Old Crown Round

With the weather looking stable and leave that needs taking I'd booked Monday off for a big day out. A friend suggested the Old Crown Round in the northern lakes as a good trip, so early on Monday I drove up to Heskett Newmarket for the OCR. Of the 10 summits, 8 were new to me. Blencathra and Skiddaw have been ticked many times since I was a lass, and I've only ever been to Carrock to boulder not to touch the cairn. It was another beautiful day (it'll be a shock when it rains again!). It was chilly to start with, but warmed up at lower levels during the day.

The snow was mixed underfoot, in places patchy, in others a good deep covering, sometimes hard and crusty in others soft and sugary. It was also very quiet on the hills and I saw few people away from the summits of Blencathra and Skiddaw. I got my food and water fairly spot on and felt strong all the way around. I didn't push it as I knew I was still tired from the last week and racing at Black Combe, but made steady progress all the way around. A fantastic day out. Made it 25.4 miles with over 8500 feet of ascent. That'll do nicely!

Scout Scar

After the exertions of the previous week and the plan for Monday, I definitely didn't want to use my legs on Sunday, so P persuaded me to head to Scout Scar near Kendal for some slimestone sport. Originally we had thought of heading to Malham for the day but I was feeling pretty jaded and P had had a hard days bouldering and checking out bolts at St Bees the day before and didn't fancy the 2 plus hour drive to flail around feeling tired. Scout Scar is a little closer.

It was very cold when we got there as the crag faces west, but the sun cam round eventually. I wish I could say the same about my climbign which has gone from bad to worse. I took 3 attempts to get up a 6a+! And even then didn't manage it clean despite several laps. Everything felt wrong, my body had fogotten how to move on rock, and I felt tired physically and mentally. It was another wake up call. I promised myself I'd get on the woody at home one day a week but that hasn't happened so far! P ticked his first 7a of the year! Happy boy.

Black Combe

Saturday was the Black Combe Fell Race, a particular local favourite, although I have never felt I run well in it, I always enjoy it. After a rest day on Wednesday, I headed over the BC on Thursday evening for a trot up to the summit. I was a bit put back by how tired my legs felt on the ascent but it was another lovely evening and there was a beautiful sunset (photo to follow). Once reaching the summit, I crossed to the second summit and then back down the race descent route. There was still a fair bit of patchy snow, which was quite hard in places but mostly avoidable if needed.

This left me feeling a bit aprehensive for Saturday as my legs really did feel tired. But it was a beautiful warm day in the southern lakes. The turn out was reasonable and I had a good race. Managed a pb by 6 minutes, and was 4th Lady. Its my best go at this race yet, on a week that cumlinated in over 40 miles with over 12000 feet of ascent, so I have to be happy! I even got a slight tan line on my arms from the race!

Back on track.....again!

Since last monday, my shin has healed well. It was very sore still on Monday and Tuesday, but I walked to work and back on the Tuesday, having limped my way around on Monday. The four miles did it some good I think, got the blood flowing and the healing began. Most of the pain was in the bruising which obviously went down to the bone. I did a good hour and half of Yoga on Tuesday night, taking advantage of the time normally spent running. On Wednesday I hopped onto the Balance Ball in the evening and had some fun while one eye was on the Winter Olympics. I definitely need to do more balance and core work!

By Thursday I wanted to test the leg out and went for a short 3 mile run on the tracks round home. It was quite depressing. I couldn't get going and my leg hurt with each foot fall, so I think it ranks of one of my slowest ever short runs! Even slower than when I got going again after the post viral fatigue a few years ago.

Friday I hopped on the bike and rode to work. Now this was much better, however, as I'm riding my summer bike which is pretty stiff, coupled the damaged tarmac on the roads round here meant that every bump and rut went straight through the pedal to my leg!

I did ignore this and hoped that riding my full suss. at Whinlatter on Saturday would fare much better. I turned out to be a big woose and wouldn't ride anything remotely hard, but we had a good ride out doing a lap of the Blue route, then the south red loop, then the blue route again. It was pretty snowy in places but at least that meant I could concentrate on riding well in the deep snow, instead of stressing about how slow and unfit I felt! By the end of the ride I felt much happier on the bike in the snow, and just wished I wasn't nursing the bad leg.

