Janathon Day 26 and The Morning Parade

Sicklesmere

My running streak continued with a 7.5 mile run this morning on day 26 of Janathon. It was another overcast day and after yesterdays short run I felt suitably revived to do a longer run and decided on an out and back route to Sicklesmere.

Sicklesmere is really no more than a street you pass through on the road between Bury St Edmunds and Sudbury. As soon as you venture of the main road in Sicklesmere you enter Lt Whelnethum or
Gt Whelnethum.Sicklesmere also has a pub named the Rushbrooke Arms although the village of Rushbrooke is a  mile or two away.

Running along the pathway besides the main A134 road can be noisy so it called for use of the headphones this morning to drown out the traffic noise.  Listened to one of my favourite new bands that I saw last year Morning Parade. About to tour in February in support of their second single  video below.

Morning Parade at Latitude Festival


 

I got my run done with no problems or aches and pains and with just 5 more runs I am beginning to think and hope I might just complete my first Janathon. I hope that is not tempting fate.














Day 1 - 5 miles
Day 2 - 5 miles
Day 3 - 4 miles
Day 4 - 4 miles
Day 5 - 3 miles
Day 6 - 2.52 miles
Day 7 - 7 miles
Day 8 - 3.5 miles
Day 9 - 2 miles
Day 10 - 4 miles
Day 11 - 4 miles
Day 12 - 8 miles
Day 13 - 3 miles
Day 14 - 4 miles
Day 15 - 3 miles
Day 16 - 4 miles
Day 17 - 6 miles
Day 18 - 6 miles
Day 19 - 4 miles
Day 20 - 3 miles
Day 21 - 4.3 miles
Day 22 - 5 miles
Day 23 - 4.21 miles
Day 24 - 3.3 miles
Day 25 - 1 mile
Day 26 - 7.5 miles

Total 110 miles

Sicklesmere Suffolk - Interval Run

My SMART Coach half marathon schedule called for a 10 mile run today but to include intervals.

I decided to run an out and back course to Sicklesmere a small village on the Sudbury road. I warmed up for 2 miles in 16.59 and then did a series of 5 interval miles followed by a half mile jog.

My times show the following for the miles 8.01,8.14,8.05,8.07 and 8.09. I would have hoped to have run miles under 8 minutes but my level of fitness is just not at that level at the moment. I was fairly happy it being a fairly windy day and my times were quite consistent.

It was also quite mild. When I reached Sicklesmere I stopped by sides the road and decided to remove both the thin gloves I had been wearing and my tracksters leggings . I was so warm as I changed the sweat was just pouring of me. As a result this was my first run of the year in shorts ! I certainly felt better for it and after the 8.14 mile all of my following times were quicker as I wasn't overheating in the same way as before.

I jogged my last mile home. My total time for the 10 miles was 1hr 24 mins and 37 seconds. This compares with a time of 1hr 28 mins and 29 seconds for the same route on a continuous run back on the 1st of March . Of course today I did stop to change for a while.

Running the Lt Whelnethum Suffolk Line Walk

After yesterday's continous wind and rain today was a lovely dry day with clear blue skies. The 1st of March as the saying goes ‘When March comes in like a lamb, it goes out like a lion’ goes the old folklore saying‥The reverse, however, is also true, and the saying continues: ‘When March comes in like a lion, it goes out like a lamb, so based on this we can expect some wild weather at the end of March.

Lunch time I used my time off work to do a run. The photo opposite with the fence in front of a lake is normally a field. The heavy rains have created a little lake along Cullum Road in Bury St Edmunds.

The 2nd photo on this blog post  again highlights the heavy rains and the flooding we have had. This is normally a pathway between the fence and the bush on the right.


I then ran  out along the Sicklesmere Road - A 134.Once into Sicklesmere I picked up a track to take me to the Lt Whelnethum Line Walk. This is a stretch of the old dismantled railway line which used to run between Bury St Edmunds and Sudbury. It is now a beautiful walk or run in my case!

You can still imagine the trains running down here even though none have done so for nearly 45 years. At its peak 6 trains used to make the journey between Bury St Edmunds and Long Melford. The line opened on 9 August 1865 and closed to passengers on 10 April 1961 and freight on 19 April 1965.

From the local newspaper the Bury Free Press this storey is shown on the Foxearth and District Local History Site for June 1878 ......

