trotted out last night in the gales and heavy showers for a 7 miler in the valley. I just couldn't face going up on the tops in that wind, I know .... nesh.
Anyway I had a lovely run along the river and back. It was very high but no overs its banks, no one else out and lots of mud to play in! Pace was steady, and felt good. Think I might need to do some more of these 'flat' runs, to work on running style.
Friday, 4 September 2009
Wednesday, 2 September 2009
a little bit of everything on a BH weekend
This weekend did feel like a little bit of everything. Run, walk, party, cake, dancing, cooked brekkie, village fete, more cake, mountain bike ride, house sorting. One thing there was no variation in was the weather - just a lot of rain!!
Friday night was a nice quiet one in. Saturday was the big day for the Fells Angels and Friends BG relay attempt to break Billy Bland's record of 13 hours, 53 minutes set in 1982. P and I were running back to back legs in the afternoon over Kirkfell, so we had a leisurely morning and trundled over to Honsiter Pass and had a cuppa in the van. WHile we were supping away another couple of fellow runners pulled up as well as the King himself - Billy. A very entetaining, funny and humble man!
We planned to walk into our positions, so set off fairly early to get to Black Sail pass at about 1:30pm. We dawdled in fairly slowly, in reasonable weather. It was cloudy and windy but the rain held off. We got to BS pass on time, and I hung around with P for a while, and then with about 50 minutes left before the baton was scheduled I decided to plod up to the summit and assume my position. No sooner had I left P and got to the bottom of Joss's gully, did I hear a feint shout from him, and turned round to see him pointing! Oh No!!! The last thing I wanted was a eyeballs out ascent of Kirkfell but it seemed like the baton was up on schedule so I got stuck in and pushed hard to the top expecting P to come tearing up behind me at any moment!!
I arrived on top just as the cloud and rain arrived, and hunkered down on the summit expecting a short wait. When 10 minutes had gone by I realsied P must have called a false alarm and the people he had seen running down Pillar were not 'our people'!! I then had confirmation that the baton was on schedule leaving Pillar Summit. So I relaxed a little having felt pretty worse for wear after my effort up. Then began 30 odd more minutes of waiting in the rain and wind for P to appear over the near horizon. I had very little time between when he would appear and when I actually had to set off, so couldn't put loads of layers on. Instead I sat there with what amounted to a few granny blankets covering my legs, to keep warm.
Then about 10 minutes up on schedule, P appeared flying up hill looking more than just a bit nauseas from the effort, handed me the 'baton' a small camelback rucksac with the gps and radio in and I was off!! I gave it everything I had down the descent to Beckhead, and managed to stay on my feet which was very pleasing after the last few weeks! As I came over the brow of the hillside I could see 2 small figures move into position by the tarns and was relieved to know I didn't have to do the next leg up Gable. So soon I was down at Beckhead, passing over the baton, and off it went with Chris and Andy, disappearing into the mist on Gable. I don't think I've ever felt physically sick from effort on a downhill before!
and that was that! P and I met up again behind Kirkfell and trundled off to the van. We then drove into Keswick to see if we could get there and meet the incoming hopefully triumphant runners! We made it to Moot Hall just as the baton had got to Portinscale, so pottled out towards Stormwater Bridge to meet them, and enjoyed the run in to a very busy market day Keswick. The baton reaching Moot Hall after 13 hours 17 minutes and 45 seconds!!
It was a great atmosphere as everyone milled around at the finish. So many people involved both runners and supporters, it was a great sight to see. The party in the evening was a good do, with a hog roast and large amounts of food!!! We kipped in the van overnight and headed to Keswick for a fry up in the morning! It was another wet day in Cumbria, so headed via a shop or two back home, to then go to Eskdale Fete in the afternoon.
We nearly bought Jonty out of plants at the plant stall and filled up on plums, apples and cakes from the other stalls. The numbers seemed down on last year again, but the weather was pretty abysmal so I guess it wasn't surprising!
