The Long Slow Run

Trail Blazer
Oct 9, 2016
2 min read

As MC Hammer almost once said…It’s taper time!

A group of us met alongside the Crumlin Arm/Monmouthshire canal at Crosskeys early on a chilly Sunday morning. Having done the Loch Ness marathon, followed by the Cardiff half+2 in the last 2 weeks I was happy to bring my miles back up to an 18-20 run, in the group there was a mixed bag of mileage, from 12-21, but we all agreed a few hills thrown into the mix would be good. With that we set of in the direction of Cwmcarn Forest Drive. The drive is currently closed to cars due to felling, which gave us the freedom to run in a group and have a good natter.

The first 3 miles is a steady climb of around 1000ft on winding roads before a slight drop leading to the final climb. This is where we hit a snag, the stretch that would take us to the top before looping around to take us back down was completely closed off to cars, people and runners as well it would seem. The alternative was to go “off road” to the left up and over the Twmp, otherwise known as Twmbarlwm which is believed to have once held an iron age hill fort – hence creating a “pimple at the top, along the top (almost doubling back on ourselves). It was here that we hit our second snag – Cowbulls, fierce looking cowbulls*. We had to tippee toe around these before we re-joining the forest drive to take us back down to the visitors centre and back to the canal. Back at Crosskeys, after 12 miles, the group split, with just 2 of us running along the canal towpath towards Rogerstone before coming back on ourselves to our starting point.

With the sun well and truly out and us down from the twmp the day was getting warmer. Amongst the birds, ducks, bikers, dog walkers and other canal users out making the most of the sun, we chatted about training plans, nutrition, the benefits of strength training and pains of sports massage. We quickly smash out another 9 miles, bringing our total mileage to 21 miles.

Back at the car, recovering with a protein drink and banana I feel pretty confident for Snowdonia in 3 weeks’ time. On my plan this week is a gentle 5 miler, a hilly 6 miler and a 3 mile parkrun pace. It just so happens the club run midweek is Heartbreak Hartridge (hills reps) so that fits in nicely. I’m also aware that I need to try and build some strength training in this week as well!