Great Waldingfield

5pm 6 miles in 48mins 9 seconds

Week to date mileage 17.5

Month to date mileage 136

Average weekly rate 31.8

Average Monthly rate 138

Year to Date 817

Life time 8595

Tonight I went for a run in the village of Great Waldingfield in Suffolk. On the A134 road from Colchester to Sudbury just after the village of Newton there is a right turning along the Valley Road which is old roman road.

Great Waldingfield is a about a mile down the Valley Road. I parked at the very first turning near the White Horse pub. I took the main road through the village towards Lavenham which is something of a “rat run” . As soon as I could I headed of towards a footpath which took me into fields eventually emerging near the church of St Lawrence in the lovely old part of the village. There are some wonderful thatched houses near the rectory.

I soon spotted another path which took me to a dead end at a pleasant smelling sewage works. The map shows a continuous path but it was so overgrown with stinging nettles I had to double back. I carried on past Northfields Farm and turned right along the B1071 road. There is a path along this road which leads to Lavenham. I took a left turning track across fields at Dyers Green farm. This track takes you into Acton but with insufficient time I turned for home and back into Gt Waldingfield.

It had been a warm run. My general conclusion is that this isn’t my favourite Suffolk village I have visited. It does seem an overly busy through cut for traffic between Sudbury and Lavenham though if you are fortunate to live near the church this is almost a different world and is peaceful. Though with so many great places in Suffolk I can afford to be a bit more highly critical.

West Suffolk Athletics Track

6.15pm 6 miles in 45nins 13 seconds

Week to date mileage 11.5

Month to date mileage 130

Average weekly rate 31.7

Average Monthly rate 138

Year to Date 811

Life time 8589

Tonights track session was run in wonderful hot weather. I ran to the track which is just under a mile and then did 4 laps warm up .

The session consisted of 5 intervals of 2 minutes at 5k pace with a minute recovery inbetween followed by a faster 500 metres at 1500 metre pace. After a five minute break we repeated the set.

I was generally covering just under 500 metres in each set so the final 500 metres run at 1500 metre pace I found also took me about 2 minutes the first in 1.58 and 1.59 for the second.
interval.

I ran home after wards to warm down.

Horringer Farm Circular Run

5.30pm 5.5 miles in 43nins 25 seconds

Week to date mileage 5.5

Month to date mileage 124

Average weekly rate 31.6

Average Monthly rate 138

Year to Date 805

Life time 8583

Ran in my new Saucony Stabil MC5 shoes over the fields of Horringer. The first run in new shoes always seems a bit uncomfortable to me and this was no different. They felt a bit bouncy and a bit heavy but hopefully they will be ok.

My time seemed to be fairly quick and I will need to look back to see how this compares. My last run over this exact course was back in March when I ran dead on 44 minutes

Bury St Edmunds Town Centre ,Nowton and Horsecroft

6pm 7.8 miles in 1 Hour 25 seconds

Week to date mileage 35

Month to date mileage 118

Average weekly rate 31.8

Average Monthly rate 138

Year to Date 799

Life time 8577

I suprised myself by running today after the football and a couple of pints watching England beat Ecuador in the World Cup. I needed a couple of drinks to sit through that but I suprisingly I ran fairly normally without any problem.

I haven’t run this course very much this year.

Previous runs over this course are a little confused as I have often included variations but the following are times are over the same course

2 Oct 05 1 hr 2 mins 13 secs
30 Aug 05 1 hr 3 mins 32 secs
13 Mar 05 1 hr 4 mins 5 secs

Fornham St Martin Circular Run

8am 7.5 miles in 57 minutes 24 seconds

Week to date mileage 27

Month to date mileage 110

Average weekly rate 31.7

AverageMonthly rate 138

Year to Date 791

Life time 8569

Felt good today as I ran one of my regular courses that some times I need after many runs when I am exploring unknown tracks and paths.

The course – head out of Bury on the Beetons Way past Tollgate and through the village of Fornham St Martin.

Return to Bury through Fornham All Saints along the A11101 Mildenhall Road , back to Tollgate and return up Beetons Way hill and home.

Previous times

3 Jun 06 59.17
6 May 06 57.03
25 Apr 06 57.02
18 Mar 06 56.51
11 Feb 06 59.25
14 Jan 06 60.05

2005

17 Dec 59.29
29 Oct 59.52
3 Oct 60.19
11 Sep 60.14
28 Aug 57.42
19 Aug 59.36
22 Jul 58.24
10 Jul 59.48
1 Jul 59.42
23 Jun 64.0
18 Jun 62.18
23 May 59.38
5 Apr 62.41
1 Apr 60.26
19 Mar 59.0
12 Mar 60.43
5 Mar 62.16
26 Feb 62.16
6 Feb 61 .23
28 Jan 61.02
16 Jan 61.14

Bradfield Woods Suffolk

2.30pm 7.5 miles in 1 hour

Week to date mileage 19

Month to date mileage 103

Average weekly rate 31.7

AverageMonthly rate 138

Year to Date 784

Life time 8562

I travelled out to Bradfield Woods on the A134 about 4 miles from Bury on the Sudbury road. Bradfield Woods is between Bradfield St George and Felsham. It is only 2-3 miles from where I was on Tuesday at Bulls Wood and I had the intention of following an out and back path so as to lead me back to Bulls Wood.

