Three more nights to my first ultra run. We’re in England. In the Tiger Inn, in East Dean, a little village close to Eastbourne, where our trail run starts coming Saturday. And close to the Seven Sisters, the famous series of chalk cliffs on the English coast.
Trail running for us is sightseeing. Not just in the Netherlands, but everywhere we go. You get to places, you normally won’t go to. Sometimes literally, as we will cross through fields this Saturday that are normally closed for runners.
Little holiday
We’re early. This trip is a little holiday. A little escape from all the work we’ve been doing lately. Sara has been extremely busy with setting up the new event website for La Scimmia Yoga, our yoga platform. At the same time she designed a yoga clothes collection for and with Yogago. Weekends have become workdays, now we’re turning some workdays into a long weekend.
It also gives us the time to have a look at the Endurance Life Sussex trail we’re going to run coming Saturday. Okay, not all 53 kilometers, but it’s nice to see the start, the finish, and some parts in between. Just to have an idea what to expect.
Belle Tout Lighthouse
Besides that, we want to visit the Seven Sisters. I’ll run by them during the race, but I guess I won’t take the time to stop and have a good look. Same for the Belle Tout Lighthouse, an English landmark, dating back to 11 October 1834.
Sara’s trail doesn’t pass by them at all. It turns land inwards around the Beachy Head Lighthouse, which took over the job of Belle Tout around 1902. The problem of Belle Tout was that it’s build on top of the cliff. Boats sailing close to the cliffs couldn’t see the light. That’s why the Beachy Head Lighthouse stands on the bottom of the cliffs. It would be a shame to be here, and not visit those sites.
English book and tea shops
There is another reason we came to England early. I find travelling always tiring. Hanging around in airports is not my favorite thing. Being here a few days earlier gives me time to relax before the race. Although, knowing Sara she probably wants to visit every bookshop in Eastbourne.
Not that I’ll complain. I am happy to visit every bookshop as well. As long as we can also visit every tea shop in town, and take some nice tea and some brownies back to the room, for after the siesta. Because I’m here to run, but running starts and ends with relaxing. So that’s what I’m going to do now. More tomorrow.
