2006 End of Year Running Review.

In December I matched my highest mileage achieved in any single month of the year which I achieved last January with a total of 146 miles.

My statistics for the year compared to 2005 show :

2005 Jan 127 miles No of Runs 19 2006 Jan 146 miles Runs 20
2005 Feb 45 miles No of Runs 7 2006 Feb 111 miles Runs 16
2005 Mar 94 miles No of Runs 14 2006 Mar 144 miles Runs 21
2005 Apr 97 miles No of Runs 15 2006 Apr 139 miles Runs 19
2005 May 84 miles No of Runs 12 2006 May 142 miles Runs 20
2005 Jun 89 miles No of Runs 13 2006 Jun 136 miles Runs 19
2005 Jul 145 miles No of Runs 21 2006 Jul 142 miles Runs 20
2005 Aug 130 miles No of Runs 18 2006 Aug 106 miles Runs 15
2005 Sep 141 miles No of Runs 20 2006 Sep 121 miles Runs 17
2005 Oct 139 miles No of Runs 20 2006 Oct 129 miles Runs 17
2005 Nov 107 miles No of Runs 17 2006 Nov 113 miles Runs 16
2005 Dec 132 miles No of Runs 17 2006 Dec 146 miles Runs 18

Total Runs for 2005 - 193 out of 365 days. Total runs 2006 208 out of 365 days

My average distance that I ran in 2005 was 6.88 miles. My average distance that I ran in 2006 was 7.56 miles.

My longest run in 2005 was 12 miles on Boxing Day 26th December. My longest run of 2006 was 13.1 miles on 11th June and 8th Oct.

I ran 9 races this year which is up on last years 3.

My racing pb's for the year are half marathon 1hr 46.16, 10 miles 1 hr 17.17 , 7 miles 52.37 and 5 miles 37 mins.

On Dec 31st 2005 I set myself the following targets. My observations on how the year went are in blue.

1. To keep fit and enjoy my running.

That will always be my number one aim. People some times ask why do you run? Quite often they look upon you as weird when you mention that you run. Often they will say they have tried and found it boring. Quite simply I run because I can and I wouldn't do it if I didn't love it. I get to see the changing seasons, experience all weathers and enjoy the beautiful Suffolk countryside. I meet similar folks who enjoy running. I gave up a long time ago trying to persuade others to run you either enjoy it or you don't.

I have had a good year and have managed to stay injury free replacing my shoes regularly. The New Balance 854's clearly were not designed for me as they wore out on the outer heels after only 241 miles. Purchased on the 21st of April, I used them for the last time on the 15th of June. The Saucony MC5's were dead after 356 miles which I don't consider great value. The Saucony shoes were purchased on the 27th of June and were kaput on the 1st of October.

During the year I have used 5 different pairs of shoes. I usually spend no more than £50 on a pair so in total on shoes I have incurred costs of £250. Add on 1-2 new running tops, socks this would another £50. Race entry fees have certainly seemed to go up to reflect additional security, h&s , police arrangements etc I entered 9 races and this must have cost about £8 a race making another £75 quid. I also bought Runners Worls every month and that is £4 a month Add on some travel costs to races and I suppose I would have spent around £450 quid in total.

2. I am a signed up member of St Edmunds Pacers and look forward to continuing doing so for next year.

I re signed as a member of St Edmunds Pacers in October. Thinking about it that cost me I believe £15 and when ever I attend track it is another £1 and I must have attended about 20-25 times in the year so another £40 making £500 on running in 2006. There is definitely a sign of increased numbers of people out running. Hard to say if many of them are joining clubs. I think I made reference to it in the summer that attendance at the Run for Life events is huge and presents a potential size able untapped market of new potential club members

3. I am setting myself an overall target to run 1500 miles next year. That's challenging for me but hopefully realistic target that is achievable barring injuries ! I managed 1328 this year so it is an additional 200 miles at an average of 29 miles a week.

Well I did it! With a total of 1573 miles I beat my target of 1500 miles with a couple of weeks to spare. In the end I averaged 30.3 miles per week partly because I avoided both injury and illness for most of the year. My worst time was at the beginning of September when I returned from Italy with a balance problem connected to motion sickness. I missed a whole weeks training then. Joining a club and having fairly regular races as targets has helped to provide motivation. Above all of this the biggest motivation for me is taking a camera with me and visiting as much of Suffolk as I can to record what I see.

