Glorious Gipping Rain or Shine
In Suffolk we are blessed with some amazing running trails and countryside to enjoy over the weekends. If you are reading this and you are a runner, you will know that weekends are no longer for sleeping in, but for setting your alarm at the crack of dawn so you can get out of bed and enjoy putting some additional miles on the clock. This is why I have loved meeting so many people through the RFYL group as they are all equally as crazy as me about running and enjoy making the most of the weekend by organising an array of events.
My advice on trail running from my experiences so far would be the following:
1. Always ensure that you have suitable footwear. It can be very uneven in places and good grip is essential.
2.Wear long trousers or shorts with long socks to protect from nettle stings. They itch for days if not!
3.Take a first aid kit - although it doesn't solve everything it really helped when I got stung by a wasp.
4.Hydration - the greater the distance you do and more off road it is good to run with a hydration bag. This gives you the necessary fluids and also a place to keep the first aid kit and some snacks.
5. Jelly blocks are much nicer than gels and easier to eat on route.
6. Always run through the middle of the puddle or mud - no matter how bad it is. Running around can be dangerous.
On each of the events we meet at the train station in Ipswich around 7.30am and catch the train up to Stowmarket. The journey takes approximately 15 minutes and upon arrival we are moments away from the entrance to the Gipping Valley. The whole route tracks the river from Stowmarket back to Ipswich. I mention this as if you view my starva routes from both runs you may well notice where I got lost. The summer run saw us to a whole extra loop of the lake - but hey ho what is a few extra miles between friends.
Strava Page and route from 20th August 2016
Strava Page and route from January 2016
We normally try and slit into three groups so everyone can run at their own pace, but still have company. Everyone is so supportive and running together has made getting through distances up to 17 miles a lot more achievable.