Monday morning we headed out on a local mountain bike ride, my first since the crash back in June. I didn't want anything technical, but that meant a fairly flat and muddy ride. Still it was great to be out on the 'new' bike, which I enjoyed a lot, and the shoulder held out well. I think it would have struggled on steep technical stuff, seeing as it complained a bit when I bunny hopped some puddles near the end of the ride! We managed by shear luck to be out in the driest two hours of the day, and spent the afternoon doing housey stuff, while it got very dark outside and rained an awful lot more!!
Lost - one British summer...
I've ridden into work and back yesterday and today in the rain - all my kit seems to be permanently soaked at the moment.
Friday night was a nice quiet one in. Saturday was the big day for the Fells Angels and Friends BG relay attempt to break Billy Bland's record of 13 hours, 53 minutes set in 1982. P and I were running back to back legs in the afternoon over Kirkfell, so we had a leisurely morning and trundled over to Honsiter Pass and had a cuppa in the van. WHile we were supping away another couple of fellow runners pulled up as well as the King himself - Billy. A very entetaining, funny and humble man!
We planned to walk into our positions, so set off fairly early to get to Black Sail pass at about 1:30pm. We dawdled in fairly slowly, in reasonable weather. It was cloudy and windy but the rain held off. We got to BS pass on time, and I hung around with P for a while, and then with about 50 minutes left before the baton was scheduled I decided to plod up to the summit and assume my position. No sooner had I left P and got to the bottom of Joss's gully, did I hear a feint shout from him, and turned round to see him pointing! Oh No!!! The last thing I wanted was a eyeballs out ascent of Kirkfell but it seemed like the baton was up on schedule so I got stuck in and pushed hard to the top expecting P to come tearing up behind me at any moment!!
I arrived on top just as the cloud and rain arrived, and hunkered down on the summit expecting a short wait. When 10 minutes had gone by I realsied P must have called a false alarm and the people he had seen running down Pillar were not 'our people'!! I then had confirmation that the baton was on schedule leaving Pillar Summit. So I relaxed a little having felt pretty worse for wear after my effort up. Then began 30 odd more minutes of waiting in the rain and wind for P to appear over the near horizon. I had very little time between when he would appear and when I actually had to set off, so couldn't put loads of layers on. Instead I sat there with what amounted to a few granny blankets covering my legs, to keep warm.
Then about 10 minutes up on schedule, P appeared flying up hill looking more than just a bit nauseas from the effort, handed me the 'baton' a small camelback rucksac with the gps and radio in and I was off!! I gave it everything I had down the descent to Beckhead, and managed to stay on my feet which was very pleasing after the last few weeks! As I came over the brow of the hillside I could see 2 small figures move into position by the tarns and was relieved to know I didn't have to do the next leg up Gable. So soon I was down at Beckhead, passing over the baton, and off it went with Chris and Andy, disappearing into the mist on Gable. I don't think I've ever felt physically sick from effort on a downhill before!
and that was that! P and I met up again behind Kirkfell and trundled off to the van. We then drove into Keswick to see if we could get there and meet the incoming hopefully triumphant runners! We made it to Moot Hall just as the baton had got to Portinscale, so pottled out towards Stormwater Bridge to meet them, and enjoyed the run in to a very busy market day Keswick. The baton reaching Moot Hall after 13 hours 17 minutes and 45 seconds!!
It was a great atmosphere as everyone milled around at the finish. So many people involved both runners and supporters, it was a great sight to see. The party in the evening was a good do, with a hog roast and large amounts of food!!! We kipped in the van overnight and headed to Keswick for a fry up in the morning! It was another wet day in Cumbria, so headed via a shop or two back home, to then go to Eskdale Fete in the afternoon.
We nearly bought Jonty out of plants at the plant stall and filled up on plums, apples and cakes from the other stalls. The numbers seemed down on last year again, but the weather was pretty abysmal so I guess it wasn't surprising!
