Mind Training.

I haven't been able to shake this bloody lurgy that's been with me for a couple of weeks now.

So after Sunday's handicap, I took Mon-Wed off from exercise. So you'd think by Thursday I'd be fit and raring to go again.

Er, no. Still I managed a couple of miles in the morning accompanied by my lungs trying to expode. In the evening I went out with the club, and ran 6 I guess, though slowly.

Friday another rest day.

Saturday after a shocking nights sleep. I dragged myself from my warm bed to run round the Kinder Trial. 12 miles and 2500' of rough Dark Peak loveliness. I felt shit most of the way round, and the temptation to jack and go home was never far away. Still I was pleased to have pushed on through to get to the finish, albeit in a leisurely style.

The guy in the pub afterwards commented that I'd looked like I'd done something exhausting. He must have been right. I slept for 2 hours when I got home, and after supper it was an early night.

Sunday and a 6:45 reveille. This time not for a run, but instead for a 100 mile audax. I can't say how easily I would have rolled over, switched the alarm off and gone back to sleep, if it wasn't for my having arrranged to take Gus and Lisa to the start.

Once at Cheadle we met up with Amy and albeit a few minutes after everyone else headed off down towards Delamere for our first cafe stop. We soon caught everyone else up and made Delamere in a couple of hours at a steady pace. The course was flat so it was just a matter of getting the bike up to speed and rolling along, taking a turn every now and then to keep the groups momentum up.

From there onto the next cafe at Audlem at 55 miles. Once inside in the warmth I felt proper tired. I poked at an apple crumble and ice cream. My stomach wasn't up for food. I drank much tea instead and soon we were off again in the cold.

I suppose 60 miles was about all I was good for on Sunday in comfort. The next 40 were a task, with the last hour being a big ask.

We just made Cheadle as dusk fell. My GPS had got me back to where I'd left the car. I had to rack my brain for a good minute to recall where we had signed on 8 hours earlier. Once that bit of info had been retrieved it was soup and rolls, and then back home.

So, a week where I've felt sub par. Run 20 miles and cycled 100. None of which has been easy. I must have dug deep yesterday, because after dropping the kids at school, I went back to bed for another 6 hours sleep.

Still there will no doubt times when I'm heading round the Bob Graham round, and things are not going well. When those times come it'll be good to have a resource of times to draw on when it also wasn't fun and easy, and importantly knowing that I kept on going.

Go lurgy I've had enough of you now.

Family Flu.

This was going to be a week of doing a good few miles, and has ended up with doing very few.

Basically I ended up spending the majority of my week looking after the rest of the families flu wants, until I too finally succumbed.

I'd planned on a couple of decent sessions for Tuesday and Wednesday. Nah, child care.

I got out on Thursday to the club run which was good. Friday and it was my turn to feel the beginnings of the plague. About 7 miles into a run, I bailed, freezing, shivering etc. I went on to spend the next 24 hours in bed.

Sunday and we had a club handicap. I didn't feel my best but thought I'd get round, and so I did.

Monday back to a high temperature and bleurgh. I write this on Tuesday afternoon and am just starting to feel a little better.

So last week yielded a low total of 25 miles, 5000'. Lots of high temperatures, coughing and snot.

I'm back running.

Well that injury was a right nuisance, and it seemed that the only way to get rid of it was to take some time off from the running. I've ridden the mountain bike a bit and this seems to have helped in maintaining some fitness.

Anyways this week after reading of others fitness New Year resolutions I got my running shoes on and got back out there.

A tentative and slow 50 minutes on Thursday afternoon suggested that my injury was gone, so later that evening I went out on our weekly club run for another couple of hours. All good.

Saturday, and Lisa and I walked over Kinder to Fairbrook, and thence to Edale. Proper icy up on the paths on the Northern Edges.

Pretty light as we headed over the plateau.



Sunday and a run over to the Downfall, which whilst thin for climbing has plenty of spray ice on it.



So 28 miles and 5800' this week. But most importantly no pain or niggles.

More next week.

Arse - Nemesis.

What a peculiar post title eh?

Well it is you see. My arse has stopped me getting out running. The preceding week's Sunday long run ended up with some discomfort in my tail.

Sadly Monday and the discomfort had turned into a stab which manifested its self everytime I put my left foot somewhere.

