Today's Run

[redefined_cycles]

Getting the pack ready for an 11 miler to the dentists today. But, waterproofs (top and bottom) with spare shoes and a 710ml bottle, means I'm over capacity for the small 18L Montane pack.

Gonna repack into the Osprey (which will be nice as it's more form fitting) and grab some spare gloves. Ran up some stairs after work the other day. 7 flights x about 30. Gave me roughly 300m+ of elevation in just 1km of going up - not incoud8ng the other km going back down carefully.

Legs weren't feeling too bad at the time, but a day or 2 later and their a bit borderline-siezing. So will continue to stretch as able. Getting there, slowly but Shirley.

[PaulE]

Did my club Monday night race today (there's an option to run it alone and send a time in before Thursday ends), with a short run either side to/from the car. Straight up the side of kinder scout, long speedy descent and then a speedy traverse back to the finish. Decided there wasn't enough hill, so went back to the car via an extra climb (lockerbrook farm, to the north of the snake pas for those who are local) followed by the flying descent to hagg farm where I'd parked. 10.5km, 480m climb and probably some achey legs for tomorrow's ride to work!

[redefined_cycles]

Ran to the dentist today which is 11.1 miles away. Via the trails and plenty of mud, which meant I may have gotten late for my 1545 appointment. Bus caught once on the main road in the destists town.

8.7 miles of 1039ft of uphill. 2h29 mins of total time which included having to turn around where the HS1 lot had setup shop. Have just looked at the cutoff times on the Yorkshire Marathon - though I'll not be carrying as much gear so hopes are good - and it's an 0930 start with feed stations (FS) and cutoff as below:

FS1 - 8.2 miles - cutoff 1230
FS2 - 15.3 miles - cutoff 1330
FS3 @ 18.4 miles - cutoff 1415
FS4 @ 21.7 miles - cutoff 1500
FS5 @ 23.9 miles - cutoff 1545

Looks like I'm gonna have to work very hard for it as I'm currently just at the bare minimum pace. But that's on an 8 miler (albeit a bit soggy and taking some wrong turns whilst carrying spare down jacket & shoes).


My usual local mtb course. Nice to see I made a good choice of leaving it for this winter. Always sodden and orrible.


Looks like there were diversion signs out afterall. But no help to me as I was coming the opposite way where I'd taken my wrong turns.


Nice downhill. Had to be careful, though that mud doesn't last here.


Somewhere I've never been as it's a footpath. So I usually take a right turn before getting this far after the last rocky climb behind me. Thankfully I've never tried owt cheeky as it gets orrible.


Thanks to em putting a track over the swamp!


Standing on the last slab before figuring out how to make this jump. All soft earth trying to eat you up and the slab I'm stood on is very wobbly due to the watery earth!


Again, somewhere I've never been just before I rejoin the bridleway of 'my local'.


Coming down, this chap coming up and slowed down for me. Couldn't get himself going for a while due to the mud/gradient. But got there in the end.

[redefined_cycles]

Pure trail today. With the backback and a 600ml water bottle.

4.46 miles; 1,076ft of up and 1h 02 mins. I transleted that into marathon pace (well, not too scientific just the maths)and I'm getting a finishing time of 5hand 55 mins. Though it'll be less steep, I still need alot more work

[PaulB2]

Finally managed to get out 3 times last week for 15.4 very flat km. No major twinges or aches so the plan is to start gradually increasing the distance - the aim for this week is 16-18km.

[PaulB2]

I had to do back to back runs this week since the weekend will be hectic which went surprisingly ok. I managed 18.4km for the week which was more than I’d intended but I got carried away in the sun yesterday. Target is 20-21km next week.

[PaulB2]

21.2km for the week, getting back into the swing of things. As the distance goes up there’s more potential for off-road jaunts so looking forward to that.

[Bearlegged]

First run of the year in shorts. Up the valley and back through the local woods, past a very unfussed urban fox, blossom on the trees, birds tweeting all around, and squirrels scampering across the path. Lovely.

[GregMay]

Shorts... I miss shorts. Still too sodding cold and wet round here :(

[Bearlegged]

I briefly stepped out of the back door and was hit by such a wall of sunshine that I couldn't resist. All grey here again now, if it makes you feel any better.

[GregMay]

Its the dark kind of grey outside now

It's the cold that'd doing my head in. I just want double digits for a few days. Really getting bored of running in long tops and legs at this point. Its March FFS.

[PaulB2]

I’ve not needed to wear leggings yet since the restart, being a low lander does have some benefits. My last run was just in a short sleeved top and shorts in a balmy 10 degrees

[Verena]

Not today, but a couple of weekends back... March has been busy!

