hardknott hill reps

Ouch! Decided that I've been doing a little to much riding and not enough running so far this year. This wouldn't normally be a problem but all the challenges I've set myself for this year involve running! So I purposefully didn't ride into today, but walked in and back along the coast (only ~ 4 miles) and then headed off after work to Hardknott Pass for some hill reps. I dropped by at home first and nearly bottled it when I heard the wind whistling past the house. But I headed out - it wasn't raining or snowing after all! 

What a lovely night to be out. Apart from a swift breeze there was only a thin covering of cloud, so I could see the sliver of an orange moon and a few bright stars. Only saw one car the whole way there and back, and that was while I was running. I also had the usual crowd of herdwicks on the first set of hairpins. Every time I came past (6 times in all) they'd re-colonised the road. But they didn't seem to bothered by the strange headlamped being in their midst. Did 3 sets of 4 x 30 secs with 1 minute rests. Not sure of the actual usefulness of this session for long distance fell running, but it hurt enough! Especially with a head wind on the climbs.

Stats: 

Total Mileage: 4.2 miles

Total Ascent: 1378 feet

a misty night ride

Another great night outing last night - in the mist. I thought it felt really warm before one of the lads told me it said 6 degrees on his car thermometer! My body must be getting used to winter finally! Found a pretty good cheeky trail which would be even better in the dry and linked that up with an old favourite - the woolly descent! It was so misty up on the higher ground that I was riding with my silhouette in front of me from the lights behind.

All followed by a lovely (half) pint in the Kirkstile. What a fantastic pub. As we left we passed a beautiful pure white barn owl sat very majestically on a fence post by the road. Hope it has some good hunting.

13.54 miles

2707 feet ascent

I got out for another quick short run at lunch today - the usual along the coast and back, although instead of just trundling along a what ever pace I felt like, I used the return leg to do some fartlek work - I'm just not used to putting sprint efforts in! It was painful but I know its doing me some good.

3.4 miles

very little ascent!

past the middle of the tunnel!

I know its a while since the shortest day, but this week has been the first time I've started to appreciate the lighter mornings and evenings on the ride to and from work. It's the pitch blackness of the few weeks around the 21st december which are the hardest, and even now when its still dark when I get up and its dark when I get back, there's a smidgen of light in the sky when I'm riding and I'm so grateful for that! Saw 2 skeens of geese this morning heading north - unfortunately I think they were not the harbingers of spring but just local birds moving in the dawn light :-)

busy busy (and close encounters of the woolly kind)

Back into it with something between a whimper and a bang. 

Tuesday evening went out for a night ride with the lads in the Duddon - up Walna Scar, and down towards Broughton Mills through the quarries, before climbing back round and over to Park Head road and back to the Newfield (9.5 miles). Turned out the weather was very kind to us and barring the odd sleety shower it was actually a good night to be out. Finished with a pint in the Newfield - a must whenever we're in the valley. 

Wednesday - the biking kit was just too wet and muddy to face riding in, so got out for a short run at lunchtime (3 miles) along the coast in hail and sleet showers...really stinging on the face. Had a shorter than normal session at the wall in the evening. Packed a lot in to the one and a half hours, but was totally powered out by the end.

Thursday - ride to work and back into a stiff headwind on the way in, but a nice push home. Saw another owl!

Saturday - a good day out on the mountain bike near Loweswater and Whinlatter (28 miles). The weather was kind again and we got a spin round the north loop at Whinlatter in the middle of the ride. The south loop still had a barrier across it. Forgot to eat in the first two hours, which meant the last two hours became a bit painful as my body was desperately trying to find the energy it needed. Also meant I paid for it today too! Also P (not me!) had a very close encounter of a woolly variety on the first main descent, as said sheep nearly had him off and down the hill by bursting through the bracken at high speed. It left a fantastic tuft of wool on his shoe as a momento!

Today - meant to be a big day out with a decent amount of ascent in the run, but my legs were just too heavy. Set off to do a Black Combe Triple - the majority of the Black Combe fell race to the top of the second climb, then down the north bridleway, back up to the summit and then down to Silecroft. But the legs were having none of it, couldn't run, didn't really take enough layers with me to cope with not moving fast enough to generate decent body heat, shoes rubbed for the first time and generally didn't feel up for it. So I got to the top in a snow shower and just bailed straight back down again. I'd forgotten what getting my food wrong does to me! Its a while since that's happened and I guess I've just got a bit slack.

getting back to normal

Not sure what normal is but I'm getting there! First time today that I have felt OK, so I should be back on the bike tomorrow ;-) Frustrated not to have got much done in the last week, but that's what colds do. Planning on getting out night riding tomorrow - possibly with a fair amount of snow! We had some great hail showers down on the coast this afternoon and the hills looked to have reasonable covering on them. Can't wait to get out and do something....

If I'm OK riding tomorrow then its back to running on Wednesday.

Full of cold

This isn't an auspicious start to the year, the training or the blog! I'm full of cold - how much snot can you produce?! and all I want to eat is junk, especially biscuits in the work biscuit tin! Still I haven't felt bad enough to take time off work so fingers crossed I'll be back into things soon as...

well here goes

There's only been 13 days of 2009 and a. I have my first cold of the year, and b. I finally get around to setting this up! I'm planning to use this as a motivational tool for me, to make sure I get out and about, train and most importantly enjoy it all! 

But its starts as I said with a cold, so while the lads are out night riding, I'm tucked up with a Hot Chocolate.

Hopefully this isn't a major cold and I'll be back out and about soon. I'll also start adding more stuff in the next few days.