4. Long Runs - I want to up my long runs so that next year I run some 2 hour or 15 mile runs .

Woops! I didn't do it. I managed the half marathons at Norwich and Felixstowe but I failed on this.

5. Hills - these are great sessions to include in your training. I know it but I just didn't do it this year. Can I do it next year? Probably not on my own. I remember that we used to run these as a cub session when I belonged to Stopsley Striders back in 1994. I am not going to set my target for hills anything greater than to do 1 hill session a month.

Not achieved. I certainly did better than last year and started the year well running hill sessions in January, February and March. I then slipped until July and more recently doing a couple of sessions in December.

6. Races - for me racing isn't the be and end all of why I run but I would still like to run more races than I did this year which was only 3 . My target for 2006 is to do 6 races. At the moment I still think my limit for a race is around the half marathon distance. So I would like to include a half marathon as a race next year.

Achieved this one! I ran 9 races including2 half marathons. The venture into Norfolk to run the Norwich Half was on one of the hottest days of the year and I will never forget this race. The Felistowe Half is to be recommended- I like the whole organisation from the comical comperes to the Felixstowe TV - yes thats right Felixstowe has its own tv service and you can view a video of the race here http://www.felixstowetv.co.uk/e107_plugins/eplayer/eplayer.php?view.57.0.20

7. Track and Interval Work - If I miss the Wednesday track session at West Suffolk Athletics Track then I want to commit to doing the Monday session. To my mind track work is so beneficial.

I did ok but again want to improve on my 23 visits to track in 2006.

8. To get my weight down to 12 stone - I could still do with losing a few pounds . My BMI still shows I am overweight for my height. This means losing about 4-6 pounds. This should be possible if I keep to my new mileage targets.

Well no I didn't achieve this. my weight has remained constant at around 12.5 stone. I just don't believe in the BMI as a good measure.

9. To replace my watch - I don't have a very good running watch- sometime this year I would like to get one of those Garmin 201 devices

No I have stuck with my same old watch and no plans to get a Garmin as I can't afford it and as I run a lot across country I need convincing it will work under trees etc.

10. Lastly this one is a bit crazy but when the weather brightens up in the spring I am seriously considering an occasional run when I take with me a rucksack to pick up rubbish I spot in the hedgerows. I hate to see rubbish which has been dropped from car windows left on the side of roads. It can remain for years in some rural spots. Ok I could say it is not my rubbish but in a way we are all responsible for the upkeep of the countryside and I am willing to give it a go. I expect I will need to wear gloves and an old rucksack. My other though then is what to do with the rubbish as I don't particularly want to fill my own dustbin with what I collect. Maybe my run will need to by pass a recycling centre.

This is one I really wish I had lifted a finger to try and achieve but I didn't and so goes on next years list.

2006 was a good year where I achieved many of my targets I believe partly because I set them out in a very public way for all to see. 2007 can be even better!

Beetons Way Bury St Edmunds

8.30am 8.8 miles in 1hr 13 mins 29 seconds

Week to date mileage 27 miles

Month to date mileage 146

Average weekly rate 30.3 miles

Average monthly rate 131

Year to date 1573

Lifetime 9593

To end the year I decided on a tough session. I warmed up with a run through Westley Estate and then out to the end of Newmarket Rd and ran into town and I believe it is a mile when you reach the Falcon Pub. There are a few places where you have to slow completely as you cross roads and watch for traffic. My time of 7.14 was consistent with recent miles I have run on the track and usually in the first mile of a race.

I considered repeating but instead ventured down to Beetons Way to do some hills. As I mentioned in my post of the 15th of December there is an option of mixing up the hill climbs between long and short climbs and today I did this.

I started with a long climb which starts from the first lamp post after you emerge from under the bridge to head up hill. Continue up hill past the mini roundabout keeping to the path until you find an opportunity to move across the road which runs parallel to the sports centre car park which is on your left. The end of the long climb is when you reach the end of the road just before you enter Beetons Way footpath which runs besides Gibraltar Barracks.

