Long Sunday Run

Just Dave and I this morning, no sign of Ken (second no show on the bounce) or Paul at 7:15am so off we went, heading out up to the top of Mid-Herts golf club and then to the end of Gustard Wood Common, doubling back down on the other side of the road on the footpath in the trees.

Then we went across Lamer Park towards Bride Hall. 4.5 miles on the map, zoom in on the place quite something. I'd never been here before so while Dave had a waz I checked out the lie of the land and decided that running right across this guy's front garden would not be the best plan (although it did look like the footpath did exactly that) so we went around the perimeter. Checked the OS map later and the footpath does indeed go right through the garden onto Bride Hall Lane. Anyway our route was better as more off road on wide open well cut grass pathways. Short bit on Bride Hall Lane then off up Codicote Road turning right at Ayot St. Peter road through the pillared lane.

I love Ayot Place especially the way the foot path takes you into the property with views of the main house glimpsed from the path. You actually go through a proper big door in the pillar of the gate, into the gate post itself and out another door on the other side. Quite surreal! Then down to the Ayot Greenway across a tiny footpath, that you'd never notice going in the other direction.

Back from Wheato cross country.

Took a shocking 1h 46mins to clear 12miles (that's 8:50min miles - eek!), but the sun was hot (though we were in the shade) and running seriously off road most of the time through trees does not make for fast running.

At one point my HR was down at 118 and ave. was 130, mainly due to the drift kicking in at mile 11, before gel two had done its stuff.

Ho hum, it was a nice run though.