tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49581876510642008132024-03-13T10:30:49.992-07:00"Ultra" Drunken EuphoriaOff the road, to the trails.... and off the rails? Not a bit of it! I've opened my mind to a whole world of self-powered challenges, mostly featuring awesome backdrops.Woldsman Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233544147672776357noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958187651064200813.post-76770229560895743092012-05-30T09:25:00.002-07:002012-05-30T09:33:10.201-07:00Evolution not Revolution<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Things have changed in the last few years and DrunkenEuphoria was starting to feel like it needed a "rebrand". The note on the right contains a link to what I hope to be a new, interesting and exciting read.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">For a start, I don't drink that much anymore, I wasn't exactly George Best when I started the <em>longer-than-marathon</em> journey with the Atlantic Three day challenge in 2009 and irregular ultra-trail events beforehand. It was based on my running forum name from when I started my journey towards my first London marathon back in late 2004. Like most in their twenties I "went out" more back then. Now like many in their thirties I'm more settled down. Also alcohol ain't exactly health food when your getting the miles in!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I'm older, if not wiser now, so I thought I'd base my new blog identity on my happy place in the World - The Yorkshire Wolds - the horseshoe-shaped chalk hills encompassing much of the East Riding of Yorkshire. It's my place to run and it ain't half bad, everyone should try an event this way sometime. Maybe once their tired of crowds, noise and fancy something less seen than the cities, towns and big national parks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">No chance of wholesale change, I'm not that creative or unhappy with the past. This just felt the right time and I wanted to see where this goes...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://woldsmandan.blogspot.co.uk/">woldsmandan.blogspot.co.uk</a></span>Woldsman Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233544147672776357noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958187651064200813.post-76270884771894650382012-05-10T07:59:00.000-07:002012-05-10T07:59:03.075-07:0050 Wold-erful miles <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Welcome to the Wolds"</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Wolds way memories</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People I know, particularly runners can probably attest to the fact that I talk about doing the Wolds way in one go last year a lot! It was a real experiance pitching myself against the 79 mile undulating point-to-point Long Distance footpath. Running over a cool, drizzly summer Friday night, into a peaceful raining morning before completing on a cool, but sunny Saturday afternoon. With just a packful of food and drink and no outside assistance (barring a lift home from Filey at the end) it was one of the most fulfilling experiances I've ever had.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">With this in mind an entry in the Woldsman 50 event this year seemed well overdue. With a circuit running the flat countryside away from Driffield, into the hills and almost unique Wold-land chalk valleys with trademark steep, short, ascents in and out of the almost symetrical and V-shaped valleys, before returning to Driffield. Another draw was that this would also be my first 50 - I've done 55 miles at Hardmoors a few times and several longer events. Finally there was the lure of LDWA hospitality.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Saturday morning and things didn't start particularly well, perhaps too relaxed with a rare, short 30min drive to the start line of a long event I set off in good time, but then on the edge of Hull remembered I'd left my pre-mixed energy drink, water and recovery drink bottles in the fridge. I'm a bit peeved with myself, but remind myself it's no big issue and even after retuning to collect I step into the hall at the Driffield showground nearly 45 minutes before the start.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>A nights dining in Driffield and the Nemesis</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">After check in I caught up with Mark (Dalton) and Dave (Cremins) who travelled down together to this event and "bunked" in the hall. They filled me in on their interesting night attempting to tap in to Driffield's fine dining scene and finding a high carb feast of Chinese takeaway followed by cakes from tesco.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">They'd had a disturbed nights sleep I learnt through the day of one guy who turned up to bunk without a sleeping bag, cover or cushioning and proceeded to almost freeze, his shaking audible to all. There was also a "cougher", who had driven the room mad of course (always one).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">But a more mysterious presence was that of "the smoker" at the bunkhouse, recognised by Dave. Stories of whom make me think about the mysterious character from the X-Files. I wouldn't have thought long-distance running and smoking really worked together and this disconcerting mix - according to Dave - had wound up Jon (Steele) and Dave a bit a few weeks previously at the Calderdale Hike. He'd turn up before them at each check point, look all casual having a drag whilst Jon and Dave worked hard to find their way around the new route. I guess he was much aided by good nav choices as Jon and Dave aren't slouches. Though the teenager in me likes to imagine he actually stepped out of a blacked-out limousene a few hundred yards from each CP and trotted up.</span><br /> </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for the off</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">There was then fun and games with event HQ toilets. The blokes had one cubicle and a long queue, the womens had about 5, but were blocked. Thankfully I'd gone "a bit" before leaving home, but still had the feeling I was takiin g something out onto the course with me.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">So it begins</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">8am and we were off, I got an uneasy feeling (no, not the guts yet) as there were only a few in front of use in the first few hundred yards off the showground. Was I going way too fast? as I was almost involved in the cat and mouse game at the front of 'I'll follow you for a while so I don't have to bother navving as long as possible'.</span> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sledmere's Eleanor Cross</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">But as we left the outskirts of Driffield on a good track Dave, Mark and I formed a small second group. The group in front contained speedy Chris Brown, who usually finishes events ahead of us - he's having a bad day or me a good if I'm near or ahead. The others I didn't know and they were soon ahead and a few others caught from behind and ran along with us. Our early pace was fast, faster than 6mph and settled slightly as we reached more undulating ground towards CP2 at Sledmere and many fine momuments and statues - location of the grand Sledmere House stately home. The indoor CP further held us up with a delightful array or food. Mark was barely exaggerating when he said there were weddings with poorer buffets!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">On towards the hills and after a steady track descent the first real climb, which took us to a farm with dogs which barked at everybody who went passed, this was even pre-warned on th route-descrip - they must have drove the owners mad that day as maybe 100 woldsman-ers would have passed through in dribs-and-drabs. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the early climbs</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We must have climbed a bit in the route to here as we had a fairly big drop down towards an outlying eastern tentacle of Thixendale - the village of the dales name sits in a central part of the dale which the extends out in many different directions. A bit about <a href="http://www.thixendale.org.uk/info/">Thixendale here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">But we didn't head into Thixendale yet, but the hills were here to stay for awhile and we started the walk-steep road climb out of Fairy Dale, which the levelled out at the car park for Wharram Percy and CP3.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">The Wolds</span></strong><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tshr-AwFZ_Q/T6vOckpnQzI/AAAAAAAAAPs/XpWB3UGfy1k/s1600/WP_000948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tshr-AwFZ_Q/T6vOckpnQzI/AAAAAAAAAPs/XpWB3UGfy1k/s200/WP_000948.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing Fairy Dale</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">After snacking at CP3 it was a downhill track to the site of the <a href="http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/wharram-percy-deserted-medieval-village/">Medieval village of Wharram Percy</a>. I need to spend some time looking around here one day as I always seem to just "pass through" on runs (this is part of the Wolds Way long distance footpath). We passed the foundations of medieval buildings and the major remaining structure, the roofless church, which has in part existed here since the 12th century. About this time my bowels made it known that I could really do with a pit-stop at Thixendale.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LMDTnwuArAI/T6vOxImtMtI/AAAAAAAAAP0/LvHlo-KU-z4/s1600/WP_000953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LMDTnwuArAI/T6vOxImtMtI/AAAAAAAAAP0/LvHlo-KU-z4/s200/WP_000953.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wharram Percy Medieval church</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We then climbed the muddy bank up to Deep dale. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">It briefly started to rain again as we plodded along the muddy dale top track. It soon stopped, but this didn't make trying hard to maintain a forward momentum on a mud path any more fun. After quite a long section Dave, Mark and I were glad to turn south and cut through another dale before the picturesque descent into pretty Thixendale.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">An unexpected pleasure at Thixendale was a choice of <u>hot food!</u> Barely before I'd mixed another bottle of energy drink and changed maps my pasta with spicy sauce was served up. Very nice - Mark and Dave even found room for desert! I was also pleased to make use of the indoor WC to shut my bowel up.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0_dJVLvwSHE/T6vPZN0ZLyI/AAAAAAAAAP8/vWtVKW2ur_E/s1600/WP_000957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0_dJVLvwSHE/T6vPZN0ZLyI/AAAAAAAAAP8/vWtVKW2ur_E/s200/WP_000957.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Along plod along the top of Deep dale</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Outside it had started raining quite heavily so it was also time for all to don waterproofs. We took a walk down Thixendale main street and outta town digesting our early lunch and dodging puddles. We were soon off-road again and following a sedate southward bound dale bottom path out of Thixendale.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The heaviest shower of the day was soon over, but I chose to keep my waterpoof smock on and just adjust the zip-neck to regulate heat. It wasn't a warm day and the cold, strengthening wind from the north sea - often channelled through the dales - and frequent showers made the smock very useful as wind and cold protection. Being the kind of day it was I never overheated sufficiently the rest of the day to take off this protective layer.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hC5CzWrEXYk/T6vQTgfPVqI/AAAAAAAAAQM/NYxrmc-e3V0/s1600/WP_000960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hC5CzWrEXYk/T6vQTgfPVqI/AAAAAAAAAQM/NYxrmc-e3V0/s200/WP_000960.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Irrisistable lamb picture</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">It was a mostly dale bottom path to the next CP. First Thixendale south and past a large <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-16116073">earth sculpture</a> (which couldn't really be appreciated by running past it and must have been designed to be appreciated by Wolds wayers descending into the dale. Then a right branch to Bradeham dale, left branch to Wayrham dale - past an army of molehills - before climbin g to cross the A166 (York to Driffield road). After a climb up Callis wold we had the most fun descent of the day into - another - Deep dale. We then followed, pretty, Deep dale until a brief right turn to the Givendale scout hut, CP5.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fObDwBYsvjk/T6vQs1V32RI/AAAAAAAAAQU/0s1GCRekNso/s1600/WP_000963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fObDwBYsvjk/T6vQs1V32RI/AAAAAAAAAQU/0s1GCRekNso/s200/WP_000963.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swooping down to Thixendale</td></tr>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">The hilliest bit</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We briefly retraced our tracks to then leave Givendale via an initially fairly steep plod uphill to then drop into Millington dale. My Grough route made this the toughest section of the route by climb - less than 5m but over 1000ft ascent makes this about as hilly a few miles as you can run in East Yorkshire.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uUgESz2fNF4/T6vRTy3ZomI/AAAAAAAAAQY/FSrXWizWlPs/s1600/WP_000966.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uUgESz2fNF4/T6vRTy3ZomI/AAAAAAAAAQY/FSrXWizWlPs/s320/WP_000966.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The most fun descent of the day, to Deep Dale.... 2</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Through Millington including down the drive of somebodies swanky modern pad before taking a snicket path - <em>am I in Calderdale? </em>-<em> </em>to the big grassy bank which is the other sidewall of the dale. We pretty much walked all of this near 350ft+ in less than 1/4 mile climb. Joining the Wolds way at the top for our second stint along this route.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Much as I like the Way this section is a bit of a head-doer. A slight climb along a field edge before a descent to cross, striking, Sylvan dale with 150ft stepped and on toes climb to bruise the calves a bit. Then follows another gentle rise and fall along a field edge before descending and ascending semi-steeply across a second branch dale from Millington dale. Once this levels out you then rejoin the main dale running on a muddy, narrow path (Huggate Sheepwalk) along the edge of the dale, slightly climbing and today into that wind! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wmBiWz-ofNc/T6vSMQuejxI/AAAAAAAAAQg/JvPW8BW1HMk/s1600/WP_000969.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wmBiWz-ofNc/T6vSMQuejxI/AAAAAAAAAQg/JvPW8BW1HMk/s200/WP_000969.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A tough climb from Sylvan dale</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I got my head down and decided to run this bit to get it over with - I'm happy enough running into a wind and seem to find it easier than some who seem to switch to walk mode when faced with a headwind. Nevertheless I was glad to reach the end of the dale and exit across a road to a tend picthed to block the wind and the next CP.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">All downhill from here...</span></strong><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nev65tZTR1o/T6vTBR6-xQI/AAAAAAAAAQo/HWtgHmpYuQk/s1600/WP_000970.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nev65tZTR1o/T6vTBR6-xQI/AAAAAAAAAQo/HWtgHmpYuQk/s200/WP_000970.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grey sky consumes Millington dale</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">....said somebody at the checkpoint. After a chat and a yoghurt (nice change) it was on again along the Wolds way to roll over the fields above 700ft, often in wind and then drop down to meet a small road north of Huggate where we branched off the Wolds way for the last time today and took a pleasurable gradually descent along Cow dale, before branching left into Rabbit dale for a long stretch of running straight into "that wind". It doesn't look long on the map, but against strengthening resistance, Mark, Dave and I even took it in turn front running <em>peleton</em> style to share the workload and increase efficiency. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aVSdEaL2wIk/T6vTVP4uElI/AAAAAAAAAQw/5qU9okVhc0A/s1600/WP_000972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aVSdEaL2wIk/T6vTVP4uElI/AAAAAAAAAQw/5qU9okVhc0A/s200/WP_000972.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some welcome light on a grey day</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This only half worked as I put a fair bit of effort into getting through this wind tunnel quickly and probably went <em>into the red</em> that bit too long. Once we'd climbed out of the dale and along the road into Wetwang I struggled to keep up with Mark and Dave as they bounded down the road to the next CP.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Another good-humoured CP and we had a good laugh about the conditions and a few double-entendres as Mark got a vaseline rub-down on his back where his pack was chaffing. A bit of rice-pudding gave me some energy to go and it was on we go. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Healing hands" at Wetwang</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">After a slight climb from Wetwang on road and hard track , there was a Driffield-bound turn and then a very long straight section of trail and track for the best part of the remaining distance, punctuated by a final CP at around 5m. Our pace had slipped a bit from looking like sub-10 earlier in the day, now to likely 10:30. And whilst I could still run my plod speed had dropped a bit below Mark and Dave's on this section.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">As we cut through Little driffield in the last few miles I found some pace again and we all had a good run in. Chasing down another two just in front of us to finish joint 8th, 10:35, about one hour behind the first back. Quite happy with that as the wind made things hard work in sections, but with better pacing I probably should have gone under 10 on this course even this day. On the other hand.... a pat on the back, joint 8th of 166th finishers ain't bad.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">After a bit of stew to put something back quick, our little group took advantage of quite an early finish for a long event and headed off home. A good soak and a good sleep the order or the evening and awake up refreshed on my birthday the next day, when I lavishly indulged in a breakfast and pub lunch out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>The Woldsman - 28th April 2012 - 10'35" - 50m - 4535 feet asc and desc (90.7 per mile)</em></span>Woldsman Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233544147672776357noreply@blogger.com1A164, Driffield, East Riding of Yorkshire YO25, UK53.995333297236947 -0.449752807617187553.992999797236948 -0.45468830761718748 53.997666797236946 -0.44481730761718752tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958187651064200813.post-35270836995709206862012-04-20T11:51:00.000-07:002012-04-20T11:57:59.103-07:00Calderdale mk3<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With legs still slightly aching from the Hull Marathon less than 6 days ago I once again found myself getting kit-checked in the now familiar Sowerby Cricket club. For what is always one of the best trail events of the year. It's almost a unique event in my calender as its the only event I regularly do with no set route. You just get a list of coordinates for checkpoints and plan your own route. A great little challenge, especially for those like me who don't regularly run the area.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd first been here in 2008. On a moody day, Calderdale made an impression on me I've never quite forgotten. I tackled just my second ultra, the first running around with usual running partner Mark. As we climbed to Top Withins the rain of the day turned to sleet and snow and it got very cold for awhile. I distinctly remember having to double up my thin gloves on the way down. Lots of rain beforehand also meant lots of mud too! I was knackered at this point from my average 5mph pace, only just over halfway and I reckon I held Mark up a good deal this day. The crossing of Hoof Stones Moor also provided a first as I mid-judged a jump over a muddy stream and sank in nearly to my waist. I was glad I wasn't alone as getting out wasn't a doddle. Then the sun came out and the last section of our 9hr 7min round was a lot more pleasurable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I returned in 2010 to run around with Claire, expecting the worst of conditions again. Convinced that Calderdale moorland must be some of the boggiest and harshest around. Thankfully my negativity didn't scare Claire off and we had a very different day on a changed route. The sun shone, the air was still if anything some complained it was too hot on this day. And the moorland sections on route were amazingly dry. I though this must be a one off and my lucky day. The route was also a joy with climbs up Thievely Pike and Sttodley Pike contributing to make it one of my favourite routes ever.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">2011 and the "mk2" route again - well for me. This time I ran around with Mark and - for much of the route - Dave. Conditions were as last year, if anything even warmer and we had a great round in 7:14.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So what would my "Calderdale route mk3" experiance be like? Much chat on the fellrunner forum beforehand related to the routes over Hoof Stones and surrounding moors, that had been reintroduced to the route following a 3 year absence. Following late winter warnings of a drought around much of England, it rained quite a lot in the week before the event. And when I'd last been in the area, during March, for the Wuthering Hike, the local reservoirs - unlike those almost everywhere else - were showing no signs of drought. Would I be in mud to my waist again sometime during the day?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Going well from the off and this year we leave Sowerby on a western bearing, with this years route being an clockwise loop. The previous route had finished from this direction which is the only way to approach Sowerby without climbing a hill immeadiately beforehand. A steady run walk and we were passed CP1 quickly and hit the trails as we crossed a valley south of Mytholmroyd. I got talking to another local of Hull, Simon, who had also been posting about the event on the fellrunner forum. So the early miles went quickly discussing our various events and our approach to training for hills being from such a flat city.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">On the way back up the other side of the valley we somehow got dettached from the rest of the field..... Ok, I'll admit it, Mark, Simon and I were busy gassing and must have missed a turn without others around at the time to correct us. No big issue though, funnily enough this often happens to me and Mark, perhaps we talk too much and should put more energy into navigation..... probably not ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">No big issue though. Checked map and GPS and we turned north and saw the path running below along the hillside so we followed a parallel path at higher level rather than descend again and add distance. The path did run out though and we had to hop a wall, barbed wire fence and then "commando roll" beneath more barbed wire, but we kept a direct approach and joined CP2 (Erringden Grange), just from a different direction to others.