I decided to alternate between long climbs and short climbs and found this a tough session and was looking for reasons to give up after about 5. However I continued and did 9.

The short hill climb also begins from the same first lamp post after the bridge but ends when you reach the first Grey lamp post at the top of the hill.

I jog down the hills to recover!

My times were as follows

1st long 2.27
2nd short 52
3rd long 2.15
4th short 49
5th long 2.17
6th short 52
7th long 2.25
8th short 51
9th long 2.20

My record for the short climb is 47 seconds on 30th July 06
The long climb stands at 2.15 on 30th Dec 06

Lt Whelnetham to Bradfield St Clare Suffolk

2pm 8.4 miles in 1hr 10 mins 10 seconds

Week to date mileage 18 miles

Month to date mileage 137

Average weekly rate 30.2 miles

Average monthly rate 131

Year to date 1564

Lifetime 9584

I drove out to the village of Lt Whelnetham with the thought of finding the old Railway Station House which is clearly marked on the OS map 211 Explorer edition of the ordnance survey map. Coming of the A134 just after Sicklesmere along the appropriately named Water Lane I parked close up to where the Old Station House is marked on the map.

Where I parked there must have clearly been a bridge but this has long gone with the ending of this railway line between Bury St Edmunds and Sudbury back in the early 1960's.

I set of up hill and must have run past the Station House as the marked pathway takes you on a bit of a detour around it. I didn't worry to much and continued on my run through apple orchards and past Maynard House. Maynards Wine Orchard produces a range of English wine and fuit juices and the orchards even in December were pungent smelling of old apples it was like being inside a bottle of cider.

I reached a minor B road but continued my run on passing over another former railway bridge.

The level of the field must have been considerably raised as there is very little clearance under the bridge here now and hard to imagine a train passing underneath.

I entered the small village of Bradfield St Clare and ran as far as the church called St Clare.
I was tempted to run to another of the Bradfields called Combust but the light was already beginning to fail and even this mnor road had a fair amount of cars so it wasn't worth the risk and I returned back to Maynard House.

I took a different turning with the objective of finding the old railway station. This path took me across a wet field and what would have been the old track and eventually through to the station itself. This has now been converted to a private residence. Further down track there are some old buildings here that once would have straddled either side of the railway which was a single line. It looked pretty derelict with the doors boarded but nevertheless it was possible to get a good impression of how the station would have appeared.

With time on my hands I decided to continue my run in the opposite direction along the restored Lt Whelnetham Line. This is a stretch aboot 1.5 miles long of restored pathway along the former railway line to Bury St Edmunds. A beautiful walk with lots of wild flowers this is worth visiting. Although a little muddy I ran to the end of this walk and then returned to do it again before returning to the car.

Rougham and Hessett Suffolk

8.30am 10 miles in 1hr 21 mins 59 seconds

Week to date mileage 10 miles

Month to date mileage 129

Average weekly rate 30.2 miles

Average monthly rate 131

Year to date 1556

Lifetime 9576

On a damp, dark and dreary morning I drove out to Blackthorpe a small hamlet near Rougham. I traveled along the A14 from Bury St Edmunds to Ipswich road. After about 4 miles there is a new turning which enables you to reach Blackthorpe. I parked up and ran through Blackthorpe Farm. There is always a seasonal Christmas sale here in the Barn of all the usual Christmas type paraphernalia. A lot of people also buy there Christmas trees from here or at Rougham Nurseries.

The early part of my run was along a cemented off road track through large fields of trees being prepared for future Christmas years. Eventually you emerge from Blackthorpe Farm at the edge of the A14. Home Farm is on the other side of the A14 on the edge of this very busy road which has constant noise day and night. This must effect the owners as there farm house must pick up the noise. There was a lovely reminder of former days when this road was much quieter and was then called the A45 a sign directing you to this road.

The pathway along by the A14 is short and you turn right at Rougham Nursery. Past a few houses and I was then on to the fields. The pathway takes directly to St Mary's church at Rougham. The pathway is called Church Plantation Walk.

