite bits of bridleway and found some new bits too, I can't wait to get back on my mountainbike during the long winter evenings, and that is what my runs have become useful for, working out what we'll do in the winter!! I felt okay and always now take the longer route rather than the shorter option, and seem to just make it in time, so I must be getting better, hooray!!
Let's see what delights week 29 has in store!!