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Onwards and the next target was Stoodley Pike, should be easy today, with an apprach from its shallow, east flank rather than a trudge up from the west. Stoodley pike (CP3) bagged and all is well so I try and keep a good pace down the west-side, dodging walkers, joining the road at Mankinholes to soon reach Lumbutts and CP4 at the church. First full-food CP and I gobbled down a cheese slice sandwich, I do love a sandwich to break up sugary snacks on the longer runs and the Calderdale Hike always provides!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Now after our, almost, frantic round of early CP they started to space out from here on and the route options also started to <em>explode</em> for some sections. Considering we'd been lost..... no <em>off the optimum route</em> once already, maybe I needed to pay better attention to the map. I had a GPS breadcrumb line to follow, but this wouldn't be much help if I'd mapped my route onto a naff path or something.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Leaving the CP we followed others through the car park of a <a href="http://topbrink.com/">tempting looking inn</a>. And at ultra-plod speed we had adequate chance to even check out the beers on offer. Wonder if I could sell a night away in an inn near "Mankinholes" to the missus..... on second thoughts I'll probably just say its in the more, attractive-sounding, Calderdale.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We descended to and navigated through Millwood and up the bank, sometimes following those little Calderdale <em>low key</em> paths, that could equally be into somebodies back garden. I was confused approaching the Cross Stones checkpoint (near Golf Course) as people were running back towards us and onto the road. At the time this confused me, but looking at the map now I can see how the road route might have been faster underfoot, but it looks a bit longer and can't have been as much fun.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Perhaps the road-following folk knew what was coming next though. A multitude of route choices awaited. At first there were two paths running alongside each other, just seperated by a wall, which made me nervous. The other path peeled off downhill soon though, so I was briefly confident again that we were on route. Then we hit a route choice and I persuaded Mark and another to follow me down a path I mistakenly thought was the Calderdale Way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We were soon off route again and opted to climb up, slip down, choose a new route and then recommence our climb up a slippery muddy bank up to East Whirlaw. As we edged around a field the farmer came out of the house, "has he got a gun?", "no", "good, keep going".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Back on track and nav got easier again, a decent, sometimes paved path allowed Mark and I to catch a few people who'd got ahead of us on route choice. Soon we were at Mount Cross (CP6) and our next destination loomed into view north. Soon it would be the time for the big route decision.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We headed up the road and joined th track onto the moor. It quickly got a bit damp underfoot and as we steadily climbed we had to navigate around a few water obstacles. The face wind increased and almost within site of the Hoof Stone heights trig and CP the came hail started. This was one of those times where you think, if this continues for the whole moor crossing its going to be horrible! Visions of 8 hours of wind and rain running at Hardmoors 2010 entered my mind. But, thankfully it was brief and ended almost as quickly as it begun.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Big decision time - we asked the CP staff which way people were crossing the moor. The options here are; north along a boggy fence line onto a good eastward trail, east along a possible boggy permissive path to hit a possibly boggy path north, or go as straight as possible diagonally across the moor. It turns out all options had been taken that day so we decided to <strong>be bold</strong> and cut diagonally across using a lone tree and then Gorple Lower reservoir as our lines. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This went pretty well, suprisingly runnable, not as wet as the alternative routes it seems (we worked around a few pools of standing water and easily jumped cloughs), and the tussocks were confined to thin stretches. I'm not saying it was easy running, but not as tough as I'd prepared for. The only slight disadvantage is we had to drop a fair bit of height to Gorple Upper reservoir dam wall and then it was a trudge back up through some heather to get to the path leading to Widdop reservoir. I reckon we even over took a few people on other routes using this less-distance option.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">One thing never changes with this event and that is a well stocked CP at Widdop, here I snacked while mark mixed up some more energy drink - I wasn't through first bottle yet as had been taking on water in one bottle at other CP. We got back on the brief downhill road section before a climb on the Calder/Aire link to meet the lower of the three Walshaw Dean reservoirs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The next section was fairly tough as we climbed away from the reservoir to Top Withins. I was pushing a good run/walk pace and Mark and I overtook and made good ground on a few others - including a local who told us he was knackered, which didn't sound good at barely over halfway (I've been there in 2008!). The near constant headwind since the climb to Hoof Stone heights was wearing people down. I still felt pretty good though and confident I was well within myself despite the marathon less than a week ago.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We topped out and dropped slightly to Top Withins where people were sheltering behind the ruin or the marshalls tent (obviously drew the short straw). We ran into Nick here who was taking pictures, he's wrote an <a href="http://ultraploddernick.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/34th-calderdale-hike-37mi-14042012.html">event report here</a>, which is of his usual high quality and has some bits about feeding slugs you donm't want to read about whilst eating. he was debating route and trying to find the high-level path marked on maps over Haworth moor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">After a quick tuna sandwich we were off again, persuing a small number of people just ahead. We mad good pace and caught a few at the Bronte Bridge, where we spotted the aforementioned 'knackered guy' trudging up a hillside path rather than taking the undulating tourist path like others. After a quick consult of map, we decided to follow as it looked like a brief climb would then lead to a straight track downhill and less distance than the around Haworth moor route that others were taking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This route choice was just as mapped and no difficulties. We arrived at the Tom Stell's Seat CP near Pensitone hill just after Nick, who we were just behind at Bronte bridge, so it is obviously a much-over-muchness route choice here. After a quick banana and time to refill my energy drink the long trudge over Top o' stairs was on.as we navigated past Leeshaw reservoir and mostly walked up Stairs lane mark and I chatted with Andy who we often see at events. It's not the most inspiring section of an otherwise really good route so it was good to distract ourselves until the fairly steep descent at the other side to the Grain Water Bridge CP.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Here, Mark introduced us to what is possibly a revelation in ultra-runner nutrition, jelly beans which were apparently never the same flavour twice. I'm not so sure about that, but as we marched up the bank along the bridleway to the next CP, I was pleasently suprised my the variety of flavours - including coffee and one that tasted like those 'fiery' gobstoppers I used to get as a kid. Better still, Mark picked these up for a bargain price somewhere, so I'm going to look into getting some of these :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Soon the bridleway dropped us down to the CP at Horse bridge where I had my third sandwich flavour of the day - ham - and passed on my appreciation to a jovial crowd of marshalls and walkers there. On leaving the CP and starting the pleasent wooded climb to Delf End we passed 'knackered runner' again, who said he was shot, but was keeping going well. He'd passed us at the CP as like many was meandering around at these less then me and Mark. This <em>synchonicity</em> turned out to be a good thing later. Part way up I was suprised to see Andy on an adjacent path across a falling stream from us. He'd been a bit ahead so must have had a delay somewhere and we got to Pecket Well together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The climb went on after Pecket Well - nearly 900ft in a mile and a half, its quite a long, almost uninterrupted climb you don't really think much about beforehand - and we made a small nav error and detoured a few hundred metres. Back on route and quickly through Delf End CP we grouped with 'knackered runner' again who helped us with a good route over - the potentially very soggy - Midgely Moor. The route followed my map and GPS trace quite closely, but on the ground some of the paths were quite minimal. We got across the moor quickly via a cut corner to a path between the two air shafts. It wasn't until we were comoing off the moor that the ground briefly got quite watery. This was expected from the map and was a necessary evil for the best line.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We then followed the moor edge path at a steady jog, dodging quite a bit of water, but making good time and finding a good track downhill to the indoor CP at Jerusalem Farm. I think there is also a Herod farm on this route or nearby, all very biblical, wonder if there any more references amongst the areas agriculutral residences? We followed our new guide out of the CP who opted for a mostly downhill, if slightly longer than optimum route, but on road which got us moving along well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Into Luddenden foot and through the last CP. I felt a lot better today than when I got to the same point on the 2008 route. So Mark and I had a good run along the canal path knowing that the climb to Sowerby when it came is quite slow. We were navigationally assisted again as our guardian angel called us back again when we overshot the turn off to Sowerby. After a good solid march up the hill we ran into and through Sowerby and up the drive to the inviting cricket club.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Not a fast time, over an hour slower than last year, but I felt good and well within limits all day. We'd arrived in just behind Nick, Simon, Andy and our reliable navigator for the day. I enjoyed potatoes and chilli sat outside the club house in warming late afternoon sun. Then Mark and I made good on our most constant topic of discussion all day and stopped off at the <a href="http://www.restaurant-guide.com/kashmir-1.htm">Kashmir in Bradford</a> before heading home. Some cheap polish lager and a strong, authentic and cheap indian curry topped off a great day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Another great day out and a good recce for a faster blast at the course next year.</span>Woldsman Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233544147672776357noreply@blogger.com2120 St Peter's Ave, Sowerby, Calderdale HX6 1, UK53.70382023658987 -1.931362152099609453.69912023658987 -1.9412326520996093 53.70852023658987 -1.9214916520996095tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958187651064200813.post-38076967771410548432012-04-13T06:18:00.001-07:002012-04-13T06:21:29.196-07:00Pot holes in the road - a rare long venture on the road<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The <em>first</em> Hull marathon on easter Sunday was a bit of a mixed bag in that the organisation and route were a bit shoddy by big marathon standards. I guess its a learning process for the organisers, but some won't return and many won't be happy if it is proven that the course is short and they've lost out on a PB, Good For Age or Championship qualifying time. Also there was the very upsetting situation where the first lady over the line had quite without realising - poor or missing marshalling! - run less than the full distance (maybe by as much as 3 miles!). And without a garmin to suggest otherwise and only one mile marker at 13m (that I saw) she was suprised at the end and accepted the prize. Only for the actual female winner to arrive soon after and wonder how somebody had got in front of her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But the course wasn't bad overall. The good was two long road stretches in and out of Hull and out and back crossing of the humber bridge to break up the event with a few hills and views. The bad was a few too many turns late on, a parkland section which was more like "good trail" and a narrow and quite horrible out and back where somebody could have potentially fallen in the river. But I know plenty of people who ran a good time, even incorporating the possibility of a slightly short course.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unfortunately my pace, mostly into the facewind was too much in the first half - it seemed too easy for 6m, started to get hard work in more undulating 7-13m, by 14m (turnaround) I couldn't sustain it. This was accompanied by my body deciding 3 gels in a 6.5m stretch was too much and I felt bloated and nauseous, so I didn't have another gel till 20m and this didn't help my energy crisis. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Realising it wasn't going to be my day to hit my 3.15-3.20 target pace - <em>I'd got greedy*</em> - I just plodded around the rest from 14m, slowing a lot. Even this wasn't easy after awhile and I had to walk bits, more down to demotivation than anything I reckon as I probably could have maintained more pace but lost interest and starting to thinking of saving myself for events in weeks to come (Calderdale Hike 6 days later and Woldsman 50 less than 3 weeks away). I completed in 3.35. It is a PB, but nowhere near what I should be running I was behind several people from my club I can beat at most distances.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I should know better after having done 5 road marathons previously. But a few years of no road marathons and few long runs on concrete obviously made me a bit laxse. If I have a bad few miles in a long off-road trail event I can usually pick up again after running/walking easier for awhile. No such opportunity over 26.2m at faster pace.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em>* With it being a measurable distance I think this made me too competitive. It's much nicer to have the unknowns of a trail route where its 'you versus the course'. 33m may take me 6 hours (Osmotherley Phoenix) or 7hrs30 (on the hillier Long Tour of Bradwell course). I think this is what put me off flat road marathon courses in 2009 and has again.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, no indulging in self-defeat for me, too much to do. As I write this I'm also looking at the new Calderdale Hike route that I'll be following tomorrow. Wondering just how wet it will be up at Hoof Stone Heights - an area where during my last visit during the 2008 Hike I got stuck to my shorts in mud on a very muddy and cold day for my second ultra. <em>Happy days.</em></span>Woldsman Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233544147672776357noreply@blogger.com1Hull, Kingston upon Hull, UK53.7456709 -0.336741353.6705499 -0.49466980000000005 53.8207919 -0.17881280000000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958187651064200813.post-74539017030927841872012-03-22T06:42:00.001-07:002012-03-22T06:42:48.963-07:00Big three for March - 3: Hardmoors 55<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is it, an easy week on the running front has brought me to the start line rested and confident. 'The battle would probably all be in my head today',<em> </em>I thought as the event got underway.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">As it turned out I had a great day and banished any tormenting demons along the way. Not as fast a time as previous years as we steadied our pace along the way as Mark wasn't having his best day. But, we both got on with it and Mark got through it - with a few belts of water and ditching of energy drink and was running well again towards the end. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I just felt pretty good all the way, into Osmotherley only slightly off last years 10-min/mile pace for the first 22m but feeling a lot fresher, through the hills before Kildale in section 2 with energy to spare and I felt I could have run every step from Kildale to the end. Enjoyed it so much we even took a wrong turn at Bloworth crossing to add an extra mile and a half.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The event was good as always. The brilliant Cleveland way route speaks for itself and will offer the same varied and interesting journey for eternity I'd hope. Jon Steele and team handled an increased field despite quite small starting facility at Helmsley and off on time. Marshalls were friendly, obliging and pretty much all went the extra mile to look after us as we tired - at Kildale we were waited on hand and foot as usual. Some of the remote marshalls such as on the rock stack at Wainstones and on top of Roseberry Topping had lugged some drinks and plenty of snacks up to these point - massively appreciated! And even at lower level remote points there was water before needed on what was a not-too-cool-not-too-hot kind of day for March. Seacadets place was also good at end with hot food for a quid, tea and coffee and beer (well actually we brought our own beer, but nobody seemed to mind).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Now I just need to straddle the line between good training and overdoing it now and there's no reason not to have more string days like this in 2012! The next big event is something peculiar called a "Road Marathon", think I've done these before in the dim and distant past and they may have something to do with my preference for the long, slow, off-road and scenic. But I couldn't resist the challenge when laid out in front of me, of the first - for a long time - Hull Marathon.</span>Woldsman Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233544147672776357noreply@blogger.com3Helmsley to Guisborough54.246923283167533 -1.061789989471435554.245763783167533 -1.0642574894714356 54.248082783167533 -1.0593224894714355tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958187651064200813.post-18756895584989799362012-03-15T08:32:00.003-07:002012-03-15T08:38:39.611-07:00Big three for March - 2: Wuthering Hike/Haworth Hobble<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I still don't know why this event has dual names, both are true enough, but I prefer the Wuthering Hike tag, which usually gets a smile from those knowing of the area when I mention it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As performances go, not my finest hour, I think I gave up on a <em>fast one</em> early doors. But it's a very nice event, worthy of a mention untarnished by my lacklustre effort. I'm sure somebody out there, who is more organised, will already have an informative and entertaining blog post on it. Here's my highlights and lowlights in 10 bullet points (I'm trying to keep this - reasonably - short):</span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><em><u>Things you'll probably only see at this event or in this area #1</u></em> - Upon getting to event car park, paid my few quid and was told to "Drive over to the guy in a dress...", who would direct me to park. Must be a "Bronte sister" thing, an amusing start to my race day.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Earlier start than of late for an 8am mass start - up just the wrong side of 5 - **WARNING DON'T READ ON IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW ABOUT PRE-RUN BOWEL ACTIVITY** - and out the door too quickly. This had the often experiance effect that I hadn't had that relax time post-breakfast whioch allows bowels to kick in. So I tried to stop at services, some success but not <em>enough</em>. Arrived T-minus 45mins at race start, bit late, loads of people here, long queue for number, seek out toilets - <em>DOH!! Long queue for portaloos. </em>So @ T-minus 8mins to race start made do with a very long pee in a 'quiet' spot around back of race HQ. Which helped a bit by decreasing any bladder pressure on bowel. <u>Does anybody else have issues like this if routine is a bit disturbed?</u></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">It a grey and overcast start and a lot of very steady uphill onto the famous moors. No great views of this landscape for now.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><em><u>Things you'll probably only see at this event or in this area #2</u></em> - In Bronte waterfall area Mark - who I ran around with - pointed out that the usual wooden sign posts as well as a few other languages were written in <em>Japanese</em>. Well I never.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">CP 1 at the Widdop Reservoir Dam - It was like being at the seaside on a grey winter day. The mist and wind blowing waves into the dam wall from an unknown source creates a strange illusion as we cross the dam.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Behind enemy lines - Much like the Calderdale Hike route of the last few years the route of this event took us into Lancashire, carefully evading border controls obviously. Seemingly not impressed, the route soon takes us back into Gods own county.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Here comes the sun - Soon after long causeway (CP3) as cloud rises and the route drops the sun comes out. <em>Yeh!</em> But it seemed our goose was already cooked today and the late-winter sun's pleasent rays weren't going to help us. Mark had taken a bang on the knee slipping on wet rock and said he wasn't feeling that fresh today anyway, I felt much the same and Simon - who it has to be said was running a bit better than Mark and I - felt much the same as we slowed during the hilly second half.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">A string in the tail - Claire warned me about this. I didn't feel great going into the second half and the hills in part 2 weren't going to aid our pace. First a climb to Stoodley pike - a must in this area. Glad of the shot of Jura whisky at the CP before the climb, whisky never tasted so good.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Next climb, Hepstonstall. Apparently the pub there last year was offering impromptu refreshments - not of the alcoholic kind - this year we just climbed up to go down - <em>DOH!</em></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">As we found a "just get around" pace once a 6 hour round had slipped away it was back up again on the muddy track to pass Hollin Hall and down to the last CP before the finish. Then a long tarmac road climb to <em>Top O't Stairs.</em></span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">From here it has a mostly downhill <em>hobble </em>via Penistone hill - of the great Woodentops fell races - back to th start in Haworth - <em>6:30 - quite a way off Simon and Mark's great PB's on this route (can't help thinking I cursed us)</em>. Over stew, Mark and I decided we'd need an easy week before the - significantly longer - <strong>Hardmoors 55 next week.