DPH leaves Cornwall (briefly) & hits London in VLM 2012! by DPH

Only had a quick run of about 4 miles on Thursday, just to keep the legs moving, then a gym session on Friday but resting on Saturday & what a difference that made to my run on Sunday.

For my run this week, I used a multi-use trail which used to be a railway line in years gone by.  Now suitably surfaced, it is one of the most highly used trails in the area.

Went with the intention to run a route that I'd sorted in my head on the way, but when I got there, decided to do the trail the opposite way.  Doesn't make any diffference as it's basically flat, but I got some different scenery in.  Thankfully, although usually busy, this stretch was surprisingly quiet.

From the trail, I had to run through a park area before Wadebridge running past the bridge that Anneka Rice built in the "Challenge Anneka" programme many years ago.

Now I had a choice to either turn around and go back to the start, giving me about 11 miles, and then run out the other end of the trail to make up the mileage, or carry on towards Padstow.  This I remembered was even busier on the trail, as there are good car parks at this end, and bike hire businesses, bird hides etc.  As I'd not run this way for a good while, decided to carry on towards Padstow.

Once out of Wadebridge, the views open up over the tidal marshes - sadly it wasn't sunnier to get better pictures, but it is a haven for birds.  The number of cycles whizzing past certainly increased in this section, but the different views took my mind off how many miles I was doing.  In my mind I guessed where roughly I would be when I reached my planned 9 miles, and I wasnt too far out, being about 3/4 of a mile after the old Quarry section, giving views over the estuary to Padstow.

Turned around & headed back, taking a slight detour through Wadebridge, but when I got back to the start of the trail again at Wadebridge, I don't think I've ever wanted to stop running so much!  Carried on though, albeit slower than I wanted, and had done earlier in the run, but soon saw the familiar section of the trail again leading back to the car

Good stretching session when I got back, after a short walk to ease the legs.  SUrprisingly, I not feeling too stiff today, but can feel some discomfort in the calves/outer sides of shins, so thankful that the schedule wants me to cut back on the mileage this week and in fact I may do at least one of the shorter runs on the cross trainer in the gym to lessen the impact as well as seeing a physio for sports massage on thev  legs & see if there's some specific stretches I could do to help.

After running in the cold for a week, the 10 degrees when I finished the run felt as if Summer had arrived!