THE RUNNERS HOLIDAY!

Everyone needs a holiday... And while some of my work colleges and friends will take a couple of weeks off and sit at home doing nothing, that's not me! Others will take a couple of weeks off and hit some DIY project, that's not me... Then there are the poor folk with children, they take leave in school holidays to look after there kids, that's not me...

This is one of the reasons my wife and I get on so well, when it comes to holiday time we like to "take a holiday"! Now with a little money saved and my wife having a birthday this year. (You guys must know by now that ladies don't have birthdays every year and that is way they always look so young!)

So how does all this happen:

• We decide it's time for a holiday, 2014 will be the year... (don't have money for yearly holidays, feel free to sponsor my next holiday if you have some free cash!)
• Where do we go, France would be nice, from Dawn's English years she still has a couple of friends on the Mud Island with holiday places over the Channel... OK that's not working :(
• What about Switzerland? I have a best friend from school now staying there... Kids, work (new job) means more date planning to tie in with them. An idea but what else... (Next time even if I have to go alone!)
• Then some-one said: What about Croatia, I hear it's nice...
• With month ends and dog sitters to think about mid Septemberare the dates we are looking at...
• With Dawn not only being my wife but our travel coordinator she starts to look for flights and places to see...

Now from the moment she said: How does Croatia sound, I popped onto Google and asked him a very important question: Marathon Croatia? Answer, Ston-Wall Marathon  21 September 2014... Prefect date, and only 55km from a must see, Dubrovnik! What the ball now rolling I again went to talk to Mr Google again and this is what he told me:

Coach Dion, there is a 41km trail race in the Učka National park the week before that marathon in Ston, and you are already going to be in the country... How about turning this holiday into a little road trip...

Road Trip it is:

• Land at the Capital Zagreb and drive to the coast.
• Run the trail race, all 41km and 2350m climb!!!

Picture from last years race

Where the Race Starts and the mountain I will be running up...

•  Head down the coast popping inland to see another National park!

Plitvice Lakes

•  Back to the coast and down to Dubrovnik.

•  55km up the coast to run the Ston Wall Marathon!

Looks more like a trail race...

•  Before we fly out of Dubrovnik!

Time to pack my bags...