</strong><span style="font-family: DejaVuSans; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: DejaVuSans; font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></span>Woldsman Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233544147672776357noreply@blogger.com6Rawdon Rd, Haworth, West Yorkshire BD22, UK53.83216896512986 -1.953506469726562553.827483465129859 -1.9633769697265624 53.836854465129861 -1.9436359697265626tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958187651064200813.post-18801500515739409212012-03-13T03:48:00.000-07:002012-03-13T03:48:04.792-07:00Big three for March - 1: Golden Fleece Circuit<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All is going well so far this year. Having completed two good months training with just a few LDWA challenge events in the mix it's now time for the switch up with back to back weekend events over marathon length.</span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Golden Fleece Circuit - 26.5m</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Wuthering Hike - 32m</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Hardmoors 55</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The first of these events was the Saturday before last. I entered this new event organised to commemorate a local man and an opportunity to run an LWDA challenge-style event on my doorstep. But having done it I've realised its the first step back up to longer distances and days out. My legs also confirmed that on Saturday!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">There was a really good turnout for a supposed 26.5m event from South Cave despite a grey, overcast sort of day. We'd be out through local villages and parkland into the agricultural rolling hills of the East Yorkshire Wolds. Returning to face its toughest hills in the closing 3 miles. The 'supposed' comment comes on the back of me plotting the route and finding it to be at least 27m on the map - maybe 26.5m was a string measurement - which usually means more when on my feet. Anyway, no complaints here about a bit of extra mileage, all a bonus to me.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I set off out with Mark, a conservative start worked well to have a catch up and for me to digest the last of breakfast. Over field edge tracks to Everthorpe - a little hamlet which unfortunately shares its name with a nearby prison - and then to North Cave. Here we emerged into the car park where there is a <a href="http://ultradrunkeneuphoria.blogspot.com/2011/12/rudolph-rompin-strong-wind-and-snow-in.html">Rudolph's Romp</a> refreshments checkpoint. For some reason I had it in my head there would be one here today, but consulting the map set me straight. No issues, I don't particularly like to eat so soon into a run.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Over the road and through Hotham Hall park, a good tarmacced track and continuing along fairly flat land meant we could keep up a better than usual pace for an LDWA challenge. Hotham village offered first refreshments, a nice piece of shortbread and off along field edge tracks into the woods paralleling the Rudolph's Romp route still. This then changed as we turned right after a short while following a long straight track-cum-road to North Newbald, through and round two of refreshments. A water top up was appreciated as d</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">espite the <em>dreich</em> conditions it was fairly close so I'd sweated a fair bit.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-foa6pxSUDn4/S6IxB7p1yBI/AAAAAAAAAE0/iHVUjaAZSnA/s1600/Photo-0088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-foa6pxSUDn4/S6IxB7p1yBI/AAAAAAAAAE0/iHVUjaAZSnA/s320/Photo-0088.jpg" width="320" yda="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical Wolds dale on a somewhat sunnier, summer day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The flatness of the course can best be summed up when I tell you the first walked climb came after this checkpoint as we scaled to a small hill brow and round the field edge to then drop down into what Mark and I agreed was a typical, if small, Wolds dale with its typical, almost geometric cut out of rounded hills above.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">A good steady climb followed, we passed a few other runners and I felt like we were going quite strongly, though I could tell the distance already covered quite fast could make the latter miles of thism one quite tough. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Through another checkpoint at and it was now around a few field edges to eventually join a track into Bishop Burton. This was a section I'd covered once in a longer training run before, so I shouldn't have got lost and didn't.... really. Mark and I simply got carried away with good pace and followed several runners in front on auto-pilot, I soon realised something wasn't right. I knew we wereen't far off right so consulted the map and found we'd turned left rather than right a few hundred yards back, following a better track which then curled round to parallel the correct route anyway. Our navigation check meant that the runners ahead were now too far off to call back, so we continued parallel and then cut right along a field edge track edeging two small plantations to pop back on the course for the addition of no more than half a mile - definately going over 27m today now!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">It seems that Mark and I and the guys in front who were now probably heading to the north of Bishop Burton rather than south for a ~2m extension, weren't the only ones adding distance today. I was quite suprised to see Jon Steele and Dave Cremins pass along the road in front of us shortly before where the track hit it. mark and I had thought they'd have galloped off well into the distance by now, but it seemed some degree of detour had allowed us to nearly catch up.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">We mad good progress south along the undulating road before hitting field edge paths again into Walkington and the next CP. More confusion reined in Walkington with people seemingly not knowing the right (or best) way through the village. I steered us in the right direction, picking up another who seemed unsure along the way. On heading out of the village, Jon and Dave appeared from a side track now just behind us, local knowledge was serving me well now. In fact, at around this time I told Mark I knew the rest of the route like the back of my hand and that he could shoot me if we went wrong from here on in. I think this was well received news, as he offered a response suggesting he was not worried and didn't have a gun on him anyway.</span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A8oNRhOhbkk/S3nWN5kBC5I/AAAAAAAAAD8/gpvCjBFwZrU/s1600/Photo-0100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A8oNRhOhbkk/S3nWN5kBC5I/AAAAAAAAAD8/gpvCjBFwZrU/s320/Photo-0100.jpg" width="256" yda="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The penultimate descent, To lovely Woo Dale, on a Sunnier day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">More Wolds undulations and Skidby came and went, taking us to the often painful stretch of track which is Riplingham road. Straight ahead for the best part of two miles all the while slightly uphill. We were both glad when we joined an adjacent track climbing away over a hill to the main road. At this point its fair to say we were feeling the miles, going on for 25m now, but at least we were holding our own in what was now a well spaced field. With one exception we didn't see any other runners in the last hour, a reflection of what the length and navigation of the route was doing to quite a decent sized field - </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">for an LDWA challenge anyway.</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">We got to the last CP - at a pig farm. At the recent Filey Flyer we'd had a CP in a barn next to munching cows, <em>there appears to be a theme here</em>.... what next? The CP lady and girls were very enthusiastic, which is also true of all volunteers today <strong>and generally in these events.</strong> From here it has up and over a small hill to the "muddy cross roads" - a local <em>tag</em> for this somewhat muddy, dale bottom, confluence of tracks.</span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QTRRqFfilpI/TeqoCHKULjI/AAAAAAAAAJo/zZIQQoibERE/s1600/WP_000197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QTRRqFfilpI/TeqoCHKULjI/AAAAAAAAAJo/zZIQQoibERE/s320/WP_000197.jpg" width="320" yda="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The final and toughest hill of the day (taken on a sunnier day)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">With a right turn we were on the Wolds way and heading on a very steady uphill to tackle the final few and hilliest miles of the day. Rain broke out from the otherwise non-offensive drizzle and murk for the first time, but lasted almost no time as we pushed ourselves up the path, road and track to the top of Spout Hill near Brantingham. Coming down Spout hill, on a clear day gives you arguably the best view of the area as you look down over flat lands north and south of the humber and into South Yorkshire. Part way down we switched off the tarmacced drive onto a fenced path which runs down through pasture to meet the road at Brantinghams pretty church. Up the road and it was time for two short but steep climbs - pictured above. Firstly up and down into romantically named <em>Woo Dale</em>. Then on up the initially steep walk to top of Mt. Airey.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Looking back down this hill as we disappeared into trees we were quite surprised to see somebody at the bottom of the hill. We were finishing ok despite the mid-run pace, but these guys were obviously very strong. This made us pick up our pace a little towards the top of the hill and put a spring in our step as we rounded the farm, followed the drive sweeping downhill and then cut off onto the downhill path into South Cave. I kept having a look back during the final mile towards the finish, but we'd done enough to hold our hard earned place in the field.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So lots of quite fast pace for trail and the calves felt this over the next few days. But next up, my first attempt at the slightly longer - 32m - Haworth Hobble/Wuthering Hike over in Bronte Country.</span>Woldsman Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233544147672776357noreply@blogger.com115 Church Hill, South Cave, Brough, East Riding of Yorkshire HU15 2EU, UK53.767637800662641 -0.6120157241821289153.765291300662639 -0.61695122418212889 53.769984300662642 -0.60708022418212892tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958187651064200813.post-41161372344341095562012-03-02T07:52:00.001-08:002012-03-02T07:52:07.171-08:00That worrying too good feeling<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>He's really lost it now</em>, your probably thinking when reading this post title. But, if you think about what I'm about to say, this may actually be something we all have mild fear of occasionally..... or maybe I'm just a weird, half-glass-full-but-slightly-paranoid crank, you decide.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Going back to late January I didn't seem to have got that surge in training I've experianced the last few years. The road miles weren't visiting sub 8-min/mile pace without considerate effort, whereas last year I ran a half-marathon PB in mid-Feb. I had to think back awhile to my last promising sign. Much-like last year I'd been out injured late summer to early autumn, <em>though not for as long as the previous year</em> - this seems to be my body "giving in" after 10 months hard running. I'd done a few ok longer trail runs at the slow pace expected of such runs, but when I looked for signs of speed they weren't there. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">A month post-injury I'd put in a very steady, by my standards, cross country, my slowest winter league 3m road race in years followed a month later. I figured that I'm often sluggish this time of year as I've missed a bit of training, so I'd get better indication in January, by which time I'm usually hovering around a PB in these short league races. Week after week I was running slowly, heavily and lots of other negative descriptions on Thursday night hard training runs with the club. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Just when I thought I was doing something wrong, things started happening again. I'm not quite sure what fixed me, maybe the mileage rising taking my fitness up a level. But every type of run got easier and faster and just recently I've been going great guns again. Good speed in the Thursday fast sessions on reps and especially tempo runs. My Tuesday hilly-trail run sessions have also been getting better and better, the last one hitting 11 local (ableit small) hills in 11 miles executed at good pace.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So now the paranoia kicks in, when I'm running well I can never see the line I shouldn't cross. While the goings good I want to keep going - hence the <em>worrying too good feeling</em>. Will it be speed or distance that eventually breaks me. How many fast runs is too many, how many ultra distance trails is going to be too many? Everybody has a number - much like I hear a local Super league team coach knows how many "big hits" his big guys can take before they need some time off the field. Experiance gives me hints, but nothing conclusive and it seems a certainty that just when you think your about to smash that PB, or flatten that hilly trail, well... actually the wheels might be about to fall off.... or might not, it might happen next week, next month,....... but it usually does! Best to try my best to delay it then.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Knowing that I first <em>broke</em> in April last year and never really fully was fixed until I broke again and hard more time off in September. And I broke even earlier the year and for longer in August. I've allowed for that this year, moderating my training mileage expectations against ambitions, setting myself a lower monthly miles target and taking more consideration of the type of miles I do (more event-specific quality). I've got nearly every run planned March to September now - routine and planning works well for me.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I guess I shouldn't worry yet, have faith, its only February, I've just got to moderate the harder runs a bit. Then hopefully I won't break until September!</span>Woldsman Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233544147672776357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958187651064200813.post-79469095186621182132012-02-16T02:53:00.000-08:002012-02-16T03:06:58.830-08:00Sur les Traces des Ducs de Savoie (TDS) - I'm in!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is great news for me and I'm lucky not to have opted for the CCC or UTMB, what with the massive oversubscription and massive number of british runners I know not getting a place. While it's still over 7 months away I'm getting organised and have a plan for mileage and long runs each week until then, which means I'm also pretty certain what events I'm doing in the meantime. The main prep-event - a mini-monster in itself will be the Lakeland 50 - I entered ages ok last year as there is no ballot for that yet, but it's started to fill up in no time. Maybe ultra trail running isn't as uncommon a pastime as I at one time thought, or maybe its the dedication of the few that do it?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">But, I am starting to think I've got too many <em>runnable</em> events as part of my plan. I heard somebody refer to Lakeland 50/100, UTMB, and other such mountainous events as really being more like "very long power walks". So I'm thinking I need to work on my walking, but I also need the hills to make this worthwhile. So I've been looking at the FRA diary and hope to be slipping a few of the more hilly and lengthy events into my plan. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The way I see it an AL Fell race, especially in the Lake District, is ideal prep in two ways. Firstly it forces me to walk over rough terrain - my understanding is that TDS is <em>rougher</em> than the UTMB trails - and up the steep long climbs. Secondly, I get downtime.... <em>not sleep</em>, <u>descending</u>. I'm sure a major key to these things and perhaps my greatest weakness is being able to tackle massive descents as efficiently and without injury as possible. I can move quite well and at reasonable speed downhill, but speed doesn't necessarily mean endurance.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Time on feet is something I'm better planned at, as per usual it will be gained in other upcoming long trail events. Hardmoors 55, Calderdale Hike (37) and Woldsman (50) are the definates. I'll also do a good mix and mileage of runs midweek. My weekly plan will be something like the below:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Monday - Easy short flat/undulating run (road, trail as nights get lighter)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Tuesday - Mid-length run (6-15m), road at pace and more hilly trails as nights get lighter.<br />Wednesday - Shorter run, maybe uphill or downhill reps on trail as light improves</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Thursday - Club run (7-12m), tempo/intervals/fartlek run at hard effort, incorporating hilly trail sessions from mid-March</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Friday - Rest</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Saturday - Long run, various length and terrain type</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Sunday - Alternate (sometimes additional) long run day, or easy run, or rest</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><u>= Usually, 30-80 mpw</u></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I've been enjoying some good short and mid-length hilly runs the last few months. Running in Sicily was great, hills everywhere! Since I've tried to get out to hillier local trails during the week, in light and dark, mud and snow and also the odd event. A steady effort at the Rombalds Stride still equalled my best course time - in quite good moor top conditions I'll admit, but it was barely breaking sweat most the way. I also beat my personal course previous best time in a league XC last Sunday by nearly two minutes. In similar conditions to the last run too: snow, ice, slush - must be winning :¬)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Can't wait to be back in Chamonix!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">....well I suppose I can, as I need the training time.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">(BTW - The hardest run on the legs so far was the day I opted to run 12.5m from Hull over mostly agricultural land to the coastal town of Hornsea on the Trans-pennine Trail (trial?) - this section was formerly a railway line - and back. 25m of nearly flat and very straight, scenically bland, mostly hard, trail was tough on body and mind. I take a bow to those out there doing ultra-flat events like the Grand Union Canal race.)</span>Woldsman Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233544147672776357noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958187651064200813.post-19792737870351887402012-01-27T05:28:00.000-08:002012-01-27T06:08:30.437-08:00In esecuzione le colline di Messina, Sicilia<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Great as it was, the hills and running were actually outdone by the food in Sicily. Like most long distance trail runners (well maybe not the fast and/or competitive ones!) I enjoy the fringe benefits of eating loads of food before, during and after a long run. The food provided by my hosts in Sicily was delicious and the healthy quantites at each meal made sure I got myself out of the door a few mornings to create some room for the next amazing lunch or dinner.</span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ut5V4vGMXc0/TyKakHDbBVI/AAAAAAAAANU/3cLRcb6fRsA/s1600/WP_000544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ut5V4vGMXc0/TyKakHDbBVI/AAAAAAAAANU/3cLRcb6fRsA/s320/WP_000544.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mount Etna, from the plane, towering above a cloudy day for the rest of the Island</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Eat</strong></span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1BycBW3DkrY/TyKbnP-ktYI/AAAAAAAAANk/1SI79QfBb4M/s1600/WP_000620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1BycBW3DkrY/TyKbnP-ktYI/AAAAAAAAANk/1SI79QfBb4M/s320/WP_000620.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That Volcano again</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I was in Messina with my better half Clare to visit the family she worked for over 4 years in the 90's as a nanny on the occasion of their youngest's 18th birthday. This is an occasion probably more celebrated in Italy than the UK, whereas we seem to make a bigger deal about the 21st. Anyway, compared to the traditional party this was going to be more "casual". But, casual doesn't mean a meal in a resteraunt or a few drinks around town - it was still a party where some 60 people turned up at the house of the family, socialised, ate, drank (not that much alcohol) and generally made merry. Casual was more a reflection on the dress code and the lack of traditional dancing in the evening. The scale of the food was such that mother had spent the entire day before and morning of the party cooking and preparing food with various assistants including two hired waiters and a kitchen assistant on the day of the party. These efforts certainly weren't wasted on me as part of my first experiance of sicilian cuisene as platter after platter of food arrived throughout the afternoon, I was well stuffed by the time deserts arrived and I'm a big eater.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I was probably still too stuffed to consider more than moderate exercise the next day, so Clare and I explored the town enjoying a great panini, pizza bread - nothing complicated, just great tasting ingreadients prepared well - for lunch and another mini-feast back at the house for dinner.</span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Run</span></strong><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1KyEDsQhbFA/TyKc-d_5RQI/AAAAAAAAAN0/ceXVL2rMoiI/s1600/WP_000546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1KyEDsQhbFA/TyKc-d_5RQI/AAAAAAAAAN0/ceXVL2rMoiI/s320/WP_000546.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view over Messina I'd leave the house to at the start of a run</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">With several big meals and a few great nights sleep behind me it was time to see what the local running was like, whilst I still could! I felt dedicedly <em>un-runner-like</em> as I set out, feeling more like a man who'd over-indulged over christmas and new year and was setting out in an attempt to meet a new years resolution of losing a few pounds and getting fit. I headed down the gated drive of this Messina hillside residence with fabulous views and then hit the slight incline through the tunnel and along the Strada Panoramica which curls around the hillsides a few hundred foot above the beachfront. The views were good, but it wasn't a totally glorious route alongside traffic (Italian drivers!), uneven paths (The UK is so good by comparison) and past numerous big street-bins (though we don't believe it were lucky to have weekly or fortnightly residential collections). 2 miles along - at 120' above sea-level - and I finally located a road (Viale Annunziate) which climbed at a decent incline so I could get some hillwork into my run through busy streets. I got about a mile uphill and upto 550ft and then doubled back. A good run, but I figured I could find a more peaceful and challenging route tomorrow - afterall Messina sits on a thin strip of flat and undulating land between the sea and large hills, mountains.</span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2dWUlYfLnro/TyKd_-CB5uI/AAAAAAAAAN8/nj4ouBustvA/s1600/WP_000661.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2dWUlYfLnro/TyKd_-CB5uI/AAAAAAAAAN8/nj4ouBustvA/s200/WP_000661.