Lakeland 4 Passes (LDWA)

Sorry guys, the forecast was looking too promising for Saturday so a late entry was procured. The route starts in Rosthwaite and it's up and over Styhead, Blacksail, Scarth Gap and Honister in that order. 18m and 5400ft, not bad seeming as though you don't touch any summits.

Last Saturday with a heavy pack I reckon I'd managed to cover about 16.5m and 4500ft, so I gave myself a 6hr target at a nice steady pace with time to take a couple of piccies.

So of to a good start with 4 snaps before the off!

Now the fun begins. Notice how there are nice straight tyre tracks leading to my car and a load of squiggly ones to the others! Little red car did a full 360, plus a few forwards/backs to finally get parked!

Some assistance required!

I did take a few more snaps at Stoney Bridge just before the climb up to Styhead but still getting used to my new phone and they didn't save. Didn't stop for long enough to get the phone out again until I got to the third checkpoint at Gatesgarth. So here's a final one taken with a view over Buttermere

A big thanks to the organizers for a fabulous route. Thoroughly enjoyed my day out, nice to enjoy the company of other runners/walkers on an official event without the usual racing stress. Oh except for my own self-imposed little target, which I undercut by 30mins. Job done!

STOP PRESS

The 'String Vest' is making a comeback as a new technical garment, with an eye-watering price to match. On my warm-down lap round Keswick town centre I came across a new outdoor store just across the road from George Fisher. (Used to be a bed/bath shop I think)

It's called Nordicoutdoor and it's selling Scandinavian Outdoor gear. So in I go for a bit of a mooch. Front of shop mostly Haglofs gear, but in the back room is where they keep all the baselayers. Well gobsmacked is not the word. Not only top halfs, but bottoms as well!!

To save you a trip to Keswick here's a bit of an idea as to what I came across
http://www.nordicoutdoor.co.uk/aclima/coolnet.html

and for when it gets a bit chilly

http://www.nordicoutdoor.co.uk/aclima/woolnet.html

TF

Today

Turned up to run solo but met EtU and YJ at the barn. Ed kindly joined me to hang around for the morning while YJ set off on his own continuing his recovery. First to the Pike and Two Lads where EtU left me to do his own circuit meeting up again somewhere near to Montcliffe quarry. Then it was Winter Hill and Noon Hill taking time out to recce the higher route between the two. From Noon Hill went by the “sheep’s back” and to the top car park where EtU left me to go towards the Pike. I returned to the barn. Must loose some weight.

8.61 miles.

YJ asked me to record the pace per mile. It was 19.31mins. with a fastest mile of 8.05 mins. (Can’t imagine where that was.) 1660 feet climb/descent. You must find these stats encouraging YJ.

Rab Mountain Marathon Map
http://www.darkandwhite.co.uk/uploads/Rab_MM_wmap_2012.jpg
I'm out for a brief utup tonight, poss looking to do some reps! TF

Early Morning Sunshine

What a morning Tuesday was – up early to get a few shots on the way into work – couple more if it’s of interest

Haigh  -  sunshine and shadows

Old mine ventilation shaft - Haigh

Mesnes Park – dashing into college, as I was

Colour splash

Frost

Dog Walkers meet up

Aspull – Sunday Run

Another great to be out day – more here : )

 

Early sunshine

… on the bus Graveyard

with the mist coming in late morning

Rab Mountain Marathon 6th/7th October - The Cheviot's

A fine weekend of bracken bashing, heather hoping and a tiny bit of running, generally in the right direction. I'd set off with no high hopes of matching last years' effort, so was chuffed to end the first day as 2nd FV like last year.

My tent was pitched amongst a coterie of proper orienteerers (including KLM, Albert and Mark), who seemed suitably impressed with the size of the porch and envious about the wine I'd bought as one of my luxuries. I'm not letting on what the other luxuries were, can't be giving away too many secrets.

A chilly start on the second day, cold hands don't make light work of packing a frost-laden tent. But grateful when I finally got everything back in the rucksack and could set off to find my way back to the car, via a few hills on the way. KLM had made an early start after having had a tough and very painful first day aggravating his Achilles tendon half way in to the 6hrs allowed. So a very brave effort to continue on for a second day of more of the same.

Back to base by 1:30pm for me and so began the anxious wait to see if I'd done enough to maintain 2nd place. At 3pm final confirmation that I'd done it, by a small margin of 3pts. After a year of more downs than ups, this really had come out of the blue. The obligatory piccie taken, we were taken off to be given our prize, I came away with one of these in a nice cerise colour http://rab.uk.com/products/womens-clothing/soft-shell_1/women-s-sawtooth-jacket.html . Wore it in to work today just to prove that all this running lark sometimes pays off occasionally.