From here I followed the road past the rectory and along to the New road, turned right and after a quarter mile arrived in the village of Rougham. Arriving from this direction as you approach the Bennets Arms Pub absoultely dominates like a brick wall at the end of New Road.

I turned left here and ran out to a small hamlet by the name of Nether Street, there is a lovely farm here and some good thatched houses. The outlaying area of Hessett is known as the Heath and just when you wonder where the main village is you arrive at Hessett Green.

Hessett is a wonderful village the Church of St Ethlebert sitting nearly opposite the local pub the Five Bells.


Beyond Hessett to the north is Beyton , Rushbrooke lies to the east , Rougham to the west and Bradfield St George to the south all very tempting to continue on my run but beaten for time again I retraced my steps back to Blackthorpe.

At Blackthorpe I was tempted to go on any another short run as I had spotted a path I think near Piegeon Lane. This takes you through Newthorpe a small hamlet. Looking at the ordnance survey map 211 the path takes you through to Eastlowhill Rd an old roman road at Rushbrooke. This is a must do for another day .

Twist Wood Ickworth Park Suffolk

8.30am 11 miles in 1hr 30 mins 38 secs

Week to date mileage 29 miles

Month to date mileage 119

Average weekly rate 30.2 miles

Average monthly rate 131

Year to date 1546

Lifetime 9566

I wore my Inov 8 roclite off road shoes for this run which is mostly off road. The run commences from within town but I quickly reach Horringer Farm crossing over the River Linnett. The farm is on a slope so I have a steady up hill climb of 30 metres from 40 to 70 metres. I cut across the farm to join Westley Lane which takes me into the village of Horringer.

A focal point of the village is the national trust Ickworth Park which is open all year round at least for runners. There is a good choice of runs once in the park but today I decided to visit a wood I haven't been to before called Twist Wood. So I followed the straight main path which takes you to Ickworth House. By following the road you continue past the church and are soon near the Canal Lake. Following the road round to the right you soon come to the White House.

The path now follows the course of the River Linnett. The first path to the left takes up into Twist Wood. There were a number of signs warning of dates when deer culling is undertaken here. There is a big population of deer and I usually see them whenever I visit Ickworth Park and today was no exception. On two occasions I came upon 2 large groups of deer who scattered before I could a good view of them.

I decided to end my run at the ruins of a house in the woods. There must be an interesting storey to this house and what became of it. Returned home in a quicker time by about 2 minutes.

Fornham Circular Run

8am 7.5 miles in 57 mins 58 secs

Week to date mileage 18 miles

Month to date mileage 108

Average weekly rate 30.1 miles

Average monthly rate 131

Year to date 1535

Lifetime 9555

Ran well very wet under foot.

Cullum Rd, Ramada Hotel,Newmarket Rd Bury St Edmunds

5.30pm 5.4 miles in 41 mins 35 secs

Week to date mileage 5.4 miles

Month to date mileage 100

Average weekly rate 30.1 miles

Average monthly rate 131

Year to date 1527

Lifetime 9547


2006 5 Dec 41.48
2006 3 Nov 42.37
2006 24 Oct 41.10
2006 19 Oct 41.08
2006 6 Oct 41.06
29 Sep 42.10
29 - Aug 40.40
27 Jul 40. 47
13 Jul 41.11
6 Jun 41.33
18 May 41.18
7 Apr 40.30
7 Mar 41.31
3 Mar 41.34
21 Feb 41.35
27 Jan 41.56
13 Jan 41.30
2 Jan 42.42
2005 23 Dec 43.34
9 Dec 42.0
6 Dec 42.04
29 Nov 42.17

Ran ok tonight

Horringer School,Hospital and Cullum Rd Bury St Edmunds

5.30pm 5.4 miles in 41 mins 50 secs

Week to date mileage 5.4 miles

Month to date mileage 95

Average weekly rate 30.2 miles

Average monthly rate 131

Year to date 1522

Lifetime 9542

7 Dec 06 43.45
7 Nov 06 42.33
10 Nov 06 42.02
30 Oct 06 42.0
3 Oct 06 41.15
19 Sep 06 41.39
8 Sep 06 41.01
1 Aug 06 41.45
28 July 06 42.25
17 July 06 42.46
13 June 06 42.08
11 May 06 43.21
27 Mar 06 42.41
8 Mar 06 42.13
24 Feb 06 42.33
16 Feb 06 44.0
10 Feb 06 41.50
2 Feb 06 42.38
17 Jan 06 42.50
10 Jan 06 42.52
1 Jan 06 41.45
14 Dec 05 42.47

Ran well tonight over this regular course.

