Today's Run

[GregMay]

Living in steep sided valleys 350m is pretty normal. UNless I wanted to run along the canal. Which I don't :)

[PaulB2]

Yep canals are tedious, though also my best way to get to the real off-road trails.

[thenorthwind]

Yesterday actually, but Beacon Hill fell race in the Simonside hills (Northumberland). Perfect length for me, 6.5 miles, with 1250ft of climbing. Also happens to be the one of my favourite places in the world, and it was a perfect evening for running yesterday - odd bits of golden sunshine, patchy clouds, nice breeze. Decent going underfoot too.

All the hallmarks of a proper fell race: give someone sat at a table in a car park a five pound note in return for a race number, race briefing delivered from the back of a builder's van, run up and down some hills through the heather and ferns, finish line marked by a plastic garden chair. Prize presentation continues until all the prizes have gone, long after the organiser has run out of ideas for prizes (furthest travelled, first fell race, etc.). I won a bottle of Aldi beer for coming 24th

Think the guy in front of me who whipped out a selfie stick on the first hill and filmed a piece to camera about the "brutal" climb. It probably won't make the "edit" due to my look of disgust behind, or my choosing that moment to skip past him. Fell running's changed, maaan...

Doing more running of late because I've got some persistent shoulder/neck issues from riding. Chevy Chase 20 miler a couple of weeks ago - not a sensible re-introduction to running, but I survived without doing any major damage.

[Verena]

Yesterday actually, but Beacon Hill fell race in the Simonside hills (Northumberland). Perfect length for me, 6.5 miles, with 1250ft of climbing. Also happens to be the one of my favourite places in the world, and it was a perfect evening for running yesterday - odd bits of golden sunshine, patchy clouds, nice breeze. Decent going underfoot too.

All the hallmarks of a proper fell race: give someone sat at a table in a car park a five pound note in return for a race number, race briefing delivered from the back of a builder's van, run up and down some hills through the heather and ferns, finish line marked by a plastic garden chair. Prize presentation continues until all the prizes have gone, long after the organiser has run out of ideas for prizes (furthest travelled, first fell race, etc.). I won a bottle of Aldi beer for coming 24th

Think the guy in front of me who whipped out a selfie stick on the first hill and filmed a piece to camera about the "brutal" climb. It probably won't make the "edit" due to my look of disgust behind, or my choosing that moment to skip past him. Fell running's changed, maaan...

Doing more running of late because I've got some persistent shoulder/neck issues from riding. Chevy Chase 20 miler a couple of weeks ago - not a sensible re-introduction to running, but I survived without doing any major damage.

Sounds good. Keep half contemplating dabbling with a bit more fell running.... especally as also wanting to give my hands some rest, numb fingers etc. as has been mentioned in several places after long rides...

[GregMay]

Fell running is itself simplistic. It's why it is so great. Pretty much the only other running I do other than orienteering! (which is just fellrunning with a map really)

[JohnClimber]

1st time poster here on this thread.

I used to run a little, building up to several park runs.

Never wanting to do more that that really, marathons aren't for me.

But I always developed shin splints and was unable to walk.

I fancy re starting again but how do I avoid getting shin splints and pains in my legs please?

[PaulB2]

I used to get shin splints all the time up until a few years ago. What fixed it for me was just following the bbc c25k podcast pretty religiously for a 9 week program instead of my usual haphazard and intermittent run around like a headless chicken until I get tired. I didn't suffer from them at all during the gradual build up of distance and pace and I don't think I've had any shin splint issues for over 3 years that I can think of. The rest of my body is falling apart but no shin splints

Edit: the other factor to consider is a good pair of running shoes so consider getting a pair with a lot of cushioning, e.g. Hoka Clifton for road, or Hoka Challenger for trail.

[thenorthwind]

Fell running is itself simplistic

Have to admit, the simplicity is a lot of the attraction of running for me. Particularly when going away. I used to try and take a bike whenever we went away for the weekend - camping, or seeing family, or staying in a cottage somewhere - but these days I mostly just chuck in a pair of trail shoes, rather than hauling and storing bike and kit somewhere to maybe go for a short ride somwhere where I might not otherwise have chosen to ride, if I get a chance amongst whatever else we're there to do.

