Trail Report - Portreath to Godrevy (and back)

We headed to Portreath today for our long run.  Parking is free and plentiful at this time of year and there are good runs in either direction.  We wanted to head west this week to Godrevy.  The round trip is just under 13 miles.

Godrevy Lighthouse (c) Andrew Benham

Working your way up behind the Lifeguard building and taking the path between some garages and you are soon, via a long slog up a grassy track, on top of  North Cliffs, some of the highest in West Cornwall.  They are probably the crumbliest too, not for climbing and as much mud as they are rock. In places the path is VERY close to the edge; today it was windy enough for this to feel a bit worrying in places.

This run is essentially flat, once the first couple of miles are dispensed with; a pair of steep sets of steps being the only exception.

From here it is usually easy going; though today the conditions underfoot were so wet and muddy and the wind so strong that it felt anything but.

When you reach Godrevy take a left, head down through a grassy field (car park in the summer) and then turn right to circumnavigate the headland before heading back.  The bay at the top of the cliff on the eastern side of the headland is home to seals from October to March so worth stopping for a quick look.

Trail report: Porthtowan to Trevaunance Cove

Today we ran one of my favourite bits of the coast path, from Porthtowan to Trevaunance Cove (and back).  All together 9 miles of varied trail along a historic rugged landscape shaped by the mining exploits of the past.

Starting out at Porthtowan car  park (free in the off season) you have a couple of options: head towards the beach and take a steep path past the the famous Blue Bar to the top of the cliff or, from the back of the car park take a longer but (slightly) less steep path to the same point.  Either way its a rude wake up call and an indication of things to come.

Crossing a rolling hillside the path enters a lunar landscape of of human creation; spoil piles topping decaying, scree topped cliffs and cairns marking the way which in foggy conditions might just save you from running off the edge and paying an unscheduled visit to the beach below.

As the path descends to Chapel Porth the trail becomes moderately technical with rocky steps and loose, fist sized stones demanding your concentration all the way to the base of the valley. Switch back along the stream, cross the car park passing the cafe on your way and gain the cliff path heading up the other side.

The cliffs climb steeply and you will be glad that the path turns through several hairpins which keep the angle of ascent relatively moderate.  A choice awaits: continue all the way up in one go or delay the final climb by turning left at the first opportunity.  The latter is preferable as it takes you past the most photographed engine house in Cornwall at Wheal Coates.

Immediately after passing Wheal Coates the path climbs again before levelling out at the Western end of St Agnes Head.  Before long you will see the Coastguard lookout to your right. From here the path is level and easy for a mile or so before the final descent to Trevaunance Cove.  This includes a laid stone path which, in wet conditions, can present the most treacherous part of the route.  Its also hard not to think of how this might feel in a few minutes time as you climb back up.

Our route ends with a trot though the houses, down the slip and onto the sand.  Turning back the climb out of Trevaunance is every bit as punishing as you knew it would be.  On the whole though the return trip is easier, the one final grunt up from Chapel Porth being shorter than the slog up past Wheal Coates on the way out.

This is, without doubt, one of the most beautiful areas of the North Cornwall coast.  Today we ran with the sun on our backs, though its not unusual for strong winds and poor visibility to transform this into a very different adventure.

Marathon training starts here!

Today is day one.  Well actually yesterday was day one but it was a rest day so can't really count that! 

First week should be easy enough, I started last week really by making sure I could handle running three days on the trot.  Went surprisingly well.  Usually I try to have a rest day between runs but that luxury will have to go over the next few months.

So the first goal is to get a marathon done - Duchy Marathon on 3rd March.  Between now and then I will also be running some races at around 10 - 15 miles, the first of which is the Endurance Life Dorset "half marathon".  Apparently they can't count because its 14.8 miles of very hilly coast path.

Its good to run races in the build up to a long term goal, more motivating and a lot easier than doing everything on your own.

Anyway I got the basics for a 16 week plan here.  Tailored it a bit, mainly to fit most of my mid week runs in during lunch breaks, and added in the dates of the races I have booked.

I also just got a copy of Relentless forward progress by Bryon Powell of Irunfar fame which will hopefully help get to the next stage - from Marathon to Ultra.  More on that later.  