Gt Barton

8am 11 miles in 1 hr 30 mins 47 secs

Week to date mileage 42 miles

Month to date mileage 90

Average weekly rate 30.2 miles

Average monthly rate 131

Year to date 1517

Lifetime 9537

I ran out to Gt Barton on the A143 road. I decided to take a look down a RUPP a road used as a public path. This is where the main village of Gt Barton is situated and is a well kept parkland area with some lovely housing. However I couldn't see much point running around the houses and retreated back to the main road with the idea of continuing through Gt Barton to visit a wood.

At the Thurston turn in the road there is a footpath which takes you through a wood called the Heath. On the map it is marked as the Icepits Farm and there are some disused pits.
Unsure where the path led to and 45 minutes into my run I had to return back to Bury and home.

On checking the map OS Map 211 I see I can do a complete circular run as the pathway emerges on Green Lane and it is only a matter of time before I will give this a go.

Fornham St Martin Circular Run

6pm 5.5 miles in 45mins 5 secs

Week to date mileage 23 miles

Month to date mileage 79

Average weekly rate 30.1 miles

Average monthly rate 131

Year to date 1506

Lifetime 9526

The course - head out of Bury on the Beetons Way past Tollgate and through the village of Fornham St Martin.

Return to Bury through Fornham All Saints along the A11101 Mildenhall Road , back to Tollgate and return up Beetons Way hill and home.

Ran well to day felt good. This was the run that achieved my target for this year which was to run 1500 miles.

Beetons Way Bury St Edmunds

6pm 5.5 miles in 45mins 5 secs

Week to date mileage 23 miles

Month to date mileage 71

Average weekly rate 30.1 miles

Average monthly rate 131

Year to date 1498

Lifetime 9518

Tonight I got up the motivation to do a hill session along Beetons Way. This is quite an ideal location for doing a hill session offering as it does a choice of either running a longer hill as far as the alleyway which runs besides the Gibralter Barracks or just running to the top of the hill as far as the mini roundabout. I chose the latter tonight.

I warmed up by running past Westley School and along Newmarket Rd. I ran 10 climbs in the following times 53,49,52,51,51,52,52,50,53, and 59. I jogged down the hill in a little over a minute. My times were fairly consistent apart from the slow last climb when I was feeling tired.

Hills are something I want to improve on next year and to run them more often they are strangely enjoyable to as a session!

West Suffolk Athletic Track Bury St Edmunds

6.15pm 7.3 miles in 58 14 secs

Week to date mileage 7.3 miles

Month to date mileage 66

Average weekly rate 18 miles

Average monthly rate 131

Year to date 1493

Lifetime 9513

I ran down to the track and warmed up with my usual 4 laps. Tonights session consisted of a lot of short stuff. Two sets of 6 x 2 minutes with a 45 second recovery in between. In the space of 2 minutes I can only run just over a lap as I usually run 400 metres in around 1.40-1.45.

The 2 sets passed very quickly and we finished the training with a mile which I ran in 7.04.

Whepstead Suffolk

2.30pm 10.2 miles in 1 hr 24 17 secs

Week to date mileage 10.2 miles

Month to date mileage 58

Average weekly rate 30.1 miles

Average monthly rate 131

Year to date 1485

Lifetime 9505

On a cold damp afternoon I traveled out to the village of Whepstead. On the B 1066 it is about 4 miles from Bury St Edmunds. I parked up opposite St Petronilla which is Whepstead's church on a hill. St Petronilla has connections with the old leper hospital of the same name in Bury St Edmunds.

This being my first run in Whepstead I set of in no particular direction taking chance as to what I might come across. I ran down a fairly sharp hill and headed up Pages Hill about as far as Harram Bottom before retracing my steps back into Whepstead past the church and down the Brockley Road. I took the first turning off the road past the Whepstead Hall this too proved to be a dead end and I returned back up hill to the Brockley Road.