"There was a fatal accident on Saturday afternoon last at Gt Waldingfield, alittle boy named Gooden aged 7 years was riding with his elder brother who was returning to Lt Waldingfield with a horse and tumbril laden with coal when by some means the poor little fellow fell down between the wheels and was much crushed receiving injuries from which he died on Sunday mornin"

My ten mile run today went well. I am certainly more confident about doing this distance since doing the Runners World SMART Coach schedule.  My aim was always to build up a strong base level of mileage and the cream on the top would be a good race time at the half marathon at the end of March.

I am not running particularly quickly still. My 10 miles today were run in 1hr 28 mins and 29 seconds for an average of 8.51 miles. This is within the 9.15 mile time detailed in the schedule. My mile splits were 8.20,8.34,8.38,8.36,9.24,8.49,8.55,8.48,8.45 and 9.35.

At  the 5 mile point I started the run along the old railway line and my times slowed as the ground was heavy, muddy and it was a case of dodging the puddles. However some of the time the ground was like a rice field and my feet become wet. My last mile was the slowest and this contains two lengthy hills so this is understandably slow

 In the late Spring and Summer the walk along the Lt Whelnethum Line Walk will be totally different with tall grasses and ox eye daisies. My photos of a run along here in June 2006 show a different picture from today

Long Run Sunday from Bury St Edmunds to Sicklesmere, Gt Whelnethum and Stanningfield and back

This morning was misty, overnight there had been a thin covering of snow but nothing to really affect my footing and I didn't find it too slippery. I decided to repeat the same long run distance as last week and do 12 miles. I am very much still getting used to the distance again after such a long period when my long run was 7 miles. My weakest point is climbing hills I am very skow climbing these.

However hill training is something I am not going to work on until after my half marathon training has been completed at the end of March. By then if I remain injury free I wil have had 3 months of good training and this will provide a base to start adding a quality session such as hill training.

My route today was all along pavements initially heading out of Bury St Edmunds to Sicklesmere. At Sicklesmere you pass a round house which is a reminder of the days of coach and horses. One of the coaching routes ran between Norwich and London 4 times a day and used to run through Sicklesmere. The toll house was built by a Turnpike Trust in the 19th century as a lodge house. To use the road you would have had to pay a toll.

After Sicklesmere I headed slighlty up hill for a mile or so through Gt Whelnethum a village which ajoins Sicklesmere.

At about this point I removed a layer of clothes and my hat and gloves. I had been feeling slightly hot and bothered but felt much better after this.

The Jelly Belly Super Sours were also a welcome treat on this long run.

It was a snowy,frosty murky world when I entered the village of Stanningfield. Very few cars or people to be seen today.


I turned at 6 miles and returned home feeling a lot better in the middle of the run without the hat and gloves.

My mile splits were 8.50,8.56,9,8.50,9.22,8.41,8.37,8.12,8.41,8.50,9,8.56 this was an average of 8.50 per mile.

My total time was 1hr 46 mins and this compares well with my last 12 miles a week ago when I ran 1.49.16.

I am now half way through my 12 week Runners World SMART Coach Training schedule. So far so good no injuries.

George Parrott, known affectionately as "Coach George" on the Dead  Runners Society, presented this idea a couple of years ago.  He suggests  that a runner can run no faster in the Marathon than he runs his fastest 26.2 miles in a week during training.

At the end of week 6 my Parrott Predictator shows a time of 3.47.37 this compares well with last week 3.49.11 and week 1 of my training which showed 3.53.07.

11 Mile Run to Bradfield St Clare Suffolk

Sunday morning was dry a little misty and grey as I set out to do my longest run of the year. My Runners World SMART Coach schedule called for an 11 mile run which is the longest distance I have run since May 25th 2009 so was a real challenge to test how my general fitness and the running schedule I am following is working.

I am glad to say I completed the out and back run with good stamina. I do stop briefly during long and slow runs to take photos and to change the IPOD but today was good as I felt able to carry on and didn't have the same desire to walk that I have had in some longer runs towards the end.

It being an 11 mile run I am starting to think about taking a little fuel on the run. I hardly ever take water with me , perhaps I should but hate carrying it. I might have to look at options to make carrying a drink with me easier.

I did take 3-4 jelly beans with me today though these were not the sports beans that you can buy. Again I have meant to have a look at trying sports jely beans but haven't got round to it .
A  little water would help to wash the jelly beans down as they can stick to your teeth somewhat!

My run today took me out of Bury St Edmunds along the pathway besides the A134. About 4 miles into the run I went through the village of Sicklemere and then Little Whelnethum. The 5.5 mile half way point was reached at the village of Bradfield St Clare and I returned home on the same route.

The photo of the stream is along the aptly named Water Lane at Lt Whelnethum.

The Burns Night Poster is in the village of Sicklesmere.

The last mile has 2 large hills and my time shows that I slowed at this point. I felt pretty good up to around 10 miles.

Splits were 8.53,8.58,9.07,8.53,8.52,8.39,8.22,8.38,8.45,8.45,9.40

11 miles in 1.37.38  this represents my longest run of the year and of course a 2010 record for me over the 11 mile distance! It being the only one I have done.

So I have reached the end of week 3 of my half marathon training and apart from a little niggle occasionally on the outside of my left knee all is well. In week 2 I suffered from 2-3 blisters as my feet toughen up to all the pounding they are getting. Do you pop your blisters? Not sure if you should but I do it just seems to relieve some of the pressure from a blister. Lovely subject but inevitable I guess if you run distance or races.

Sicklesmere Suffolk

8.15am 10 miles in 1hr 23 mins 36 seconds
Week to date mileage 38 miles
Month to date mileage 38
Average weekly rate 30.9 miles
Average monthly rate 134
Year to date 1235
Lifetime 10828

30.6.2007 1 hr 22.35
10.9.2005 1hr 22. 11
15.4.2005 1 hr 24.06
15.1.2005 1 hr 25.36
2.9.2004 1 hr 27.35

Course: From town centre through the water meadows and out onto the A134 road to Sudbury. There is a good pathway for about 3 miles although it is besides an A road so this does mean plenty of traffic. When the pathway finishes return by the same route. This is around the village sign to Lt Whelnetham.

Set off slowly today and ran outward leg in 42.30 but returned in a much better time of 41.06 . The outward leg includes two good downhill sections early in the run so on the return the finish of the run is up hill which makes my time for the 2nd leg even better.

Sicklesmere Suffolk

8.30am 10 miles in 1 hr 22 mins 35 seconds

Week to date mileage 28 miles

Month to date mileage 147

Average weekly rate 30.1 miles

Average monthly rate 131

Year to date 778

Lifetime 10371

I would have sworn that I have run this course this year but when I started looking back in my diary I couldn't find an entry. So I looked back over 2006 and still no record so incredibly at least to me I had to go back to 2005 for the last time I ran this course. It was on September 10th 2005 that I last ran this course. and a look through showed the following times.

10.9.2005 1hr 22. 11
15.4.2005 1 hr 24.06
15.1.2005 1 hr 25.36
2.9.2004 1 hr 27.35

Course: From town centre through the water meadows and out onto the A134 road to Sudbury. There is a good pathway for about 3 miles although it is besides an A road so this does mean plenty of traffic. When the pathway finishes return by the same route. This is around the village sign to Lt Whelnetham.

I reached the halfway point in 41.09 and returned in 41.31.

Before you reach the Rushbrooke Arms this toll house is passed dating from the days of coach travel.

Sicklesmere, Gt Whelnethum and Stanningfield Suffolk

8am 9.2 miles in 1 hr 15 mins 49 secs

Week to date mileage 20 miles

Month to date mileage 15

Average weekly rate 28.4 miles

Average monthly rate 124

Year to date 252

Lifetime 9845

I drove out from Bury St Edmunds on the A134 road to Sudbury. I stopped at the Rushbrooke Arms at Sicklesmere and parked in their car park.

Behind the Rushbrooke Arms is a path leading to Hawkers Lane and a run over to Rushbrooke however that wasn't my objective to do and I headed back into the village. The Toll House is apparently so named from the 19th century. In the 1830's the stage coach was the key means of transport. There was a 4 times daily coach between London and Norwich via Sudbury which traveled along the Bury Road which is now the A134.


Literally on the other side of the road there is a sign announcing that you are in Gt Whelnetham as Sicklesmere is really a very small hamlet. By contrast Gt Whelnetham is a fairly large village with a concentration of housing and a school. There is also the ruin of a windmill to be seen from the road.


I stopped by the St Thomas a Becket Church in Gt Whelnetham.