On Sunday, P headed to the Fisherground for an afternoon's bouldering while I went up onto the local fells for a run, to test the leg out again. I did a steady 6 and a bit over Fell End, White moss, to the Stone Circles, back past Blea Tarn and the Fisherground. It was pretty wet and boggy and therefore soft underfoot, just what I needed! But the leg held up fine, it was a bit uncomfortable on the downhills but otherwise fine.

After a couple of short runs before and after work on Monday I was planning a longer run in the evening but spotted the weather forecast had changed and decided to have Tuesday off on the fells. I wanted to get up high but not knowing exactly what the snow conditions were like, I was more keen to get a long run in anywhere than risk going high and having the run cut short. So I plotted a route from Borrowdale to pick off 10 new Wainwrights that I have not done, and that kept me fairly low and therefore more likely conditions would be good for running.

I set off from Great Wood and headed up to Walla Crag, in beautiful blue skies. The views the whole day were stunning and it was a lovely day to be out. I did have a small regret not to be higher, the Hellvelyn ridge looked stunning in the snow, but I got a good run, and felt OK. Total mileage was 20.5 miles with 5000 feet of ascent. I ran out of water fairly early - good that I drank it all instead of just carrying it around with me but bad that I didn't have enough with me, and I didn't get enough energy in again! I must work on this asap.

Today has been a 'rest' day with a walk to work and back of 4 miles. I thought about going for a short run, but the ligament at the back of my left knee is tight, so a days rest before a long-ish run tomorrow, and I have Black Combe race on Saturday.

it was all going so well....again

OK so this time its not 8 weeks of nothing but it might be a week or so. P and I had Friday off work and went to Yorks. climbing with a mate. We met up in the car park of Giggleswick North and headed up to the crag. It was a cold day, but the sun was in and out and it was pleasant. Having not climbed more than a handful of times since October either on rock, plastic or woody, I stuck firmly to the second end of the rope. I didn't expect much and didn't get much. The first route a 6a with a single tough move, required one rest as I wrong handed myself on a crimp and didn't have the strength to hold onto anything else to swap. The 6b required 2 rests to get past the two tricky slightly reachy moves and I couldn't get up the 6c on either attempt - I red pointed this route 2 years ago with not much bother, and on Friday I couldn't climb it at all. I just had no strength! I was going to have another go on my turn, P was looking at a 7b, and Andy was aiming to red-point the 6c, when I managed to slip off the path at the crag and fall head first down the steep slope. I came to rest fairly quickly against a fallen branch but the damage was done. I think my foot just slipped on a wet rock, but a bumped and grazed head, skinned palm, bruised knee and buttock and a puncture wound to my shin was what I got for my carelessness!

I was so mad at myself. P and I had a weekend planned up in Dumfries and Galloway mountain biking and maybe checking out the bouldering. But one look at my shin, said that I needed a proper clean up and a night in a proper bed in a warm house, not a cold night or two away in the van in freezing conditions. So that was P's birthday weekend mucked up by me!

Before that I'd been getting out for some good weekday evening runs, getting the miles in (for me) during the week, but frustratingly the long runs haven't been coming. This has been due to family weekends taking me away from the hills. I just can't run long distances on the road, boredom strikes! Monday I rode into work and back on the only frost free morning of the week. Tuesday was local speed work, with an extra warm up totalling about 6.8 miles, Wednesday I clocked 9.4 miles over the fells, although had to work a bit hard to get a respectable ascent tally for the run. I felt really good too. Thursday evening was sacrificed to the god(-dess ?) of baking, as I made two rounds of bread rolls, a honey cake and a batch of chocolate cookies for the weekend. As well as packing etc.

