Feeling naturally a bit achey and weary this morning, but once I hit the trail again at about 09.00 from Tonbridge, I was relieved that the ankle problem that had dogged me yesterday didn’t feel too bad at all. Already in glorious warm sunshine under a crystal clear blue sky, as I made the steep climb up on to Bidborough ridge after 3 miles I turned to get a shot of the Medway valley and tried to imagine the path across the valley that I was treading yesterday.
A few steep ups and downs before dropping for a couple of miles alongside the now much smaller river Medway, crossing into East Sussex. A real boost after Withyham as I was joined by my old mate Andy Howey for the long slog up to the top of the Ashdown forest.
The easy conversation took my mind away from the physical discomforts and what could have been a really tough stretch climbing to the highest point on the entire route passed by painlessly.
Once over the other side of the forest the route generally descends through fairly remote woods and farmland and some tricky route finding in places for about 5 miles until I reached today’s destination at Five Ash Down after about 22.5 miles. The four day schedule means that tomorrow’s run is reduced to 18 miles, which again looks like being a warm sunny day.
Check the blog regularly – 80+ posts and counting. Or quick search to see different subjects on the Index page. Hit the subscribe button below – it costs nothing, to receive the next post “on the subject of…..”
On the subject of running..... 