Tynedale : Jelly Tea Race

Better in the eating than in anticipation

I'd been panicking all week and more besides, the thought of 10 miles, longer than anything I've run was getting to me.

I'm up early pacing the hallway. Take the train to Hexham, leaving my car at the finish in Prudhoe / Ovingham. Early again pacing the platform. Arrival at the start over an hour to go. Meet up with a couple of the girls from Tyndale Tuesday group, now we're all panicking a bit but the mutual support is encouraging.

The amble to the start turns into a jog and one or two folk think we've already started, not yet! Then we're off!

The route is actually beautiful following the National Cycle route 72 for most of the way. Leaving Hexham on the Beaufront road to Corbridge, through the town it's self a steep section taking you up out of town to the turn down right to Bywell. The road is then goes back down the hill bypassing Bywell and follows the river towards Ovingham. A short steep section at mile 9+ proves as hard as the pre-race horror stories made it out to be.

The end is almost in sight and we realise that with a short burst of speed we could make it in under the hour and a half! In the end 1:27 more than 10 minutes in under my target time. Knackered but well happy with that.

Downtime

Getting The Sunday Papers in

Hagg Bank Bridge

View Horsley Wylam Ovingham in a larger map

 

Taking a 9 mile walk just to get the papers in seems a little excessive perhaps.

There's a good description of the Hagg Bank Bridge over on Cycle-Routes.org and yes it does look like The Tyne Bridge, that's because it was the predecessor of both the Tyne Bridge and the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia.

Training: Flat Out

Ovingham to Wylam and back

River Tyne

I have decided running on the flat, or nearly flat is way way harder than running up hill! How, you may ask yourself, does he reckon that? He is mad. The problem seems to be all about pace.

On the up hill sections of a run, like last Tuesday's run up Causey Hill near Hexham, you can naturally pace yourself, gravity, friction and so all help to find a natural rhythm. On the down hill sections a similar state is achievable and a rolling forward slightly out of control hurtling gait seems like a recovery run.

On the flat a desire for speed and possibly an unfamiliarity seems to take over me and I end up averaging well over 6mph and completely knackered too quickly. I need more practice, loads more or a pacemaker. However there isn't time before Wednesday and I'm losing confidence fast.