Monday morning we headed out on a local mountain bike ride, my first since the crash back in June. I didn't want anything technical, but that meant a fairly flat and muddy ride. Still it was great to be out on the 'new' bike, which I enjoyed a lot, and the shoulder held out well. I think it would have struggled on steep technical stuff, seeing as it complained a bit when I bunny hopped some puddles near the end of the ride! We managed by shear luck to be out in the driest two hours of the day, and spent the afternoon doing housey stuff, while it got very dark outside and rained an awful lot more!!
Lost - one British summer...
I've ridden into work and back yesterday and today in the rain - all my kit seems to be permanently soaked at the moment.
Friday, 28 August 2009
Sore Legs
now this is something I'm not used to. I have sore thighs! After two 5-6 mile fell runs - what has happened? Well I know the answer to that don't I - not much. all the more incentive to get out there.
In the meantime, road to work and back yesterday, and I've been working on my focus (a bit), and also trying very hard with my diet. It's not that it was particularly bad to start with, but the odd cake or biscuit made it in there on a regular basis. Now I have no problem with that generally, but what I did have a problem with was my will power when it came to resisting, I don't have any. So this week (since Monday) I've not let anything pass my lips that could be construed as junk/processed: sweets, cake, biscuits, crisps, etc. I am a firm believer of anything in moderation, but wasn't convinced I could go without. Well its Friday pm and I'm still going well.
Tomorrow might be a different matter: Its time for the Fells Angels and Friends attempt on Billy's record for the Bob Graham Round. Can we beat 13 hours and 53 minutes. I certainly hope so, either way a huge amount has been raised (>£15,000 is what I've heard), and the fundraising is still going on....
I'll report back after the weekend!
In the meantime, road to work and back yesterday, and I've been working on my focus (a bit), and also trying very hard with my diet. It's not that it was particularly bad to start with, but the odd cake or biscuit made it in there on a regular basis. Now I have no problem with that generally, but what I did have a problem with was my will power when it came to resisting, I don't have any. So this week (since Monday) I've not let anything pass my lips that could be construed as junk/processed: sweets, cake, biscuits, crisps, etc. I am a firm believer of anything in moderation, but wasn't convinced I could go without. Well its Friday pm and I'm still going well.
Tomorrow might be a different matter: Its time for the Fells Angels and Friends attempt on Billy's record for the Bob Graham Round. Can we beat 13 hours and 53 minutes. I certainly hope so, either way a huge amount has been raised (>£15,000 is what I've heard), and the fundraising is still going on....
I'll report back after the weekend!
Thursday, 27 August 2009
the wrong route grommit!
Decided to head for another run last night after the previous few days efforts, but picked the wrong route for the conditions. In the end I quite enjoyed myself but if I had wanted a run to work on technique or speed last night was not it! Its been so wet here and was wet again last night. It is also late summer when the bracken is at its most monstrous heights, so a run up from the village over Fell End towards Blea Tarn, up to the stone circles, across White Moss, and back down into Miterdale was really a silly idea, it was also properly in the mist and I didn't bother to take anything with me, so no map, no compass. It was very braken infested to start with, and very wet, then very boggy, soggy and slippy, and it was raining too. Good fun!
Tuesday evening was a different matter, with a sunny evening. P and I went to check out our 'legs' for this weekends Fells Angels and Friends BG Relay attempt to beat Billy Blands record with 70 odd people each running a mile each! P was roped in at the last minute, and is running from the bottom of Joss's Gully above Black Sail Pass to the summit of Kirkfell, where he passes the GPS tracked 'baton' to me and I run the next leg from the summit to Beckhead Pass, and had over to a friend and colleague for his leg to the summit of Great Gable, as so on to the end! We had a good evening outing leaving Wasdale head at 5pm trogging up to Black Sail, an effort in up Joss's Gully (which was very wet!) to the summit, then another effort along and Down to Beckhead, before dropping back to the car down Gavel Neese. A lovely evening.