Results can be found here http://www.sportident.co.uk/results/2012/RabMM/

TF

Two days in a weekend so two races

Had to miss my first Saturday UTUP in awhile as I'd decided to support the club in the Mid Lancs XC league, one of only five men and four women to do so, such was the excess of events this weekend. I arrived in abnormally good time, thanks to giving Christa a lift. Lots of chatting before eventually getting underway with my main competitors being Pete Ramsdale, who I expected to be a few minutes in front of me, but you never know, and Paul Murray, who usually comes flying past me in the second half. Throughout I also had a battle with YJ's clubmate and 80s Horwich member Barry Chester. You think the course is flat but it surprising how the inclines add up to give 600ft of climb. I used my Garmin more to control my heart rate pace throughout and this seemed to work as I was left with a bit of energy in the last half mile to get to sub 6:30 miling for awhile. In the end Barry just got past me in the final 200 metres whilst I managed a gap of ten seconds in front of Paul. Shame that EYJ is still in recovery mode - that would have made for an even more interesting battle. I'm happy with 50:08 for a six mile cross country - I'd be happy enough to get sub 50 on the road so that's okay.

Today brought the Gin Pit 5 over near Atherton. Were it not in the Central Lancs Grand Prix, I don't think I'd bother with this race but it manages to attract nearly 190 runners. This trail race was even muddier than the cross country : one runner I noticed was speckled in mud from head to toe. My right leg was expressing its concern about the madness of back to back races but nevertheless I toed the line and set off at an easy pace. Failing to recharge my Garmin, my pace was down to what was in my head but it seemed to work relatively well as I managed to gradually work though the field rather than being overtaken. A shoelace dysfunction about half way round meant I passed Barry Allman twice and just managed to hold off a Bolton girl on the final climb much to the disgust of her clubmate/coach who was pacing her up the final climb. From last year's log it had 700 ft of climb and I've slowed by two and a half minutes in the past year.

Horderns, Belmont, Winter Hill, Smthills Res, Winter Hill, Two Lads – Saturday 6th October

A good to be alive and running morning on our local hills.  A twelve mile meander with Ed, my apologies for stopping to take so many pics but it was just too good not to.   Bit more of a write up in the usual place.

Very promising view from the bedroom window – and it didn’t disappoint

Few shots from the road opposite the Barn

Above and below – path to Lower Houses

Negotiating the style into the sunshine

Approaching Dangerous Corner

Inversion – looking out to Holcombe Tower

Higher Pasture Barn

Approaching the ‘island’ on the Blue Lagoon

On the ‘Island’

St Peter’s. Belmont from the ‘Island’ on the Blue Lagoon

The Cascades down to the Blue Lagoon below Winter Hill

Looking out to Higher Pasture Barn from Winter Hill

Preston North End with dappled sunshine from Winter Hill

 

 

Leaving the trigpoint – having bravely despatched the squirrel

Reflections

Looking over Smithills Res

A shower beyond the moors

This Week

UTUPing Thursday 4th and Saturday 6th.

Healey Nab, Great Hill, Round Loaf, The Pike

Late posting of Saturday’s run with more details at Out and About

Old mine ventilation shaft on way to Healey Nab

The circus from Healey Nab

Drinkwaters

Here he comes…   climbing Great Hill

From Great Hill

Looking across to Hurst Hill from Round Loaf

From Bomber Memorial

Matt heads down from Pigeon Tower

Round Loaf from Pigeon Tower

From steps up to Pike – above and below

The Main Group/Senior Squad/Grown Ups

To answer YJ's question about playing with the big boys (and girls):- The six of us set off for Healey Nab with Relentless of Aspull (aka NLN) as ever, setting the pace. I kept young Christa company at the back. However she soon gave her apologies and turned for home. Was it something I'd said? No, she was only just returning from injury and having been misinformed by t'Y about our kick-off time she had turned turned up at 8:00 so had already done half an hour and needed to run home after.

On Healey Nab CW turned for home, as did t'Y soon after.

Heading to Great Hill via White Coppice we were caught up by FSS who kept us company until we met JtE near the top. Spitlers didn't appeal, so we set off for the Bomber Memorial via Round Loaf.

Shortest route back to Rivi village where NLN and Matt turned towards the Pike, NLN with the intent of summiting and Matt with the intent of summat.

I went straight back to the cars. About 11.25 miles in 2:58 - must try harder.

Anyone got further stats fot YJ?

Pictures?

Fame at Last!

Thought you may be amused by this email that I received from a work colleague:-

Hi Ed

I had a very interesting and equally hilarious conversation with my boys this morning about you.

When we had seen you this morning (Friday) my eldest boy J said “ oh my god mum do you know him?”

To which I obviously replied yes I work with him, he is a manager at my works.

J then said “but mum ….that is…The famous blackrod jogger!! We always see him, he runs all the time. I’ve never seen him walking!”

Which made me laugh…..then my little boy T said “does he run at work….what does he look like when he walks?” ha ha

Just thought you would like to know that the children of blackrod think you’re a famous jogger!! Ha ha (in a nice way obviously!)

G.

Slow recovery

No report yet of Saturday's outing by the main group. The recovery section completed a 5.5 mile low level route round Rivington and Horwich finishing with a climb up the Pike and descent through the gardens.  Time had improved by four minutes over two weeks ago.  If someone from the senior squad could  provide stats it would give me a target to aim for with a view to rejoining the grown ups.

My over 70s record for the Macclesfield half marathon got well and truly hammered this weekend with a time of 1hr 33mins by Ken Burgess of  Altrincham