Flood warnings all day yesterday so I took a route in that swung past the river to see how it was...high, but not as high as the last few times we've flooded in Hebden Bridge. It appears that the EPA flood alleviation scheme may have worked somewhat.

Yesterday 8.5km easy zone 1 running.

Today 3km back from the garage (MOT) with a hill rep session planned later today.

Another 4k pootling repeat of the week 4 plan though this time in the sunshine an not even a twinge from the ankle so onto week 5.

Had to drop my long run today. Shame but life gets in the way.

Hill session yesterday was reasonably brutal. Not so much the session, but the weather. The hill I use it quite close to the skyline above Hebden and is normally out of the wind - it was like a funnel last night. 1 degree air temp and wind, I was wearing all the layers I had brought while doing hill Reps and still couldn’t stay warm. Finished the session then had a jelly leg run home down the hill.

Made the stupid mistake of not eating for 4 hours after the session and ended up shivering in the kitchen while making pizza dough for the family. Stupid mistake, think I’d not eaten by for about 8 hours total *facepalm*

Went out to get my first Turf zones, so thanks Greg as I would have struggled for motivation otherwise. There are only a few zones on the Island and mostly in or near Bembridge. I'd planned a loop of about 12 miles to collect two, both at the top of Culver Down. The car park at Yaverland was heaving with people, the path climbs up to the Down from the car park and none of the walkers seemed to make it past the first little climb before turning back so from then on I had the path to myself.

The gradient to start isn't too bad but the last 1/3 mile climbs 200 ft which is steep for these parts. Once at the top the zone was Bembridge Fort, It was then along the top to the Culver Monument for zone 2. I was so excited by this I headed onward to Bembridge Windmill, zone 3. All I had to do then was run home. In the end I covered just over 17 miles, 1500 ft of climbing, got a bonus top 10 on Strava, and a nice morning out in the sun

What's a turf zone please?

I'd never heard of it until Greg mentioned it, it's an app that's a game where you go to locations, wait there for a short while and then it's yours and you get points, someone else can go there and steal it from you.

https://turfgame.com/

sean_iow wrote: ↑Sat Jan 23, 2021 8:18 pm I'd never heard of it until Greg mentioned it, it's an app that's a game where you go to locations, wait there for a short while and then it's yours and you get points, someone else can go there and steal it from you.

https://turfgame.com/

Ok, cheers, that sounds fun. Sort of like the civilized human version of going round the neighborhood weeing on lamppost s to mark your territory?

Verena wrote: ↑Sat Jan 23, 2021 8:38 pm Sort of like the civilized human version of going round the neighborhood weeing on lamppost s to mark your territory?

I never said I didn't wee at each location to mark it as well

This Place gets weirder and weirder by the day .

Verena wrote: ↑Sat Jan 23, 2021 8:38 pm Ok, cheers, that sounds fun. Sort of like the civilized human version of going round the neighborhood weeing on lamppost s to mark your territory?

Is that the analogue version?

Turf is just a different form of orienteering, big in Scandi regions.

Two hours quite easy today - 16km 550m climb - wanted to get out after feeling like pants for the past 24 hours. Snow up high, ice down low, was nice.

Yesterdays... I had an unexpected site visit to St Lawrence so my post-work run started from just down the road from the house I'd been to. The boss said it was a second home and empty so I changed at work and went to do the survey in my running kit, so obviously the owners were in

A gentle start along the coastal path which is along the top of the cliff to Ventnor. Due to the steepness of the slope the roads in Ventnor so a alpine pass kind of zig zag up the hill, the Victorian's kindly constructed steps that short-cut these and allow much faster upward progress, albeit at the trade off of burning legs as I ran up flight after flight. Once at the top of the town I got to the main event, and the reason I'd gone this way, the climb straight up to the top of Ventnor Down. The Strava segment says it's 0.53 miles and 427 feet. That doesn't do it justice as I'd say 90% of the climbing is done in the first half as the last section is only a gentle slope. It's obvious why the fell racing uses this route. There had been snow up here overnight but by the time I got there it was just about gone, this is the largest patch I could find, not quite Scotland



It was then the simple matter if running west back along the top of the downs, with the odd up and down, then drop back to the coast to get back to the car. I decided to drop right back down to sea level just to get to run up the concrete road which goes down to the bay, I was rewarded with the sunset*



It was only 7 miles in total but just under 1300 ft of climbing so not too bad for here.

* Enhanced version for the Instagram generation This is the version the IOW Tourist Board use in the brochure, see above for reality.

