It’s been a couple weeks since I came up with the ridiculous idea to run all the streets in my town. During which time I have only actually managed, including today, seven runs:

• 3 ‘Run the Streets’
• 1 Parkrun
• 2 at the woods
• 1 with my sister

This was due to a couple of reasons. Firstly, I had a couple of busy weekends away from home, and secondly, this past week I’ve not felt 100% and the last thing I felt like doing was going for a run. On top of that the weather has been glorious and the last couple of runs have been on the trails at the woods. The last place you want to be running when the sun is shining is round the streets of Bourne.

So, despite the beautiful morning I woke up to today (I put the alarm on for an early run) I ran the streets.

I didn’t really have a plan – I had in my head the area I was hoping to cover – although in my head the plan looked slightly simpler than what would actually take place.

Here’s a summary of this morning’s complications:

• I live in the south east corner of Bourne, meaning I have to run on a lot of roads that I have already run on to get to my starting point. I’m sure there is a way round this, but that probably requires someone with a degree is planning and logistics (if such a degree actually exists).
• I came to a road that I never knew existed call ‘The Slipe’, halfway up this road I came to a sign that said ‘No Trespassing’. I had a decision to make. I could have turned around, I had ran on the road, maybe not the entire length, but most of it. No one, apart from me, would actually know (or care) I had missed out half a road. But where is the challenge in that? So I carried on. It was early on in the run, so I was thinking that if I came across a rabid guard dog, or an angry gun wielding farmer, or even a mafia style criminal gang HQ (the road was very isolated, perfect for a criminal gang HQ actually), I could probably out run them. As it worked out, it just sort of ended…no guard dog, no farmer, no criminal mastermind HQ…just a dead end.

• The problem of having no plan. I’ve lived in Bourne a few years. I’ve run in the area quite a lot. I’m reasonably good when it comes to spacial awareness and directions. Well, it turns out I’m not. I ran up and down the same streets far too often. Took clever little alleyway shortcuts that weren’t ‘clever’ or ‘short’. But it is so difficult. You run along thinking I’ll go up that road in a minute, just go up here, that’ll lead to there, when actually you end up virtually lost. Poor effort.
• I got a blister. I ran in my Vibram Fivefingers, which is a regular occurrence, although this morning it was warm so I went without socks. Big mistake. I’ve never had any issues in the past, I think it was the fact that there was a lot of running on the concrete that caused it. I felt it at around 6 miles, but powered through till the end. Hardcore. I wasn’t going to post a picture, but then thought, what is the point of a blog post if you can’t gross people out.

However, despite all those various complications, I really enjoyed it. Over 8 miles in all, the sun was shining, I had the new Frank Turner album playing, and it was actually the third day in a row that I’ve been out. I feel a run streak on the way!

That just leaves one thing left to include. The infamous, some would say amazing, some would say sad, handmade map of Bourne with completed ‘Run the Streets’ routes (in different colours for each different day – today is in blue). I’m guessing about one sixth of the way there. South east corner complete.

Nice.

For a Bank Holiday Monday I woke up surprisingly early. Which meant it was time to get this challenge going: running all the streets in Bourne.

So it was Fivefingers on, Garmin on and earphones in. The new Frank Turner album, ‘Be More Kind’, was the musical choice this morning. I’ve already listened to it non-stop for the past 48 hrs so it was only right to carry on with it.

The plan this morning was to run the streets around home in the south east corner of Bourne.

Mission accomplished. 3.5 miles in total. Looks like this on Strava:

But more impressively, it looks like this on my homemade map of Bourne, coloured in green:

I must at this point ask you to refrain from mocking me. I understand that I need help.

I quite like a challenge.

In the past I’ve always tried to challenge myself to some degree. In the past I’ve completed monthly challenges: learning to ride a unicycle, swimming, learning to play the ukulele, baking, origami and model building, to mention a few. Janathon and Juneathon have been regular running challenges. And last year I ran 1000 miles as part of Trail Magazine’s #run1000miles.

So far this year I’ve completed a few races:

• Pierrepont 6 hour challenge
• St Valentine’s 30k
• Kielder Dark Skies Run 26.5

And have a few on the horizon:

• Runstock 8 hour challenge in May
• Endure 24 Leeds in June
• Rough Runner in September

I’m also considering having a go at an ultra event. I would absolutely love to run 100 miles, but for now I’ve been looking about for a 50 mile or 100 km event.

So clearly I probably need to start ramping up the running a bit. Which finally gets me to the new running challenge to help make the training a bit more interesting:

‘Running your Roads’

Over the past couple of days I have printed out about a dozen or so A4 sheets of Bourne, where I live, and painstakingly put them together to create this:

The plan is to run ALL the streets of the town and document progress by colouring them in on the map. Yes I know, slightly sad. But, I’m hoping, it might be quite interesting. Who can say they have been on every street in their town?

Our last day. A sunset.

Day 14 – Sunset

Fact of the Day – Thailand has one sunset each day.

The place we’re staying out here in Ao Nang is right on the beach. It was a bit cloudy today. Although, it didn’t stop today being a beach day, with a bit of pool action thrown in. Enough said.

We also keep coming across signs like this. ‘Do not feed the monkey’. THE monkey.

It would appear that there is just one monkey around. Signs for one monkey? That makes it somewhat scarier.

So after tonight’s drinks at O’Malley’s Irish Bar…

One of the cheapest bars we have come across, the walk back to the room, the mind can wander…

Day 13 – Beach. Monkey.

Fact of the day: Thailand has 3,219 km of coastline.

Firstly, a little update on yesterday. A/C issues – it stopped working. Had to move rooms late last night. All good now.

Today was one of those full on days, beginning with early breakfast for an early start, scooting around some of the local islands…

Railay Beach and Pranang Cave Bay.

Beautiful. As is pretty standard here, you come across lots of shrines. This one was all about a Princess who will fulfil wishes – there was a plaque that told you so. When the wishes are fulfilled you should leave an offering. If you leave a special offering you will ensure fertility and prosperity to the whole earth and mankind. It also says, ‘Do not place things of worship that are inappropriate’. Hence, a cave full of willies.

Tub Island

This was a weird sort of place that at low tide you can walk between three islands – can’t remember the names of the other islands. It was at this place that I had an encounter with a monkey, I think he was eyeing up my bag, when I refused he had a grab at my leg. He wasn’t happy. I should be ok, no need for rabies jab!

We didn’t ‘walk’ across to one of the other islands because you had to swim it!

Chicken Island

Rather strange name for an island, I ‘think’ because it looks like a chicken? Also, did a bit of snorkelling here.

Poda Island

Another beautiful island. We stopped for something to eat here – meal in a box – chicken drumstick, rice and a bag of super spicy ‘something’. Not the best food we’ve had here in Thailand, but probably not the worse either.

Day 12 – Islands.

Fact of the Day: The Thai flag is made up of three colours; red, white and blue. Red symbolizes the nation, land and people. White symbolizes the purity of Buddhism, and blue symbolizes the monarchy.