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trails begin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><em>The next day</em></strong> and the sun was shining, it must have been a bit warmer than the previous day as I felt warm with my thin wind-jacket over t-shirt nearly straight away. After the 100ft descent down the drive and street to the Panoramica, it was again through the tunnel and undulating along, this time with an eye for a right turn up the hills. The first attempt failed as after a brief climb the road ended around the corner at a church. But with attempt two I struck gold.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This road was steep by any standards, initially past blocks of flats and a building site of more blocks of flats, then past housing and a substation as I got to the edge of town. Then the quiet road became more of a concrete track before reaching an end. But this time beyond the concrete block I could see sandy and stoney tracks heading up the hill and splitting off in various directions to small properties or abandoned shacks. Trying to keep to the widest trail I was often walking on the loose surface. I made my way upto just over 1000ft above sea-level and stopped to enjoy the view and a small sense of achievement, briefly before heading back enjoying a great descent - only stopping to collect the wind-jacket I'd abandoned halfway up - to be back where I started within the hour covering about 5.5 miles.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9CPkwCoMV6Y/TyKeYGhKGxI/AAAAAAAAAOE/4a3ZsxTxr7k/s1600/WP_000662.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9CPkwCoMV6Y/TyKeYGhKGxI/AAAAAAAAAOE/4a3ZsxTxr7k/s200/WP_000662.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steep sandy trails, not so safe for driving on!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong><em>Run 3</em></strong> and I didn't feel so enthusiastic as I headed out, it was a bit grey and a bit windier than the previous two days. But, I'd decided this would likely be my last chance to get out so I took a bigger window of time to explore further and a camera to get some evidence of my exploits for Clare. I repeated my route of yesterday along the Panoramica, then up the hill and onto the trails. I found the trail and path that took me to 1000' the day before only went a bit higher, so I took a few pics and dropped down along a feint path into another grassy valley. Then I went cross-country through long grass and weird 'italian thistles' (much more forgiving than scottish ones) before tackling another hill in hope of finding an easier path to higher ground. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v2aBI-C4utQ/TyKfPmdvFpI/AAAAAAAAAOU/Uo9VvxYzBaw/s1600/WP_000665.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v2aBI-C4utQ/TyKfPmdvFpI/AAAAAAAAAOU/Uo9VvxYzBaw/s320/WP_000665.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moody views from Messina hills (about 1000') to the mainland (Calabria)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">When I topped out I found the ruin of a building and a stoney track which led me slightly downhill to a winding road which promisingly switch-backed up the steep side of this new valley to higher heights, whilst giving me a break from tough off-road ascents. I trod the road steadily uphill around switchbacks very much alone, but for the bark of the occasional dog from a remote household and fewer than a half-dozen cars idling by in 30 minutes. As I got a bit over 1500' and having been out over an hour I took a few pictures and headed back the way I came.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More moody photograhpy</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">After setting off the local dogs again (who in turn set off some other dogs across the valley who probably didn't know what they were barking at) I left the road near where I'd joined previously to try and pick a route down the valley so I didn't have to go back via the same route. I knew there was a road away from town to the north of my start point (I'd set out south, then north-west), but it wasn't on a road map I'd looked at so I figured it may not go very far. However I knew it couldn't be more than a couple of miles from here.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From highest point of my run towards Strait of Messina</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I'd sighted what looked like a track from the road higher up, but at ground level it was just a dried up water channel, presumably for irrigation. So I ran along side it and lucked out when I found a road. I ran easy downhill for about a mile but then the road ran into nothing more than wasteground until I relocated the dried up water-course. Following this downhill made sense, but the flaw in my plan was that it turned back to take me away from my destination again and then ran out over a valley side - a waterfall had there been any water. I was starting to get the feeling I'd have to track back and would be out here another hour yet, but my stubborn streak pushed me on to find a descent in this area, even if it turned into a fell run-style descent. So this led me to cut back and scramble down a bank of soft, dry mud and abbrasive vegetation which whipped my legs and covered me in brown dust. I shuffled down slowly and eventually was able to get down to level ground finding the best spot for a short jump down to the now much wider, but still empty water channel.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sicilian and Calabrian hills</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">It was quite easy running downhill now, although I did wonder if I should actually be running here or if I'd somehow stumbled onto private property. Some reassurance came from an occupied building nearby and I managed to run along the side again as a drop in the bed of the channel meant I couldn't continue that way. Thankfully then came a mud trail alongside the channel until I was able to scramble up onto the driveway of the aforementioned house and onto the road.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I ran down this road meeting the Panoramica and back to my start point and was suprised to find out I been out less than 2 hours and only covered 8.45 miles, it seemed far more eventful than a short run should be. But the stats speak for themselves and I covered nearly 2300' of ascent and descent in these miles, a hilliness comparable to a scramble in the Lake Disrict.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from high over mountainous Sicily</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Once back I showed my pictures to Clare, which turned out to be better than I thought the poor light would have allowed me. The clouds reacting to the the mountainous Sicilian coast and that of nearby Calabria make for very variable lighting and on a cloudy day there are quite frequently patches of strong sunlight breaking through and lighting up patches of the sea. My last remaining peak climb in Sicily was achieved later that day as our hosts drove us out to the top of a nearby peak (pic left) - apparently there is an annual race upto the top of here. I may have to look this up as a road ascent up through forest-wrapped roads, with stunning views over two coasts to the top of an 1130 <em>metre</em> peak from near sea level in about 20k sounds interesting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh, and in case you were wondering the title translates to "Running the hills of Messina, Sicily", if not I blame Bing Translator.</span>Woldsman Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233544147672776357noreply@blogger.com2Messina, Italy38.1923323 15.555523237.992661799999993 15.2396662 38.3920028 15.871380199999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958187651064200813.post-32032400096722268352012-01-13T08:47:00.000-08:002012-01-13T08:47:57.144-08:00(Slightly) Warm(-er) weather training<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm off on my travels to Sicily for a week this Saturday. As well as a nice break, meeting some nice people and some great food (it seems to be amongst the most reputable regions in Italy for this - promising simple, but great tasting fresh produce). I'm also hoping that the Island lives up to its promise from a little Wikipedia research, "</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">The terrain of inland Sicily is mostly hilly,...."</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. As those who see my RW forum posts can probably tell I'm quite excited by the prospect of a bit of holiday hill-running... not too much though, don't want to upset the missus. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">(pic from Wikipedia, hope they don't mind)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm staying just on the edge of Messina, so it looks like 1000m+ terrain isn't too far away. Maybe an ascent and descent of Etna may be too much to ask... but how much fun would that be!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hopefully will have a nice highlights blog on my return.</span>Woldsman Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233544147672776357noreply@blogger.com1Messina, Italy38.1923323 15.555523237.992661799999993 15.2396662 38.3920028 15.871380199999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958187651064200813.post-69647701265047035322012-01-02T15:20:00.000-08:002012-01-10T15:25:20.891-08:00Welcome in, 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It sometimes seems people only dwell on setbacks and failures and forgot all the good things, progress and positive achievements.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So in 2011 I didn't complete a 100 miler in two attempts, but I'm not going to worry about that too much. The year was great for me for many reasons. Not least visiting or plodding through new places like beautiful Swaledale (left), Rosedale and the Mont Blanc massif. Other highlights of my year in bullet points:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Good annual training and event mileage, <em>best ever in fact</em>, helped by limited time spent out injured (but there was some, hope to reduce further in 2012) - 1975 miles.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">13 more ultra-marathon distance runs. This doubled my total, the number really helped this year by running 3 days of the Coast to Coast.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Longest unsupported run. A very memorable overnight run/walk/stagger of the Wolds Way (right). Planned as a training run for the UTLD and UTMB, but this 79-miler ended up being my longest run of the year.</span></li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OX2Z5xSwNqs/TwzGItRCrfI/AAAAAAAAANE/bSmIItXoqtk/s1600/SAM_0371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" kba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OX2Z5xSwNqs/TwzGItRCrfI/AAAAAAAAANE/bSmIItXoqtk/s200/SAM_0371.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">Unexpected 10k and half marathon PBs. For awhile at least long slow running wasn't making a long slow runner of me last year. Mileage still seems to be the key for improving my capacity to maintain pace over "shorter" distances.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">The Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc - A fantastic and seriously tough event which introduced me to 5000ft+ ascents and provided many memorable moments.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I actually missed a load of events through injuries, which forced me to have mini-breaks or reduce mileage so I've adopted a more conservative approach to winter training this time. I was recording 200+ miles per month in early 2011, but then by April I had to cutback due to injuries and niggles - when I needed to </span><br />
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build for the UTLD/MB combo. And then again in September following the UTMB. <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I figure if I do some good hard training this winter, but keep the mileage lower than the last few years. Just do enough to get me to the Hardmoors 55 in mid-March. Then tick over through the Woldsman 50, building to peak mileage in June/July for a stab at a good-paced Lakeland 50 and a <em>"by any means necessary (within rules)"</em> completion of the TDS (Sur les Traces des Ducs de Savoie) in the Alps.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">2012 is going to be another great adventure!</span>Woldsman Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233544147672776357noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958187651064200813.post-66027721108058222052011-12-16T05:51:00.000-08:002012-01-02T14:20:52.312-08:00Rudolph-a-rompin', strong wind, and snow in the hills<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The title is intended as a catchall to summarise goings on since my last entry. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Rudolph Romp</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After my mid-November "seeya lata" to long runs - for a few months - at Rosedale the next step was to keep myself in order for Rudolph's Romp a fortnight later. The Romp is an LDWA challenge that welcomes runners and due to what most runners would consider is an overall runnable course there is usually a large and semi-competitive runner turn out. The field dwarfs that of the inaugural Rosedale ultra - <em>over 400 entrants</em> - and is definitely an event that ticks a lot of boxes: inexpensive, runnable, pretty, food-a-plenty and with enough distance and hills to give all a damn good workout. It's also the most local LDWA challenge to me and popular with my running club.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">A relatively inactive week followed the Rosedale with a weekend off from running in London. Lots of walking, dodging through crowds and...... ok a short run along the north bank of the Thames and through Southwark offered a different, but not unpleasant backdrop on a Sunny Sunday morning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The week that followed was little more than running for fun so that I'd hopefully arrive at the Romp in good shape and with the benefits of recent increasing training and a 40 miler in the legs. Knowing the course and having run the 24.5 mile route in 3:48 in 2009 I had a reasonably hard target to aim at.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Those who know the route will know its almost impossible not to run the second half slower. So after a few small hills I settled into a good sub-9 min/mile pace on the flat trails, paths and tracks to Sancton, which is roughly the halfway point and the major on-route food stop.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">After leaving this checkpoint after 1:44 I struggled on the next few miles to maintain a similar pace even with plenty of downhills up to about 18 miles - but I was still steadily passing others. The next small climb really kicked a hole in my pace and hereafter the challenging short climbs of the miles beyond 20 was just a case of hanging on. I arrived back at Brantingham VH after being out 3hrs 46mins. Not quite the improvement on my 2009 time I'd hoped for, but an improvement nonetheless. And in 2009 I was coming off an almost injury free summer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Blowy days</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">There came some really windy days in the middle of the next week. On a particularly windy Thursday when wind speeds in the Cairngorms hit 165mph it was a little more restrained in the east, but there was certainly a strong wind as the Thursday night club run set out. The schedule for tonight was Humber bridge reps and we decided to stick with it even though </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">it was already closed to high-sided vehicles. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">A strong cross and slight headwind was tiring on the way over as we were exposed 100 or so foot above the river with no wind break around barring the slightly elevated car deck. We hoped for a boost from it back, but just as we got up onto the elevated deck again the near horizontal rain kicked in and wind seemed to go up a notch, but mostly pushing us off the bridge rather than along it. Could feel the bridge subtly wobbling below by the middle and a roar as the wind bashed part of the structure on the, more exposed, east side of the deck.....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.... in summary, a great training run :¬) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Snowy days</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Having experienced a mostly mild autumn and winter I learnt a bit more about the winter effects of the Lake District when at about 8am the next morning Mark's car - which I was in - got stuck part-way up the Honister pass. The plan had been to meet <a href="http://simonstrailrunningblog.blogspot.com/">Simon</a> at the slate mine, all jump in one car and drive to Wasdale Head to run a leg of the Bob Graham back to Honister. Simon had got here 30mins earlier and attempted to contact us to warn us as he'd got stuck and had to back down the pass too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We got off the pass after descending back on foot to get grit and back to Seatoller where we decided to run from the National Trust car park and hit a few peaks in a loop. Not far up the pass path and we were running on ice and snow. Beyond the slate mine we headed onto trail towards Grey Knotts and Brandreth. These two bagged we decided to seek lower ground as a wicked cold wind had started blowing snow horizontally. With any true path concealed under between a few inches and feet of snow we made a best attempt to descend alongside Tongue beck into Ennerdale.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We stopped briefly outside the - shut for the winter - Black Sail YHA to take on some food before a warming walk up to Scarth Gap. At the top we turned right to follow the ridge between Ennerdale and Buttermere, picking our way over snow-covered Haystacks and down to Blackbeck tarn. We then diverted north to take in a Final peak for the day at Fleetwith Pike, before heading down to Honister. At first through thick snow, which would support weight then give without warning making for a good few soft landing stumbles and falls... and a few laughs. Then as we found the proper track to the Slate Mine the snow was great, a few inches thick and crunchy so you could run down with confidence and great cushioning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">After getting back to the cars and over to Grasmere we had a very comfortable night in the annex of the very clean and smart YHA. The guy on reception was endlessly helpful and we took up the offer of a three course dinner, which is highly recommended and about the same price as a single course elsewhere in the village. A few beers ended the night.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">On Sunday we were up early for a lovely breakfast and off out towards the fells again by 8:30. We ascended past falls along the Gill then a direct route east up to Heron Pike. It was a steep climb and certainly worked off breakfast! Once atop the pike we joined the track which follows the ridge top north. Passing earlier starting walkers we trudged through thickening snow patches and into cloud up to Great Rigg before a slight descent and tough pull up to Fairfield on a track - now completely snow-covered. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Fairfield to Grisedale Tarn was steeper than I anticipated, not helped by slightly melting snow on top of loose stones it was quite a steady descent. The plan was then to take in the small climb up and down Seat Sandal. But seeing snow drifted up as high as the wall top we decided it would be easier to bypass this peak on the way to the descent along Raise beck to Dunmail Raise. Just on the feint track bypassing Seat Sandal we actually encountered the deepest snow we had all weekend.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">After crossing the A591 we stopped for lunch before the steep climb up to Steel Fell. This is on the Bob Graham Round route and I could understand from this ascent why winter rounds are so much harder to take on. At the bottom it felt safe enough, but further up on the steeper crags as we climbed across snow on top of scree it got the heart racing a bit! But we were up in about twenty minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">From here it was more undulating than hilly for the miles up until Sergeant Man - though plenty muddy and snowing. Coming off here we headed for the Easedale route back to Grasmere as the light was running short. A bit of slow downclimbing at first was followed by some great, speedy rockhopping beyond Easedale Tarn. This gave us a great finish to a fantastic snow-bashing weekend. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">A great end to a fantastic trail running year.</span>Woldsman Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233544147672776357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958187651064200813.post-79875853025841804602011-11-29T14:55:00.001-08:002011-12-02T09:12:30.977-08:00Rumble in the Jungle<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a delayed report on the Rosedale Rumble 40m distance. After a rebuild of distance over the last couple of months this was still going to be more miles in one go than I'd done in a week since August. <em>Why not though?</em> go steady and muscle memory should see me good.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So up at 4:45 for a quick breakfast - not much as I'd overindulged on chicken fajitas the night before and still felt a bit stuffed. Said my goodbyes to a sleepy Clare and I was out the door for about 5:40 (I obviously don't move fast at this time of day as didn't even get a wash in during this time). It was a slow drive up north on minor A and B roads, too-steady drivers ahead and lots of fog on both the East Yorkshire Wolds and North York Moors meaning I arrived at Hutton-le-Hole a liitle closer to start time than I'd hoped. I stuck £4 in the meter of National trust car park for worry-free day long parking and was really glad that the WC was open, no queue for a cubicle and really pretty clean.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">HLH looked very pretty with its foggy draping (pic is one from the web, none of these are my own work as I didn't carry a camera) as I sorted my pack and jog-walked to the village hall start. Met up with Mark Dalton who I would be running with today and also John Steele who would likely be a bit ahead of me. Also, just on leaving to the village edge start, saw Dave Cremins who would be out on the 30m distance, another 26mile-plus distance towards his target of 100 marathon or longer runs (many done this year).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">There can't have been many more than two-dozen runners at the start briefing, maybe a 7:30 start - even early compared to an LDWA challenge - is beyond most peoples Saturday morning aspirations. We were soon onto the moor, treading the trail gradually up the Hutton Ridge with fog covering the surroundings and anybody who was more than a few hundred feet ahead. Off this path and a bit of a gulley crossing and we soon onto a track following the old railway line which hugs the the ridge side along one side of Rosedale along Blakey Ridge.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">My stomach wasn't feeling great, feeling a bit acidic/bloated, I guess the breakfast on top of stuffing the previous night hadn't mixed well with the early start. It was a cold morning in the fog, but the air was still and there was soon evidence of sunlight trying to burn through. The sunny day I'd seen predicted on the Pickering forecast started looking likely to be extended onto this southern part of the moors - though I've learned in the past that moors weather can be very different to that of the towns on the flatter lands around. Whatever the temperature right now I'd got a bit of a sweat on in the early ascending miles in my t-shirt / windproof combination so was looking forward to a drink at CP1.