Tuesday 10 September 2019

Daily photo - 10: Marathon preparation running on Farthing Down

As the New York marathon, which takes place on November 3rd, draws ever closer I am getting increasingly focused on getting in enough running. So today I did some trail running in and around the south London beauty spot, Farthing Down.

Farthing Down, managed by the Corporation of London
I am really keen to get in enough training to get me round the five boroughs and the bridges of New York City without too much problem.

Marathon training is always tricky for me. On one hand it's about getting in the miles, speed, and strength in my legs so that I feel ready when I reach the start line. On the other hand I have to be mindful about not over training or injuring myself during training.

Things I do to avoid injury are:
  • Getting in lots of stretching between runs
  • Cross-training, i.e. regularly cycling and swimming
  • Doing a couple of yoga sessions a week, more specifically hot yoga
  • Deep massage every few weeks
  • Alternating my long runs between road running and trail running
So today was an off-road run that started from Farthing Down car park and then went down to Happy Valley, up to Coulsdon Common, and then round some other trails past Surrey National Golf Course, Chaldon Church, Netherne-on-the-Hill, and back to Farthing Down.

It was a very scenic 12km (7.5-mile) run and once again a chance to discover new places. The village of Netherne-on-the-Hill is very quaint and orderly village. It was previously the site of a progressive psychiatric hospital, known for its use of art therapy for the patients. The hospital has since closed and is now a residential village, still exhibiting a distinct calmness about the place.

After leaving this village I was once again back on the rolling downs completely in the middle of nowhere. It felt completely remote and looked so scenic. Who would have known that this was around 15 miles of Central London.

In short, going off-road is good for the legs as well as for the soul. The good thing is that you don't have to travel so far from a city to find these calm, peaceful places.


Related posts
Running on the South Downs

Benefits of Hot Yoga

Trail running in Cheshire, Yorkshire, and Bellagio Skyrace too!

So how is my Paris Marathon training going?



No comments: