On Monday I went to Petrockstowe to do the previous weeks interval training. (As mentioned in the previous post I only had time to do two training sessions last week)
It was one of those after 10 minutes warm up, bloody strides jobs again ......
The usual 5x 20 secs strides with 40 secs easy......
.....Ok no problem that's 5 minutes
Then 10x 30secs easy ..20secs medium ... 10secs full out ...
Simples you'd think!
Nope! this dozy mare who as some of you know is hopeless at maths calculated it as 50 minutes......
.......... look just don't ask ..... I was getting confused with the above 5 minutes and then multiplying! Just blame it on Miss. Young at Hurstbourne Tarrant, Primary School who put me in English classes when I couldn't grasp maths!
Anyway I set off, telling the OB, who was walking the dogs in the opposite direction that I'd be just over an hour! Ha ha what a silly arse I am?
On the 10 minute warm up I was reassured to hear the sound of chain sawing ..... my lumberjacks were on the trail!
I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before but at times the TT can be very busy and on others very isolated so on the latter occasions thats why I like to see these guys!
Actually there was only one of them but as usual we exchanged pleasantries and I felt safe!
I did the first set of strides and then as I started the 30 secs easy I realised my maths error...........
Doh!
Ten minutes then!
Much cursing followed but I kept running ....
On my way back I waved at the lumberjack, stopped at the car for some water and then ran to meet the OB and the woofers.
Wednesday was a 6 mile run so I did the Puffing Billy to the tunnel and back.
After 5 minutes it was to build to race pace and then steady miles 2-6.
Looks like mile one was totally beyond race pace ...... I've never run that fast and as usual I had a problem getting to steady Pace! I really wish I could run this fast at parkrun.
Friday was Yarde towards Watersmeet for hill training in the pouring rain with the OB and woofers coming the same way for a change.
After stretching I still hadn't got a gps signal which isn't unusual but as I was getting soaked and my run didn't need to rely on it I gave up and started on the 10 minute warm up, having to keep my head down due to the driving rain but I could see a red sign ahead. It crossed my mind that perhaps the Trail was closed but as I got closer saw that it was a Devon County Council keeping Devon safe emergency phone number. I assumed that it was due to the wet and windy weather and in case a tree came down as it's quite a regular occurrence.
Then I saw I was right ..... sawn up trees on either side.
A couple of minutes later there was a truck with a shredder blocking the path ....... there was no more than a foot of verge either side and logs to negotiate, as I walked past a truck in front that I hadn't seen started to pull away and then drove slower than I was running. I didn't know if the driver had seen me so I ran in view of his offside mirror. Whether he had or not it stopped and I walked past.
So back to the hill training ....... 5x 20 secs strides etc etc then before the 7x 2 min hard, I had to have a quick squat. ...... guess I'll just have to do a Paula on race day!!!
As soon as I started the first 2 mins hard I had the same feeling that I get at Parkrun on the hill to the finish, that of
wanting to be sick and losing my bowels simultaneously ...... so had to ease off ......
I also found I was running into the wind uphill and getting plastered in mud! (I know, I'm really selling this to you!!!!)
Anyway suffice to say I completed it, wishing that I'd got long sleeves as the cold rain stung my arms but knowing that I'd regret it if I had as I'd be too hot!
Hooray!
I could now run back easy ......
Ok, so the two trucks were still blocking the trail and I could hear the chipper working and a chain saw, sawing.
I edged past the vehicle's and then was faced with a bloke feeding the chipper and another bloke with his back to me chain sawing the upper branches of some ash spread across the trail.
The bloke on chipper duty shouted something, the bloke on the chain saw stopped it and I picked my way through the ash tree .......
'WAIT! YOU SHOULD WAIT TO BE LET THROUGH'
'Ok' and I raised my arm in acknowledgement as I continued to pick my way through the tree and thought blimey he sounds angry!
'STOP! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS, YOU WAIT'
So I turned round to face angry chainsaw man, who according to his jacket was called David, and said 'ok' again and at the same time saw his mate behind him gobbing on the ground and edging away ...... lovely!
'IF YOU DON'T, WHAT WILL HAPPEN?' He continued to shout
By this time I wanted to laugh and shout fuck you but just turned round and said 'you'll get sued!' and started running ....
'YOU'LL BE DEAD'
Yeah whatever .........
He continued to shout after me but I didn't hear what it was, as by now I was running hard, intent on putting some distance between us.
Back at the car park I told the OB about my encounter, who offered to go and speak to him but as I thought he might punch Mr. Angry or worse still, end up with a chain saw wrapped around his head it was best to leave it. Anyway I was already writing my email of complaint to DCC in my head as there were no signs telling the TT users to stop and wait to be let through. There were no signs about the dangers of the chipper and if we'd been cycling we'd have had to walk through the ditch of running water to get past the trucks. There weren't even any men at work signs which are always displayed at Petrockstowe.
Also the OB said he and the woofers clambered through the ash tree five minutes before me and neither bloke uttered a word. David must have a problem with women or runners or women runners, and whether he has or not he certainly needs to attend anger management classes! What a complete tosser!
At home I had a bath and when I got downstairs the OB was on the phone to DCC making a complaint! They've taken it seriously enough to send it up the line .......
Normally I shy away from confrontation and just put things down to experience but on this occasion I can't believe that a workman on the Tarka Trail verbally abused me. I don't want it to happen to any one else so hopefully DCC will make sure it doesn't.
*TT =Tarka trail
*OB = Old bloke
*DCC = Devon County Council
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