Went for a weekend away to Wiltshire with Mr Z, stayed in Marlborough for a couple of nights, and I took not my bike but just my trainers and went out both mornings for a mooch along the ridgeway.

This one was on the Saturday morning, absolutely glorious, frosty then amazing sunshine. Had a look at Waylands Smithy and then around the Uffington Horse, up and down a few hills to try and get a view, which is of course actually quite difficult when you're close to it...

Anyway, loved it there and thought, what a beautiful part of the world, and it made me fancy riding KAW sometime....

I know it has been written about aplenty, but does anyone want to whet my appetite and tell me how great it is???

IMG_20240316_080127 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr

[PaulE]

First shorts and vest run of the year today... Blowing a gale, but still warm enough to be without sleeves for all other than a 2 minute shower where the jacket went on.

Up on Derwent edge, above laybower reservoir. Long, fairly speedy climb up to back tor (about 6km of nearly all uphill) and then I decided to do some off-path wandering/running as it's soon fell race season and I wanted to find a few of the "local knowledge" trods again.
Splashed about in the bogs and heather for a bit, and then traversed back and climbed to the edge path in time for a speedy last 15 minutes back to the car.

14km, nearly 400m up and a significantly above normal average heart rate of 169 for 1 1/2 hours shows I pushed hard! Legs are feeling it a bit now, but it was amazing to be out on the blustery moors again.

[Dave Barter]

I did the Bushy Heath Parkrun today. This is the home of parkrun and it was my first ever. I’m now addicted to what was the most welcoming and fun running event ever. Came fourth in the old men category

[PaulB2]

The Easter break with the kids has made it more difficult to get out - I did manage one 11k run, the first time over an hour in a while, a couple of shorter runs and I also managed to drag my youngest out in an attempt to get him to pace himself - we managed to do 5 sets of 1 min walking, 1 minute running without him blowing up after 200m which is progress. The aim is to progress slowly to him running for 15-20 minutes non-stop and then start taking him to the kids park run on the Chase. This is all part of my fiendish plan to get him running and cycling enough that he wants to go bikepacking.

[PaulB2]

Went out with CCTR (and paramart) last night for 9.3 muddy km around the chase, I spent most of the time at the back and my ankles are a bit sore this morning but it was fun, I just need to get fitter.

[redefined_cycles]

Training for this Yorkshire Man marathon in Sept and trying not to hurt my knees in the process. This last couple of weeks was a bit, 'on the edge'. Last week whilst riding with my final fasting ride I tried to chase a lycra cyclist on his gravel bike. Silly move as I was obviously never catching him in the skin suit.

After going last my mums I then proceeded to ride the steepest hill near there to Castle Hill. On the next, not very steep hill I was walking instead of cycling it as I'd done the Castle Hill climb (Lockwood Scar). I'd obviously overdone it so went for walking the reat of the hills home. Left knee was a bit problematic.

Now, this week after some good rest away from the bike I've managed some good elevation riding. 7 miles the other day, again to Castle Hill and back to my mums, gaining 905 ft of up. Then after some rest, today I did a walk-run up my local gnarly climb as my little one drove his RC truck.

So that's 4.67 miles and 1041 ft of elevarion today. Total for the week is touching 2000ft of uphill in less than 12 miles. Knees are feeling it and feel a bit swollen. Not sharp-pain but more a throbbing.

Can't help worrying but hopeful I'm well within below threshold of injury and it's just standard training related pain/numbness. Best run careful...

Good news is that my forefoot strike has never been better

[redefined_cycles]

Oh, and the run to Castle Hill was without any extra layers and just the berghaus top. Usually really cold up there as it's about 240m up (not too high, I know), exposed and freezing...

Lovely pic there btw Verena

[GregMay]

Racing season full underway now, just about fit enough to enjoy it.

Saturday: a three part sprint orienteering race (1.5km, 2.9km, 1.9km for each course straight line) with 38 controls in total. Oddly two transitions between locations. Had a good day, 4th person overall (two 21 elites ahead of me, one on national squad) and I won the V40 class. Happy day.

Sunday: day two of the combined race, a 7.9km (straight line) with a lot of climbing and 22 controls. A regional event so I expected a lot of fast people in the V40 category and I was happy with 6th place over all and 3rd M40.

Means a win in the combined event for the weekend. And, to top it off, wife won both days outright and daughter (under10) came second on her course on Saturday. Honestly a great weekend.

Legs ... well they are not amused at the moment :)

[Bearlegged]

Well done, Team May!

[GregMay]

Thanks, it was a good weekend.