Marathon training pics and stuff from Monday 23rd Feb

Was pleased with yesterday took about 4 hours or so to do 20 miles which was okay. Motionbased says something ridiculous like 5 hours but it didn't take that long. There's tons of hills involved so I'm pleased to average 5mph/12minute miles. There were patches that you couldn't run in any case like the climb over the other side of Bradbourne Ford towards Knivetonwood. Anyway, I'm happy. Need to lose some weight before the big day but can do that if I apply myself. Had some top tunes when running yesterday (bought myself a 12GB Fuze mp3 player which is bloomin great and was just £50 from Play.com) - anyway, started with Anberlin's Cities album, next on to both discs of Pink Floyd's Delicate sound of thunder which seems to be right sort of pace for my marathon running, slow bluesy sorta stuff in the main, then finished with some live Simple Minds stuff which was a bit of a blast from the past. All good.



This is another pic of Bradbourne Ford - my mum stalled my dad's car when she was learning to drive - it's never been forgotten but begs the question as to why he thought driving through a ford was a good idea for a learner driver?? Maybe a rites of passage thing for Vauxhall Viva drivers!


This is a pretty little valley running alongside the road to Fenny Bentley.

This is a picture of Minninglow in the distance taken from up above Bradbourne Ford towards Tissington.

This is the screen from motionbased - I'm sure it did not take 5 hours plus - was more like 4.5hrs including stops to take pics, change mp3 player etc.

First pic I took was from Mappleton looking towards Thorpe Cloud.

This pic was taken from up the hill from Bradbourne Ford looking towards Fenny Bentley I think.

This pic of village of Thorpe with Thorpe Cloud in background was taken from the killer hill out of Mappleton that I've taken to walking up!

This pic of a cheap tractor (according to Phil, apologies if it's your tractor!) going through Bradbourne Ford (we used to know it as Tissington Ford but Tissington's a couple of miles further on really).

This is me at top of hill before you drop down to the ford, yes I know I'm carrying too much weight but by gad, am happy with things at the moment.

This is a pic of Minninglow in the distance taken from the lane between Knivetonwood and Kniveton.

This pic has Thorpe Cloud in the distance as was taken about a mile from finishing the run. It's taken from the hill between Snelston and Clifton.

This picture is of Osmaston Village Hall, when I got married a million years ago we had the night do here! Cool eh!

Between Moorend and the Osmaston junction on the A52 is JCB's proving ground. I do like what they've called it - the Proving Ground, says all you need to know about JCBs, shame they're struggling at the moment.

In the background is a tractor which a chap I used to drink with up at the Cock Inn is driving: Les Bull. Top man.

Moorend - I always though this place was called Hole-in-the-Wall cause of where that car is, but I was wrong!!).