Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2007 00:46:53 +0100 (BST)
From: Roger Griffin
To: Richard Griffin

[...]

P.S.  I sort-of did something yesterday that I have thought of doing for
half my lifetime, but only by doing a bit of cheating!  Quite a few
times, as a last run before the Boundary Run or the marathon I have run
to Balsham, out through Fulbourn and along the Fleam Dyke and back along
the Roman Road.  Only a couple of miles south of Balsham is the splendid
brick water tower on Rivey Hill, above Linton; I would have liked to go
up to it (112 m) but it would add about two miles to the run, which has
always been at if not beyond my ability (lots of times I have been
reduced to walking parts of the way towards the end!) so I have never
managed it.  But this summer I have been thinking of doing it by a bit of
a cheat, by taking public transport part of the way to reduce the total
distance! - and yesterday I implemented that. I was working at the
telescope the previous night until it fogged up about 4 o'clock, so I did
not get to bed till after 4.30.  I woke up at 11 - too early really - but
it looked to be a nice day for a long run, mild and windless so there
would be no need to take extra clothing for when I got tired and had to
walk or for wearing on a train journey, so I at last got a grip on myself
and did the Rivey Hill ploy.  I left [home] at 12 and changed as I
normally do at St. John's and cycled nearly to the station, locking my
bike to a railing near the foot of Station Road, and ran up to the
station for the 12.43 train - which turned out to be a bus - to Great
Chesterford.  I had one or two small navigational problems getting across
the hills (117 m maximum) to Linton, about 6 miles, and then I ran
(honest!) up the steep path through a wood that goes straight up to the
water tower.  Despite having cheated to get there it was a bit of a
triumph to have got there at last and I stopped for a moment and ate a
bit of marzipan I was carrying; then I went down the hill and joined the
Roman road.  Being by then thoroughly warmed up I was doing well - I
believe I was doing about the same pace as I did in the Roman Road race
this year and with a lot less effort too.  I was flagging a bit as I ran
back along Hills Road, but nothing bad, and I duly retrieved my bike and
cycled back to College.  I was running for just 2 1/2 hours and was
pleased to find I was not unduly tired afterwards.  Maybe if I did
something like that every weekend I really would win the age-group in
London! - but I'm not going to do that, it would be too much of a
commitment and I wouldn't enjoy it on some of the rotten days in the
winter.