A cycle ride to Lackford

I warmed up for Juneathon with a 16 .4 mile ride out to Lackford in Suffolk.  I woke early this morning and eventually got up at 6.30am. The weather was overcast and the dark clouds threatened rain as I set off through Bury St Edmunds and out of town to Fornham Saint Martin. Out at Culford I disturbed a muntjac deer which was crossing the road and then made a bolt for it crashing through undergrowth to reach safety. Muntjac deer were in the local news this week after repeatedly raiding allotments in Bury St Edmunds the local gardeners want some action to cull them.


At Brockley Corner I decided to veer towards West Stow rather than Ingham. I notice on the map there is at Brockley Corner a Hill of Health Tumulus. Not sure how this got it's name ironic for a burial mound.

After West Stow I followed the road past the Anglo Saxon Village. Here you are just within the KIng's Forest . Here there is a mixture of pines and broadleaf trees and you are always likely to see deer. I turned for home along the Mildenhall Road and the next village I reached was Lackford. The run for home was fairly straight taking me though Flempton, Hengrave, Fornham All Saints and home.

Review of my Running in January 2010

It has been a successful start to the new year for many reasons for my running. I have largely been injury free just a slight IT band ache on the outside of my left knee but only when I purposely try to stretch it to see if it is still there. It doesn't affect my running at all at the moment.
My stats show

•  a total of 152 miles for the month 
• I ran on 22 days 
• My biggest mileage week was 39 miles for this week beginning the 25th of Jan
• My longest run has been 11 miles on the 24th and 31st of Jan 
• Fastest paced run was my tempo run on the 20th of Jan 4 miles in 33 mins for 8.09 pace
• Slowest run was an easy run on the 8th of Jan 5 miles in 46.41 for a 9.20 pace
• My average weekly rate is currently 34.3 miles
• My target for the year is 1400 miles and I am currently up on this by about 30 miles
• I have run 4 tempo runs and 4 long runs
• My weight is down from 86.5 to 84.5 kilos in this month
• No hill sessions recorded which is a weakness for me at the moment
• No races in January

For England and East Anglia January 2010 will be remembered by many as an unusally snowy month. Certainly for the first 2 weeks any runners venturing out had to combat the elements. Snow in Suffolk in recent years has often been confined to February.

I have practically started  again with my running after losing all my fitness following sciatica and then a cracked rib meant my training was patchy and non existent for many weeks at the end of 2009. It will take many months to build up a base of miles but January has been a good start.

For my long run this morning I did 11 mile on road to Risby and then on to Barrow in Suffolk. I did a 5.5 mile out and back run. I don't normally take a drink with me but today decided to take an isotonic bottle. To be honest it didn't work well carrying a bottle in one hand , it was too heavy and at about 8 miles it was a relief to bin and suddenly my arm felt free to move unburdened.

The round towered church in the village of Risby is St Giles
 and th pub shown is the Crown and Castle

It was bright and cold this morning and it was good to see so many other runners out training on their long runs.

The views of icy roads and fields are looking towards Barrow in Suffolk

Gt Saxham and Barrow Suffolk

1.pm 7.5 miles in 1 hr 1 mins 48 secs

Week to date mileage 7.5 miles

Month to date mileage 35

Average weekly rate 33.9 miles

Average monthly rate 143

Year to date 174

Lifetime 9767

After my recent run to Little Saxham I decided to visit her near neighbour Gt Saxham. I traveled out by car and went through Lt Saxham and took the Barrow road. Practically the next turning left takes you up hill to the village of Gt Saxham. I parked in woodland known as the Park just before you reach the church.

century so in 300 years theGt Saxham is named as the village of the Saxons. It is a small scattered village along a minor road which is surrounded by parkland. Population records show little change from 1674 when there were 17 inhabited houses , 52 in 1851 and 68 in 1981. I read somewhere that the average household would have been around 5 in the 17th/18th century but this dropped in the 19th population has grown from around 100 to 250.
I started my run from the church of St Andrews which has a commanding position in the centre of the village opposite the Gt Saxham Hall. As so often around these parts the grounds were designed by Capability Brown. Today the entrance through a small gate into a small woodland was covered in snowdrops.


I set off on my run through the Park an area of woodland which proved to be extremely wet and rutted. The path evidently well used was ankle deep in mud and more like a paddy field. However I was soon through it and continued past Lower farm. Here the ground begins to rise and I was able to look back at the Park woodland.


Faced with a choice of paths I rather lost the plot and decided to keep straight rather than turn left which I should have done to take me around the Hearse Wood. Instead carrying on I passed the Wilsummer Wood and I recognised the path I had run last year as being the one to take me into the village of Barrow.

I decided to run through Barrow and take the main road back to Gt Saxham. After the village green and opposite the pub almost is this unusual house.



I was able to run along pathway for some distance but found the road quiet and I was able to run along the road side without problem.


I turned back into Gt Saxham at Twite's Corner and ran past St Andrews Church and on to a small hamlet called Frizzelers Green and then Cob's Hall and on to the main road to Chevington at Potash Cottages. I turned back to the car i the bright but cold sunlight.

Risby to Little Heath Suffolk

10am 8.3 miles in 1hr 10 mins.

Year to date mileage 959

Month to date 8.3 miles

Average miles per month 106

Average weekly rate 24.5

Weather: Sunny blue skies nice breeze

Course: From Risby Village Hall I had the intention of running out to Barrow. I gave this up as the road runs close to the main A14 and there were to many lorries to make it comfortable.

Instead I retraced my steps and headed out on the Tuddenham road. I took a turning along the Lackford Road which was very quiet. I followed a footpath for a mile or so but this just took me back to the other side of Risby.

Again I retraced my steps and then continued along the Lackford Road. After a while the road turned into a dirt track which I followed across farm land. Apart from pheasants and rabbits I never saw a soul though the landscape around was absolutely wonderful and truly the heart and soul of Suffolk.