[GregMay]

We quite often combine a race (fell or O) with weekends away. Means we have to take little, but get to do that bit extra. It's also great as a family as we can all race if we're at an O event, or we tend to just one of us race at fell events - this includes daughter (6) who's now able to do the junior series!

A bit of a "I hate you dad" moment. Turns out...she had Covid at the time and we didn't know!

Untitled by Greg.May, on Flickr

But then she gets to run down, and all is forgiven :)

Untitled by Greg.May, on Flickr

[GregMay]

I fancy re starting again but how do I avoid getting shin splints and pains in my legs please?

Sorry John, having never suffered with them I can't help here. One of the advantages of pretty much avoiding any sort of road running!

[GregMay]

Of me, but not by me - this is why I fell race:

356358006_841663807485657_5990472451217323004_n by Greg.May, on Flickr

[redefined_cycles]

Of me, but not by me - this is why I fell race:

356358006_841663807485657_5990472451217323004_n by Greg.May, on Flickr

That's brilliant/beautiful, thanks for sharing Greg. Is that classed as exteeme fell running or is it just about average.

[GregMay]

Technically a Skyrace, but I've run a lot tougher terrain in fell races. I'd consider that pretty normal for most of the Lakeland middle and long races (AM and AL)

[redefined_cycles]

Skyrace... New word for me and am sure will keep me entertained for some time. I almost gave up on my running by shall be back sooner than later God Willing... These type of scenes (above) really help (but I doubt I'd ever enter anything other than mild trails).

[redefined_cycles]

https://youtu.be/cU7cNo7ZwUk

The previous q&a eventually led me to here. Thanks so much Greg. Hopefully one step closer to starting up running again

[GregMay]

Nice easy 15km (650m vert) with my buddy talking sh!t and avoiding thunderstorms. Got soaked, but then dried out. Came home to find wife and child were cooking us dinner - then I sat down and watched the tour. Life is good.

[thenorthwind]

Campin this weekend, on top of a hill, with 40mph gusts of wind and thundery showers. But managed to find a break in the weather yesterday afternoon. Could see it coming from our vantage point so got changed while the last drops of rain fell, and straight out for 5 miles and 500ft of bridleways and tracks. Hot in the sun. Saw a red kite, fairly common here, around the (Northumberland) Derwent valley.

[thenorthwind]

Nice easy 15km (650m vert) with my buddy talking sh!t and avoiding thunderstorms. Got soaked, but then dried out. Came home to find wife and child were cooking us dinner - then I sat down and watched the tour. Life is good.

Sounds great Just catching up on the tour now, having not been able to watch since Thursday.

[GregMay]

Another soaking, 19km and 750m of up followed by the Tour. I've had an odd amount of non family time this weekend! Using it well before summer holidays

[GregMay]

First day of holidays, first mid day run. Body very much in recovery mode after the last half term (and the weekend blowout!) Took a nice hour over local trails, not pushing at all, breaking in a new pair of trail shoes. Ground was soaking, ideally would have been in grippier fell shoes, but needs must. 8km, 250m vert.

Longer run planned today.

[GregMay]

Two hours on the moors with no one about. 16km on mostly singletrack with a reasonably easy 450m of up. Spent a lot of time watching birds circle over head. Pretty damn perfect.

[PaulB2]

The only running I'm getting to do this week is up and down the stairs while the missus has taken the youngest off for a week so that sounds blissful

[sean_iow]

Usual post work Tuesday for me, sunshine all day and clouded over as soon as I left the office, but it did knock the edge off the heat.

Went at it harder than normal last week which felt good (afterwards) as I'd realised I was taking it easy every week.

No plan this week and wasn't really feeling it when I started. Decided to go hard again so it would be over faster Decided I'd do an hour, 6 miles or 1000 feet of climbing, whichever came first.

Followed my nose in the woods and found lot's of new MTB trails, really enjoyed it as it was all technical single-track with some big gradients in places. Also a fair few downed trees to hurdle. Ended up doing 1 hour exactly, 6.23 miles and 1063 feet. Given the technical nature of the trails and the trees to get over there's a chance I've just run them faster than I could ride them

[GregMay]

A nice easy 45 mins over the tops in horrible humid weather. Off to Scotland tomorrow for two weeks orienteering and general mountain time. Phone. Box. Ignore. Excellent.

[GregMay]

Scottish six day, first day today, a brutal intro in the dunes! M40L, while a good training choice, may come back to bite me by the end of the week.