However I took an entirely wrong path which took me on a path around the perimeter of the woods. This is another ancient woodland dating back at least 700 years. It is ideal for disabled visitors and wheelchairs as a lot of hard work has gone on here to create nice flat sandy paths on some of the colour coded pathways.

When I emerged from the woods I expected to quickly find another wood caled Monkspark but instead after running through a field I passed by a smaller Glebe Wood. Continuing on through fields fields I eventually came to the FelshamRoad and headedin the direction of Cockfield. I passed by numerous farms including Rookery,Quakers and Stone Farm.

As I had clearly lost my way I returned by the same path back to Bradfield Woods. I ran around more of the paths and in doing so came across the public footpath which runs through the woods which is the path I should have taken but I will know next time.

West Suffolk Athletics Track

6.30pm 5.8 miles in 46 minutes 21 seconds

Week to date mileage 11.8

Month to date mileage 95

Average weekly rate 31.6

AverageMonthly rate 137

Year to Date 776

Life time 8554

Tonights track session was less intensive for the many of us who might enter the Stow 5 on Friday night. So after running to the track and warming up with a couple of laps we ran 2 x 5minutes at our 10k pace with a minute recovery in between followed by a faster 600 metres. After a 5 min recovery we repeated the whole set.

I ran well tonight though there was a strong breeze.

Cockfield Suffolk

5pm 6 miles in 48 minutes 42 seconds

Week to date mileage 6

Month to date mileage 90

Average weekly rate 31.5

AverageMonthly rate 137

Year to Date 771

Life time 8549

The village of Cockfield is about 6 miles from Bury St Edmunds. I came of the A134 at Windsor Green which is south east of Bury on the road to Sudbury. After about a mile I parked near Birds Lane and headed of and soon reached the the Plough and Fleece on the large village green called Great Green . Cockfield is a village full of greens and it is rather confusing for a visitor to know when you are actually in the village. It doesn’t appear to really have a village centre as such.

At Great Green this almost appears to be a separate village in its own right it has the pub and a cricket pavilion and a good number of houses surround the green.

I headed on to a field pathway which took me over to Church Farm before coming back into Cockfield. I then found a path which took me to Palmers Farm and directions to Bulls wood nature reserve. I must admit never having heard of Bulls Wood and any look at the OS Map Explorer 211 well show why I suspect it is infrequently visited compared to its very popular neighbour at Bradfield Woods. Whereas Bradfield is on a road and has a carpark, Bulls Wood is accessible only by walking from Cockfield or Thorpe Green to reach it and parking seemed a little uncertain. You can park at Palmers farm and then walk to the woods though there was no one there when I visited.

I shall visit again as there is a clear pathway which runs between Bulls wood and Bradfield Woods via a place called Colchester Green. The wood itself was very interesting the pathways are marked but not suitable for any disabled/wheelchair visitors. The place is full of deer apparently though being so dark and lush green in vegetation I didn’t see any. It is an ancient wood dating back I believe a 1000 years.

I returned back into Cockfield and decided to do a few interval faster sprints 30 seconds fast 30 seconds recovery for 5 minutes along Birds Lane before finishing and returning to the car

Lt Whelnetham Line Walk

7.30am 11 miles in 1 hour 30 minutes 43 seconds

Week to date mileage 31

Month to date mileage 84

Average weekly rate 31.7

AverageMonthly rate 137

Year to Date 765

Life time 8543

Set out early to avoid the heat and to do a long run. I have had to bin my New Balance 854’s after only 241 miles!. The wear on the outer heals had removed all trace of the black rubber/carbon tread and I was running on the mid sole. What a bad buy!

I over pronate when I run so I always have to buy shoes which have strong outer heels but also suit high arches. This doesn’t always appear easy and the information I receive in shops and on web suits often seems to contradict. Oh well it means buying a new pair this week.

I ran out along the Sicklesmere Road A 134 and was noticable this morning was the sheer number of motor bikes riding up and down this stretch for some unknown reason but it looked impressive.

Once into Sicklesmere I picked up a track to take me to the Line Walk. This is a stretch of the old dismantled railway line which used to run between Bury St Edmunds and Sudbury. It is now a beautiful walk or run in my case! You can still imagine the railway running down here even though no trains have done so for nearly 40 years.

The grass was very long in places but perfectly runnable and was carpeted in ox eye daisys.

Ickworth Park Albana Walk

8am 8.5 miles in 1 hour 9 minutes 07 seconds

Week to date mileage 20

Month to date mileage 73

Average weekly rate 31.4

AverageMonthly rate 136

Year to Date 754

Life time 8532

Course: Set of towards Horringer over fields towards Lord Hervey’s wood and Great Horringer Hall. Along Westley Lane and into Horringer Village. At the Church turn right into Ickworth Park, down to Ickworth House and then do a circuit of Albana Wood before returning on the same route.

My first to Albana Walk since March 5th when the woodlands were carpeted in snow drops. Today was warm and sticky to the extent that one dog walker questioned my sanity for running in the heat, I guess he has a point. However I love this warm weather long may it continue.

I took one or two pictures of the various exercise frames which are set up around Albana Walk. I have never seen anyone actually use them, then again you don’t actually see that many people walking around here which means you often disturb deer usually muntjac but also roe.