Training Log Archive: Frostbite

Remarkably slow jog in beautiful sunshine. Hampsfell.

Stupid knolly score, Great Tower. I just tried to do proper navigation to all the knolls which was a good exercise but not the best way to get the most controls. Missed a chunk in the middle of the map. OK I suppose.

Coniston Old Man and Dow Crag from Walna Scar Road. Low cloud for most of the day, a bit claggy, and pretty strong winds on the top. Got by OK with no navigational or medical issues. Cheesy chips to follow.

Turkey orienteering, White something or other, Rydal. Nice little area, good course. Suffering from a bit of fluttering heart for the first 15 controls, lost some time here and there. Stopped for a couple of chats which wasn't helping.

Plod on the moors, Goathland to Simon Howe. Grey and muddy. Couldn't get going at all.

Adel Church. Not too bad considering. Lots of people actually going to Adel Church got in the way.

Tired and snotty but otherwise much better than yesterday. Very very muddy in the woods, struggling to move in places. Put lots of effort in at the end to beat he hour.

Big fat fail. Into the woods then straight back home.

Stinky cold

Weetwood and Lawnswood. A bit icy in places.

Lovely Rivelin YHJS training

C • Lovely Rivelin? 2

Horrible Wharncliffe YHJS training

4 x Dunny Hill. 2:10, 2:06, 2:09, 2:17. I felt like I was struggling on the first one but kept it going until I died half way up the last one. Even then I might have gone a bit quicker if a dog hadn't charged towards me on the steepest bit and put me off my stride.

Scott Hall, Fforde Greene, Oakwood, Street Lane, Harrogate Road. East Leeds suburban misery.

20 gentle lengths at Scott Hall.

A filthy world of pain

Regular Irregular. Saw Simon at the start but not for very long. I was always intending to walk the whole way an settled into the middle of the walking group. I quickly got frustrated with this, not because they were particularly slow but because it took ages to get through every stile. So I accelerated past the walkers and by the top of the first little climb found myself catching the back end of the runners. I spent the rest of the first loop (11 miles) overtaking on the climbs and getting overtaken on the descents, and admittedly getting a bit competitive about it. I wasn't going to do any running though.

I didn't stop for a rest before the second loop (7 miles) and ended up doing most of it on my own. It was much hillier and much muddier than loop 1 so I was a bit slower. I caught a group just at the top of the last climb so they could jog away from me down to the Village Hall.

I had a couple of minutes for a drink and some sweets before tackling the easy 3rd loop (4 miles), which consisted of one big climb and then back down by a different route. I didn't see anybody else at all. With about 1.5 miles to go disaster struck. I was just thinking that if I got a move on I would beat 6 hours, wasn't paying attention and missed a turn. It took me several minutes to notice despite some very obvious signs,but at least when I did notice there was a way back on track which meant I didn't have to retrace my steps. It was a bit demoralising though and then when I hit the horriblest muddiest field of the entire route I was completely knocked out of my stride and had a bit of a wobble. I had to down a gel to get me through the last half mile. And then when I had finished I pressed the wrong combination of buttons on my watch and the entire day's GPS disappeared.

23 miles plus a little diversion, 6:08. Simon Says 4000 feet of climb which must be about 1200m for normal people. It was a nice day and I was enjoying it until the last mile.

Just a steady run but I had to work quite hard. Butcher Hill, Hawksworth Road, Kirkstall Lights. Breezy but much milder.

4 x Dunny Hill. 2:11, 2:10, 2:07, 2:10. Not great but much better than last time. 4 seemed like enough tonight but I'm going to have to do more.

lazy

Weetwood and Lawnswood. Felt ok but couldn' t go any faster.