That was something magical...
This post was always going to be about how tough running 3 2h repeats in 1 day was...
How I'd run & walk 46km in a day, and how I hurt but how I knew it would help in 3 and a bit weeks when I do the 50 in run...
All of which is true... However, the last run, a gentle 11.5km in 1:45... very slow, yes... At night in an area I don't know - Yes!
The run started surreally, in the middle of the woods, at dusk a battle of the bands raged so I set off to a reasonable version of Ace of Spades puncturing the night sky.
As dusk turned to dark, my headtorch became an attractive proposition to the local insect life... Moths flew at me, chased by bats, close enough I could feel the wind off their wings. Eyes glinted at me (science tangent - tapeta lucida is a specialised membrane some animals have that reflects light - and helps with their night vision), and suddenly I was jogging in a pack of horses... as they scattered, as surprised as I was, the big dipper started shining through the tree tops.
On I plodded, now immersed in breathing, foot placement, breathing, time... when more eyes glinted and skittered across my beam... Deer, not hanging around so I can't say what sort, but deer bouncing and bounding through the night...
And then it was turn around point, more moths being chased like X-wings through the Death Star's canyons by the tie-fighter bats; if there were deer then they hid in the woods... and another trot with the horses.
And then I stopped, not for breath but to look... and turned the head torch off... and let my eyes adjust. The big dipper (aka the Plough), my constant companion glowed brightly, like a glow in the dark dot-to-dot, was still there, but as night vision took over thousands upon millions of stars appeared, and wishful thinking it may be, but here and there it looked like the Milky Way was coming out... And I stopped and loved it... And relished the silence, the views and the sheer magic of the evening.
Running takes me places I've never been before, not many of them are as naturally wonderful as the New Forest at night. Running back the music started intruding again - a rendition of Happy Birthday to you, followed by a Take That medley - well the real world had to intrude some time;-)
So that was the magic, an unexpected bonus on what was, as my legs are reminding me, a brutaliser!
TTFN
Paul
How I'd run & walk 46km in a day, and how I hurt but how I knew it would help in 3 and a bit weeks when I do the 50 in run...
All of which is true... However, the last run, a gentle 11.5km in 1:45... very slow, yes... At night in an area I don't know - Yes!
The run started surreally, in the middle of the woods, at dusk a battle of the bands raged so I set off to a reasonable version of Ace of Spades puncturing the night sky.
As dusk turned to dark, my headtorch became an attractive proposition to the local insect life... Moths flew at me, chased by bats, close enough I could feel the wind off their wings. Eyes glinted at me (science tangent - tapeta lucida is a specialised membrane some animals have that reflects light - and helps with their night vision), and suddenly I was jogging in a pack of horses... as they scattered, as surprised as I was, the big dipper started shining through the tree tops.
On I plodded, now immersed in breathing, foot placement, breathing, time... when more eyes glinted and skittered across my beam... Deer, not hanging around so I can't say what sort, but deer bouncing and bounding through the night...
And then it was turn around point, more moths being chased like X-wings through the Death Star's canyons by the tie-fighter bats; if there were deer then they hid in the woods... and another trot with the horses.
And then I stopped, not for breath but to look... and turned the head torch off... and let my eyes adjust. The big dipper (aka the Plough), my constant companion glowed brightly, like a glow in the dark dot-to-dot, was still there, but as night vision took over thousands upon millions of stars appeared, and wishful thinking it may be, but here and there it looked like the Milky Way was coming out... And I stopped and loved it... And relished the silence, the views and the sheer magic of the evening.
Running takes me places I've never been before, not many of them are as naturally wonderful as the New Forest at night. Running back the music started intruding again - a rendition of Happy Birthday to you, followed by a Take That medley - well the real world had to intrude some time;-)
So that was the magic, an unexpected bonus on what was, as my legs are reminding me, a brutaliser!
TTFN
Paul
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