With the amount of ice and snow still around, my route options are currently very limited. The safest bet is sticking to the pavements so I ran run down through the back of the village and into Inverdruie today. I had to dodge a few icy patches (well – hard, trodden snow I guess) and made it back just before it started snowing again.

Happy #coosday

Who's your be-sporraned friend?

RIP wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 9:08 pm Who's your be-sporraned friend?

That's Archie. Gatekeeper here: https://ardlogie.co.uk/

The end of teaching run. 1415 with video and sound on mute and I'm pulling the laces tight on my fell shoes. I've been sat at a desk again since 0730 trying to get any student to talk. Infuriating. I'm done with it. 1430, class ends, I say bye and walk out the door locking it behind me.

It's only an hour run and it's supposed to be easy. Straight up the hill through the quarry, quickest way onto the moor. 20 minutes and I'm at the trig point. Ice, snow, clag it has it all today. Easy running along the top before I pop back onto the Pennine Way. Tracking down into the woods dodging ice and the inevitable tumble into the clough it would deliver. Turn left onto Mmmmbop and follow the tyre tracks of a previous generation.

Forgotten about the BS of the desk now. Stop and watch the waterfall for a moment before the last descent into town. Wash shoes. Was me. Drink coffee. Wait for the family to come home. 9.8km, 370m of vertical, 1 hour.

ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 9:02 pm With the amount of ice and snow still around, my route options are currently very limited.

Inov-8 Arctic Claws or any other dobbed orienteering shoe are your answer. Failing that, you can take old shoes and put stubby screws in, or splurge on the set that La Sportiva make, Ice is not a limiting factor in running. Just footwear.

GregMay wrote: ↑Wed Jan 27, 2021 9:26 am

ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 9:02 pm With the amount of ice and snow still around, my route options are currently very limited.

Inov-8 Arctic Claws or any other dobbed orienteering shoe are your answer. Failing that, you can take old shoes and put stubby screws in, or splurge on the set that La Sportiva make, Ice is not a limiting factor in running. Just footwear.

Yeah, I've been considering options. It's just that balance of "would I get enough use to justify the expense" - and I'm a prevaricator at the best of times

Fair point. My "winter" running shoes are 4 years old now - originally bought to stop "old man fall down on ice" incidents again. Buggered my back one winter. They've lasted well.

I managed 8.4km on snowy/icy pavements using those slip-on spike things. First 1.6km was pulling a mini-Landslide to nursery on a sledge - that was one of the best commutes ever!

GregMay wrote: ↑Wed Jan 27, 2021 11:36 am Fair point. My "winter" running shoes are 4 years old now - originally bought to stop "old man fall down on ice" incidents again. Buggered my back one winter. They've lasted well.

Yeah, I guess I should look on it like spiked tyres. Those on my wee SS must be 12 years old.

I’d avoided running for a few days for similar reasons to above so it was good to get out at lunchtime. What was meant to be 5/3/5/3/5 run/walk turned into a jumbled mess due to phone calls

PaulB2 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 27, 2021 3:07 pm I’d avoided running for a few days for similar reasons to above so it was good to get out at lunchtime. What was meant to be 5/3/5/3/5 run/walk turned into a jumbled mess due to phone calls

Phone on silent. Rule 1 if running or riding. It’s your time. Make it yours. I’ve been pretty brutal to some mates over the years when they’ve taken work calls during play time.

Work life balance is so important. And yes, I have been self employed as a freelancer and understand - but no, put the phone on silent.

1415 and so endeth the lesson.
1430 and so endeth emails.
Mac on sleep.
Lock the office door.
Grab fell shoes from room next door.
1442 GPS acquired now Running.

Avoid town, straight up the quarry, up the trail where we recovered the lady after a fall (dead), up onto the soaking wet climbers trail. Pushing it a bit in the conditions but I know it well, probably won’t fall again. Into the woods and picking up speed before I slow for the farmers gates. Pennine Way, cross over the Clough and back up again, climbing to Blackshaw on the race route.

I want to go to Jumble Hole. I want that exposed feeling running in the not quite there trail. I want the possibility of a fall, I want to run like I’m in the mountains I need something that is not tame. Pushing it as I descend into Jumble, pass someone having a sub standard in a really open place, don’t stop, just laugh a bit, down down down until the waterfall. You have to stop at the waterfall. See three deer. Pushing again. Valley trails again, tamer, stick to the hidden things.

10.5km, 1h 10, 418m vert.