Grit and I have been running the Deal Half since 2014. It is covieniently placed two weeks prior to the dreaded Steyning Stinger, so if we had actually been following a training schedule, it would be a good point to start to taper off the training. However, we haven’t followed a training schedule, so we had better squeeze in another long run next weekend.
My feelings are that to be able to enjoy certain hobbies, like sailing, you need to be reasonably fit. I drag myself along to Military Outdoor Fitness a couple of times a week. I normally call it “Torture on the Heath”. Strangely, I rather enjoy it, but it is also handy to have a few goals to aim for. The Stinger is the big goal, just getting around the course is enough of an achievement for me. Entering these Half Marathons provides a bit of variety to the training to ensure you don’t get bored with a “samey” routine all year round.
Later in the year I will be attempting to transit the North West Passage on Will Stirling’s yacht. I’ll start to do some weight and strength training before that trip because the traditional yacht requires some traditional effort to hoist the sails, haul the anchor chain etc.
I’ve described the Deal Half Marathon many times before, so I’ll skip any details of the course, save to say it is always really well organised and super friendly. Thank you to all the stewards!
One of the joys for Grit and me is meeting up with Philip who lives nearby. Philip feeds us with our carb-loading supper and after the race we always go for a slap up lunch.
This year we went to a place called Updown. I think IndoorOutdoor might have better described the restuarant which is in a semi-open building. It was the warmest day of the year so perfect for us, although we did speculate what might happen on a cold mid-winter day. The noise from rain on the sheeting roof would be rather interesting too. However, it made for a whacky environment to eat in, and all the local glitteratti were drawn in by the wonderful food on offer. We decided to eat every meal on the menu and enjoyed all of it! Updown is also a small farmhouse hotel which looks rather special.
Oh, and the race results!
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