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!