Proof of Manhood completed!
My static caravan at Selsey is on the oddly named Manhood Peninsula, which is the bit of land that sticks out into the English Channel south of Chichester. It's quite a good place to go running, with the exception of no hills - the highest point is 9m above sea level - but there's a mix of woodland trails, farmland, canal path, shingle beaches, sandy beaches, gravel tracks and tarmac - so there's nearly always something to liven up a training run. Looking at the map, the logical thing to do would be to run around the Manhood Peninsula, from my caravan, down to Selsey Bill, up along East Beach and half way around Pagham Harbour before running along the laughable National Cycle Route 88, which is far better as a running route than a cycling route (Selsey is one of the worst places in the country for traffic free cycling, with 8 mile of overcrowded tourist packed winding B-road and no proper cycle path), up to Mundham and then pick up the Chichester Canal along to the Marina on the north facing coast of Chichester Harbour. That picks up the New Lipchis way, which is helpful as one or two of the twists and turns would not be guessed without the waymarks, sometimes along the coast, more often slightly inland, behind those properties that cost three times as much as they would otherwise because of the sea view.
The path breaks out on the coast again, a little to the east of Itchenor. Reluctantly past the Ship Inn, fortunately it wasn't doing breakfasts or the run might have ended then. Then it's a beautiful trail through the old oak trees that overhang the shore, when the tide was in, but today there was a wide reach of salt marsh and mud stretching out to the last of the ebb (which was deliberate). By now (28km at Itchenor) my legs were starting to tie up. Map My Run emotionlessly recorded the fact that each kilometre was taking longer than the last. But the trail and views were beautiful, just a little hard on the ankles because there hasn't been the rain to soften the ground. Then there was West Head. It's a spit, filled with sand dunes, and no more than 50m wide at the point my route reached it. There was temptation to 'pretend' that it wasn't there, but I knew I would regret it if I did, so I turned back north, fortunately with a tailwind. My legs were really hurting now. When I reached the end, a broad curve rather than a sharp point I slowed to a walk to eat my second Eat Natural bar and drink from my Camelbak. I also tightened my laces which, after 35km of running were not as tight as when they had started. Then I painfully eased the legs into running mode again and headed round the last of the point and on to the hard sand heading south, for the last of the west coast section.
The tide was as far out as I've ever seen it, the Winner Banks stretching with their waterlogged but otherwise lunar landscapes far out into the sea. I tried to stretch my stride but my hamstrings were having nothing of it. I reached the first of the groynes and almost came to a halt stepping over it, but then I could see my path ahead, clear, on the hard flat sand, which was the reason for doing this run at low tide. Slowly the landmarks came and went, West Wittering Beach, with its lifeguard post, East Wittering, then Bracklesham. The marathon point was passed in 3:39. With the tide so low it was probably that I could have carried on all the way to Selsey, even with the breach in the sea defences. But it's tricky ground, the sandbanks and river from the new salt marshes keep changing position, and also, in summer, don't want to lure tourists into that area. So I kept a watch for the point where the new sea defences start and struggled up the steep shingle beach, forced to a walk. At the top there was a family of four. The young boy looked at my crablike progress and must have wondered.
Now it was just 6km of familiar tracks around the sea defences and back to the 'van'. It's the longest those 6km have ever taken, and the most painful. There are several gates along the top of the defences, each requires a stop, which was okay, and a start, which definitely wasn't okay. But eventually the sea defences were past, and I could navigate using the familiar landmarks close to home, the track, the junction, the solar panels, the gap in the hedge, the zigzag in the road, the turn into the poplars. Map my Run piped up with the 50km time just short of the 'van' which avoided that awkward decision of do I go once round the block to get to a round number distance. I stopped the clock, struggled up the three steps to the deck, and collapsed in a chair for a few minutes.
That's the next on my bucket list of homemade runs - 50km in 4:29. It was harder than I expected, perhaps due to the hard ground, but also a 10km walk and photography lesson (teaching no 2 son how to use his new DSLR) the day before (plus a 21 mile time trial of sorts testing out the new Enigma Bike) had put a bit of fatigue into the calves and ankles. The next one, probably towards the end of September will be the 60km of the Basingstoke Canal, which will be on equal firm surfaces but no sand or shingle.