I managed to recover from the branch incident reasonably quickly, resting on Wednesday to let the cut seal up. Thursday I checked a bike helmet would be OK, and the road to work and back. Friday a quick short 3 miler at lunchtime along the coast and back.
At the weekend P and I were down in the Peak staying with his parents. On Saturday I got up early before breakfast and headed out for a 5 mile run on the tracks around their house, managing accident number three of the summer, by tripping over a stone on a track and going flying, no really bad damage done, except a very bruised hip, grazed knee, grazed palms and fingers. It was actually a bit of a mess, and needed a fair bit of cleaning up when I got back, and didn't go well with the days plans of sport climbing in Cheedale. More than anything I was just very angry with myself for being so careless! Again!
We still headed to Cheedale, to Two Tier Buttress. I just wanted to stay on the non-sharp end of the rope still as this was the hardest climbing I had attempted yet since the crash, so top roped the 6b+ there a couple of times, to see how it would cope. It wasn't always comfortable pulling but the second ascent felt much better. I felt very rusty generally, inflexible too, and wasn't concentrating very hard. I'm glad that the shoulder seemed to get better with use.
I have realised since the weekend that a theme has appeared to me regarding my running and climbing and it will be there for mountain biking too when I finally get back on that bike. I have lost my ability to focus. This is especially obvious when climbing as I let all sorts of distractions, thoughts and worries creep into my head all the time, instead of just concentrating on the climb. And it also explains the unusual clumbsiness when running too. So I have started to practice focussing more on things instead of trying to multitask/multithink all the time! This includes basic meditation and breathing. I think it might be a long term project for me but I see now that it is a crutial one if I'm to retreive my lost fitness and improve.
Tuesday evening was a different matter, with a sunny evening. P and I went to check out our 'legs' for this weekends Fells Angels and Friends BG Relay attempt to beat Billy Blands record with 70 odd people each running a mile each! P was roped in at the last minute, and is running from the bottom of Joss's Gully above Black Sail Pass to the summit of Kirkfell, where he passes the GPS tracked 'baton' to me and I run the next leg from the summit to Beckhead Pass, and had over to a friend and colleague for his leg to the summit of Great Gable, as so on to the end! We had a good evening outing leaving Wasdale head at 5pm trogging up to Black Sail, an effort in up Joss's Gully (which was very wet!) to the summit, then another effort along and Down to Beckhead, before dropping back to the car down Gavel Neese. A lovely evening.
I managed to recover from the branch incident reasonably quickly, resting on Wednesday to let the cut seal up. Thursday I checked a bike helmet would be OK, and the road to work and back. Friday a quick short 3 miler at lunchtime along the coast and back.
At the weekend P and I were down in the Peak staying with his parents. On Saturday I got up early before breakfast and headed out for a 5 mile run on the tracks around their house, managing accident number three of the summer, by tripping over a stone on a track and going flying, no really bad damage done, except a very bruised hip, grazed knee, grazed palms and fingers. It was actually a bit of a mess, and needed a fair bit of cleaning up when I got back, and didn't go well with the days plans of sport climbing in Cheedale. More than anything I was just very angry with myself for being so careless! Again!
We still headed to Cheedale, to Two Tier Buttress. I just wanted to stay on the non-sharp end of the rope still as this was the hardest climbing I had attempted yet since the crash, so top roped the 6b+ there a couple of times, to see how it would cope. It wasn't always comfortable pulling but the second ascent felt much better. I felt very rusty generally, inflexible too, and wasn't concentrating very hard. I'm glad that the shoulder seemed to get better with use.
I have realised since the weekend that a theme has appeared to me regarding my running and climbing and it will be there for mountain biking too when I finally get back on that bike. I have lost my ability to focus. This is especially obvious when climbing as I let all sorts of distractions, thoughts and worries creep into my head all the time, instead of just concentrating on the climb. And it also explains the unusual clumbsiness when running too. So I have started to practice focussing more on things instead of trying to multitask/multithink all the time! This includes basic meditation and breathing. I think it might be a long term project for me but I see now that it is a crutial one if I'm to retreive my lost fitness and improve.