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">CP1 was a friendly, but low key affair with cups of water and a top up for bottles if needed. No food here, but we knew not to expect food on the way around. This provision is a bit of a departure from other long distance events I've done where checkpoint food is usually provided, sometimes in great variety and quantity (e.g. Fellsman, Lakeland 100, UTMB and *every* LDWA challenge I've done). No problem though, I'd come prepared with celebration-sized snickers bars, cheap but substantial flapjack bars, beef sandwiches, and tomato/chicken pasta - not to mention the scientific stuff, an energy drink powder refill for halfway and electolyte tabs. Enough to see me around, but not to overly weigh me down.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Onwards down the railway line and the climb seems to peak as it hits a tight right hand bend around what I guess is the northerly extent of Rosedale. This bit of ex-track has certainly not been as extensively restored as the earlier straight bits as we undulate up and down following the bend of the valley. Across a gill and soon after we break into a walk as we leave the railway line and climup onto Rosedale Moor. At this point I'm heading a little group including a dog who seems to be a liitle upset that his owner can't keep up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">As the climb finishes its onto open moor and soon after crossing an improved track we soon hit a right turn on the route which should takes us on a very minor path which nestles almost invisibly under the County parish boundary on the map. At this point I should point out that as well as not providing food on route the other difference to the norm is that unlike most British trail ultra's this is actually route marked. I've only seen this once before and this was at the UTMB where they did an impressive job marking the route with little night-glow posts. Here a similar job had been done by a much smaller organising team using read-and-white riboon tape every few yards on route and in greater quantities at turns. This is great 90% of the time, but unfortunately in mid-flow of running and conversation we did sometimes miss turns on the route or lose it on open moor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">In this case our group just ran off the route somehow, I must take some of the blame for this as I was heading the group at this stage. As the track weaved through heather and crossed a muddy confluence of gills we just lost the true route. Two of us realised quickly that we hadn't seen any tape for a few minutes, but another in the group convinced us we were going the right way, but later admitted he hadn't been this way on the recce. We seemed to be south of marshy land and a gill, consulting maps we found a safe crossing point and continued with the gill to the right. Small paths appeared and disappeared, but consulting the map the only gill marked and slight countour of its banks was heading almost south, when we needed to be closer to east. As I couldn't convince everybody, Mark one other and I decided to head almost north across the heather to try and cross the marked path and refind the route.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Not to say I told you so to others, but this did work as we soon saw other runners approaching from the west - much of the early mist was now dispersed - and headed on a course to disect their route. Happily we were back on route, probably not too much distance added, but probably a decent chunk of time and energy wasted. Thankfully checkpoint 2 and an unexpected bonus of flapjack and biscuits was not far away as the path crossed the remote moor road. Another bonus was that visibility was better, the sun was breaking through making it pleseantly warm and my stomach had settled down at some point during our moorland meandering.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">On from CP2 and the order of the day was further progression westward. Incidentally, the other members of our former lost band had remerged onto the road where the checkpoint was about a third of a mile south and five minutes after us. Mark and I chatted happily in our usual manner about the merits of the course/day so far, how we were feeling, general catchup and the other subject dear to a long distance runners heart - what the carb-refuel would be tonight. I was going out for a family meal so would be able to really fill my boots on three courses of Italian food.... assuming I finished this 40+ miler and got home in time!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Somewhere along here the track started to turn south as expected, but alarm bells rang again as I could see no route markers on the route and consulting the map the wooded area on the left was far too close, the one on the right too far away - we'd missed a turning. Worse still, although we were running in just a group of two at this point we could see a few hundred yards back that at least two had followed. As I was holding the map at this point I somehow convinced Mark that we should go heather bashing again in a Westerly direction to again reach the correct path. The others behind didn't follow though could definately see that we had left the path, we left them heading off towards RAF Fylingdales.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So, again through burnt bracken, bushy bracken, very boggy, muddy ground and some deep tussocks. I fell over for the second time that day - soaking my remaining dry leg from the first fall - thankfully another soft landing. We hit the 'ribboned' route just before the woods and just in front of another group of people who must have been some way behind us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Now the <strong>Rumble in the Jungle </strong>began. I'd mapped the route the previous day and learned then that to add distance over the 30 mile route criss-crossing forest tracks in all directions would make up most of the extra 10 miles. So lots of back and forth in the woods for nearly 15 miles now, but it was mostly good going and enough variation that it didn't get laborious.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Back and forth with the distraction of passing a few hikers and then the local hunt complete with jacketed horseman blowing bugles, energetic beagles and even a bloke one one of those quad bike things tearing up the trail. Away from this Mark and I kept the bloke just behind on his toes by missing turnings just when we were nearly out of yelling range. Mucho cheers for the 2 or callbacks in this section, he undoubtably saved us a mile or two. And eventually we got it into our heads to keep a close eye out for areas of hevay ribbon - marking turns. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Soon we passed through another relative hub of actvity amongst the trees, Keldy Castle cabins. I was suprised just how much the layout and look of the buildings and dwellings was just how I remembered it from a holiday here as a youngster - well a bit smaller. My memory then was the scary noise that kept waking me in the early hours getting seemingly nearer the cabin, I now know this was a pheasent, having scared a few hundred of them as a trail runner, into making that sharp "squawk" as they flew away. Beyond here more miles of trails cut through the evergreen tree's before another campsite and then, finally CP3 as the forest track ran into Moor Lane.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I was glad of the chance to top up my water and energy drink here as it had been quite warm the last few hours as the sun came out and the forest kept any cold air movement out. Half a pot of pasta later and we were stiffly off across the road and back into woodland. Both Mark and I now feeling the miles of the day - including those extra-tough off-piste heather-bashing miles to refind the route in the first half.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">As we ran out of the forest to the moor road and crossed we were again in amongst a mini-group again as we had congregated at the CP. Five of us crossed the stepping stones, which had been almost overrun by the River Seven (no "R"). The lady of the couple in our group took a tumble into the river here, but seemed all ok. The fifth member of our group, the aforementioned guy who saved us navigationally on a few occasions, ran a bit behind us, suffering a bit at this stage I suspect. It's a small world and we found the man of the couple was another who had completed the Lakeland 100, in a damn good time too. For the lady this was only her second ultra, but she had her eye on next years Lakeland 50.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This part of the route saw us back in Rosedale, this time following close to bottom, just above the river, arcing north and east. After some rough and sloppy stuff we were soon back on good running surface, but at this point were all walking on any rise longer than a few yards.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I didn't realise at the time, but our next bit of mini-civilisation was Rosedale Abbey, well the edge of it, our route didn't quite take us within site of the Abbey itself. With the end now in site and the sun heading for the horizon we got going again quickly, tackling the stiff path climb adjacent to the road up <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO0FwcFYh0A&feature=related">Chimney bank</a> - depending who you believe "the steepest road in England". But we were soon up the suprisingly short climb and onto our last moor of the day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The joy of Rosedale went on, after the fairly stiff climb out of Rosedale we now had a gradual descent all the way till we slid off the moor into Lastingham. Dropping off the bank into a little valley, we walked up the other bank - the area looking gorgeous in twilight - and then descended across about half a dozen fields. As we approached the village we passed a course marshall who was putting out glowsticks to mark this bit of route for those still out there. I'd felt after our detours we must be near last, but it turns out this was far from true and others had added far more extra miles than we even had. Into the village and the route took us right back out up a hill onto the moor edge again, but in the direction of H-L-H at least.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Of our earlier group of five the couple had pulled away over the moor and our nav assistant had dropped out of sight behind. But he then reappeared ahead of us having seemingly missed Lastingham - even his nav errors worked out as shortcuts (wish I had this skill). Nethertheless we soon repassed and onto a strong last mile. Back onto the road and just as we approached H-L-H, into the - now dark - woods one last time and dived out a few hundred yards later at the village hall.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">A tuck in on some nice thick soup with pasta was our immeadiate reward for 9 hrs and 41.5 miles on our feet. I was pretty happy with that. Then a drive home in the fog (again) and I still got back to Hull in good time for a relaxing bath before all that <em>lovely italian food.</em></span>Woldsman Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233544147672776357noreply@blogger.com1Hutton-le-Hole, York, North Yorkshire YO62 6UD, UK54.300699455989836 -0.9185600280761718854.291433955989838 -0.93830102807617188 54.309964955989834 -0.89881902807617187tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958187651064200813.post-20169447455727973702011-10-30T16:26:00.000-07:002011-10-30T16:26:33.054-07:00Oktoberfest<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Isn't October just the strangest month? Sure, we have none of the freezing conditions or snow of December to March (or these last few years seemingly November and April), none of the long and sometimes hot days of May to September. But wait, 30c on October 1st! Frost overnight the week before last, strong wintry winds and a proper soaking for me during last Thursdays club speed session.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">It's transition time, in summer I can usually just pack a tshirt, shorts and windproof for a <em>normal</em> outing; in winter, tracksters, underlayer, windproof and/or waterproof top. October it seems anything goes and I've found myself wearing most of the above kit in some combination and packing all of it. Its quite pleasent really though, reminders of whats passed and also a taste of whats to come. Afterall I like winter running, with the right kit, motivation to train big-miles for a new years events and christmas overindulgence to run off why should cold weather be so bad? My biggest mileage month ever was January 2010 and there was no shortage of snow then. <em>"Bring it on!!"</em> I say</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">For me October comes to a close on a <em>conservative<strong> </strong></em>high. I'd ended September tentatively upping mileage following a sprained ankle. I'd missed out on the Hardmoors 60, which was disappointing, but would have been running suicide - undulating coastal trails, stony, uneven, possibly muddy - on a weak joint. Then fate intervened to give me a diahorrea overnight before my first planned event of October. Weak as a kitten the next day it was another DNS, this in the excellent Hope Moors and Tors 20 - with its superb event-signature climb of Grinds Brook clough that always excited me so much in my first few years of trail running.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Not a good start, but back to harder training with the club on Thursday nights and the second weekend in the month saw the start of the Cross Country season. Over the tough trail loop on the Wolds-edge course at Bishop Wilton I set out a good effort. Not tiring too much into the last few miles I was happy, if a bit pace-less.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So back to it next week with back-to-back-to-back sessions before a mini-break in Rome. Great place for a break, loads of walking between sites had me appreciating the lack of a massive underground transport system like in so many big cities. The next weekend I joined Clairster to bag 25 miles at the John O Gaunt 25m LDWA challenge. A lovely scenic and undulating event around the Resovoirs of Nidderdale. It wasn't easy, the great LDWA catering (as nearly always) got me through as the legs felt stiff and sore from about 15m onwards. But with these miles in the bag, I felt I'd given my body the awakening it needed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This last week has been better still, a few short runs focusing on technique then the first Thursday speed session of the month where I felt I was getting pace and stamina back. Saturday morning came and I was pleased to knock out an 18m+ local, undulating to hilly route in less than 3 hours, can't recall when I last did that kind of pace on any off-road route without absolutely bashing my pan out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Roll on November, its going to get cold, thats innevitable. But, things are looking up for the <a href="http://www.raceadventure.co.uk/endurance-races/rosedale-rumble-ultra-trail-race-v.html">Rosedale Ultra 40 miler</a> in three weeks time. A new event to enjoy and a distance I couldn't have done this time last year whilst I was still recovering from injury (another small victory) :¬)</span>Woldsman Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233544147672776357noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958187651064200813.post-18717410345829246272011-09-15T13:42:00.000-07:002011-09-19T05:06:09.610-07:00Injury, self doubt and 60 fantastic miles coming soon?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Call me a wimp, but I didn't want to write a more thorough report of what happened at the UTMB. It was such a great atmosphere pre and post race and at times great fun taking part. A lot of the detail isn't reflected in my 'picture tour' blog entry before. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The eventual end to my event was pain slowing me down and tiredness making my progression unsafe. I think without the combination of the two I could have got on ok. As it was after losing loads of time on my ultimate stage, cooling down too much and just making a cut off at Arnuva it would have been foolish to go on and attempt Grand Col Ferret. Maybe with a few strong coffees and a bout of 'runners high' I might have made the next cut-off, but it may have just been several miles of misery and the further ruining of what had been a great experiance for the most part.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So <strong><u>injury</u></strong>, I mentioned this was a factor in my UTMB performance. The sore knee seemed to disappear almost straight after stopping. The ankle was worse, distinct swelling a few inches above my foot at the front of my ankle afterwards. I might have been ok with pain management during the event. But the aggrevation mentioned in my post-UTMB blog, catching my toe on a tree root or planted stone before Refuge Bonnetti, really didn't help. I was running along, not knowing what was causing the pain, whether it was serious or not.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">After the event, with RICE, the swelling and pain both went. All was looking good, but then last Thursday on my first hard outing since - 13 days post-UTMB - I was burning up local hilly trail, pushing hard on the 7 hills route that my club regularly run in training. I was well up in the group of club runners, I'd regrouped twice, but then ran straight on as others stopped for another regoup - only one descent and ascent from the last... stopping would have been lazy. I was feeling pretty good, I felt I could tackle the remaining 3 hills in one blast at pace without too much hardship.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Then it happened, <strong>slam!</strong> So fast.... descending fairly steeply, but at controlled pace, I landed on the outside of my ankle and it rolled over so fast I didn't, seemingly couldn't, react to prevent a sprain. I held the fence, grimacing as others went passed. I was offered help but I said I'd "run it off", in reality this didn't feel like something I could run off. I ended up limping back several miles to the start point, via a road shortcut, somebody kindly picking me up as soon as they'd finished so my pain wasn't prolonged.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I'd sprained my ankle, probably not badly, from Internet research it looks like 'bad' grade 1 at the worst. I visited the doctor the next day, who didn't seem concerned enough to even examine my claim (maybe I didn't look "pained" enough?), but he did prescibe some heat rub and a tubigrip bandage. The combo and innactivity have helped. I even ran a few miles this Tuesday - probably too soon - but I felt good, ableit at very slow pace on very flat ground in a very supportive road shoe. And the a similar distance tonight, but slightly faster.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The mental aspect - <strong><u>self doubt</u></strong> - is something I really need to work on. Why have I retired after roughly 60m of my last two 100's. I'm not overly bothered that I didn't complete, 60m is good distance but I would like to have and wonder if some mental weakness is just jumping on convenient excuses, making pain and tiredness (both muscular and sleepiness) bigger issues then they actually were? Maybe thats an easy presumption in hindsight and now the reality of the moments is a somewhat hazy summary in my mind. Was UTLD 2010 a fluke? Am I not prepared to work that hard, suffer that much again. The answer seems to be, right now..... <strong><em>yes</em></strong>. I have no guarantee of improvement every time at any distance even if I've trained hard. So when you factor in the mental battle of a 100, the miles may have been run to prepare my legs, but were they in my head. Or am I just overthinking this?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">There is no clear answer. But it seems sensiblethat I change something and that something would be to back off from and remove the 100mile obstacle - <em>respect the distance (and the big hills)</em>. 100 is just a big number in terms of miles, but 60 is still a good one, 79 was also a good one when I completed the Wold's way unaided a few months ago. So I figure I'll bring in a <em>three-figure mileage</em> embargo for 2012, see how that goes. There are some great events that must be classified as long, tough ultra's I can test myself on, but are 99.9 miles or less. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">How about the <strong>Hardmoors 55 </strong>(March) to start with, it's got a deceivingly easy opening 22m, which in two attempts has lulled me into an over-eagerly paced start. I can do better here, a great first long ultra of the year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Then a step up to the <strong>Lakeland 50</strong>. Even with the 100 on offer by no means am I shirking if I train hard and do this one justice, finishing before the sun dawns on Sunday (e.g. sub 15 hours or so).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">And how about the <strong><a href="http://www.ultratrailmb.com/page/22/TDS.html">TDS (Sur les Traces des Ducs de Savoie)</a></strong>, the tough little brother of the UTMB at 70-or-so miles. Ok, so its shorter than the UTMB, but it packs in more elevation change per mile, a tougher 70m is hard to imagine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">A return to the <strong>Fellsman</strong> is also a must, even if they move the date. The <strong>Woldsman</strong> will be a good substitute in the space between Hardmoors 55 and Lakeland 50.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Before all this <em>I hope</em> I have the potential to complete <strong><u>60 fantastic miles</u></strong> in the inaugural Hardmoors 60. It will be a joy to run along this part of Yorkshires undulating, hilly and often wild coast and to complete the course would be a 60 mile run I could be very satisfied with. And satisfaction that I can still complete a long event. Here's hoping the sprain keeps healing quickly and I can have a steady and safe saunter around this one.</span>Woldsman Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233544147672776357noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958187651064200813.post-66999540701295803332011-09-14T07:14:00.000-07:002011-09-14T09:49:26.173-07:00Gremlins !!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I seem to be having some issues posting comments on others and my own blogs. So I'm not ignoring any comments or questions on mine and also would like to comment on some of the fine blog posts of others I've read of late. When I get a spare few minutes I'll try and use my IT skills (hrmmpphh!) to get back my accustomed level of access.</span>Woldsman Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233544147672776357noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958187651064200813.post-20353047974765704682011-09-03T08:15:00.000-07:002011-09-03T08:20:34.919-07:00An Ultra Trail experiance of Mont Blanc proportions<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The UTMB didn't quite work out for me. After around 59 miles of huge ups and downs - both geographically and emotionally - and nearly 24 hours on my feet I threw in the towel at Arnuva, giving in to the urge to sleep that had plagued me since the first night - and had made the last few 3 miles on a narrow hillside path dangerous and slow. Not an issue I'd had before on overnight runs, well not this early on an event anyway. Apart from this I also had sore left knee and sorer and swollen left ankle, which had already slowed me and may well have stopped me if the tiredness hadn't. Here is my picture tour....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the start, 6 hours later than expected as the start was delayed to let a weather front clear the mountains (risk of electrical storms). A wise decision by the organisers, but it was still raining steadily at the start so full body waterproofs were the order of the day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fuzzy action shot of headtorches down the valley on the second and longest climb on route, approaching La Balme CP (1706m).