The next off road track proved more useful and this took me along besides the River Lark. I followed a serious of paths across wet fields arriving at Gulling Green near Brockley.
I then went on as far as Rushbottom Wood. I then retraced my steps but on my way back in the fading light I took a wrong turning and some how emerged on a road. I realise now on consulting the ordnance survey map that when I emerged on the road I was starting to run in the wrong direction towards Rede. I got as far as Haws Wood and seeing no obvious house lights that I might be going wrong and decided to try running the opposite way.

My running became that much quicker with a slight sense of being lost only because it was becoming dark. I reached a small hamlet and not seeing any obvious place name I knocked on a door and the lady was helpful in confirming that I was heading in the right direction and that I was at Stonecross . I continued on and past through the main village of Whepstead that I had missed originally in the day light .

By getting a little lost I succeeded in running a little further than originally planned.

Pinford End Suffolk

8.30am 11 miles in 1 hr 30 mins

Week to date mileage 29 miles

Month to date mileage 48

Average weekly rate 30.1 miles

Average monthly rate 131

Year to date 1475

Lifetime 9495

Rather muddy this morning as I ran across fields on the Bury to Clare path to Horsecroft. The Bury to Clare path follows along the road into Pinford End and then takes a sharp right up Bull Lane. I think I turned for home about half way along here near Coronation Wood.

A bright sunny morning there are some good views points from up here looking back into Bury and I will return another time as it will be possible to make this a circular run by extending the run to Whepstead.

Horringer School,Hospital and Cullum Rd Bury St Edmunds

5.30pm 5.4 miles in 43 mins 45 secs

Week to date mileage 18 miles

Month to date mileage 37

Average weekly rate 30.1 miles

Average monthly rate 131

Year to date 1464

Lifetime 9484

I ran very slowly tonight, I was tired after last nights track session. I have only ever run this more slowly once back in Feb in 44 mins

27 Nov 06 42.33
10 Nov 06 42.02
30 Oct 06 42.0
3 Oct 06 41.15
19 Sep 06 41.39
8 Sep 06 41.01
1 Aug 06 41.45
28 July 06 42.25
17 July 06 42.46
13 June 06 42.08
11 May 06 43.21
27 Mar 06 42.41
8 Mar 06 42.13
24 Feb 06 42.33
16 Feb 06 44.0
10 Feb 06 41.50
2 Feb 06 42.38
17 Jan 06 42.50
10 Jan 06 42.52
1 Jan 06 41.45
14 Dec 05 42.47

West Suffolk Athletics Track Bury St Edmunds

6.15pm 7 miles in 55 mins 37 secs

Week to date mileage 12 miles

Month to date mileage 32

Average weekly rate 30 miles

Average monthly rate 130

Year to date 1459

Lifetime 9479

I ran down to the track and warmed up with a mile. Tonights session was 3 x 5 minutes at 10k with a minute recovery in between. We did 2 sets of this and then finished with a 800 metre time trial which I ran in 3.22 .

I did a couple of laps warm down and then ran home.

Bury St Edmunds Cullum Rd, Ramada Hotel and Newmarket Rd

5.30pm 5.4 miles in 41 mins 48 secs

Week to date mileage 5 miles

Month to date mileage 25

Average weekly rate 30 miles

Average monthly rate 130

Year to date 1452

Lifetime 9472

I am getting closer to my goal of achieving 1500 miles this year with just 48 miles to go. The target is in sight if I avoid colds!!

2006 3 Nov 42.37
2006 24 Oct 41.10
2006 19 Oct 41.08
2006 6 Oct 41.06
29 Sep 42.10
29 - Aug 40.40
27 Jul 40. 47
13 Jul 41.11
6 Jun 41.33
18 May 41.18
7 Apr 40.30
7 Mar 41.31
3 Mar 41.34
21 Feb 41.35
27 Jan 41.56
13 Jan 41.30
2 Jan 42.42
2005 23 Dec 43.34
9 Dec 42.0
6 Dec 42.04
29 Nov 42.17

Around the World on aTreadmill

I read about a project in Runners World, that an experimental performance artist called Kim Charnock is attempting which is to run around the world on a treadmill. I have included a link to her site which includes regular 3 monthly video updates on her progress leaving from her home in Leicester. She has currently passed through Dover into France.