Wednesday, 19 August 2009
An unsuspecting branch
Yesterdays plans kept changing with Plan C eventually coming into action due to this 'nice weather for ducks' rain we keep getting! Originally (Plan A) we were planning a night away in the van either in Borrowdale or Honister, where P could go bouldering and I would probably go for a run, but the forecast changed and looked less good so we planned for Plan B which was bouldering at St Bees after work, and I'd get a short run in at lunch.
Well I got that short run in in the rain (3.0 miles, virtually flat) but the rain continued in the afternoon, so St Bees was pointless. We headed straight home and Plan C came into action as I decided on another short run with a hill this time, while P got a session in on the garage wall.
Just went for a run up to the edge of Miterdale forest on Irton Fell, and back, a nice up and down of 3.25 miles, took it steady on the climb, and wasn't too slow looking at previous runs, and then concentrated on the descent as it was very wet and slippy. Unfortunetly I was concentrating so hard on the ground that I failed to see a broken tree branch until I was unceremoniously dumped on my backside in the mud! I had no idea what had happened at first and just got up laughing and then realsied that my head hurt and that I could feel a trickle of warm fluid running down the side of my face!
Luckily, as I know head wounds can bleed badly, I didn't panic too much and I also had a red t-shirt on which turned out to be a bonus!! A brand new shirt now covered in dark brown mud and blood!! I managed to stem the flow with my shirt and trotted back to the house, giving the local kids in the street a bit of a fright! I have a lovely bump and ragged cut about an inch and a half long on my head! Luckily it seemed to close up fairly well over night so I haven't had to come to work with a bandage on my head, but dug out an old bandana to wear a la 1970's!
I think I'm going to have a rest day and break a match stick!
Well I got that short run in in the rain (3.0 miles, virtually flat) but the rain continued in the afternoon, so St Bees was pointless. We headed straight home and Plan C came into action as I decided on another short run with a hill this time, while P got a session in on the garage wall.
Just went for a run up to the edge of Miterdale forest on Irton Fell, and back, a nice up and down of 3.25 miles, took it steady on the climb, and wasn't too slow looking at previous runs, and then concentrated on the descent as it was very wet and slippy. Unfortunetly I was concentrating so hard on the ground that I failed to see a broken tree branch until I was unceremoniously dumped on my backside in the mud! I had no idea what had happened at first and just got up laughing and then realsied that my head hurt and that I could feel a trickle of warm fluid running down the side of my face!
Luckily, as I know head wounds can bleed badly, I didn't panic too much and I also had a red t-shirt on which turned out to be a bonus!! A brand new shirt now covered in dark brown mud and blood!! I managed to stem the flow with my shirt and trotted back to the house, giving the local kids in the street a bit of a fright! I have a lovely bump and ragged cut about an inch and a half long on my head! Luckily it seemed to close up fairly well over night so I haven't had to come to work with a bandage on my head, but dug out an old bandana to wear a la 1970's!
I think I'm going to have a rest day and break a match stick!
Monday, 17 August 2009
fell, trail and rock
Had a good day out yesterday, fitting in a run and some bouldering into the damp and windy day.
It dawned wet and windy (again!), but with the promise of better weather later on, I pootled out for a 7 mile run over Muncaster and back, and then P and I went over to Consiton to go bouldering up in Coppermines Valley and lovely it was despite the cloud and wind. Just good to be out. Managed a few easy problems and shoulder was OK, but not brilliant. Basically I can climb straight on to the rock, but any thrutching or palming down or mantling type of movements make me squawk with pain!!
I rode into work and back three times last week, and have done today aswell, although the hip felxors can feel yesterdays run. Its a long, long time since I 'felt' any side affects from a 7 mile run!
Hoping to get out a couple more times this week running and maybe bouldering if the weather plays ball. And if all goes well, I'm going to start putting together a weekly training programme to try and keep me focussed on getting back my fitness.
