When is a rest not a rest?

Answer, when it’s spent on holiday in Dorset with masses of kids causing havoc. On the plus side, reduced running distances this week meant that there was a chance for tired muscles to recover.

Running in the Dorset countryside proved to be a bigger challenge than anticipated however. I’d planned out a range of routes to be used throughout the week which all looked scenic and easy to follow on mapmyride.com but when we arrived it soon became apparent that the local farmers did not share my passion of getting out and running on footpaths and bridleways. Almost all of the paths were overgrown, not maintained or simply not there. Gates were chained shut across the paths that could be followed and progress was very slow and hard going as a result.

So at the end of a week that was supposed to see me rested, refreshed and raring to go, I returned home still tired and, as it turned out on Sunday, with a mild dose of the upset stomach that had been doing the rounds whilst on holiday and so even my 8 miles planned turned out to be a 3 mile struggle to keep my insides from being outside.