The eve of my marathon training run - 10 miles inc Essex way

Tomorrow, I officially start my training schedule for Manchester and London marathons.  It's a combination of Jeff Galloway's plan to train for a 3:45, and then switches to Hal Higdon's intermediate 2 when there are 18 weeks to go, but keeping in the technical aspects of Galloway's plan.  More on each in a future post.

Today was for a fun run.  I had had the last week completely off running, trying not to think about running and eating whatever I felt like too, which lead to some poor choices, but today, I just wanted to get out there.  I think the good weather helped with that.  Given Manchester is a flat course, I think most of my long runs will have to be on the flat, so that I get used to fatiguing the flat running muscles, so rather different to my training for Halstead.  I had initially planned to run my usual long run route along the Wivenhoe trail, which largely follows the river Colne out toward Brightlingsea, but given today I didn't need to worry about pace, I thought it would be fun to do a more exploration type run.

I decided to do part of the Essex way, but in the opposite direction of the relay race, so I didn't bother with taking the printed route instructions.  I  took a look at the local map and saw that the Essex way crossed many footpaths in the area I used to go on walks with my dad, in the fields behind my parents' house.  I could then find my way back home on the roads, hopefully making an approximate 10 mile loop.

I jogged along to meet the Essex way near west Bergholt church.  Took a little while for me to find it, but I'm getting used to navigate by waymarks.  I looked out for one, and eventually found it at the entry to a dark overgrown alley, and away I was.  After a few hundred metres, it opened out into a field, and lush countryside:

There were a couple of direction changes that were obvious, and then I came out onto a clearing with a ruin. The next part wasn't so clear, and there wasn't a way mark, but there was an arrow, so I went with it.

Eventually after a couple of miles on the footpath, I started to recognise things, like footbridge to the cow field 

And Fordham hall estate

I was concerned about when I would meet the roads I knew, I thought it was very close to my mums house, but then I saw this sign, and knew exactly where it would meet the road:

Continued on and saw another runner, a walker and a man walking his dog, so clearly I was getting rather close to civilisation now, and another sign to assure me I was on the right path:

Eventually, I got out onto the road, and the pub, which unfortunately shut down a couple of years ago. A shame, as my parents and I would often take a little stroll to have a pub lunch there.

Bt I was now on the main road that goes through the village my mum lives in.  I stopped in to see my mum and refill my water bottle.  She insisted I had a look at the apple tree:

And take some with me, but I could only fit one in my bum bag.  I also looked in to say hello to the guinea pigs:

They're very camera shy.

I went off on my way to take the road route home.  On road, my pace was much quicker, but when I was up to 8 miles, I could really feel my legs were getting tired.  This surprised me, but I guess I hadn't eaten all that much this morning, and I have raced every weekend in the last 3.  Also I usually use my compression socks on a long run.

Paces:

Mile 1: 9:45

Mile 2: 9:59

Mile 3: 11:07

Mile 4: 11:38

Mile 5: 12:56

Mile 6: 10:51 (on road but uphill)

Mile 6.18: 9:13

Mile 1: 9:18

Mile 2: 9:27

Mile 3: 11:22 (as well as tiredness a few major roads to cross)

Mile 4: 10:01