Just need to decide what are the essentials to this training programme but one thing that really made the difference over the last year was the big days out. BG2010 here we come!!!
It dawned wet and windy (again!), but with the promise of better weather later on, I pootled out for a 7 mile run over Muncaster and back, and then P and I went over to Consiton to go bouldering up in Coppermines Valley and lovely it was despite the cloud and wind. Just good to be out. Managed a few easy problems and shoulder was OK, but not brilliant. Basically I can climb straight on to the rock, but any thrutching or palming down or mantling type of movements make me squawk with pain!!
I rode into work and back three times last week, and have done today aswell, although the hip felxors can feel yesterdays run. Its a long, long time since I 'felt' any side affects from a 7 mile run!
Hoping to get out a couple more times this week running and maybe bouldering if the weather plays ball. And if all goes well, I'm going to start putting together a weekly training programme to try and keep me focussed on getting back my fitness.
Just need to decide what are the essentials to this training programme but one thing that really made the difference over the last year was the big days out. BG2010 here we come!!!
Wednesday, 12 August 2009
On the road again
Whoops! Hadn't realised that it was so long since I'd last posted. Nevermind, to be honest not a lot has happened in the last few weeks except lots of physio exercises and a lack of sleeping due to shoulder pain. BUT..... I am now back on the road again. On the 2nd August I risked a couple of hours on the road bike out on the road... and not attached to a turbo! P and I headed out on the local lanes for a gentle sunday morning ride to see how my shoulder would cope. We minimised hills out the valley and covered about 25 miles. By this time I was a bit sore and P bullied me into not going any further. After a rest the soreness eased and I took that as a good sign!!
On thursday I saw the physio again and after an acupuncture treatment (!) I was allowed out for a month with the instruction to get back into it. I promptly drove up to Wasdale and headed up Scafell Pike in the evening, walking and not running, managing to get my self involved in the tail end of a rescue (2 guys falling off Broad Stand in 2 hours!).
P and I headed to a small limestone outcrop on Saturday afternoon to see if the shoulder would cope with climbing. There are two 3+, a 4+ and a 5 here as well as other short routes in the 6 and 7's so enough for me to have a go and P to tick! I managed the 3+'s and the 4 without too much discomfort but that was definitely enough for me in that session!
This week I've managed to ride to work on Monday and today and last night under the cover of almost darkness I headed out for a 2.75 mile trot on the lanes and tracks to see how that would go. Apart from feeling terribly unfit, heavy footed and stiff, it wasn't as bad as I was telling myself it would be. My shoulder was stiff and didn't want to swing freely but it didn't give me too much pain and I seemed to be running smoothly - not hunchback impressions! I had the added bonus of seeing the barn owl in the barn owl hole in the barn by the Ratty station - beautiful sight!
On thursday I saw the physio again and after an acupuncture treatment (!) I was allowed out for a month with the instruction to get back into it. I promptly drove up to Wasdale and headed up Scafell Pike in the evening, walking and not running, managing to get my self involved in the tail end of a rescue (2 guys falling off Broad Stand in 2 hours!).
P and I headed to a small limestone outcrop on Saturday afternoon to see if the shoulder would cope with climbing. There are two 3+, a 4+ and a 5 here as well as other short routes in the 6 and 7's so enough for me to have a go and P to tick! I managed the 3+'s and the 4 without too much discomfort but that was definitely enough for me in that session!
This week I've managed to ride to work on Monday and today and last night under the cover of almost darkness I headed out for a 2.75 mile trot on the lanes and tracks to see how that would go. Apart from feeling terribly unfit, heavy footed and stiff, it wasn't as bad as I was telling myself it would be. My shoulder was stiff and didn't want to swing freely but it didn't give me too much pain and I seemed to be running smoothly - not hunchback impressions! I had the added bonus of seeing the barn owl in the barn owl hole in the barn by the Ratty station - beautiful sight!
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