Two months later High Peak 40

So, did some stuff over the next two months or so, all off road running. Got back to Club nights at the track too. This was to get some speed work done prior to Snowdon marathon 09 due in October (Last weekend in real time) It was during these sessions that I tempted Vince to do the HP-40 with me. A few training sessions with him later I decided that I wouldn't be doing it with him, but some way behind him! he was running well. He had a target set in his mind of 6hrs 30min which would have put him in the top 10 area. Looking at some of the running he was doing in our training jaunts, I wasn't doubting him.

Meanwhile back at the track, things were getting better for me, I was getting quicker over the short distances yet my weekend long slow ones were feeling good. Track work really pays. In august I was out on hill session with Dot, Had 25m planned over a lot of climbing approx 3,500 ft. The weather was threatening from the outset, 15m from home I could see the squalls storming in from the West and the direction of Snowdonia. When they hit, they hit with a chill. Dot was feeling the wind that day, I could tell because she'd use the deep heather as a wind break whenever it gusted. I decided 20m was enough and dropped down from the hill to an old village named Cilcain. There was a big banner spanning the narrow road advertising their summer fete (Which included a Mountain Race from the village to the summit of Moel Famau via a route I didn't know http://cilcaintoday.delfryndesign.co.uk/page27.htm too well. I thought no more of it and organised a lift home for me and the pooch forthwith. that night I decided to tuck into a nice bottle of red wine, even nicer when you know you've got 20 hard gained miles in your legs.


Next morning I was up and without thinking, sorted my kit out for the race, penance for giving in to the weather and for greedily guzzling a bottle of red. At the village there was a carnival atmosphere, with crowds of runners milling about prior to the start. I came across my niece who was wearing stilts! Bizzar! - I was glad to see she hadn't entered the race. The race was brutal affair 4m ish 1200 ft straight from the village to the top of Moel Famau and straight down again. I ran it ok, (43min 17sec) but felt the climbing on used legs, also if you were stuck behind someone slow on narrow sections you couldn't pass them. Managed a good strong decent though, passing many competitors who'd climbed better than me, but didn't have down-hill legs at all. After the race I bumped into an old friend of mine in the village pub The White Horse and sank a few ales in the pleasant afternoon sun. That wasn't a bad weekend, some decent running, friends and a few beers. tbc.

Now then where was I....?

View North from Carlton Bank

For some reason I stopped posting, don't know why really? I guess I wasn't sure how my running was going at the time - plus outside influences, mainly troublesome teenagers and the ever draining work needed to finish my house. All very demanding. I've come to the end of my mentally set running calender. Last week Snowdon Marathon 09 was the mark. Somehow though, this year, I'm feeling like I've got more running to do. So I'm going to do some!

Since last posting back in April!!! I've achieved things that there is no way I thought I was capable of. I'll have to check back and see where i was, but no doubt I was training for Osmotherley Phoenix Ultra my first Ultra. The training up to it went well, Dot (my little Jack Russel) and I out most weekends on long hill runs anything up to 4 hours in mostly wet hill weather. I think the longest she run was a 30 miler - fair play. Anyway race day came in July, I took the long journey up to the North Yorkshire Moors on my own. It seemed 'wrong' not taking my little hound with me. On that morning she was up for it - tail wagging, I had to leave her wondering why the hell she'd done all that training???

Anyway I ran the race on my own as my training partner pulled out with an ankle injury etc so on my own I set about my first Ultra. The first 12 miles were ok, but little did I know the sun was taking t out of me, by mile 15 with 18 to go it started to feel like a run. I got to mile 25 (the last checkpoint) in good time 5hrs 8mins or so. Shortly after that the wheels came off as they say. These last 7-8 miles is where you find out what you're made of. There was no way I was going to DNF, so I slowed down to cope with the horrible effects of dehydration and fatigue. This got me to the finish and my first Ultra done in 7hrs 6mins. I'll be back for this one. The course was brilliant, great running and great scenery. The atmosphere back in the village was brilliant, welly throwing and beer in the afternoon sun. I hung around and sampled a well earned beer. (not before a couple of cups of tea though!) It took 12 hours for me to recover from this one - drinking 12 litres of fluid that day! Within a few days I decided I couldn't leave my first Ultra performance at that and signed up for the High Peak 40. tbc.

...And a Partridge in a Jack Russell?

