Last weekend saw me tackle a 50 mile route from Bedlington to Otterburn then back to Morpeth over 2 days. It was in lieu of a run from Edinburgh that I’d planned for some time. I just couldn’t find the time to do that one.
Conditions for the run weren’t great. Not even the peace and tranquility of the Northumberland hills could lift my spirits. The cold and wet weather made this as much a tough mental task as a physical one. “I can’t wait for the heat of Death Valley” was a sentence I said to myself on a few occasions.
At the 19 mile point on day one I was very pleased to see Thomas from the support team waiting by the roadside. His wife, Caroline, had dropped him off and we ran the final 9 miles together.
By the look of the elevation profile, you’d think that I’d ran up a mountain! After 28 miles, I was pleased to reach Otterburn where a hearty supper was there waiting for me.
The journey back to Morpeth the following day was every bit as tough as the first day. I was again accompanied by Thomas and we both agreed on a plan before we set off.
We set off steadily up to Elsdon then slowly up the climb to Winter’s Gibbet. The straight five mile stretch from that point was where we tried to get into a good rhythm with both of us taking turns to lead from the front. It was an excellent effort.
Each one of the next 8 miles proved to be tough and I could feel my energy levels fading fast. Thankfully, the Dyke Neuk Inn was on the route (17 miles in) and after a bowl of soup and a full Sunday roast, we were on our way again.
The final miles to Morpeth were very straightforward. I was pleased to hit the 50 mile point and get home to a nice warm house!
Thank you to Thomas for some excellent running company and Caroline for some really nice food (including a slice of her birthday cake!).