So with that disaster of a weekend over, my shin is sore but doesn't look infected. The other bumps and grazes are just annoyance, but my shin is going to take a few days healing before I can do anything. I'm walking with a bit of a limp, I think more due to bruising around the wound than anything else. Just have to plan how to make it up to P!!

pastures new

Last week was again disrupted, this time by work and family things. Monday evening I got out and did two slightly varied ascents through the Miterdale woods, totaling 5.7 miles and 2500' ascent. This was nice as it wasn't open fell night-time weather and felt like I was getting a quality session in.

Tuesday was a speed session with the local club on road, which this week involved short recovery sets. I haven't actually run that fast a pace since I was in High school training on the track I reckon! This totalled about 5 miles.

Wednesday disappeared due to work commitments during the day and in the evening for once. Thursday I attempted to head up Whin Rigg but the visibility in the dark and mist was less than 5 meters, and I bottled it after leaving the shelter of the intake wall. I readjusted the run to several differing ascents up Irton fell in the woods again, being careful not to duplicate Mondays run. This totalled about 8.38 miles, with 2700' ascent.

Nothing got done at all until Sunday, when P and I left my parents early and stopped at Cannock Chase to check out the cross country mountain bike trail there. Its only 7 miles, but after two laps we were a bit bored of it. Fun for what it is, but I'm sure it would be a blue route here in the Lakes or in Scotland!! I like the swoopy singletrack through the trees but both of us found it a bit flat!!

Monday and Tuesday again had to be sacrificed to the god of work (this is a very rare event), but tonight I got out on some new fells very near to home, and even did one of them totally in the light after work!! I have run around Middlefell and Buckbarrow many times, ridden past on mountain bike and road bike and climbed at Buckbarrow too, but I had realised these are the nearest Wainrights I haven't ticked, so after work I parked up at Greendale and headed up Middlefell, ran on towards the col between Middlefell and Seatallen in fadding light, before contouring across the flanks of Seatallen towards Buckbarrow. I nearly made it to buckbarrow before having to light up, which was a lovely feeling./ the bogs were semi frozen, providing some amusement and cold feet, and after working a little in very little light to work out that I had actually summited the correct bit of Buckbarrow, I found a feint path heading back down to the road and back to the car. A wonderful run, making up for a bit of a hit and miss period. Beautiful views up to the pike and gable, still snowy!

Last week was a bit funny as I ended up having to look after P as his back went. He was laid up in bed for two days and then couldn't move around every well since then. So I've had all the house duties as well as keeping up with the training. Tuesday I went out with the local running club for a speed session, which got me working very hard, especially after the big run on Sunday which had left my legs feeling a little tired and unresponsive to speed. Wednesday disappeared while looking after my patient. Thursday I rode to work and back, and Friday I fitted in a very short run of 2 miles. Hardly worth it!

Saturday I had wanted to get out on Leg 1 of the BG, but fresh snow had fallen on the tops, and the fell top conditions report for Helvellyn suggetsed that fell shoes alone wouldn't be appropriate on the tops. I didn't fancy the heather bash of Great Calva and up Belncathra in big boots so picked a route in the Coledale area, based on the Coledale Horseshoe but extending it into a monster munch shape by a couple of out and backs. Totalled just over 13 miles in big boots. In hindsight it would have been OK up the these tops in fell shoes, but I was glad I had my crampons and axe with me, despite not needing them. The route went from Braithwaite, up Grizedale Pike, Hopegill Head, out to Whiteside and back, over Sand Hill, to Grasmoor, across to Crag Hill, Sail and down over Causey Pike, and back around to Braithwaite. It was stunning on top, with a light but cold wind. Really nice to be out on fells I'm not too aquainted with and some new tops to tick off.

Sunday I spent some time with my patient (!) who was up and about a bit, but nipped out in the afternoon for a run over Harter Fell. It actually turned into more of a fast walk as it was very slippy underfoot, with melting snow and quite a lot of ice. There wasn't enough of each to wear my new microspikes. If I'd been with others and not on my own, then I may have pushed it more, but being on your own off the beaten track always makes me slow a bit more. Headed up from Brotherikeld to Harter Fell, via the Grassguards bridleway, dropped down into the Duddon Valley to forest track at Birks, then back up towards Hard Knott pass, before cutting back up to the summit of Harter Fell and back down the way I came up. 7 miles.