Well I'm kind of back on track after letting other things get in the way of my running. Have put in a couple of 12 miler hill training runs and had a really enjoyable little'un up Shining Tor with my old mate 'Collie' Dave. Spooky warm wind all the way on that one, somehow it felt 'oxygen rich' as I seemed to have energy to spare that evening. Anyway back to the 12 milers, nothing that interesting about them except the results of a little 'experiment' and a strange encounter with a tame or stupid Red Legged Partridge. The experiment was a simple trial between running the extreme steep sections of my training run vs walking them. I conducted this against the clock and found no difference in the finishing times. This is changing my 'Me-man!' attitude to hill running a little. I'm sure my fitness must benefit from the sheer aerobic graft needed to run the steep sections yet on the other hand maybe I'm running the less steep sections and down hill bits faster? What is for sure is that when I've dropped of the training mileage the run walk method is far less taxing over the same distance and time. I'm going to employ this practice on the run up to my planned 33 miler in July, and most likely throughout the run itself. To counter balance this I'm picking up the track training again this Thursday (Ouch! it's going to hurt) The Red Legged Partridge? Reaching the summit of Moel Famau during one of the above mentioned training runs, I practically stepped on a Red Legged Partridge which was happily pecking amongst the shale. Being aware that Dot my little Jack Russell was hot on my heels I feared for the bird's safety, and what's more it wasn't in the mood for flying! it happily led Dot on a game of 'Catch me if you can' before I brought her to heel. One thing for sure is that if I hadn't she would have caught and killed it. My guess is that the walkers feed the thing and have tamed it. that'll probably mean the end of it then. Looking to extend training distance this weekend, so need to start planning a route and looking forward to it.

Run of bad Karma

Apologies for no post. It is with irony that I read my last post which is titled 'Holiday Time'. The injury recovered quickly. This wasn't why I haven't posted. I put a few 'tick-over' runs in just after the niggle to the knee, then my work commitments went hay-wire. I had a lot of traveling to do in three days on a TV shoot - which meant living out of a suitcase kind of thing - this also meant a crap diet and bad sleep. Then I had to spend 3 weeks (inc weekends) of long stressful hours sitting in a dark room, film editing on a particularly difficult job. This was no good for my running or my running state of mind. At the end of a 12 -15hr day, I have to admit I was more interested in cold beer rather than running. I found the upset to my normal life and running routine hard to adapt to. Laziness and lack of interest in running set in. I don't want to make this sound like a moan, it is not often work gets in the way to that degree, so no complaints - got to make a living. We just had the Easter holiday and I was due a couple of extra days off to boot, I used them to ease back into the running mood - even taking on a 11 mile beefy hill route which I managed in my average time for that route. It hurt a little more than normal though! Still not eager mentally, I'm sure that'll come. Having joined a running club this year and benefiting from regular track sessions, I really noticed the difference when trying to maintain the same level of fitness with just getting in a few 'tick-over runs' I soon found out that it can't be done that way. So it's back to the track and some hill intervals as soon as!

PS - I just got a speeding ticket! - if only it could have been for running!

Holiday time!

Physio has signed me off for ten days. Never mind time to chill and forget about running then. I've decided to be positive about negatives. Got over the cold, went out for a 5 mile warm up run Friday and out into the hills for another leg of Offa's Dyke on Sunday. 13 miles or so. Enjoyed finding my way round using my map however I kind of new where I was without it. It was straight out of the car and climb, climb, climb for a couple of miles before getting high enough for some really nice views (above). It's funny how little things can make a day out of a run. On the way back I came across a lone Curlew which let out its spooky call as it flew from its hideaway flushed by Dot. Also a Charm of Gold Finches happily singing away amongst the hillside thistle. Dot's getting fitter and enjoyed this run more than ever. I loved it. Somehow over the weekend I tweaked a medial ligament, don't know how but the run brought out the inflammation. No problem, time for a rest. I'll be back.

OK, so I'm a baby when I've got a cold.

Colds are rubbish. Spent Friday night carefully planning my route. Map sorted. Totally up for another sorte into the hills whatever the weather. I've been feeling great lately, putting in my best training session yet at the track along with plenty of miles. Also got myself to a much more hill friendly running weight. All looking good until I got up Saturday morning with that knowing metallic taste in my mouth and sneezes. The dreaded cold. ( Either that or I'd swallowed the silverware pepper pot ) So instead of being on a high, and posting panoramic pics etc. I'm out of action yet again with a cold. here's a pretty picture of a cold virus - it's the best i can do.

Why is there only one shoe in the road?

Actually I was relieved that there was. We've all done it, forgotten some kit that is. I was looking forward to my evening club run to loosen the legs after the weekend's harder hill run. Thankfully I realised early that I'd left my insoles drying at home after being washed. Bummer. I did have one spare - don't ask me why only one??? I drove to the nearest super-stores pretty convinced that I'd find a substitute pair in the shoe department. After browsing the areas of both stores, I left empty handed. Thanks for nothing Tesco and Marks & Spencer. I decided to drive back to work and solve the problem later. Could I ring my wife and get her to deliver my soggy pair to the running club? Not if i wanted to hang on to my manhood! Driving along the A34 Wilmslow made me think about something I often think about. Why is there only one shoe in the road? Where's the other one? why are there so many? How do they get there? Why shoes?


Sure enough although the stretch of road I travelled was only a couple of miles, it sure as eggs produced a lone trainer - bingo!
I pulled over, grabbed the 'minging' over-sized trainer and drove back to work with a big grin. A quick wash with anti-bacterial hand wash and a trim to size using my spare one as a template with a craft knife - and I was kitted out to do my run. Is this obsession? Who cares, another 9 miles cracked out and it felt well earned.