If you don’t want to read the boring bit where I bang on about the weekend here is the run on Mapmyrun.com!!
<a href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-kingdom/salisbury/289124152778749206″ mce_href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-kingdom/salisbury/289124152778749206″>03/05/2009 Neolithic CaniX Route</a><br/><a href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-kingdom/salisbury” mce_href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-kingdom/salisbury”>Find more Runs in Salisbury, United Kingdom</a>
Considering I used to smoke and struggled to make it around the inner ringroad of Chichester I was quite proud this weekend. Sunday the 3rd of May was the neolithic canix, 13 point something miles finishing at Stonehenge. I packed up on Friday night and met my brother at Salisbury camping on Saturday afternoon. Training had been going extremely well until I had my first full days windsurfing of the season the Saturday previous and came down with a cold on the Sunday. I managed to shake it before the event, it just meant that the final weeks training didn’t go according to plan. I had been doing 4 miles to the gym, relaxing with a 30 length swim then 4 miles back home and managed to get my bodyweight close to 12 stone. So we got to Salisbury on saturday, pitched the tent and began boiling up the pasta. The plan was to be at Stonehenge by 8:30 where the coach would take us to the start at Charlton Clumps. Kick off was 10:30 so there was a lot of waiting around but although there was quite a cold breeze it was quite exciting as all the competitors and all the dogs prepared for the event.
Glenn Ward Neolithic Canix Stonehenge 2009
For anyone who says running is boring, you should try this. The countryside around Stonehenge is an amazing place to run and if you get the weather right it just adds to the experience but the best thing is achieving it with the dog. I forgot how much I missed being out with the dogs even if they were borrowed! when I was younger I wasn’t allowed a dog, so to prove a point I walked my nanna and grandads dog everyday after school for about five years (it didn’t work, I still wasn’t allowed a dog) but it did remind me of those times when you could just get away just you and the dog and really clear your head.
The Event was brilliant overall! really well organised! every mile or so there was a water stop with water for the dog and a dunk pool to keep the dogs wetted down and cool. There were other races going on, a marathon, a half marathon and a walk which obviously meant there was plenty of first aid cover etc, and also kept the course active with plenty of runners to try and catch. Pictures are up on Chillpics Photobox Galleries.
Race run down – We set off at a steady pace of 8.5 minute miles and kept this up for quite a time even with the water stops. I got passed any aches and pains early on and surprisingly at 8 miles (my training distance) I was still not overly tied. I asked Ady if he minded if I ran ahead and I picked up the pace for the final 5 miles. I managed to overtake quite a few runners but towards the end Milo (the dog) started to slow up which caused me to run a bit twisted. We later found back at the campsite that his pads were quite worn and causing him some issues. As you round the last bend you can hear the crowd but the biggest motivation comes from the sight of Stonhenge on the brow of the hill, it really gives you that extra push you need to pick up the pace and finish in style.
Tech – I’m afraid iMapmyrun on the iPhone let me down, for the first 3 miles it logged the run and gave me verbal updates at the intervals I had set up but something crashed and about 6 miles in the software was still reading 3.7 miles and I had lost all other information, it was however, very important for me to have my music while I was running. Ady had bought a Garmin Forerunner 405CX watch which provided us with an accurate enough report, mainly distance pace and time throughout the first 8 miles. It pains me to say it as a big iphone and app conbination fan but even the Nokia N95 managed to map the entire course without any error, shhhh!
All equipment was supplied by innerwolf.co.uk
This bank holiday weekend the boys decided to drive upto me in London and meet me at the Princes Club wakeboarding cable park. We got there about half 2 and paid for a two hour sesh on! You hire all the kit each bit being a couple of quid a time. Then watch a short safety briefing and que up to get towed off the pontoon. You get all types there from beginners to some really good boarders and obviously the guys who are looking for something else to do because it’s not windy (us). My day was dominated by the need to get round the right angle that is bend 4, but once I’d cracked it I made sure I did the full 3 laps limit before I finished up.
