Keeping it going

Last week I managed a few shorter runs to warm the body up to running regularly again. Thursday was on the bike to work and back, (partly due to a bruised toenail... again!), and Friday became a rest day.

Saturday was a pretty good day weatherwise, so P and I decided to head to St Bees bouldering. I nipped out in the morning for a steady 6 miles in the valley, before we headed off to St Bees. A lot of very localised mist was around and we were a bit sceptical on what state the coast would be in there, but it stayed clear most of the afternoon. We checked out the newly or should I say old but recently expanded and developed areas of South Head. The bird ban is looming for these areas so it seemed a good time to go. Between P's recovering elbow and my lack of recent climbing we had a fairly pootely afternoon, but it was lovely to be out in the sun, by the sea on real rock.

Sunday I'd programmed in a reasonably long run with a good amount of ascent. The weather was a bit miserable in the morning so I hit on the idea of running the Black Combe race route twice. This would give me about 6,400 feet of ascent in just over 16 miles. As I got to Silecroft the weather brightened up and I started regretting the warm layers I had on and with me. As I climbed up Seaness I was very hot, but as soon as I popped over the edge the strengthening northerly cooled me off. There was still cloud on the top half of the hill, but I was optimistic that it would clear.

There was a fresh layer of snow near the top as well as banks of old snow, and it was pretty thick clag. I dropped out of the cloud again nearing the summit of White Combe, and the climb back up to Black Combe's second summit looked horrible as always. Well the clag didn't lift, and as I neared the second summit cairn it started to snow ever so slightly. I ran down the main track to the fell intake wall and turned back up hill to Seaness for the second time. By this time it had started raining low down, and this turned to snow a bit higher up the hill. Still my footprints from the previous round has not been totally obliterated, as I retraced my steps, over the summit, to White Combe and back up to the second summit again. As this was a long (ish) slow one, and I didn't want to batter myself I walked all the ups pretty much, and so the final ascent although a walking pace was steady and I didn't feel tired. I'm a bit sensitive to my previous boom and bust approach to getting fit, and I'm determined to avoid the coughs and colds going around at work!

The final descent to Silecroft felt wonderful as I dropped out of the clag and snow for one last time. Decided the legs needed more rest than a bike to work and back would give them today, but they'll have covered 4 miles walking by the end of the day, as a short loosener. I felt reasonably good yesterday. Don't feel very fit, but felt strong and steady and 6400 feet ascent is nice to have under the belt!

Building back up

Now that the snow has all but gone, at low elevations at least, I've realised that its not just a case of starting where I left off, but almost starting again. Sunday's 10 miler left me feeling stiff and unfit. Quite sobbering. And I'm trying not to do my usual too much, too soon again as this normally ends in getting ill, at this time of year.
It's frustrating as I'm not unfit really, just a bit out of practice. Anyway yesterday I covered 4 miles walking, and then got two short runs in, one a steady 3.2 miles at lunchtime and another just over 4.5 miles in the evening which included a bit of hill and speed work. The legs have freed up nicely after these and I'm feeling more positive.

Just need to keep the momentum up for this week and month and then start chucking in the long days out.

I realised I had forgotten to say: not only is it BG attempt this year, I also have a wedding to plan!

oops!

Well I have kinda been busy! So much so that I haven't blogged since last year and I missed the blogs 1st brithday! So to fill in, had a great but fairly lazy Christmas. I had planned to get out for some road running over that period, but the roads and paths were just too icy at my Mum and Dad's. I did get out for some leisurely walks and fresh air, but nothing that really got the pulse racing.

Chrimbo Limbo was spent in Derbyshire. We had a wonderful day climbing at Stanage, snow on the ground, clear blue sky, no wind and it felt almost balmy. I had been expecting to have to whimp out due to cold fingers and toes after the first climb, but managed a whole days climbing without so much as a whimper! It was virtually deserted too - just the way we both like it. Although the people who were there all did Christmas Crack, meaning we didn't! Next day we had a nice walk in bitterly cold winds over Lantern Pike and other local hillocks.

Stanage

We then headed back home for New Year. Reports from Scotland all talked about chest deep powder and as neither of us have skis it just didn't entice. New Years Eve we went up Kirkfell via Black Sail and Joss's Gully (very unconsolidated snow! - yuk!), and back down from Beck head. It wasn't the biggest or longest day out, but after a whole year out of big mountaineering boots, my feet had enough just doing that!

New Year's Day we went up from the Green in Wasdale, Lingmell Nose to Lingmell, Scafell Pike, Broad Crag, Ill Crag and down to Esk Hause. Well that was the plan. Descending off from Ill Crag we went for a wee wonder in thickening clag and whiteout conditions. We dropped too far west and into the top of Eskdale. Having worked out we weren't were we wanted to be, a 30 minute trudge in less than 5m visibility on a 340 degree bearing brought us back to the main birdleway towards Sprinkling Tarn. Just goes to show that even when you know exactly where you are and know the hills really well, things still can go wrong if you don't pay attention! We headed down via Sty-head after our walkies.

Raven on Scafell Pike Summit

Jan 2nd we were due to head over to Ambleside to meet up with friends and got up early, packed for a night away and headed off in heavy sleet which turned to snow on the main road and made it horrendously slippy. So we slithered to a stop and headed home, not wanting to commit to the journey round and find we couldn't get back home the next day. With hindsight we probably would have been OK, as it stopped snowing mid-morning. By this point the day seemed to have disappeared so we took advantage of that to get some chores, sorting and DIY out the way!

Jan 3rd we had an amazing day out on the Mosedale Horseshoe. The snow had consolidated well and was pretty icy in places, so we went up Dorehead, Red Pike, Scoat Fell, Steeple, Pillar,  Black Sail and down. I am continually amazed at how much slower I move with mountaineering boots and crampons on compared to fell shoes, and how much of a shock to the system it is to wear heavy boots!

Unfortunately that was the end of the holidays for us, so no running but a fair number of days out walking with big boots. Depsite conditions being very slippy on the roads, I managed two days on the bike to work in the first week back. P and I headed up Whin Rigg one evening as well on a crystal clear night. I also managed a short lunchtime run of 3 miles too, but road and trail conditions were soo icy around us at home, that I just couldn't /wouldn't commit to getting out on the fells.

Jan 9th we got out for another local walk on the fells, heading up Miterdale to Burnmoor Tarn, Ill Gill Head and Whin Rigg. Again a beautiful day and very quiet. The roads were so treacherous and Wasdale virtually undriveable, that people couldn't get out on the hills! Great for us locals!

This week just gone I managed three days consecutively on the bike. The roads were icy in places and so I was still using my ice spike tyres. Invaluable when you hurtle down a hill in the dark with little forward visibility! Thursday we had more fresh snow, which delayed us getting to work, but by mid-morning it had melted off enough to get out safely by vehicle. I needed a rest too! Somehow Friday slipped by without any exercise and so did Saturday! I'm not sure what my plan has been!

Yesterday I gave myself a good talking too, and knew that I just needed to get out for a run, any run, any where. In the end I covered just over 10 miles on local fell and trails. It didn't feel to bad, but I wasn't exactly fast either. More concerning was how ceased up I was afterwards! Sorted that out with a really good session of stretching, flexibility work, core exercises and yoga!

Road in on a normal road bike today with normal tyres and everything! Was a pleasant experience after weeks of ice spikes....