Another weekend away. This time up to Newcastle where my better half was running the Great North Run.
19th September
On Saturday, I ran up a hill called the Nab near Middlesbrough, just on the edge of the Cleveland Hills. At 242 mts the views from the top are quite extraordinary. On one side is the beauty of the unspoilt North York Moors, on the other is the contrasting view of Teesside. Heavy industry and chemical works dominate the land. If ever there was a sight to illustrate man’s impact on the countryside, this is it. A fascinating (and testing) 6 miles run.
20th September
Whilst waiting for the finish of the Great North Run I ran from South Shields almost into Sunderland along the coast. This included a great 3.3 mile barefoot run on: road, tarmac footpath, sandy beach, coarse concrete and about half a mile on grass — 8.5 miles total. Feet quite sore afterwards, but no real damage.
The run ended along the beautiful coastal path. Another day of contrast, from this desolate coastal run to the end of the Great North Run a mile away where 54 thousand people had entered the world’s largest half marathon. It was interesting to watch the leaders run past (the race was won by Martin Lel in 59.32) — I didn’t see a heel-striker amongst them.
Leave a Reply