Of course she never actually leaves her treadmill in Leicester but is expecting it to take her about 12 years to run the 11,500 miles over land route. I have watched the 5 videos she has made so far and she has so far been beset by injuries and colds but you can tell she is determined to complete her objective whilst running her own theatre business called Kiss My Face.

In time it sounds as if she will try to raise the publicity of her project and take her treadmill out into public to encourage others to join with her. She is raising money for breast cancer and will be in her late 30's when she completes her marathon. Take a look.

Hartest Suffolk

2pm 10 miles in 1 hr 22 mins 10 secs

Week to date mileage 32 miles

Month to date mileage 19

Average weekly rate 30 miles

Average monthly rate 131

Year to date 1446

Lifetime 9466

Hartest is a Suffolk village about 8 miles south west of Bury St Edmunds. I drove there via Whepstead, Rede and Brockley and parked in the centre of the village reaching it on the B1066.

I have never run here before and was unsure which direction to take so I initially set off past the the Crown Inn which was originally the Moot Hall. I soon turned right on the path between the pub car park and All Saints church passing over a footbridge over a stream.
I was soon running sharply uphill on the grassy field edge path to the top of Hartest Hill.

Here there is a wonderful view of the village in the Glem valley below.

This part of Suffolk is full of hills and valleys and I decided to descend into the village and to ran past the village institute and up the Somerton Road. Along here there are some lovely views towards Boxted in the South and Brockley to the North .

The road sides had many bushes with an abundance of sloe berries, great if you like gin.
After a mile or so you reach Upper Somerton shown as Somerton on the ordnance survey map. It is better named as Upper Somerton as it does stand at about 100 metres above sea level which is high for Suffolk.

I have never been here before and it isn't really a place for cars as the road runs out here and you
cannot travel north apart from on foot.
There is a church called St Margarets and a telephone box otherwise this is a village that can only be called remote. In a bad winter this place might well be cut of even more than it is every day. The church some how continues with dedicated support from a handful of people.

The population including the settlement in lower Somerton down by the Somerton Manor was recorded as 64 in 1981 and cannot have really changed very much. If you love remote than this is beautiful and would make a great retreat for a writer requiring peace.

I retraced my steps with a view to running downhill into the other part of Somerton which is next to the manor hall.
Here there are the Eaton Almshouses and you are down to 50 metres above sea level as you reach the River Glem. I immediately returned back up hill across farmland and returned to Hartest.I then took the road out to Cross Green and then through Hartest heading south down to Brick house farm.

I then ventured up the Lawshall Rd and picked up a pathway known as Pask's path which leads to a new woodland development planted in December 1999. Hartest Wood has been planted with 187 oak trees representing 1 for every household. In the centre there is a sculpture called the Gift which was designed by a local called Geoffrey Clarke. It sits very well at this site and is a lovely walk to do if you visit Hartest.

I meandered around Hartest a bit more more before calling it a day.

Adkins Wood Ickworth Park

8am 9.2 miles in 1 hr 15 mins 24 secs

Week to date mileage 22 miles

Month to date mileage 9

Average weekly rate 29.9 miles

Average monthly rate 130

Year to date 1436

Lifetime 9456

After last nights heavy rain I decided to venture out to Ickworth Park and run a circuit of Adkins Wood. It was certainly muddy in the wood and as a result I had the place to myself.
Finally with a combination of some heavy winds and rain the leaves have begun to fall although it is still mild and we are on course for the warmest year recorded in Britain. At the lake in Lady Hervey's Wood all was quiet and I sped on over the duck boards many of which have now been broken so I had to tred gingerly to avoid going into the bog below.


I soon reached the Canal Lake which had been invaded by a large number of seagulls.

I continued past the Canal Lake up hill to the now redundant St Marys Church.

Before I left Ickworth Park I passed this toad stool fairy ring. Fungi has the habit of growing outwards from a central spore point so in many ways it is natural to see rings like this though it is still magical.