For the second week running I have come across cyclists, out on the Downs, omitting to shut the gates behind them. I sympathised last week, as it was clearly a race and there was a whole stream of them, but this week there were only a few cyclists out and I’m sure the farmer has enough of a problem keeping tabs on his lambs without the gates being left ajar.
About ten minutes after leaving my folks place, running out towards the radio mast above Woodingdean, I saw that I had missed a message from Cliff inviting me to run from Lewes. I called him & we arranged to meet to the north of the Newmarket on the South Downs Way… he was coming the other way via Blackcap, which had been my destination.
I ran down past Newmarket Copse, over the A27, up the long hill to Bunkershill Plantation following the South Downs Way, down the steep hill the other side and up as far as the next gate where the old South Downs Way route meets. It was perfect timing as Cliff and Joe were just coming down the hill in the other direction.
I turned round and we ran together back down the hill, up the steep hill and down the long hill to the A27, then across and up towards Newmarket Copse again, but for the sake of time, then turned left and ran down to the Newmarket Inn.
For simplicity we ran along the A27 towards Lewes, so that they could head back to the prison and I split off right before the roundabout and ran up Ashcombe Hollow towards Kingston… turning right again at the top of the hill to Kingstonridge.
This is a special path as it has a lovely big hill to run up in order to reach the ridge.
The hill, which is about 500m on the map, took me nine minutes… it’s pretty steep, but really good fun!
From there I continued climbing, albeit more gently, past the top of the Castle Hill reserve and on to the radio mast, before I had earned the final downhill section to the end, although with the wind full against me.
10.4 miles in 1.54 is only an average of about 5.5mph, but this is not bad bearing in mind all the hills… overall it was a really most enjoyable run!