Steep

Week 2 of our holiday on the Isle of Wight. The weather has been see-sawing between torrential rain and blazing sunshine, which has limited my running opportunities a little! However, I have managed two runs this week:

Monday 16th August

Following a beautiful blue-sky day, the evening is cool and clear, and I have a chance for a longish run. My 10K fundraiser at Bedgebury is less than 4 weeks away, so I decide to try to run that distance in less than 60 minutes - something I haven’t managed to do yet.

The plan is to run to Ventnor and back three times, which will be 7.5 miles, but to time the first 6.2 miles (10k), which I have measured out on Google Maps… I need to press Stop on my stopwatch when I reach the post-box in Ventor for the 3rd time!

Speedy music on my iPod helps my pace, and the gorgeous sunset on water soothes my soul. I push myself, keeping an eye on the stopwatch, and am so happy to reach the post-box in 57 minutes and 25 seconds - my first sub-60 10K! I jog the last mile or so home at a relaxed pace, watching the final streaks of red sky give way to midnight blue and crescent moon on water.

Thursday 19th August

A challenge.

I have been eyeing up the huge hills between Bonchurch and Shanklin - a route that we drive most days and which looks ridiculously steep and twisty, but with amazingly dramatic views over the cliffs and sea. A careful measure on Google Maps shows the route (there and back) to be 7.3 miles, but I’m guessing it would feel more like 10 with those hills!

A sunny afternoon, and the children are sleeping, swimming and learning survival skills, respectively, so with a little trepidation (and no music - I need to focus!), I set off for Shanklin, hitting the first hill almost immediately. There is no level ground on this route - it is all uphill and downhill and STEEP. It makes Rochester seem like Holland! I physically cannot run on some of the uphills and am forced to power walk. I can’t even enjoy the long downhills, because I know that I will have to run up them on the return journey!

I make it to The Crab - a pub in Shanklin that I’ve chosen as my turning-round point - any further into town and I’d be battling with tourists for pavement space. The return journey is equally tiring, but at least it ends on a huge downhill. My time is pretty poor: 1 hour 23 minutes, but I don’t care - I’m just glad to have made it at all! (And the views were fantastic.)


Distance run (in miles): Monday 7.5, Thursday 7.3
Total mileage this week: 14.8
Total mileage for August: 47.7
Total since starting blog: 179.8