Adam in Runderland

I awoke at 5am and struggled to get back to sleep. When my alarm eventually went off at 6 I jumped out of bed excited to be going for a long run. On the drive over to Folkestone I noticed how the scenery alongside the dual carriageway had changed in just a few weeks. The monochrome margins of winter had transformed into bright green hedgerows. Colour was back in nature. My running buddy John and I had planned to head up to the North Downs Way prior to the week's parkrun. I had been enthusing about the lunchtime run I had done midweek and we planned to follow the same route parallel with the Channel Tunnel, across the top of the downs heading East and then back down into the town. Grey mist enfolded the hills like a thick blanket as we pushed inside, eventually emerging the other side. As we climbed a pair of pheasants clattered across the road startled by our presence, wet dandelion clocks and bluebells marked the verges like cats eyes on a motorway. The road clim...

At the start of this year I felt I was falling out of love with running. I didn't want to do it and when I did it was a struggle. I began to wonder if my five year love affair was coming to an end. Maybe that is all it had been, a fling. I'm pleased to say that isn't the case. Since having a quieter month in January I've regained my enthusiasm and re-committed myself to running. I've found a new lease of life, motivated by beautiful scenery, new running friends (John) and endorphins. Maybe the increased mileage during November and December led me to be fatigued mentally and physically. I did push 150 miles a month to break the 1000 mile mark for the year. Whatever the cause I have come through the other side and that gives me confidence that running is here to stay. So what now? Mainly I'm enjoying running for fun. I'll parkrun every Saturday as always although not necessarily chasing a PB. I'll use it as part of a longer run, getting miles in befor...

Another run to work this week from the white cliffs of Dover to the equally white cliffs of Folkestone. The temperature has risen nicely in the last week and the sun was up at 6:30 when I left the house. The first mile into Dover was, as usual, a chore and a struggle even though it is all down hill. My mood wasn't helped by being pooed on by a seagull with, it has to be said, a fantastic aim. It always seems to take at least a mile before my muscles are stretched out and my breathing settles down. At that same point the path begins to climb for the next two miles. I followed the A20 past the harbour and up the A20 with large 16 wheelers speeding past before nipping through the subway onto the pedestrian footpath above the beach. This runs parallel to the train line carrying passengers in the same direction. The path then climbs steeply up over the tunnel entrance and onto the cliff top. The ground had dried considerably compared to the squidgy mud fest of a few weeks ago. The bushe...

This Saturday will forever be known as the Sea Mist run. Folkestone was blanketed in white cloud and visibility was minimal. When we lined up on the Leas for parkrun you couldn't even see the bandstand just 50 yards away. However, there was more running to be done before 9am. I took the train in from Dover and met my pacer John in Cheriton at half past seven. We took the route under the A20 and up the 400 foot climb to Castle Hill. As we emerged on the top of the Downs we ran out of the mist and were able to look down on where Folkestone was usually visible. The white horse shrouded in the haar. The view was incredible. It reminded me of being in a plane high above the cloud cover. The top of the hill resembled an island surrounded by ocean. The sun had risen above and was attempting to burn it off but to no avail. Running along the top of the hill small purple flowers were out in abundance, spider webs glistened on the fence posts and the Skylark sang in the sky above us....