Get Muddy Lost

The wife and kids were out today, so I figured a long run was due. I was never going to reach my 250km target only running 5s each day.
So having waited for the cloud burst to clear, I took Jess for a 4.5km walk round the heath, then headed home to decide where to run.
I'd been toying with the idea of following the River Darenth until I found the Lullingstone visitors centre, where some coffee and flapjack would be enjoyed before turning back. Now this turned out to be approx 28km so prob a tad long, though not out of the question as I had all day, and it was two halves, but then I remembered I had the car, so could go further a field and try somewhere new. Straight away the Darnley Trail sprung to mind out at Shorne Country Park. Its a 10km loop that start and finishes  at the Country Park Visitors centre, I'd seen it when we did a sponsored dog walk earlier in the year. So off I went.

Why couldn't I follow the route?!?

The start of the run was well marked and so easy to follow, and was very muddy and down hill so quite fun, then I hit the road, saw a black arrow pointing left and that was the last one I saw. So I continued to follow random footpath signs, running through woods, farms, horse fields, cow fields and along rivers, until  I ran out of footpaths, and decided to find out where I was and workout how to get back to the car (oh the joys of phone apps! though if I had a map, I wouldn't of been lost in the first place).
Eventually I found myself in Shorne village , which seemed a nice little place, though possibly a bit dated in areas.

I found my way back to the woods, and in to the country park, though not knowing exactly where I was in relation to the centre I still didn't know which way to run, so just opted to follow my internal compass (which to be fair is pretty good), until I found so people walking to woods how confirmed I was going to the right way. Once back at the Visitor centre, I got my flapjack and opted for forest fruit tea over coffee, but had to get straight back in to the car, so I could get the car home to pick up the boys.

On the way home, I pulled in to the left lane, to come off at Dartford, but did so too early, got boxed in by 3 large lorries and so was forced on to the Dartford Tunnel approach, which no one wants to be on at 3pm even if you needed to be there, once I managed to get off (20mins for 1/2 mile) I then managed to get myself in the wrong lane again, and forced round a filter lane into the industrial estate, so had to turn around and go back again.

So my run didn't go where I wanted it to nor as long as intended, but was muddy and interesting, and the consistent hills more than added the effort of the extra kilometres that I had wanted, and then managed to make 2 wrong turns on the way home hence today's title but I ran, and it was good

6th of Juneathon
7km in 49:37 starting at 1346 on 06/06/12

Total 34.5km

Day 5 Jogged Logged and Blogged

Dont blame me, its the Queens fault

I'm losing it, Janathon went really well, I managed to JLB everyday, kept the blog on the right day, but Juneathon is getting a bit messy, I finished blogging the 3rd on the 4th, then did the 4th straight after - both from my phone, whilst watching the Jubilee concert at a mates house. On the 5th I logged my run and realised that I hadn't logged the 4th so logged both on the same day, and have woke up this morning (the 6th) realising that before I can run today I still have to do blog the 5th, and that I never did the additional exercises yesterday either, which probably means I have to start all my Tribesport challenges again too. :/  All of this is the Queens fault!, Having been to the Royal Boat Pageant all day Sunday (ran at 10pm), the parkrun 9am Mon on to a street party, followed by dinner and Jubilee concert watching at a friends place. The Tues was another parkrun at 10, back for lunch then a quick nap before heading to a village fete, for a Tug'o'war across the ford (it was raining so hard that no one minded getting a bit wetter) and watching my sons mate play in a Jazz band at the cricket green - all in the name of HRH Elizabeth II.

So my Exercise for Day 5 (I think) was the Nonsuch Parkrun, with copy7t and a few others from the Riddlesdown parkrun that I'd run the previous day ( a benefit of the Jubilee - 2extra Parkruns). Considering the rain that has been falling lately, the weather was almost perfect for running, fairly bright & sunny but not to warm with a gentle breeze. The turnout was about 450 runners with a lot more family/friends supporters as well. Due to the size of the pack 7t and me decided that I was going to set another pb so we'd have a social instead. So off we went at a nice steady pace, still working our way round numerous runners but happily chatting away, about running, workouts, injuries etc once at the halfway point we decided to push on a bit as we'd been taking it too easy, and the conversation started to stagger, but then we meet up with Jo Quantrill, who seemed to be struggling  -quite possible due to the fact she was running with a knee injury - oh yeah and a BROKEN RIB!!!!( On a good day her average parkrun time is a over a minute faster than my PB and her PB over 2 minutes faster, plus shes about 20yrs my senior, so normally I wouldn't see her until the end)

Right now I'm up to date, and want to get out for a longish trail run before the rain starts again so TTFN

5th of Juneathon
5km in 27:37  starting at 1000 on 05/06/12

Total 27.5km

Day 5 Jogged Logged and Blogged

4th of Juneathon & Parkrun Jubilee Special

Day 4 brings a little difference, thanks to Her Majesty's 60th year under the crown, there were additional bank holiday special parkruns - any excuse for a run
So I headed up to Riddlesdown to meet up with the guy who got me into this game, Mr Copy7t. It was clearly busier than usual and judging by the lost looks and questions many were "tourists". Which gave the event an attendance personal best of 202 runners
The rain had fallen all night and so had left the course rather wet, but it was still fairly solid, just a few large puddles to play in, but that didn't stop me setting a new parkrun pb of 24m14s, helped along unintentionally by a very young lad right up until the 4km mark when I told him we were still under 20 min to which he "cool" and then took off like it was the 1st one (turns out he has a 21min pb).
The run was followed by a nice coffee  and catch up in the horse shoe, and since a street party, and now sat at a friend's house watching the concert, so in all a rather celebratory day, and tomorrow will bring more of the same......

