Run The Date - Day 15
Date: Sunday 15th September
Distance: 15 miles
Motivational quote: "The joy is in the act of running and in the journey, not in the destination."
Sponsor: Anna Rayner
Song: Never fight a man with a perm by Idles
Running partner: Kevin Hart, Neil Bristow and John Lawrence.
Weather: Clear skies and sunny once the sun was up!
Fuel: Weetabix, banana, coffee ,Oshi trail bar.
Route: Folkestone to Dover along the shore and back on the cliff tops.
Comments: The alarm went off at 5am. I lay there listening to it for around 5 minutes before managing to climb out of the bed. Today I was due to meet John and Neil B on the Leas at 6am. There was just time for my a spot of breakfast, a stretch and my morning ablutions before I had to head off.
John met me outside and we ran down the road to meet Neil at the place where Folkestone parkrun starts. The full moon was still high in the sky. The horizon had begun to colour but there was no sign of the sun yet.
We ran down Remembrance Road and along Sunny Sands. A short climb up some steps later and we descended into The Warren, a beautiful area of woodland and beach. It was about this time when the sun broke the horizon; a glorious orange fiery ball.
The beach connects Folkestone Harbour to Samphire Hoe and Dover Harbour. Along part of it's length is a large concrete platform which used to be Folkestone Warren Holt Railway Station. After this we followed a path beneath the white, chalky, crumbly cliffs. There is a steep drop at one point but a ladder and rope is provided to climb or descend.
From here we were running on deep pebbles and seaweed across the beach. It was hard going but soon we were at Samphire Hoe. This is a man made country park constructed using 4.9 million tonnes of chalk marl excavated from under the Channel when the Chunnel was built.
This is where John and I will be running the Battle of Britain Marathon on the 29th. Our 9th of 12 marathons this year. A steep hill leads away from the sea to the M20 motorway into Dover. It is a tunnel straight through the cliff face. We continued up the cliffs until we were on the top overlooking the Hoe.
Fellow fundraiser and runner Kevin Hart lives in Dover. He had agreed to meet us at this point to run back to Folkestone. Kevin is doing his own challenge this year which involves running a minimum of 5k every day for a year. He has already completed 257 days of his running streak and raised nearly £2000 for Dover RNLI and Breast Cancer Now in the process. You can find out more here:
Kevin Hart Just Giving
The four of us began running towards Folkestone with the sun at our backs. It is a route I have done many times having lived in Dover for a while and chosen run to work regularly. It takes you up and down the undulating clifftops alongside the steep drop down to the beach where we had run just an hour before.
We ran and chatted and met a very friendly greyhound. Time flew by and we were soon in Capel-Le-Ferne. The Battle of Britain museum is based there and we ran through it before saying goodbye to Kevin at The Valiant Sailor pub. He returned to Dover while Neil, John and I descended into Folkestone.
A couple of miles later we were back at the house having completed the 15 miles. I now have 27 hours rest before I have to go out again and tackle 16.
I'm still looking for people to sponsor me and help Folkestone Rainbow Centre. Visit my page here:
Run The Date giving
John met me outside and we ran down the road to meet Neil at the place where Folkestone parkrun starts. The full moon was still high in the sky. The horizon had begun to colour but there was no sign of the sun yet.
We ran down Remembrance Road and along Sunny Sands. A short climb up some steps later and we descended into The Warren, a beautiful area of woodland and beach. It was about this time when the sun broke the horizon; a glorious orange fiery ball.
The beach connects Folkestone Harbour to Samphire Hoe and Dover Harbour. Along part of it's length is a large concrete platform which used to be Folkestone Warren Holt Railway Station. After this we followed a path beneath the white, chalky, crumbly cliffs. There is a steep drop at one point but a ladder and rope is provided to climb or descend.
From here we were running on deep pebbles and seaweed across the beach. It was hard going but soon we were at Samphire Hoe. This is a man made country park constructed using 4.9 million tonnes of chalk marl excavated from under the Channel when the Chunnel was built.
This is where John and I will be running the Battle of Britain Marathon on the 29th. Our 9th of 12 marathons this year. A steep hill leads away from the sea to the M20 motorway into Dover. It is a tunnel straight through the cliff face. We continued up the cliffs until we were on the top overlooking the Hoe.
Fellow fundraiser and runner Kevin Hart lives in Dover. He had agreed to meet us at this point to run back to Folkestone. Kevin is doing his own challenge this year which involves running a minimum of 5k every day for a year. He has already completed 257 days of his running streak and raised nearly £2000 for Dover RNLI and Breast Cancer Now in the process. You can find out more here:
Kevin Hart Just Giving
The four of us began running towards Folkestone with the sun at our backs. It is a route I have done many times having lived in Dover for a while and chosen run to work regularly. It takes you up and down the undulating clifftops alongside the steep drop down to the beach where we had run just an hour before.
We ran and chatted and met a very friendly greyhound. Time flew by and we were soon in Capel-Le-Ferne. The Battle of Britain museum is based there and we ran through it before saying goodbye to Kevin at The Valiant Sailor pub. He returned to Dover while Neil, John and I descended into Folkestone.
A couple of miles later we were back at the house having completed the 15 miles. I now have 27 hours rest before I have to go out again and tackle 16.
I'm still looking for people to sponsor me and help Folkestone Rainbow Centre. Visit my page here:
Run The Date giving