So really we can now say left arse, and somewhere deep too.

Anyways, sensibly (don't be shocked) I took a couple of days off running and took it easy.

Friday, still not much improvement, some pain, even when walking, but my physio pal tells me another week off and I should be back to running.

So I miss the Famous Grouse race on Sunday, and take some pictures instead.

I've managed a few bike rides, but todays 2 hour bash about in the snow drifts, has made me realise that this too is maybe doing more harm than good.

So I guess that's it for a while with running.

Physio again on Friday.

Arse.

PS. Some good news, I got the tests back from the Docs today, and apparently, am not going to die of kidney, liver or lung related ailments soon. Though my cholestrol levels leave a bit to be desired.

A Mixed Week.

Monday a pleasant steady 5 miles.

A niggling pain in my chest forced me to the doctors on Tuesday. The Doctor was so not impressed with my peak flow reading, that I then had to have lots of blood tests and a visit to the hospital for a chest X-ray.

Not a clue what, if anything is up, but it certainly put me of my stroke for the first part of the week, though I did manage a couple of short sorties. WTF does it take 10-14 days for a digital X-ray to get back to my doctor? Anyways, as I write this it doesn't hurt anymore, so we'll forget all about that unless we hear otherwise.

Thursday I did 10 miles. I slipped and heard my shoulder pop as I tried to slow my progress to the ground. Sore.

Friday, mileage deficit and a shoulder that hurts like hell. 0 miles.

Saturday, a good day. Did fairly well in our club handicap. Pleased that I was able to stay with some of the qiucker runners, at least for a while. Felt fairly strong.

Sunday, a long run over to Edale and back. Felt pretty rubbish all the way round, still ~20 miles not feeling good for the mind, is probably better than a 20 that feels easy.

A bit light on the hills this week, but in spite of the crap start to the week I still ran 40 miles which is where I wanted to be at the end of it.

The plan is for more miles and hills next week.
We'll see eh?

The First Bob Graham Recce.

A definite change in the weather this week, which required some adjustments, mostly mental.

Monday, I'd planned to do some hill reps, but in the end I couldn't persuade myself out into the continual freezing wind blown rain (snow higher up). The half of me that said another rest day was OK won over the one that said I was being lazy and ought to get my arse in gear.

Anyways Tuesday I got out. A steady run out to the foot of Mount Famine. The first ascent and descent I did was up the steepest route possible, which in theory was a good idea, in practice I kept on slipping on the steep tussocks, which may be in part that the Walshes I was wearing have little tread left on them. So once at the bottom I headed up the valley a little towards Dimpus Clough. The climbout of which gave an average gradient of 10% less to the summit. Still 450 feet in 0.4 of a mile (green line on the pic).



Only a short run but I made it out of the house. Also glad to have found a nice line for future reps.

Wednesday when not working, spent eyeing the weather forecast and packing lots of warm clothes for Thursday. More than a moment spent hoping I could keep up with the guys whom I was going to be running with. The forecast of blizzards and 100mph gusts not the weather to be travelling slowly in.

5:19 on Thursday morning I leave the warmth of my bed, and by 6am we're in the car and on our way to the Lakes. Driving is interesting with the heavy rain and winds. My wife informs me I am mental for even considering going for a run in this weather. She is probably right.

I get to the Moot Hall in good time, and by 9:06 we (Bill, Jim and Dave) are off. It soon becomes apparent that I am the one everyone else will be waiting for today. Rather than cane myself to keep up which would hae resulted in implosion, I settle for my pace.

Once above the Skiddaw car park, the wind makes its presence known. It seems the weather forecasters got it right. At the top of Skiddaw, forget running along the ridge, I struggle to stay on my feet.

Thankfully as we descend towards Hare Crag the wind doesn't come with us. There's good visibilty, and route finding is easy, but Bill kindly explains how to find the trod when the clag is down. On to Great Calva and then down to the River Caldew. Bill goes on his own with the water up to his thighs. The rest of us find somewhere slightly less deep and together form a group wedge, and shuffle our way gingerly across. That water was cold.
A steady plod up to Blencathra was spent chatting to Jim about his forthcoming winter round.
At the top we check out the various options for descent, opting for the Doddick Fell route.
The wind nearly had me over a couple of times on the way down, still by the time we get to Threlkeld we were only 15 minutes behind schedule, which considering the weather was OK.