Continuing on towards Stanningfield on the right hand side there is the Mill Lane track which leads on to Coldham Hall. Mill Lane was so named as there was a post mill sited here. This was the Stanningfield Post Mill but I could see no evidence of it now though I have read that it was in use up to the 1950's for grinding corn into animal feed.

Arriving in Stanningfield I am always struck by the very attractive multi coloured cottages in Fox Row. There used to be Fox Inn situated here and beer was brewed here.
Continuing into the village of Stanningfield the central point is known as Hoggards Green. Here there is the Red House Pub.


I will post many other photos of these villages on my flickr site in time. I returned home by the same road. I had time to run around Sicklesmere and to venture up Hawkers Lane before returning to the Rushbrooke Arms Car park and home.

Little Welnethum Suffolk

8am 11.4 miles in I hr 32 mins 43 seconds

Week to date mileage 33

Month to date mileage 50

Average weekly rate 32.1

Average Monthly rate 140

Year to Date 867

Life time 8645

I ran out on the A134 road from Bury St Edmunds to Sicklesmere then just beyond the Rushbrooke Arms I turned left into Little Welnethum village.

The odd thing about the Rushbrooke Arms is that of course this pub is clearly in the village of Sicklesmere and Rushbrooke is about a mile away over the Hawkers Lane. I once was going to meet family and friends and was told to meet them at the Sicklesmere Wagon. I think we spent half an hour looking for the pub that no longer exists because the Sicklemere Wagon is now the Rushbrooke Arms. Strangely the village of Sicklesmere isn't listed in the publication called 'A survey of Suffolk Parish History' or Arthur Mee's 'The Kings England' -Why what is the history of Sicklesmere. As you run through it what is always odd is that the villages of Great and Little Welnethum have their welcome to their village signs actually in Sicklesmere?!

I ran up hill through a wooded plantation to St Mary of Magdalene and then picked up a path called parsonage lane which I presumed would take me to the road to Rushbrooke. Trouble was I went right instead of left along a very straight roman road and I ended up coming back into Lt Welnethum. From here I retraced my steps back to Sicklesmere and Bury.

A good run but ultimately getting lost spoilt my plans for a circular run but another time I think I will be ok with this route.

Sicklesmere Suffolk

8.30am 10 miles in 1hr 22 11 seconds.

Year to date mileage 870

Month to date 61 miles

Average miles per month 105

Average weekly rate 24.1

Weather: Rain but feeling close.

Course: From town centre through the water meadows and out onto the A134 road to Sudbury. There is a good pathway for about 3 miles although it is besides an A road so this does mean plenty of traffic. When the pathway finishes return by the same route. I have measured in the car so I am pretty sure this is a 5 mile out and back course.

I reached the halfway point in 41.20 and returned in 40.51. I felt comfortable all the way round and I am happy that this gives me an idea of what I can aim to run in the Tarpley 10 which is on Sunday 25 September at Beyton Middle School, Beyton near Bury St Edmunds.

On the run you pass the Rushbrooke Arms (see photo above) a popular pub but inappropriately named bearing in mind it is not actually in the village of Rushbrooke. The pub used to be named as the Sicklesmere Wagon and I can understand that but not sure why anyone would call it the Rushbrooke Arms?

The strange off centre picture is of the old Bury Gaol. Just outside this gaol on a nearby meadow William Corder was hanged for the murder of Maria Marten, in 1828 - the notorious Red Barn murder. A crowd of some 10,000 people watched.

The gaol was built on the radiating principle, and is surrounded by a wall twenty feet high, enclosing an octagonal area. The keeper's house, which is an octagon stood in the centre and was elevated above the rest so that that from the windows the keeper could watch the whole building. In the centre of his house was a chapel, divided off into numerous partitions, so that the different classes into which the prisoners were divided and subdivided were kept separate so that prisoners could not see each other.

The Bury and Norfolk Post the local newspaper of the 19th century is full of stories of people committed to Bury Gaol such as :

In 1835 Thomas Scarfe and Robert Kittle charged with ravishing Sarah Philips a single woman
of Milding , Samuel Seeley charged with stealing a great coat from William Humm at Glemsford, Thomas Humphrey charged with stealing a skep of bees belonging to William Theobald of Boxted. 6 months in prison - Elizabeth Parmenter and Sarah Heard for having uttered several base half crowns at Long Melford.

Many of the prisoners who were eventually tried were subsequently sent on transportation ships to Australia.