4th of Juneathon
5km in 24:14  starting at 0900 on 04/06/12

Total 22.5km

Day 4 Jogged Logged and Blogged

Jubilee Day

<p>Today is the first day of my week off work, today is Sunday, and so I should be having a lay in, aahh but no, today is also the Royal Boat Pageant on the Thames and my wife is a big fan of the Royals, also our friend is a historian, and works for the RAF Museum and his boss was on one of the boats, and with that I was on the 0640 train out of town upto Charing Cross.<br>
Once up there, we set about trying to get to the river front, which was easier said than done as to help with the crowd control they had shut all the nomal routes, once we found our way round and had had security check my packed lunch, we settled in on the Embankment next to Cleopatra's Needle. After a lot of standing, a bit of singing, and some flag waving, we watch a few boats potter past (got the at 8am, first boat at 330). Though I wasn't overly fussed about the occasion, the atmosphere, and social aspect was great, even when it was over and the rain poured down.
The main issue I had with the whole affair was when was I giving get my run in? By the time we got home we were very tired, very wet, and very cold (still struggling with the hot juneathon idea). But it is Juneathon and one must run, despite @jogblog telling me as long as I blogged it, I could count the 10hrs standing as my daily exercise, so I mustered up what energy I could and did a quick 5km finishing at my mum's house to collect the dog, then got home and did the exercise routine to, which is why the blog is only just happening as I promptly went to sleep




3rd of Juneathon
5km in 28:25  starting at 2050 on 03/06/12

Total 17.5km

Day 3 Jogged Logged and Blogged

2nd of Juneathon

Today was a struggle, after last nights late run and even later blog posting (2356), followed by a 4am alarm and a 12hr day at work, (after which I almost fell asleep at the wheel on the way home) as much as I knew I wanted to, my body was reluctant to agree with my need for a run. So having sat down, and had an impromptu nap, I got changed, chomped on a glucose tablet (hoping it might stir something in me and headed out.
As I've set myself the target of beating Janathons 200km, I knew another 5km wasn't enough so I headed to the heath and followed the 5km path laid out, but with the journey there and back it totals 7.5 km done in 42m44s. Once home, and fed, little prawn cocktail, gammon round with new potatoes & a fruit salad (the starter & desert prepared by my son as he's started doing food tech at school this term) I then went and did the exercise routine I talk about yesterday. So my exercise is done, my food has been crap free (even turned done Mcd's brekkie this morning 7 had a banana instead), I have logged the run and have now blogged it too, I'm know off to prepare for the day in London at the Royal Boat Pageant tomorrow. So that's gonna be a very early run or another late one :(

So 2nd of Juneathon

7.5km in 42:44  starting at 1809 on 02/06/12

Total 12.5km

Day 1 Jogged Logged and Blogged

It has Started

Well here it is, Juneathon. I've only done a Janathon, and whilst it was 'fun' (not sure if that's really the right word), it was marred by the fact that is was dark, damp and cold. Juneathon on the other hand is supposed to be bright, sunny, and warm (maybe to warm) - that is unless you're completely unorganised and don't go out until10pm, then its definitely dark, a bit of a chill, and damp misty rain - but that's my fault, for going out 18 hours later than originally planned.

So my plans for Juneathon

• Better Janathons 200km
• Add in some body weight exercises each day
• Eat sensibly/healthily - no calorie counting/points watching etc
• Decrease my weight/measurements.
• Get my wife and two sons on the Couch to 5k programme

So to do this I need/want to

• Run 60km a week
• Have created a workout incorporating some Tribesport Challenges (25crunches, 25squats, 10pushups, 1min plank, 25crunches, 1min wall squat, 10tricep dips, 10 burpees, 25 crunches, 10 push ups) This may evolve but want to stay with this minimum
• Cut out biscuits, sweets, cakes, beer etc eat more salad for lunch than Gregg's etc
• I have done my weight and measurements, and have them on my before photos. I would put them up but they ain't pretty, maybe after if there's enough improvement - 13st4lb(1st4lb less than when I started running) and 42inches around the bellybutton line
• Have got the App on her phone and shown them the run walk splits for the first couple of weeks

Well that'll do for now as I seem to be in to midnight blogging on day one and I have to up in 4hrs.

So 1st of Juneathon
5km in 24:47  starting at 2157 on 01/06/12

Total 5km

Day 1 Jogged Logged and Blogged

Testing mobile blog app

Have just downloaded the blogger app for my new HTC one V so figured I'd test it out. With juneathon round the corner any blogging help will be appreciated. If my planned dawn runs happen then I can blog at work or if I go for a long run I'll be able to blog in the village pub before running hone again.
Though if I end doing late night runs then I can blog in bed like I'm doing now! But as the picture shows, the lights are out so goodnight see you again soon.