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A pause for pictures (and breath) at Col du Bonhomme (2329m). My legs were hurting, breath was short, clumsy legs, headache and I was almost falling asleep on my feet. Probably too low down for altitude sickness so guess it was an effect of lack of sleep. A few disturbed nights sleep in preperation and not being able to get sleep in the day before the delayed start.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Descending back below the clouds from the highest point on route so far where snow had been falling in a cold wind at Refuge Croix du Bonhomme (2443m). I'm still wearning the full waterproofs I've been wearing since the start and three layers on top, which will all stay on till Les Chapieux.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a refuel at Les Chapieux (50km / 1549m) I struggled to get going beyond a steady walk on the steady uphill road to Ville des Glaciers. A cold wind started so I sheltered behind a building to get the waterproof top back on and have a quick sort out of myself, including ibuprofen for a painful knee and ankle which had steadily developed since the first climb and descent. When I got going again the head was down as I marched uphill. Suddenley I realised I was passing people, not just a few either, everybody within site I strode past on the ascent of Col de la Seigne (2516m) - pictured.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spectacular peaks in the gloom pictured from Col de la Seigne.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aiguelle des Glaciers, viewed from the path down to Lac Combal (65km / 1970m). The descent - one of the less technical - was going pretty well despite my uphill march slowing a bit towards the top of the previous ascent.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking back up Col de la Seigne.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spectacular, Aiguelle des Glaciers. On the way up to Arete Mont Favre (2435m).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A long way down to Courmayeur (78km / 1200m). The route had already dropped nearly five hundred metres to Col Checroiut. Upon leaving here it was a further 756m in less than 5km to Courmayeur and the halfway food checkpoint and drop bag pickup. It was also now warming up, but on the dusty switchback path down the hill I was having fun.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">After a 45+min stop in Courmayeur we faced a challenging switchback climb upto the next Checkpoint at Refuge Bertone (1959m). It felt difficult in the evening heat and with a larger meal to digest. But by the Refuge we were high enough to be exposed to cooler winds again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The next few miles to Refuge Bonatti were undulating rather than hilly. No major problems for me except when I caught the toe of my left shoe on a branch as I lifted it pulling the foot to a fuller flexion than my sore ankle could cope with, exascerbating the left ankle pain. It was dark by the Refuge. I realised just before leaving that I was again rather too close for comfort to the cut off for Arnuva. My compromised pace and spending a bit too long at recent checkpoints to blame. As I started to fight sleep demons again, dozens of eventers passed me on the route to Arnuva, this 5k taking me over one-and-a-half hours. Time to call it a day! @ <strong>95km / 5558m climbed</strong>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I slept on the bus, then at Courmayeur where we were dropped and had to wait an age for a pickup. I got back to Chamonix at about 3am and slept a further 6hrs30 on a campbed in the peaceful gym at the race HQ area.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Its too early to decide if I'll return next year. But after a complete shut-out of finishes in the 100m+ distance this year I'm tempted to take focus of this distance and work on the mid range between the 30-somethings I'm pretty comfortable with and the 100m distance. After various leg and ankle issues this year I think I need a for now rest anyway. At least until the Hardmoors 60 in late September anyway.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><u>A 'maybe' plan looking forward....</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Sep - Hardmoors 60</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Oct-Feb - 20-30m events</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mar - Hardmoors 55<br />Apr - Woldsman (50)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">May-</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Jun - a few 30m+ events<br />July - Lakeland 50</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Aug - TDS (Sur les Traces des Ducs de Savoie) (70)</span></div>
Woldsman Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233544147672776357noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958187651064200813.post-59500880269176799062011-08-23T11:42:00.000-07:002011-08-23T11:42:31.444-07:00How to recover from a Mountain mauling?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Lakeland 100</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's been two-and-a-half weeks now, but seems like a strange dream, that I was out there for attempt two at the Lakeland 100 (really 104'ish). It was even all going well for a while. Despite a plan to start off steadier and hopefully have more in the tank for the second half I was actually consistently picking up a few minutes per leg - upto 1h our up. But then it was over, after about 18 hours, almost no time really.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So back to the day. Start steady, afterall the first stage over Walna Scar pass is no picnic at all. And only seems the easiest of the sojourns over 2000ft due to lashings of glycogen and adrenalin coursing through the bodily systems. Concentrating on not running much of this stage, even some of the slighter uphills, and then taking it steady on the sometimes technical descent worked well enough. At CP1 I was a six minutes or so slower than last year. Running with Mark Dalton and Simon Webb, we figured this a <em>safe</em> start.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I reckon it started going wrong for me just after we left Seathwaite. I'm pointing my finger of blame at the <u>good conditions underfoot</u> - not an excuse you would expect eh?. Stage 2 has half the climb of 1 in a similar distance, but passes some of the wettest, muddiest ground I've experianced on pathed/tracked land. <em>Except this day</em>, barring some permanently soggy ground in what is effectively a marsh crossing, it was pretty dry. Apparently it had been a fairly dry few weeks before this event. This made it very runnable and a route change probably made this stage easier. I arrived at CP2 feeling good and already up on last years mark.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Progression was similar over to Wasdale Head and as per last year we arrived high above the lake with enough light to tackle the descent and footpaths to Wasdale Head without a headtorch. Up again.... feeling ok.... but can't help thinking this isn't good. I'm just getting swept along, running where I thought I should, or Mark and Simon were and walking where I had to. I'd discussed with Mark the Stuart Mills idea of running "as fast as you can for as long as you can", but had told myself I would use the cautious approach, which I now wasn't.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The first <strong>brute</strong> of a stage is Wasdale to Buttermere. Lots of time spent walking, firstly up and over Black Sail pass and then the ascent to Scarth Gap. Couple this with a techical descent on an often invisble path to Ennerdale and a very hard, rocky, slow descent from Scarth Gap and you only get about two miles of good running ground in the dale bottoms. Somehow though, despite walking the same bits as last time - we were again up! Not single figures now either - over 20 minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This pattern repeated through to Braithwaite on the long continuous climb section with a finishing few miles descent. Several groups of competitors merged together here as often seems the case on a long ascent. Amongst our new team was Nick Ham, who had been changing places with use throughout the event so far. Nick, Mark, Simon and I must have been going ok as we broke three of the group heading into Braithwaite. Stiffening a bit now, but I'm sure I felt worse last year AND now 32 minutes up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">After a good feed up I left the CP with Mark and Simon, but then couldn't match their pace on the roadside section. They actually made a slight detour on the route, but were going well enough such that I didn't make contact again until I caught them in a group on the climb up to the Blencathra out-and-back horseshoe. Being up on last years time was evident now as I'd turned the headtorch up at the bottom of this ascent last year. This bit is quite runnable, but I couldn't run it all. I was struggling to keep pace with mark and Simon by the Blencathra centre. My run just wasn't up to theirs and perhaps I should have revisitied plan A and slowed down about now? 40 minutes up and it was great to look down on the lower land blanketed in morning mist.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The next section is nothing if not a chew, flattest section yet, but much of it is on the dreaded, stoney as you like, Drovers road. Simon was flying and Mark was with him so I kept going along at my comfortable run pace. I could see them both and Nick up ahead for much of this section, edging ahead. My run seemed slower than that of all around right now. But I kept good pace with others by running as much as possible. Somewhere towards the end of this section I was starting to think I was exhausted and the possibility of retirement had become enticing. I was quite suprised to see I was now 59 minutes up on last year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I talked to Mark at this CP and told him to push on and that I would be taking this section easier. As I walked away though, I felt stiff, tired and was battling over whether I should give up at Dalemain or not. The demons won quickly and I walked much of this section having all but give up. I retired soon after arriving at Dalemain. I felt crap, but how much of it was mental and how much physical. I'm a little shocked now, writing this and thinking back I didn't have a slow decline. Just like that I'd given in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The day was now pretty warm and I proceeded to sleep most of the way back to Coniston. I then slept a further hour or two in my tent, consoled with other retiree's and visited the race HQ to have some dinner, track progress of others and watch the early finishers in the 100 and 50. I then slept a good 9 hours in my tent. I'm sure I've never slept so long in a tent.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This 'brought forward' recovery and only 59m in the legs meant that I awoke on Sunday feeling pretty good. Perhaps the first good thing to come out of this early retirement.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">Long Tour of Bradwell</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">After struggling during this event and getting injured last year with two weeks to recover from the 100 I hadn't even entered this years event which was just a week post-Lakeland. But the Monday after my 59m misdemeanor, I felt suprisingly good and also that I needed a positive long run experiance with just 3 weeks to UTMB. I didn't want to go in on the back of a disappointment. I looked online and entries were still open for the LTOB, despite supposedly closing a few days earlier - <em>surely a sign.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">During the week I was sparing on my, suprisingly fresh-feeling, legs. I arrived at the start line of this low-key ultra feeling optimistic and ready to enjoy, work hard and enjoy some of my own kind of self-help therapy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I got my dibber, much like the previous week at registration, but apart from that the start was a more low key affair than at Lakeland. The Lakeland event has grown quite quickly, with its challenging and interesting route and a growing reputation as a very friendly, supportive event, to 800+ 50 and 100 mile event entrants. The Bradwell event is a year younger, entries possibly suffer a bit for its calender proximity to the Lakeland events, but also offers its own interesting and challenging, <em>rollercoaster</em> route and everything else the non-fussy ultra runner needs for a good day out too. With a few tweaks it could become very popular in the next few years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Off at 9, nearly starting in my jacket on this chilly morning. The route is pretty quickly onto a slight rise then drop through the cement works - unfortunate centrepiece to all the valleys views - where runners were warming up fast. Then onto a runnable track climb before a drop through the intriguing and slightly slippy rough-hewn rocky steps of Cave dale. A dib and drink in Castleton and were out of town again for the first sizable climb up to Hollins Cross. Straight down the other side and its over fields and tracks to Edale - dib and stop for drink and biscuits - then an even bigger climb - with switchbacks - to Ringing Roger and beyond to a Dib up high - in the clouds as per last year - at Druids Stone. Then its a very direct route off Kinder, down through heather, then along a stone wall back down into the valley. With another climb soon to come its a really hard start making excellent use of the compacted, natural, peaks of the area. And the halfway distance is still some way off.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Onto a brief section of road and under the railway line and were soon heading back uphill again. I seem to have put some space on a large group of runners behind me on the last descent, but many are soon with me again as they seem to have more attack on the uphills onto the mid-valley ridge to visit Back tor and Lose Hill before a longer descent and the longest flat section yet to Hope and a welcome checkpoint to have a drink and refill a bottle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Feeling a bit tired from that opening mountain mauling the large group behind pretty much all pass me as I take awhile to get going up again in several stages to get up to the ridge at Win Hill. About now it starts raining at a steady rate. Dibbing up top, its now a descent to the half-way'ish checkpoint and 5 hour cut off. Its not an easy cut off by any means, I've taken quite an aggressive approach to this front-loaded event and this didn't work well for me the previous week. But after a flat section I work hard to run along, yet still lose ground on others, I dib in at 3:55. The route description would have it that this was 27km (16.8m), but I know the route and description hasn't changed from last year and its was marketed as 31m total then too, I can add 2 or 3m to that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I consider putting the waterproof on as the rain is a constant rythm now, but think positive and decide tom reevaluate if it keeps up longer. I was right to, it soon stops and the sun comes out for much of the last third. I'm slow from this checkpoint, but catch three others who are struggling with navigation. I do feel a bit for them as the route description is brief compared to many an LDWA event and certainly the Lakeland 100 with its waterproof, plastic comb-bound roadbook. This coupled with some extremely obscure dib point locations in the second half adds an unusual navigational challenge and those returning to it like me, know they've gotta be on their toes. I think this may bother some people who say this is meant to be a running event, not orienteering. But for my two-pence, I quite like the originality and know that I know what to expect.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Another descent and a bridge, come stepping stone, crossing of a river with an unusally located dib point at the central refuge. Then is through a village to the toughest climb of the day and perhaps the last long one. The first stage foes up Bamford clough, an often arrow straight steep climb on rocks and sometimes slippery smooth stone. Pretty much unrunnable by all I'd have thought. After this long climb there's a bit of undulating road before the climb recommences up to Stanage Edge.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I pass the couple who I'd earlier helped with nav as they had overshot the dib point 2/3 the way up the path from road to Stanage Edge. Easily done, its about 20ft off path, partly obscured by foliage on a stile. As I get to the top I recommence running and find some energy for a steady jog most of the way to the next dib point.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Here I stop for a drink and a few people who are looking a bit stronger pass me by as I walk down th path nibbling on biscuits. I get going again on the good, level, path which runs in a big arc beneath burbage rocks to drop to Toads mouth bridge. This seems to be the most popular of the three route choices. Last year I took the scenic valley bottom route, more interesting, but also more tiring. Next year I guess I take the third option via <em>Fiddlers Elbow</em> - wonder how it got that name?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Anyway at Toads Mouth bridge there is another Comedy dibbing point. 15 foot off the track down a steep riverbank hanging from a tree branch almost over the water. Kind of kills the running momentum from the last stage and obviously causes problems for the unitiated, three runners who must have been a good 3-5minutes ahead of me were just leaving.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">More flat-trail fun along a pleasent green section along a stream, the last few miles have been a nice respite from the near constant hills of the first 20+ miles. Navigation gets tricky again as I follow a very indistinct path marked with occasional ribbon away from the riverbank over a bit of moor and into a plantation. Another runner catches me and asks if were near the next CP. I reassure him its still ahead, only 90% sure myself. After dibbing at a gate the route drops steeply down a small bank. The aforementioned 3 runners were at the bottom and had missed the CP so I directed them back on route. They didn't seem that chuffed to have to climb the bank.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I pushed on down to the river chatting with the runner who caught me at the last CP. Turns out he was another who had completed Lakeland 100 in 2010. Having not done it this year he certainly had more in the tank than me and pulled away on the flat riverbank section with a steady run, to my jog/walk. I focused on the next CP, recalling its the last food and water point, a landmark towards the end of the run. It's quite warm now with the sun out and I seem to be findiningt the energy to run all the bits I can. But I do welcome the uphills where I can do no better than a steady march, much like everybody else.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I pass the guy who'd pulled ahead of me at the last CP as I run strong along this undulating woodland trail section. A group gathers behind me, perhaps the word is out I know the route? But the only people to pass me are a couple I only keep catching because they aren't sure of the route. I'm strong down towards the last dibber at Stoke Ford.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I march up the next hill, gradually pulling away from the gradually disipated little group behind me. Though I've lulled midway, I've certainly found a reserve near the end and I don't feel dehydrated or overly stiff for the distance. Through the hamlet of Abney and the climb continues steadily up a road and stoney track. I compromise my efforts with run/walk and only briefly chastise myself as I overshoot the the stile and path off this track which descends to Bradwell and have to track back 100 yards.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">A strong looking finisher has closed on me and comes onto the steep, narrow path between gauze bushes and wall. But I now have all the energy I need and enough to pull out a good pace down semi-technical trail, one of my strengths. Coming into town and hitting a proper road I even pass two guys who passed me well before halfway, One of them says something along the lines of "thats how to go down hills", which only fuels further my effort. As I fast jog through town to the end I have the occasional over the shoulder glance. Its not really a competitive outing, but I don't want to be run down by another strong finisher without a fight!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I cross the line, very much happier than a week earlier. this has been the ideal "lift" after disappointment in the Lakeland 100</span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc</span></strong><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This is just a few days away now. In the three weeks since Bradwell I've not done that much. Bradwell felt good, but over 90m in two ultra's still demands some respect with regards to recovery. I think, if anything I feel more confident about UTMB than the Lakeland 100. I know nothing of the route other than a few col or pass names. All I have to do is go out steady and look after myself as best I can. The extra 6 hours of time to complete this over Lakeland may well be needed - but however long it takes I don't much care. The challenge is to complete, that is the goal that suits me best and a stronger motivation than to revisit a previous challenge.</span>Woldsman Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233544147672776357noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958187651064200813.post-28058852542335317652011-07-09T17:17:00.000-07:002011-07-09T17:17:38.648-07:00Wolds Way<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2700/4490518886_bf371bf4e5_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200px" i$="true" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2700/4490518886_bf371bf4e5_z.jpg" width="150px" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Noooooooooo! not the (rather nice) beer from Wold Top brewery, but the <a href="http://www.ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_name=Yorkshire+Wolds+Way+National+Trail">long distance trail</a> after which its named. I've certainly mentioned this route before when I've run sections f it. I'd pondered the idea a few weeks previously on a long run in the Wolds. At 79miles it's a longer run than I needed to do as preperation for a 100 (or two). But, with an ankle that is 'suspect' on descents this might just be an ideal test of recovery and all round readiness, with regular lumps and bumps rather than monstrous hills. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Other good reasons to do it include that it starts in my hometown on Hessle foreshore - almost in the shadow of the Humber Bridge and ends on the seafront at Filey from where I could get transport back without too much trouble.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">A popular way to run this seems to be Filey to Hessle, but having ran the earlier stages often in training runs I thought I'd rather get the familiar out the way first. It also seems to be popular to start very early and finish very late in the day. However, within days of the longest day I saw no reason or difficulty with running overnight. This way I could start after work on Friday evening after eating and packing my bag, hit the familiar mostly in darkness and enjoy the rising sun in the more remote and (for me) unexplored 'Woldland' beyond. With any luck and a fair dose of persistence I'd be finished early afternoon and back home by Saturday evening to relax through a full nights sleep into Sunday.