HR – BC – Horsell Circle – 7 miles

Cold, grey and damp greeted me as I jogged into the Waters Edge Cafe Car Park (http://www.horsellcommon.org.uk/sites/heather-farm/)  on Saturday morning. But that was just the weather. . Jane was already there with Sharon, and then Mel, Ed and Katherine, Simon and Will joined us to make an even 8.

A quick discussion ensued as to what articles of clothing were to be discarded (or not), due to the temperature, and after admiring Sharon’s new running shoes and Jane having her 30 second warning, we set off at 07:35 at a moderate canter out and left onto Chobham Road. Single file along the narrow, broken “pavement” and then onto a slightly muddy verge which saw us join Shores Road and then run along that to the meet the 6 Crossroads roundabout.

Then we took the Monument Road towards the Lions Retail Park, and right onto Oriental Road. We followed this to the crescent (Heathside Crescent) and then downhill down Guildford Road to the roundabout. A right here saw us start the climb up Wych Hill where conversation slowed as the breathing became more laboured.

Once we had crested the hill (and re-grouped) we took a right down Triggs Lane, and then we beared left at the next roundabout up St Johns Road. Slightly uncertain of which side of the road that the pavement was best on, we did some military running (left, right, left, right), before staying on the right pavement and finding Langmans Lane on the right to go over the canal and follow the footpath all the way through to Waitrose, Goldsworth Park lake (we went to the left) and then to the sports fields. This is where the navigation started to go slightly awry, and we did a bit more than planned to go around the football pitches and then the hockey pitches. As we were leaving the hockey pitches another running group started coming towards us, a bit like a scene out of West Side Story. . . but we managed to avoid a dance off, before following the path through Horsell Birch, past The Cricketers, and then another detour to take in the remainder of Horsell Birch (a bit muddy), Viggory Lane, Horsell Common Road and then back to the Waters Edge for coffee and cake (below).

All in all, 7.5 miles (a bit over the advertised 7 miles) in 1 hour 7 mins to make it 8 mins 52 secs per mile.

Things we learned this week

1 – A “hustler” is a role in the London Marathon

2 – Many things about the Comrades race in South Africa – and endurance running in general – http://www.comrades.com/

3 – The many uses of a beetroot

4 – What a snot-rocket means (I never knew)

Just a last few words to say well done to all those doing marathons this weekend. I saw Jason, Karen, Georgie and Norman in the Brighton Marathon on Sunday morning and well done to all of you!

And of course good luck for all of you doing the London Marathon next weekend and for those volunteering there as well.

I’m not around next weekend, but on Thursday I’ll issue a run to follow if there is anyone who fancies a Breakfast Club run next Saturday morning.

Thanks,

Geoff