Weather is a third to place and time
Today I ran at lunchtime. It was a grey, wet and windy day and I didn't fancy slipping and sliding along the cliff edge heading back to Dover after work.
It stared out as an easy run but ended up being at tempo pace. The first half mile I took pretty easy and felt very heavy legged. However having reached the top of the Leas and begun my descent of Sandgate Hill my legs had loosened up and I had found my rhythm.
Once in Sandgate I continued in the direction of Hythe hugging the coastline. My intention was to turn back when I reached Seabrook but as usual I felt so good I decided to carry on towards Hythe.
New parking meters have been erected along the seafront, helpfully placed on the opposite side of the road to where cars park. Local opposition has been vocal and I noticed all the machines had been wrapped in bin bags with a note attached reading 'Return to sender' which made me smile.
Along the esplanade there lampposts at regular intervals. I began to count them and realised they numbered 28 in total. Dividing the distance by the number of lampposts I worked out that they were spaced every 70m. That's the sort of inane goings on that happen in my brain when I run without someone else to talk to.
When I reached the end I doubled back and noticed a small colony of Cormorants perched on a scaffold post above the sea. At this point I was within 5 minutes of the hour and began sprinting towards Tontine street where I finished with 8.5 miles completed in the hour.
It stared out as an easy run but ended up being at tempo pace. The first half mile I took pretty easy and felt very heavy legged. However having reached the top of the Leas and begun my descent of Sandgate Hill my legs had loosened up and I had found my rhythm.
Once in Sandgate I continued in the direction of Hythe hugging the coastline. My intention was to turn back when I reached Seabrook but as usual I felt so good I decided to carry on towards Hythe.
New parking meters have been erected along the seafront, helpfully placed on the opposite side of the road to where cars park. Local opposition has been vocal and I noticed all the machines had been wrapped in bin bags with a note attached reading 'Return to sender' which made me smile.
Along the esplanade there lampposts at regular intervals. I began to count them and realised they numbered 28 in total. Dividing the distance by the number of lampposts I worked out that they were spaced every 70m. That's the sort of inane goings on that happen in my brain when I run without someone else to talk to.
Despite these manic calculations I did manage to observe a handful of Great Crested Grebes floating on the waves a few feet from shore.
When I reached Hythe I turned back and recounted the lampposts this time down from 28 to 0. I retraced my steps to Sandgate and then headed along the beach back to Mermaid's Bay in Folkestone. At this point I could climb the zig zag path back to the office but by now I was intent on doing as many miles in an hour as possible and sped up.
At this point I was down to sub 7 minute miles as I raced towards the Harbour. The old station has been redeveloped and is now open so I took a right and ran through it. They have done a good job. It is pained cream and racing green with a row of plants down the middle of where the tracks used to be. The station curves left and then right before opening onto the Harbour Arm which takes you to the lighthouse on which is written 'Weather is a third to place and time.'
When I reached Hythe I turned back and recounted the lampposts this time down from 28 to 0. I retraced my steps to Sandgate and then headed along the beach back to Mermaid's Bay in Folkestone. At this point I could climb the zig zag path back to the office but by now I was intent on doing as many miles in an hour as possible and sped up.
At this point I was down to sub 7 minute miles as I raced towards the Harbour. The old station has been redeveloped and is now open so I took a right and ran through it. They have done a good job. It is pained cream and racing green with a row of plants down the middle of where the tracks used to be. The station curves left and then right before opening onto the Harbour Arm which takes you to the lighthouse on which is written 'Weather is a third to place and time.'
When I reached the end I doubled back and noticed a small colony of Cormorants perched on a scaffold post above the sea. At this point I was within 5 minutes of the hour and began sprinting towards Tontine street where I finished with 8.5 miles completed in the hour.
