The run where the world's my lobster

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This weekend I was running solo as my friend John had abandoned me for the arid trails of southern Spain. It was the last weekend before the Cliff Top Challenge Marathon and so I decided to get some distance in my legs.

Rising early, I set out at 6:30am and followed a new trail that started behind my house. It was a struggle doing the first mile uphill as my legs didn’t have much time to warm up. The discomfort was soon forgotten, however, as I passed a field of ponies and emerged on top of the downs overlooking the Old Folkestone Road on one side and Alkham Valley on the other. The view stretched away as far as Dover Castle and the port in the distance. 


 I had a rough idea of the route from Strava. There were a number of trails that eventually ended up in Capel-Le-Ferne just outside Folkestone. I didn’t look too closely though as I wanted to explore and gave myself enough time for a few wrong turns. 

The path took me across open meadows and through leafy tunnels of Hawthorn until I reached a gate. Hopping over I ran along the tractor tyre tracks through a field thick with ripening wheat, still green.
 At the far end I rediscovered the path and entered Hougham village via a chat with a friendly horse. Unfortunately for the second time this year I didn’t spot an electric fence and took quite a jolt to the elbow.

I left the village and faced a choice of path eventually finding the right one on the third attempt and a couple of laps of local fields. This led me through another field of slightly riper wheat across the M20 and on into Capel-Le-Ferne. 
At the top of Dover Hill, I chose to stay on higher ground and ran over Round Hill and Sugar Loaf Hill before conquering Caesar’s Camp. At this stage I had to ask a local man if I could cut back to the path from Caesar’s Camp to which he replied, “Yes you can, the world’s your lobster”. That kept me chuckling for a while.

A quick descent of the hill and I arrived in Mermaid Bay just after half past eight to meet with the Folkestone Sea Swimmers. It was a quick swim with Satyadakini and Bridget and then back up the zig zag path to be back at the top of the Leas for parkrun, but I just made it. Unfortunately, I took my camel back off which had my phone in it and so didn’t record the first mile. On the way past I picked it up again and ran a good pace to finish 29th in 21 and a half minutes.
 Before heading home, I stopped off for a large flat white, a slice of blueberry and vanilla cake and a read of the i newspaper. Refuelled and raring to go I headed straight up the hill from the Harbour and then took the coastal route along the cliff tops back into Dover.

(I can't seem to get photos into the text so they are all at the bottom)

Now tantalisingly close to marathon distance I took a detour up to the castle and looped around Dover back to my house arriving spot on 26.2 miles. I was surprised how good I felt considering I had run a full marathon with over 2000 feet of ascent. Even the next day my legs weren’t stiff and didn’t ache. I’m sure one reason was the hour long sit down in a coffee shop but I’m equally sure that trail running doesn’t have the same impact on the joints and muscles as road running.

Next up is the Challenge from Lympne to Deal next Saturday. With over 70 miles in my legs this week my aim is to taper and rest so that I’m full of energy. Not sure that will be the case though. I’m looking forward to having company again and to exploring a part of the coastal trail I haven’t yet run, from Dover to Deal.

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