Nailing my colours to the mast

In the interests of goal setting I'm going public.  That way it will be harder for me to back out down the line.  Next year, on the 8th June, I aim to complete the Classic Quarter - a 44 mile Ultra marathon along the Cornish coastal path from Lizard to Lands End.

I'll be posting updates about my training as I go.

This time last year I decided to run the same race as a 4 man team, each running 11 miles or so.  At the time I wasn't sure if I could complete that distance.  As it was I barely did, with cramps hitting me hard about 8 miles in.  That said we all were keen to improve on this achievement and Simon and I started to think about possibly running as a pair next year.

Since then I made a poorly prepared but ultimately much better executed completion of the 20 mile Red R.A.T, again on the coastal path; finishing in 5 hours 9 minutes and still able to laugh about it afterwards.  Having done this, 22 miles each seemed a cop out.  So it has to be the whole thing.  44 miles. Again, I'm REALLY not sure I can do this; but I have a fair bit of time on my hands so we shall see.

I have a few milestones planned, including at least one marathon between now and then.  I hope to write a bit about goal setting and training programs soon but need to get my head around it all first.

Lizard point 23rd June 2012

Mark setting off from Lizard point

Simon at Gunwalloe

Gareth heading off on the third leg

Me, in pain, approaching the finish at Lands End (c) G Hayfield

Socks make you run funny

In attempting to run more like a barefoot runner (currently up to 1.5 miles by the way - its going well) I have stopped wearing socks when I run in trainers.

Socks change the shape of your foot.  specifically they make your toes bunch up when ideally they should splay out as you touch down.  

I noticed this particularly when I bought a pack of very cheap socks from JJB sports a few weeks back - they say 9 -11 but, as a size 11, I found them very tight.  This made that feeling of not having enough room at the front of my shoe very pronounced.  So I took em off.  

Apart from a small blister the first time out I've had no problems. My shoes feel roomier and I feel like I am striking the ground (and springing off) more naturally.

I don't suppose this will do much for the wonderful bouquet my trainers give off but you can't have everything.

Cross training

I had three days of climbing this weekend.  It felt good to get back to it after so little this year.  From a runner's perspective it was also good to engage in something that worked my body in a different way.  By the end of the weekend I was bruised, battered and exhausted; we'd had a great time!

As the week wore on though I noticed that the niggly aches and pains from the last few months of running were gone.  Climbing is a great exercise - it works the whole body and makes you move in every possible plane of motion.  Weekly yoga also helps maintain a bit of balance.

Jason Fitzgerald's recent post on Strength Running (my current favourite running blog) suggests there are 5 main components of fitness:

1.Strength
2.Speed
3. Endurance
4. Flexibility
5. Coordination

It doesn't have to be climbing but some "other" exercise will prevent imbalances which can lead to injury and make you a better runner in the longer term.

Now need to work out how to fit in running, climbing, family life and work!

Barefoot baby steps

Half way round my run on Saturday morning I decided to bite the bullet and take off my shoes.  I ran a short distance - maybe a mile - completely barefoot on a tarmac road.

Funnily enough there was none of the pain and discomfort I was expecting and, in fact, all the cliches about barefoot running came to mind as I looked for a way to describe it...liberating, free, light...

I made myself stop early as all the evidence is that this is something to transition into slowly.  Plus it was 7am in September in England and the road felt pretty cold underfoot.  Given the winter is only a few months away I might have chosen the wrong end of the year to carry out this experiment.  Even so my shoes felt heavy as I started running again.

I was quite keen to share my experiences but decided to wait and see what the effects of this short trial were.  Sure enough this morning I felt some muscles, or rather parts of muscles, were feeling a little more worked than usual.  The lower part of my calfs and the outside of my left foot felt a bit tender - nothing more - this morning. Since I'd spent yesterday afternoon jumping off sand dunes with my daughter I was prepared to put this soreness down to that and forgot about it for the day.

Later on though I went for another, slightly longer, run.  Again I took my shoes off half way round.  Turns out the sand dunes had nothing to do with the soreness.  I could feel that lower half of my Soleus working again as soon as I started off.  

Its a good ache though; an awakening, rather than a sign of damage.  The main thing to come from this was a feeling of having a bit of fun, forgetting about the clock and just enjoying feeling the ground beneath my feet.  I'll be persevering, but slowly, gently.