Training Log Archive: schnitzer

Staveley. Continuing in my foolish increased risk of injury strategy I entered the Open 5 adventure race where people were falling over in the ice (well, just lanky streak of piss me and Alan actually) in sub-zero conditions, and that was by the car b4 we had even left for the start. As it happened I managed to stay on my feet for the whole of the run stage even in the thick snow and dense fog up on the moor - my aiming off strategy working well a couple of times but unfortunately wasted all the good work by first running to a dummy control and then running up the wrong road - but not very far up it so only a few mins lost in total. Saw a lot of people cutting corners thru land that wasn't open access which f'd me off cause this one guy I was running with kept getting ahead by being a cheating Arab. The organisers were dealing with a lot of reported cheating afterwards but I didn't grass - bad-boy school taught me well. Plus with my lack of MTBO experience coupled with a very heavy borrowed bike that was majorly too small for me I wasn't in contention anyway. Some people there being a lot fitter than me didn't help my chances either.

Score - 225/245.
Trans - 6:48.

http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-kingdom/winderm...

Staveley. So off I cycled, well, pushed. All of the roads were still frozen over and I was really struggling to get connected to the SPD's (Alan's - 15 years old). After the first control and a really nice ride (in comparison) along the A591 I got onto the really ruff stuff. Loadsa ice, snow and deep crunchy puddles. It was off the bike, back on, off again, on again and generally quite shit. Then I crashed twice but I have to admit that crashing at 1mph doesn't really hurt, unless you dead leg yourself landing on the quick-release lever. After a while I started seeing abandoned bikes. Then people running in helmets. Is there no limit to the cheating on these events? I don't really blame them tho - I was running whilst pushing the bike going faster than people trying to cycle. Proper knackered up the last hill - hope I haven't ruined myself for next week i.e. for lots of o-ing training planned in snowy technical woods. Anyone else up for joining me? I've got twenty training kites and will be seeing Bilbo for maps. Bring it on!

Score - 185/335.

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-kingdom/winde...

Blencathra. Absolutely gorgeous day so had to go up some mountain. Thought Blencathra was a good choice seeing as the roads to it from Shap are all main - the Schnitzer doesn't like snow or ice cos of the proper fat tyres, the weight is distributed over a large surface area and therefore slips all over the shop. Hopefully it will get warmer soon so that I can be a menace on the mountain roads once again.

Now today I was really looking for some exercise I didn't have to think about but once in view my fearlessness started kicking in and was eyeing up the Hall's Fell Ridge on the South face in the middle. It couldn't be that bad surely - I'd done Crib Goch in similar conditions after all. Once up into the crunchy snow I was pleased to find no sheet ice at all but the drops each side were still fairly scary - one wrong footing and you're not stopping for shit. Proper brown bread. Then I came across the only other people on the ridge who were coming down. They had Steve Crampons and axes with them and we had a brief conversation about the fact that I didn't. After another 5mins or so the ridge became more technical, almost grade 1 scramble (in the dry) and even more exposed. I hate turning back but in my experience it is never a bad decision and you only need one good reason, and I had plenty...

1) Never been that way before.
2) On me Jack Jones.
3) Late in the day (started just b4 2pm).
4) Steve Crampons/axes option denied.
5) No-one else on the ridge.
6) Open 5 adventure race tomorrow.
7) I wanted my Mummy.

So a short while descending the bit of the ridge I had already done - mostly on my arse which isn't a good strategy when you have a gaping hole in your tracksters just below your nuts and there's lots of snow about. Once I was safe took some wicked pictures and then trotted back down.

Shap. Another make-believe mission in the snow with my imaginary brother Alan. This time proper up onto the fells. Started off on the pavement on the A6 which was very slow going - the fantasy ploughs around here just push the snow onto the verges. Once actually onto the moor the virtual reality snow got deeper, and deeper until we were both waist deep and in danger of being stranded... then I woke up... in the YMCA.

http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-kingdom/penrith...

Shap - Strickland - Bampton - Shap. Wow. My old head of year at sixth form once gave a talk about how it was ok to use swear words providing there was no other way of expressing what you wanted to. This is one of those times - what a fucking good ride that was. Then about half-way thru I swopped bikes with Alan and it got even better.

My first MTB experience for more than seven years. My first ever with SPD's. Lots of ice/crunchy snow and some pretty awesome views, esp as it was getting dark.

http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-kingdom/penrith...

C • YMCA 2

Shap. Woke up this morning to a seriously snowy view out to the High Street ridge. It was expected after turning up to Alan's house last night with the schnitzer saying it was -6.5 centigrade. After dark we went out for a headlamp stylee jog along the road a bit and then out onto the moor for a few km.

http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-kingdom/penrith...