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">So, Friday afternoon, leave work, but I couldn't relax too much. Popped to the shops to get a pot of cold pasta for dinner and for the road, then it was down to packing. My bag would be made heavier than usual today by the food and drink requirement I needed to haul around. Some events I've done have more exhaustive 'kit lists' than the clothes I would take, but most provide food and water on route so I don't carry more of that than I need to get between checkpoints. I packed:</span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">5 x 500ml bottles of water (2 pre-mixed with carb/electrolyte drink)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">2 further portions of energy drink to be mixeed later</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">2 x sandwiches with daiylea filling (4sl bread)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">1 malt loaf chopped into 4 pieces and buttered</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">1 pot pasta (600cals)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Lots of celebration sized snickers</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">various other cereal, cake or choccy bars</span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Plan was to eat every 1 hour with water and drink energy drink in half hour intervals for optimum energy supply. Though disadvantaged by extra weight I had to my advantage that I could eat take on energy as regularly as possible.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I figured I'd be out somewhere in the region of 17 to 20 hours, so I wouldn't actually have enough water or food to keep optimumly fueled-up. But, all I had to do was find a shop somewhere on route, my route passed through several villlages so I wasn't worried about this.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dTRbz5elLgA/ThjqyaQZAoI/AAAAAAAAAKU/rNc2PUiY4VA/s1600/WP_000213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200px" m$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dTRbz5elLgA/ThjqyaQZAoI/AAAAAAAAAKU/rNc2PUiY4VA/s200/WP_000213.jpg" width="150px" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><strong>9:30pm Friday... </strong>and I took this picture of the start stone of the Wolds Way and I was off. Walking at first under the Humber bridge, before picking up to a jog along the long stretch of foreshore path to Ferriby and the last large village I'd pass through until near Filey. I had to take the high tode route through the village rather than the usual route which takes in half a mile of stoney beach and a plantation to the west of the village. Due to high tide I had no choice, but figure this saved me some energy which would be useful later.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IGmuFPrPXVA/ThjrTAHJvUI/AAAAAAAAAKY/k2RMDRbjRk8/s1600/WP_000216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150px" m$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IGmuFPrPXVA/ThjrTAHJvUI/AAAAAAAAAKY/k2RMDRbjRk8/s200/WP_000216.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Beyond Ferriby and into the woods through a series of Plantations over undulating ground before entering Welton Dale. It'd already taken me an hour to get here and the headtorch was out for the wooded sections. As I emerged from Welton dale to run through farming land to the north it was still light enough to run unaided. I was making very good progress at this stage, up a gentle gradient to the top of Welton Dale avoiding a few ascents and descents I'd usually throw into a short hill run in this area. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">From here I descended to Welton dale and about two hours in it was time for the headtorch to come on. Though it was by no means pitch black and never would be this night. A few challenging climbs through Woodale and up Mt Airey/great Wold to descend towards the edge of South Cave, before ascending up through a Plantation and away from suburbia for quite some time.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">It was drizzling by now, but so lightly that it almost wasn't dampening my t-shirt which was being well warmed by my efforts. Descending Coomber Dale towards Drewton Woods I saw a deer scarper across my path and then was briefly starled by a light up ahead. As I got closer I passed a very fast moving nordic walker ascending the hills. Reminded for the first time in hours that I wasn't quite alone I shared a cheery hello, only to be stonewalled. <em>Rude I thought</em>, only later did it occur to me that maybe he was doing what I was doing, but from Filey to Hessle and had been out all day already? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Before descending to the edge of the woods I aslo passed a large tent pitched on the hillside, well lit up and with jolly voices going on, probably some local teens letting off steam. The sort of thing you don't necessarily expect on a dark night near the woods - had they saw me they would probably have thought likewise. But beyond this it definately feels like the start of a proper rural stretch - I'll only pass through a few farms and small villages for a great many hours now. Into the woods and this hilly stretch went on as I gradually followed the steepening path through the woods to pop out near High Hunsley some 300ft higher. From here the undulations steadied off for a good few hours or relaxed running.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Into "pretty by day", Swindale and I was suddenley in company. The native sheep were all out, scarpering as I approached. The effect was even more exaggerated at night as they had gathered into several large groups near the path, probably for protection. Out of Swindale and its mostly gently undulating agricultural land all the way to my next civilisation at Godmanham. This isn't unpleasent, but the rain was really soaking the foliage now, so my feet were soon soaked as I shuffled along slightly grown-up and lesser used field edge paths. There seems to be a very strong orangey light a few miles ahead, is somebody having a fire?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I'm briefly onto a road and can actually turn off my headtorch as starlight makes the road glisten. I can see better without it when its not needed to watch the path ahead as the rain has a blurring/misty effect on the torch beam. Then onto another section of field edge paths, which seems to go quickly compared to the other times I've run it. Is this because it is dark? If so I worry how I'll motivate myself when tiring in daylight as I may get glimpses of my route well ahead of where I am - this could be quite hard. Does that make sense?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Onto the roads and into Godmanham where I see that the strange light I saw up ahead earlier is actually a super powerful light in a farmers yard. I can understand the need for night-working and security a light, but this is more like a beacon or a spotlight, I can't look at it directly. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I'm through the village in almost no time and descending on a path northwards. I take the opportunity to stop under a railway bridge off a dismatled track as the rain seems to have increased slightly. I pop my windproof/water-resistant jacket on, not wanting to sacrifice body cooling with the full waterproof just yet and also gobble down my 5 hour food - I've enjoyed a mix of malt loaf, sandwiches, cereal bars and snickers celebrations so far. The hourly eating and half hour in between energy drink strategy is working well - around 200cals per hour has me moving consistently and at a good pace upto now. I'm slightly ahead of where I thought I'd be at this time.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Soon after this I get another brief glimpse of the real world as I cross a main road, but then its on down a wet track towards Londesborough Estate. Into the park and its a descent down the hill to cross the landscaped valley and a climb out into the village. This brought about a quite welcome few miles of road for me to push on along without footing worries in the dark (head torch went off for this whole road stretch as the wet roads glistening in increasing light showed the way).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Then its back to farmland tracks and along a bill brow before dropping into Nunburnholme. A muddy farmyard awaits and some confusion as the path seems to be barriered where it meets the farm drive. last time I was here i ran down this track to ford the beck and then join the main road. After a few minutes back and forth I discover a little bridge tucked away in trees over the beck. Then follows a seemingly pointless run out of the village south, a right turn to round some fields nearly back into the village before entering the woods. Such pointless micro-navigations are a bit annoying the a few hundred yards of quiet road use wouldn't kill us.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I stop to walk up the hill into the woods, taking my time on the climb to have a nibble as I go. Then its back into runnable pastureland, which seems the theme of this second-quarter of the walk before the return to the signature <em>dry valleys</em> at Millington. With all the rain in the long grass, I have very wet feet, but not quite the discomfort or problems associated with complete submersions on difficult ground. Its time to turn off the headtorch for good and have a brief moment of confusion trying to navigate through a farmyard at Lower Warrendale.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CjBkYAXRGxs/Thjr9IRiv0I/AAAAAAAAAKc/fOa_10sO4Ms/s1600/WP_000217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150px" m$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CjBkYAXRGxs/Thjr9IRiv0I/AAAAAAAAAKc/fOa_10sO4Ms/s200/WP_000217.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Now comes what seems like a long climb, maybe completly runnable on fresher legs, but run/walked today. Back up onto the Wolds escarpment proper. I then run along the escarpment taking on energy drink as Millington - surely the prettiest village that the route bypasses - passes below to my left (the early morning, grey sky pic doesn't do it justice). The Wolds way now merges with the <a href="http://www.ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_name=Chalkland+Way">Chalklands way</a> and <a href="http://www.ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_name=Minster+Way">Minster way</a> as I drop steeply to cross a dry dale and 'plug away' up the other side. Many other signposted walks cross or share parts of the WW and one day I hope to do them all. These two offering up 40 and 50 miles of Wolds hills respectively - <em>despite the lack of monster hills and mountain streams this area is pretty generous for the slightly adventurous walker and runner.</em></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NEoBrmKtWaA/ThjslTTgwgI/AAAAAAAAAKg/ae4JVpl456w/s1600/WP_000219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150px" m$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NEoBrmKtWaA/ThjslTTgwgI/AAAAAAAAAKg/ae4JVpl456w/s200/WP_000219.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Millington dale wriggles between the perfectly scultured, almost symetrically steep banks and offers me another short, steep, dip and climb before cutting over the flatter tops and joining Pasture dale - one of many continuations and one drirection from which secluded Millinton can be accessed by road. I just run along the top 'trod' of this dale, scattering and stampeding cows. It still feels uphill, but probably isn't much, its just my tiring legs asking for an energy injection. I had some pasta just a few miles back at the bottom of one of the aforementioned short dips, but I'm getting through energy fast now!</span><br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JEWmlnmjIkM/ThjtKveLZ1I/AAAAAAAAAKk/MYUnk13BgW8/s1600/WP_000222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150px" m$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JEWmlnmjIkM/ThjtKveLZ1I/AAAAAAAAAKk/MYUnk13BgW8/s200/WP_000222.jpg" width="200px" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I'm back on known ground now. I know I need to rattle off a few field edge paths before following a track running north of Huggate. My pace is slowing a bit so I challenge myself to run at over 4mph for the next few miles. This was easy at the start, but now requires a good chunk of running every hour and no luxuriously long breaks when I take on food and drink. Heading north from Huggate its more field edges before a dip back into the dry dales at Horse dale.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">From Horse dale I left turn into Holm dale. On spongy, but uneven dale bottom grass, and with what should be an almost unnoticable climb towards the source of the dale, that 4mph isn't easy. A short, steep climb on</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> leaving the dale brings me onto the track into Fridaythorpe.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_eaktxdNy_c/ThjtlThniNI/AAAAAAAAAKo/AWnjMjoDl7s/s1600/WP_000225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150px" m$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_eaktxdNy_c/ThjtlThniNI/AAAAAAAAAKo/AWnjMjoDl7s/s200/WP_000225.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Running through Fridaythorpe, my first civilisation visit since sunrise, I stop to capture my progress on camera at the <em>near enough</em> halfway sign post. I also send a text to Clare to inform her I've survived the night (but hoping I don't wake her!). I 'take stock', ideally I'd like to be moving with less effort at this stage, but I'm 39m in and pretty happy about my physical state otherwise. The feet feel good, no hotspots or blisters so far as I can tell without removing my shoes and socks. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">The only slight worry is that I am running short of water. I'd figure on drinking a bottle of energy drink every fours hours and slightly less water. Unfortunately and unncessarily - its not hot for a summers night/day - I've hammered my water at the same rate as energy drink and now I need a refill source. Ideally a shop to buy three 500ml bottles. Had there been a shop in Fridaythorpe it was far too early for it to be open.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s4P9w83INYo/ThjuKNowcJI/AAAAAAAAAKs/bWz6dkPBs98/s1600/WP_000226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150px" m$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s4P9w83INYo/ThjuKNowcJI/AAAAAAAAAKs/bWz6dkPBs98/s200/WP_000226.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Away from Fridaythorpe and a further descent into a trademark dry dale. After scattering more sheep I make the shallow climb out of the dale to fields before dropping into one of the many outreaches of Thixendale (enterance to dale pictured). I head for the confluence of the tentacle-like dales where the village sits beneath its 'phone signal blocking' valley walls. Here the rain finally starts to belt down and I quickly remove the jacket to replace with waterproof upper.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Its been light for over three hours by time I enter the village. But, its still early enough for my brief hopes of purchasing food and water to be dashed. To my surprise in this one road, <em>off-the-beaten-track </em>village, there is a shop! The sign outside even says 'open' and points around the back of the house. I walk around, its little more than a conservatory set up as a shop, but I can see inside tantalising glimpses of liquids that would hydrate and food that would nourish. But glimpses are as much as I'll get, the sign on the front obviously isn't changed to closed each night. But the one on the conservatory door is - its closed - not that suprising as its not even 7am yet.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Trudging out of the village and up the steep climb to the next dale my spirits are dampened further by a heavier burst of rain. Nothing I can really do about drinks/food now until I get to Wharram. After this climb and a few short steep undulations I make a significant westward turn along the valley top path and towards the coast. I reaffirm my commitment to hitting a 4 mile hour and get along the occasionally rutted, but otherwise decent and level path along the valley.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">But again my 'quite doable' pace aspiration is tested, this time its a cow. As I approach, most move, but one stands its ground as I run past. Staring at me with its big black eyes it then decided to run after me. Now cows ain't horses, but for a distance they can shift and this one was catching me easily - its intention unknown. Strangely this is a situation I can't remember facing - so I decide to try the "its more scared of you..." theory out, which works on most animals in the britsh wild. I stop turn around, look it in the eyes, point at it and shout ("get back...." or similar). This seems to work, it stops, so I run on. But soon after turning my back it persues again. I repeat the cow threat, possibly twice between getaways. The last time adding walking away backwards facing the 'confused' animal. Once I'm far enough away I turn around and get a good pace on.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TxbRr2JwCTw/ThjugnsFhDI/AAAAAAAAAKw/WykFCvtaiu0/s1600/WP_000227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150px" m$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TxbRr2JwCTw/ThjugnsFhDI/AAAAAAAAAKw/WykFCvtaiu0/s200/WP_000227.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">As I approach the end of the valley I see the old ruined church of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wharram_Percy">Wharram Percy</a>, the only near to complete remnent amongst the deserted medieval village site of archeaological interest. But before I get there, more cows. Slightly frustrated and cautious now, I round them and again find one or two to be aggressive. I get passed and descend through a gauze and small tree-lined bank to find the path of the WW as it goes right passed the church - leaving behind me cows which have decided to stampede down the valley the other way.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">There is a testing march up from the village to a b-road which takes me in the direction of Wharram-le-Street, the surviving neighbour of the deserted medieval village. There is no evidence of a shop or pub at Wharram.... damn..... and a local dog walker confirms when I ask. "I don't suppose you know where the nearest shop is?", there is a pause and I am answered "Norton". <em>Damn..... </em>this is a good 6 miles north-west and the WW is heading east. The lady kindly offers to fill my bottles at her nearby home. With hindsight I should have accepted, but I decided to push on to the next village with my remaining 3/4 full bottle of water and 1/2 full bottle of energy drink - hoping for more luck.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">A steady uphill track leaves the Wharram's behind. I walk and take a small belt of my remaining energy drink to the top of the hill and then get a jog underway as its a pretty good track. Over the top of the hill and then there's a steep little valley to cross and I march up the hill and into a plantation track. The edge of the wolds escarpment appears to my left giving me the impression that I've turned a corner towards the end. Through the woods its onto a steep drop and the next village enters my sites.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">The plod down to Wintringham feels hard work, I slow to take some food and call somebody as its now a sane hour of the morning. The WW leaves this track and diagonals across a field. I spot somebody walking my way and dare to ask if the upcoming village has a shop or other source of drink. Disapointment...... I get some pretty thorough instructions to the nearest village with a shop, but it sounds quite a long way "off piste".</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">What now? Its make or break time. Way too far to persist on without a bit more water - even though its not a hot day, it is summer - and food is getting short too. Do I knock on the door of a local and ask for water? I'd rather not disturb anybodies Saturday morning ritual, but that might be my only option if I decide to go on. The next village is a good few hours onwards from here. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Then a sound enters my conciousness as I near the village.... running water. I stop and turn around to look, water bobbles into a tiny waterfall beneath the wooden bridge I've just crossed. The stream appears to edge the field after coming off the hill. Its not exactly a fast running stream from a Lakeland fell top that would taste fantastic and I wouldn't think twice about drinking from. I guzzle the remnants of my water bottle and fill up here. Just the one bottle, erring on the side of caution, hopefully this will get me to a shop, pub, or guaranteed safe water source.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">The WW planner obviously wasn't keen on any kind of civilisation disturbing the solitude of his walk. Immeadiately on entering Wintringham we head out of the village, only to then follow a track running behind the houses of this one road settlement. But the track soon turns up a hill to a woodland, back to business and I feel better for that full bottle of water too. I soon realise the woodland is a working plantation and just round the corner I'm reminded that the hard work is far from over.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">The sign post points up the hill angled to point upwards at near 45-degrees, as if more emphasis is needed of how steep the track up through an area of chopped down plantation actually is. I adopt the hands on knees, leaned over, push up the hill in a hard march. My task not made easier by the loose ground and dampness caused by yeterdays rain. Speaking of rain, at least this appears to have stopped for now, I thought it never would, the waterproof comes off and my skin breathes easier "hurray!". At the top theres a slight drop to a woodland edge path allowing me to run again. The path is again heading eastward towards my ultimate destination.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9Hd4fxPqN8/Thju-0gUlKI/AAAAAAAAAK0/4f74Rhq27xE/s1600/WP_000229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150px" m$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9Hd4fxPqN8/Thju-0gUlKI/AAAAAAAAAK0/4f74Rhq27xE/s200/WP_000229.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">As I follow the edge of the escarpment a view down the hill on my left to the A64, York - Scarborough road is an encouraging reminder that I'm taking a direct route. Its not quite that easy in reality as the path runs up and down the escarpment to round fields in between heading along the contour lines. This is now the pattern of many miles to come, barely even a village to break the route up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Moving on a few miles there is actually a brief threat of heading down right to the road at Sherburn. I make good pace downhill and then the route makes a swift turn back up the escarpment to make me work hard for pace. A while back I decided to try and hit 4 miles per hour again and including this hill my next hour sees me do about 4.3mph - but work very hard into the bargain. From here on I'm barely able to record over 3mph, often slower, till the end. From Sherburn its about <strong>16m to the end</strong>, but for some reason I had in my head it was 20'ish. A mileage marker wouldn't have gone amiss around here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">After a few up's and down's the route reverts to a bouncy, soft, flat track to Ganton, home of a Championship golf course, which saw the likes of Harry Vardon in past times and even hosted the Ryder Cup in 1949. But I couldn't see that from my route as I dive through a plantation. Now, not only following the WW, but also now the <a href="http://www.ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_name=Centenary+Way+%28North+Yorkshire%29">Centenary Way</a>, which is even longer than the Wolds Way, but with about 2000ft less up and down climb (which might have been nice the way I was feeling at this point). <strong>13m to go....