Category: Tourist Running

Happy more waking than running

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After my Happy Running in Bath, Edinburgh and at home, we headed to Seahouses for a week of writing and thinking for my DBA. We had a lovely little apartment and the perfect location and as well as some lovely walks on the beach I also had one little run.

I didn’t go far and I found it really hard and was initially frustrated at the lack of fitness. I was also a bit unsettled because we’d had to change plans. The initial plan was to drive Kath to Craster for her to run back and for me to have a plod there before driving back. But the road was closed and rather than trying to work out an alternative, we pulled into the car park at Beadnell Bay to regroup. Kath was unsettled and so was I but eventually we got going and she set off to run to Dunstanburgh Castle and I set off on my plod.

After about a mile I realised that I didn’t want to run, I wanted to walk in the sea with bare feet- so that’s what I did.

I didn’t run very much at all that week but I loved walking on the beach, playing with the sea and just being.

Philadelphia running

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We’ve been back from Philadelphia for 2 weeks now so it’s about time I caught up! I’m in the middle of a lush Spa Day so finally feel like I have the headspace to write. Philly was good for running for me. Here’s a summary:

A picture of the Liberty bell in Philadelphia
The Liberty Bell

Run 1: the first morning we had a little explore round the block from the hotel using Couch to 5km week 3 intervals.

Run 2: We ran (week 3 intervals again) to the Museum of Art and then obviously we took it in turns to run up the Rocky Steps.

Knee high to the Rocky Statue

Run 3: last morning and a 2 mile explore along the river

Not a run but time on feet: 11 miles walking round Philly on our last day to see the Japanese House and Garden.

All the running felt quite hard. It felt too warm and I felt like breathing was tough. But what wasn’t hard was getting out to run. Somehow getting out is easier when I am away somewhere. It was also lovely to run with Kath. We’re not doing much of that at the moment.

While in Philly I made all sorts of plans for when we got home. I really thought I was getting somewhere with consistency. But that’s not quite how it worked out. More on that later.

Philly was also good in the sense that there were lots of reminders about why I want to run and why I want to be fitter. I would have liked to have been able to do more tourist running. It’s fun to go see the sights on foot early in the morning. I also want to be able to walk places and not worry about distance. I got more tired than I’d like towards the end of our walk. I don’t want fitness for fitness’s sake, I want to be able to keep going on our adventures.

Dilworth Park and its fountains

Post Covid Running

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Well I had Covid again and it wasn’t nice. It sparked the 100 Days of Wonder blog series on my other blog so that’s something fun and light to come out of it but running wise – meh.

Honestly I am quite scared to run. What if my lungs just really don’t work? What if getting ready for Dopey is now completely impossible? Well being too scared to run isn’t going to help with that is it! We went for a walk at Bolton Abbey once we’d both tested negative and that was ok but we were soo tired afterwards and maybe we went too soon because we both felt crap again for a few days after.

Then I put off trying to go out for a few days. Then I went to a work thing in Worcester and somehow the idea of a little tourist run was easier to wrap my head around than just a run. I woke up early anyway so it’s not like I had to drag myself out of bed. I stood outside the hotel for ages waiting for my watch to pick up the GPS signal but it didn’t so in the end I just set Strava to track. I ran down the road towards the Cathedral. It was still dark so it wasn’t your usual tourist sightseeing run. I ran in intervals but skipped the odd one here and there but also stopped to take pictures.

After the cathedral I went a bit random but was vaguely thinking to head to the river and see just how dark the path would be and make an assessment as to safety at that point. Once I got there, the path was light enough but it seemed deserted. I hesitated for a second but then thought that I was on my own anyway and whether I went down a well lit path along the river or a not well lit narrow street probably made little difference. I saw another runner going the opposite way but that was it. I stopped to say hello to the Kleve Swan (donated by the town Kleve in Germany which is twinned with Worcester) and then made my way back through town and to the hotel. It was only a short 2 miles loop but that was definitely enough for my lungs. It felt positive to be out though.

Today we went to Bolton Abbey again to try a run. My lungs still feel heavy (don’t know how else to describe it really) and I was a bit worried about the slopes. Running on the flat is one thing… We set off, each doing our own thing and Kath soon disappeared out of view. I was struggling mentally. On reflection I was actually physically fine but as I was running my mind raced about worrying about how my lungs felt, how high my heart rate was and was that a niggle in my knee? I struggled to settle down and then I saw a couple walking ahead and for whatever reason I absolutely did not want to have to run past them. Anxiety levels were suddenly sky high. I did another walk and run interval and then I turned round. As soon as I did I settled down a bit. I told myself I could just run/walk back to the car and then stop.

After a little while I started laughing at myself. I turned round because I didn’t want to run past people on a wide footpath. What an idiot. I settled into the running more and forgot to worry about how I felt physically. I then decided that I would do at least 2 miles. That took me just a bit further than the car so I thought I might as well keep going a bit and go to the end of the car park. I ran on the grass and despite the damp creeping into my shoes it felt nice to be on the softer ground. I looped round watching a heron fly off into the distance. when I got close to the car I was still a bit off 3 miles so I kept going a bit, headed over the bridge over the Wharfe and turned back. 3 miles was fine. The lungs are still a bit heavy, it was slow and ploddy and clearly I am having a slightly mad phase but I got out and that’s progress. I waited for Kath to complete her equally positive loop and had a chat with a curious jackdaw.

Hadrian’s Wall or not -Day 4

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My feet, or specifically my little toes are more painful than I ever imagined they could be. I maybe slept a couple of hours and it’s clear really that my Hadrian’s Wall walk adventure is over. We talked about what to do for the best for us both and agreed that Kath would walk on. Here she is setting off in Chollerford.

The B&B we stayed at was lovely and we got a lift down to Chesters Roman Fort this morning where Kath collected her next stamp. Then I hobbled with her to Chollerford where I’m now sitting in the cafe I was in yesterday sipping coffee. I’ll walk back to Chesters shortly, have a look around and then get the bus to Hexham.

Well Chesters was quite interesting for a short visit and is probably worth exploring more fully with functioning feet. I didn’t walk down to the bath house or round the whole site. I stuck my head in the museum- a room full of old stones basically and then I got on the bus.

I got off at Hexham bus station and walked very slowly towards the Abbey. I stopped at Boots and bought ibuprofen and then looked round the Abbey sitting a little while and lighting a candle for peace. Then I went for coffee.

The B&B had ‘strict’ check in times of between 4pm and 6pm. It said to call if you thought you’d be outside those times. I tried a few times to see how early I could get there and if Kath could get a lift from Heddon. No answer. So I decided that my feet were too sore to wander round Hexham and I was better off getting the train to Wylam where the B&B is.

Once in Wylam I called again and got through. They seemed slightly irritated even though I was careful to note that I knew it was early and I was just asking what was possible. She suggested we could check in at 3pm as they’d be back home then. Kath was walking into the village and I found a cafe for another coffee. Kath then discovered that there was a bus and jumped on that and I picked her up at the bus stop.

Her walk was mostly along the road and fairly uninspiring but I still enjoyed the photo updates

The B&B seems nice and we’ve rounded off the day with food at a local pub. In spite of trying to stay off my feet I’ve still done just over 14000 steps. Now for feet up, random tv and an early night.