Over the A66 and on to Clough Head. Rain, hail, and wind did not detract from what is a fierce climb. Head down, plod plod plod. With a bit of interest kicking steps in snow to make the summit ridge.

Once at the summit the wind was really doing its thing again. We shold have been able to run from the top, but instead had to make do with staggering at an angle to the oncoming wind to the col. Wild.

Decision time 3pm iirc. A couple more hours of daylight left. Carrying on was an option, though we decide to do the sensible thing. I've been on Helvellyn on less windy days and been blown over, and have heard of others who've been permanently blown away.

So after Calfhow Pike we traverse the hillside to Castle Rock and then down to the A591. A mile or so on the road and onto the King's Head at Thirlspot. 20 miles, 7000' and 2 pints of Hobgoblin.

Ann kindly drove back whilst I slumbered. Once home I ate, and then I ate some more. I'd eaten during the day, but obviously not enough.

Friday a day of rest. I was knackered after Thursday's efforts.

Saturday. My 45th Birthday.
Glorious weather. 8 steady miles briefly visiting the Kinder plateau, still feeling Thursday's day out.

Sunday feeling better a much faster run than usual over 8 miles.

So in spite of a shaky start not a bad week. 42 miles, and well over 12,000 feet of hills. Thursday was fun, and informative as to the actual route, though I think I'll forego epic weather days when checking the route in future. I'll certainly not be embarking on the Bob Graham round in such weather.

I'll probably leave recces up there until spring now. Lots of good stuff to do nearer to home.
Having said that I will be heading up to the Lakes in December for the Tour de Helvellyn which will be a good long day out.

I shall try and resist the temptation to ramp up the mileage and hills much for the next couple of weeks. Consolidation first me thinks.

Round Kinder.

42 miles run and 8600' of hills this week.

Tuesday and Wednesday were relatively short runs.

Thursday's original plan was to drive over to the A628 and to run North to Black Hill, but Lisa's car was grumbling so we opted instead to run from the village round the Kinder plateau.

From hers over Matley Moor, and on to Mill Hill we go. We couldn't see much from there, but as long as we kept a void to our left all was good. In fact we didn't even bother to take the map out. We tried to run the lot though the peat groughs did their best to slow us down. I used my Trail Blazer walking poles for the first time and they helped progress. Lisa referred to them disparagingly with a phrase featuring the words "old man".

Approaching Blackden Brook, I checked over my shoulder and Lisa had disappeared. Odd but no doubt she'd taken a slighty different line through the peat hags, so I carried on. A moment later I checked back again, and still I couldn't see her. I stopped and scanned the area methodically. Nowt.

I legged it back the way I came and soon find her lying motionless on the floor. Interrogation quickly reveals that she has gone over on her ankle big time. I make her see if she can move her foot, and she can, so I know if we're not going to call Mountain rescue, that she better get back on her feet straight away. I give her my "old man" sticks and tell her to head down to the Brook whilst I work out our escape route.

Excellent, we are about as far as we can be from Hayfield, in fact about as far away as we can be from anywhere of note. Edale is around 3 crow miles away, so I take a bearing and we make our way across the plateau, and then down to Edale.

We check the train times at the Station and find that though it is 1:30 the next train won't get us over our side of the hill until 4pm. Public transport eh?

A quick ring round a few friends and we solicit a lift back to Hayfield just in time to get the kids from school. (Thanks Debs)

Lisa reports she has a blue tennis ball on her ankle (last seen yesterday with her own walking stick). :) Not so funny is that it'll be a while until her ankle is better.




Even though we'd only done ~13miles that day, on Friday my legs were sore, so I had the day off.

Saturday I needed a big run to get the miles up. So again, though this time alone I headed for the Kinder Plateau. This time mindful of what can happen in remote places I instruct Ann of route and times in case things go wrong.

A contrast to Thursday, Saturday is a still sunny day. I make good progress and feel strong most of the way round. Though the bogs were getting tiresome towards the end. I should have got up a bit earlier so I didn't have to finish in the dark, but otherwise a top day out. 19 miles and 3700'



Looking forward to heading up to the Lakes on Thursday for my first Bob Graham recce of legs 1 and 2.