</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Now a challenge I hadn't anticipated, not knowing this section of the route, I was heading back uphill. The last finger post had been for Staxton Wold, which didn't reassure as I guessed this <em>could</em> be at the top of Staxton Hill, the infamous steep road descent day-trippers from the East Riding would travel down on route to Scarborough, Whitby and other East Coast resorts. At this point I text Clare to tell her to add an extra half hour to our meetup time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">On the way up I was again chased by aggressive cows. A few this time, and uphill, the buggers really had it in for me and maybe sensed an easy target. Still this warmed me up nicely for running across the aforementioned road (B1249) down a track passed a farm and towards the RAF Station on the Wold Top. A straight well laid road, but I couldn't run all the way up even though the gradient was slight. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">My water and energy drink are almost gone now and I don't have enough food left for my hourly snack anymore - and what I do have offers up less indulgent portions than in the overnight and morning hours. On top of tired legs and the renewed <em>hilliness</em> of the route the lack of water and food means I'm really on a go slow now. On the positive, the feet aren't in agony from sores or blisters. The upcoming UTLD 100 is a different beast, but I'd take this condition at this mileage in that event this year!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I'm almost at the front gate of RAF Staxton Wold now and don't really like running this close to a military base. My tired mind looks for a sign I've not strayed off-route and am about to get the military welcome from the opposite end of a barrel of a gun. Its ok! I turn right along the front of the base, slowly down the hill towards an east turn that takes ages to arrive. When it does its a short, but hands on knees steep climb!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">The cruel finale goes on with the path crossing several steep mini dips before climbing to a road. A few hundred yards down and I'm off the road again to a gradually steepening dip and after climbing from this, another shocker, the route basically takes a round trip detour of several miles to join what looks on the map like it used to be a continuation of the same track/path. Nice as Camp and Stocking Dale are I'd like to be taking the "as the crow flies" route at this stage.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Now back on track the road gradually begins its descent towards the last village before Filey, Muston. Just outside the village I pass some walkers taking group pictures, the first time I've seen a gathering of more than two people on route - this really was a lonely route - which is just what i'd hoped for. I then lose the path and can't figure how to leave the field. Both gates I can see seem to be locked up, usually a sign I've strayed. I climb a gate to another field..... just topping it I see a large bull hald obscurred by a tree. I swear it was scraping its hoof back in the dust! I quickly backtrack to the other gate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I'm sure this gate isn't right either as I get a belt from the electric fence running in front of it. But it brings me onto the road through Muston to Filey - I'm not going to lose sleep over a minor route infringement at this stage. In the village I pass a pub, too late now, I'm out of water, but with just <strong>3 miles to the end</strong> I'm not going to stop now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I cross a field and join an alleyway back onto the road into Filey. The level of street activity is quite a shock to the system. People out walking the streets, shops aplenty and there even appears to be a <a href="http://www.cycle-route.com/routes/Wetherby_To_Filey_Great_Yorkshire_Bike_Ride-Cycle-Route-987.html">cycling event riding into town</a>. I stop at a shop and grab a coke to give me a boost for the closing miles. I can't help feeling I like Filey as I plod/walk towards the seafront, all very clean and without the <em>shabby</em> look of many British coastal resorts. I also pass a divin smelling fish and chip shop, where aforementioned cyclists are gathering.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0vqSdeAQ5kw/ThjvdmsQECI/AAAAAAAAAK4/93IBPIttQQQ/s1600/WP_000230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150px" m$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0vqSdeAQ5kw/ThjvdmsQECI/AAAAAAAAAK4/93IBPIttQQQ/s200/WP_000230.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I'd like to end here, on the promenade, in the park, near the bandstand. But, the route ends officially at Filey Brigg, so I plod another mile up there to plod back again. At this stage I even manage a little run there and back. When Clare arrives I'm plonked down in the park. I'm glad to see her, its very nice to be picked up as its a fair mileage back to Hull and who knows with public transport! I show my appreciation with Fish, Chips, mushy peas, scraps and a bread bun x2 for us. a sizable portion of tasty Fish and chips, looking out over the sea, is exactly the way <strong>all journeys should end!</strong></span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">78m - 19 hrs - 8000ft+ ascent and descent. An excellent and perhaps under-appreciated long distance trail.</span></strong>Woldsman Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233544147672776357noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958187651064200813.post-32518796821448062882011-06-22T05:13:00.000-07:002011-06-22T05:13:55.404-07:00I O U<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1. The end of the Coast to Catterick report through pictures. Not forgotten, just not got round to it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">2. A report on my Wolds Way attempt - coming soon.</span>Woldsman Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233544147672776357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958187651064200813.post-62494269319880378432011-06-04T15:52:00.000-07:002011-06-04T16:02:28.912-07:00Perfect day<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well nearly, started off warm but still - a bit too warm for carefree running with pack, on hills, even at 10am. Great light for pictures though, making the Wolds look <em>glossy green. S</em>o I snapped a bit of todays out and back 20.3 miles along the Wolds way. Towards the end it clouded over a bit and a breeze appearerd as if I was being rewarded for my efforts. A good run. Tired calves by end, but no niggling right shin pain which is promising.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A steep, if short climb out of Woodale up towards Mt Airey.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Quirky woodwork in Little Wold Plantation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Flowers in the fields at the High Hunsley Beacon. The high point of todays route at a mere 530 feet. But the culmination of one of 11 distinct climbs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">About to descend into picturesque and peaceful Swindale and disturb the tranquility of the local sheep population.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">After the turnaround, climbing out of Coomber dale.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Descending from Litte Wold to climb Great Wold (ahead right). South Cave nestles to the right. Beyond this fields, the Humber and Lincolnshire are visible.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e6TxA0u1_eo/Teqzw8ugYXI/AAAAAAAAAKI/j2bOFDgLOqA/s1600/WP_000211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e6TxA0u1_eo/Teqzw8ugYXI/AAAAAAAAAKI/j2bOFDgLOqA/s200/WP_000211.jpg" t8="true" width="200px" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The Airfield on top of Great Wold, a few propeller planes were out today. I saw one coming into land today - a first for me whilst running around here - coming in low over the Plantation sheltering the hill top airfield.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">A nice day out to test myself on small hills after a conspicuous lack of 20 milers since my Coast to Coast run. Lots of climbs to 350-530ft, with descents back well below 200 before climbing again in a quick succesion - meaning over 3000ft of climb without too much hardship.</span>Woldsman Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233544147672776357noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958187651064200813.post-12186509553592711082011-05-17T05:00:00.000-07:002011-06-04T15:55:30.067-07:00Coast to..... Catterick<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I attempted to run/walk the Wainwright Coast to Coast route during the <em>hot, </em>easter bank holiday. It provided a sublime challenge and an interesting route through the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales. Unfortunately due to an ankle pain I withdrew just after the start of my fourth day near Catterick - having started in St Bees on the West Coast - so never made the North York Moors section. Still that is over 120 miles and getting on for 40 hours on feet, so I gave it a good go. Mark, who I was running with went on and arrived mid afternoon on his fifth day, at Robin Hoods bay - over 190 miles, I joined him for a few pints!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The ankle doesn't seem too bad now, but I've adopted a sensible approach to managing it - no Fellsman and likely no LDWA 100 mile challenge either. This is all disappointing, but I've decided to prioritise the <a href="http://www.lakeland100.com/">UTLD</a> in late July and the <a href="http://www.ultratrailmb.com/">UTMB </a>in late August.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Below I'll add some choice pictures from route. Enjoy :¬)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Something special in Carlisle station</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Looking back over St Bees from the headland at the start of day 1</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Our first hill climb, Dent</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Ennerdale, our entry to Lakeland</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Looking towards Black sail YHA and the end of Ennerdale after a long, hot trudge along its length on an unusually hot April day. Luckily we'd found an ice cold waterfall to refill from along the way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Leaving Ennerdale the hardway over towards Borrowdale. Though there isn't an 'easy way' from the east end of this dale to any of the neighouring dales I'm aware of! We were suffering at this point having left lunch very late. A panini at the Slate mine visitor centre really perked us up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">'Scene-stealing' Eagle Crag after Stonewhaite valley.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Greenup Edge, part of the last long climb of the day before our descent to our overnight stop in Grasmere. We arrived back just in time for a quick wash before catching the 9pm last food orders at a local pub - having been out over 12 hours and covering about 40 miles.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-afLaIl9jpXQ/Tej0qUAYK_I/AAAAAAAAAJM/Li6RXO1Fg6w/s1600/WP_000052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-afLaIl9jpXQ/Tej0qUAYK_I/AAAAAAAAAJM/Li6RXO1Fg6w/s200/WP_000052.jpg" t8="true" width="200px" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Day 2 - Heading up alongside Tongue Gill towards <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grisedale_Tarn">Grisedale Tarn</a>. At this time of the day most of the sheep are still laying in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Into the clouds, still a way off the top. Thankfully it was cooler today as we had two big climbs in the first half of todays 43-or-so-mile haul.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x0C3T4eoR7I/Tej4qQMVeyI/AAAAAAAAAJU/pK3L1j6tXws/s1600/WP_000057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x0C3T4eoR7I/Tej4qQMVeyI/AAAAAAAAAJU/pK3L1j6tXws/s200/WP_000057.jpg" t8="true" width="200px" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The start of the long descent to 'green' Patterdale.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kF6Wux9RibM/Tej5KR09d1I/AAAAAAAAAJY/EAAJ8quY1sY/s1600/WP_000058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kF6Wux9RibM/Tej5KR09d1I/AAAAAAAAAJY/EAAJ8quY1sY/s200/WP_000058.jpg" t8="true" width="200px" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A welcome surprise on the way down. The recently renovated Ruthwaite Lodge (climbers hut) had been borrowed by fundraisers. One of whom had made several trips up from patterdale with cakes and coffee and water for tea (heavy) the previous day and earlier today. We contributed and got a cake and brew. I hope their efforts were rewarded by the many daywalkers and C2C'ers on route that day!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Dollywaggon Pike, High Crag and Nethermost Pike behind us as we descend into Grisedale.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Leaving Patterdale behind. The water in view is the southern tip of Ullswater.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nc1-wsMsMB8/TeqlMB3v5MI/AAAAAAAAAJk/614yw1FI74o/s1600/WP_000063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nc1-wsMsMB8/TeqlMB3v5MI/AAAAAAAAAJk/614yw1FI74o/s200/WP_000063.jpg" t8="true" width="200px" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Angle Tarn, an interesting feature on route over our second high pass of the day. On the way to the Knott we somehow got sidetracked and climbed Rest Dodd instead! No great harm done though as we were able to descend along the wall and we cut as close to the fall at Rampsgill Head as we dared to steal some distance back on route to the highest point on route - Kidsty Pike.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">cont.....</span>Woldsman Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233544147672776357noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958187651064200813.post-77426466762437608782011-05-01T13:59:00.000-07:002011-05-03T06:56:14.007-07:00Its been awhile<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've struggled a bit for inspration and a lot for time to blog recent events. So here is my summary.</span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6xsUQgORA1A/TcAI-9u9jpI/AAAAAAAAAIo/kQC03kIOY_o/s1600/losg.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238px" j8="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6xsUQgORA1A/TcAI-9u9jpI/AAAAAAAAAIo/kQC03kIOY_o/s320/losg.bmp" width="320px" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">Early March saw what felt like a well earned rest from training and holiday from work. Behind the tourism I learned Tenerife has a lot to offer the hill runner. I didn't run much, but in my jaunts from my hotel in Los Gigantes there was a great climb of about 400ft in less than a mile just to get to the road to the next town, which was itself a tad undulating. My last mornings training run saw me keep heading out of town along the winding road into the hills to the next town. A bracing 1000ft in less than 3.5m and the same descent to follow. So, no trail running, no problem.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The potential of Tenerife doesn't end there. In the centre of this comparatively small Island, ringed by peaks sits the Las Canadas caldera - at over 2000 metres - and somewhere in the middle the highest peak - Mt Teide at about 3718m. <em>Not a little bit impressed?</em> Well remember Ben Nevis only pokes up to 1344 metres and the highest peak in europe - Mt Blanc - is less than 1100 metres higher. <em>Ultra Tour de Tenerife</em> anybody?</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Only a few weeks later I was back testing myself in the UK on paths and trails sitting atop the North York Moors. Last years freezing cold, 'clag down', conditions were replaced with quite the opposite this year. Slightly pleasing is that I was faster on nearly every section this year than last. But the full story saw me tired by Osmotherley and haemorraging pace over the tough 20m to Kildale. 12hrs5mins was an improvement on last year, but I felt a bit disapointed with a less than 30min improvement given the conditions and another year of experiance and training.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I got a bit of salvation in my next ultra a few weeks later. Another sunny day - <em>were going to pay big time for all this weather 'luck' soon!</em> - for the Calderdale Hike. 36 or so miles of self navigating along a pleseantly challenging and varied route in Calderdale and the Pennines. I'd enjoyed this one last year and this year I had a good run, keeping a good pace and achieving a 7:14 time for 36.6m. Being not far over the 36m 'advertised' meant some savvy navigating and a few cock-ups too, but overall a good day running. Making good pace in a good group of 4 runners for the latter miles. This route which visits Stoodley Pike, Thievely pike and Sunny bank amongst other climbs will be changed for next years event. A bit of a shame, but who knows, there could be another classic in the pipeline.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Next up came a 5 day Coast to Coast attempt. I'll save this one for the next post.</span>Woldsman Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233544147672776357noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958187651064200813.post-29442135214796142752011-02-25T08:39:00.000-08:002011-02-25T08:39:29.153-08:00February - part 1 of 2.... or maybe just 1 if I'm too busy/lazy<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The months started hot on Tuseday 1st when I did the my club's 2.9m handicap league race. I put plenty in, keeping just shy of a "blow-up" pace, but keeping close to 6min/miles on garmin for the first downhill mile. Mile 1 ends on a short uphill I blasted through, already catching people. Mile 2 also feels downhill with a steady descent for much of it with just a bit back up, still close to 6's. Last mile is tough, with a along, but steady climb or flat most of the way. I kept my foot down as long as possible as my knees started to splay sideways, but achieved what I've never before on the undulating circuit. Sub 18, in fact 17:49 officially, inside last month by 37seconds and I really went hard then. My best ever time by 14secs. Really pleased with that, the endurance training with just one long speed/tempo sesh per week is obviously doing me good at all distances. Whoever said long slow running makes a long slow runner (though this is all relative as I am still v.slow to some).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first long event of the month 4 days later saw me return to Guiseley for the LDWA event that started the whole long distance, off-road, love affair for me - the Rombalds Stride. I've been a constant participant since 2007. Towards the shorter end of the scale as <em>challenge</em> events go at 22m and the hill profile isn't the nastiest either. However, the X Factor - sorry! - of this one is the effect the weather has. Not just on the runner/walker on the day, but also what it has done to the ground. Incorporating a massive, horseshoe shaped mooland section for about mile 4 to 17 there has usually been some challenge thrown up each year. Sometimes it is thick snow, ice, other times wind, rain, and last year we had thick fog - to make me doubt route choices on a route I know pretty well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This year the snow of November, December in the east was seemingly unmatched in West Yorkshire. And there seemingly hadn't been a big dump of it since. This doesn't necessarily make things easier. Warmer conditions and some rain just means the mud-baths, which account for paths aren't "firmed up" at all. Would you rather slog through snow or slog through deep mud? its a personal preference, but neither is easy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">As it happens I may be a 'mud' man. Ran a strong run over the middling long moorland section. Despite bringing up gallons of gunk from my nose and mouth, which appears to be a failed cold, i.e. never slowed me down, but outwardly sounded crap and was stuffed up. Through the villages and towns post-moor and pre-Chevin - a nice steep sting in tail hands-on-knees climb I seized a bit in the legs, but the pace was good if not fast. After an energetic march up the Chevin - catching tiring others as wasthe pattern of the last few miles - I even found pace for the final mile or so downhill run to the finish. A good start to the month.... and year - 3:53, my first sub-4 here and route best by 15mins or so.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The next week saw something completly different a road run at a set distance of half marathon. Not an obscure 2.9ish miles, or 20 something miles off-road, but 13.1m, a chance for a PB at a distance a road runner would recognise and understand. This was the Liversedge Half Marathon, run amongst the bumps and lumps of West Yorkshire near Huddersfield. After watching and being slightly inspired by the <em>pros</em> at the UKA indoor Championships in Sheffield on the Saturday I had prepared well with a Vindaloo-strength curry the night before and a fry up for breakfast, just the ticket! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Anyway, after a first mile where I held back amongst the sub-6 min/mile "cavalry charge" of those around me down the initial hills, I soon settled into a pace close to 7's. I maintained this until biting nearly 10secs a mile back just before halfway on a long 1/6 downhill where I played to my descending strengths. I also made good account on the courses own "hill from hell" barely a mile later. A short attack of the hill we'd just descended on another road, but not long, a mere bump compared to some of the hills I've tackled in the past year or two. My up and downhill running both gave me strength over those around me, who I'd hold on the flat and move away from on hill.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I expected the slowdown, energy drain, but it never really came. I maintained a similar pace most of the way, only loosing slightly on uphills. I even bought back a few more seconds during mile 11, but mile 12 and 13 didn't have many easy seconds. In fact 13 seemed uphill most the way. This could be considered cruel for a road race, but I wasn't bothered.... <strong>the PB was on</strong>..... and I held pace to finish in about 1:31:55. I was dead chuffed with this, 25secs inside the PB set at a faster Liversedge course back in March 2009. More evidence that big miles at suitable pace with limited, but quality long speedwork sessions will improve race times at all distances. The 'less injury potential route' than doing several speedwork sessions per week, which I seemed to have fizzled out at following a series of similar results in 10ks around the 41/42 min mark.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The next weekend saw something completley different still - <em>no running</em>. Well 2.5m to be exact. After nearly 40m midweek I was tired so I went out on Friday night and drank a fair bit, had a good time and then slept in. I ran the aforeentioned 2.5m, with slightly tender tum, early saturday afternoon in the brief window between clearing the friends from my house/squat and the other half coming around. I didn't fancy doing more that day anyway. On Sunday I laid in again and then attended a family do which went on late. So no running again... back to it next week. Maybe I needed the rest, my left calve had been pulling a bit during speedwork on Thursday after 5 days straight running, the first day being that half. I'd even turned down an invitation to take part in the National XC's from club, due to my concern.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The relative lack of long, off-road runs this month makes for an <em>odd</em> stat in my running log. My average pace for a run in February thus far, usually 10-min miles and above most months, is quite close to starting with a <strong>seven?!</strong></span>Woldsman Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00233544147672776357noreply@blogger.com1