Training Log Archive: Mark3

I couldn't temp anyone to do a longer run with me at a reasonable pace so I went out on my own - really glad I did this since group that stayed together had massive amounts of faffing and stopping and ended up splitting up.

Decided on the Buttermere race route in reverse, starting from Buttermere. Went up through Ghyll Wood as saw that Beth Pascall (I think) did this on her Tea Round record, and I've never done it. I think it's marginally shorter and marginally less road, although does involve an additional stile. Probably not a lot in it, but it's a nice wood.

Missed the line at the top of Whiteless Edge to the Grasmoor col, but don't think I'd do that in reverse. Line off Grassmoor down the northern spur, crossing river where a handy trod leaves it, is fine. Standard to Whiteside but I don't think I've been down it before - not a nice descent; loads of loose small rocks.

My heel blister had managed to reinflate and so every step was pretty painful going downhill - but wasn't going to let that stop a bluebird day so put up with it. Also, there was noone to moan to.

Came up Mellbreak the way I came down during the race: the straight way rather than contouring. The group came down the diagonal but reckoned straight was faster. So what I did in the race was probably fine although I didn't realise it at the time. The left turn to the decent is just before a small lump of rock - in the race I cut the corner but I think staying on the path might be faster since the terrain is pretty rough and you have to cross a couple of streams if you cut.

Decided I had time for an extra mountain and went up Red Pike via a trod I hoped existed across to Scale Beck (spoiler: nope, at least not where I looked).
Heatmaps implies I was much too high, and if it's possible to cut somewhere it would be at the bottom of the trod that comes down from near the end of the Lingcomb Edge spur (rather than the race route path). I think this is worth trying in the race.

Route up to Red Pike I've not taken before, and then down the standard way up from Buttermere. I had fancied trying the High Stile gully that looks like a potential Tea Round shortcut/death sentence (tbc) but I couldn't face another descent on my heel. Next time.

Great weekend. Feeling a bit more positive about upcoming long stuff after these two days.

https://racebest.com/results/9ck6a

Probably would have been my best fell race result if I hadn't got lost :'(

Still a good result for me to beat Allen, Nathanael and Jake.

Sprint out of the field was slower than I thought and I had to actively slow down to avoid being at the front which wasn't the intention; just not to be so far down that I got stuck in a queue! Once on the downhill though loads passed me incl N and A in the village. Got back past N on the steps and then A a quarter of the way up the climb. Ran most of it other than the really steep bits and came out just ahead of A at Grisedale. He floated past down to the first col, and Nic passed me just before Eel Crag ascent.

With A for the ascent and then he blizted the technical descents on the ridge to Sail and got a bit of a gap. But I closed it back on the grassy sail descent and passed him and the first lady once we reached the easy track at the bottom of the singletrack. But then I couldn't see anyone ahead...
I thought about getting the map out but decided I'd been there multiple times before and so didn't need it.

I was 1 min down on Nic just before Stile End, which I was very happy with, but unforts just out of sight.

Lost 2:45 doing an extra 40m of ascent up to Stile End. Allen followed me and so did the first lady (sorry about that). I went a way down the ridge before I realised and corrected, so my 1 min lead on Allen was gone. So he lost 1:45, and Nathanael caught us both by going the right way.

Put in a massive effort up Barrow and then on the descent as I was terrified of A catching me (I hadn't seen N) but it paid off as I finished 36s and 49s ahead of them respectively.

Would have been 1:26 and 21st rather than 29th, so really annoyed with myself for not pulling the map out! Definitely a race for next year.

Still finished first MaccH which I'm very happy with, and shows I have some semblance of fitness coming into race season, which is good.

Massive bottom-of-heel blister I think I can blame on these shoes not having insoles, so will try and see if I have some I can use from another pair.

Decided to go get another Wainwright from the B&B as it was mentally busy everywhere and we thought parking somewhere else might be a pain. So up to Maiden Moor via Catbells, since I've not done MM before as the summit is a bit off the path and it's never been a CP in a race.
There is nothing marking it at all, had to use GPS to check it was actually the right place.
Lovely day for it and good to keep moving after the race this morning.

Arrived early in the Lakes so quick Wainwright before it went dark. High Rigg was a good contender despite it not being quite clear on the OS where it was, not being the highest point; also there is a prominent unnamed mound next to Low Rigg which is higher than it.
But altogether it was pretty nice up there, and totally deserted.

Found this surprisingly difficult, not feeling amazing and we weren't running that fast. Good to get out though, and good chat with just 3 of us.

Brief lunch run. Feeling ok although didn't sleep that well.

PR'd the downhill through the woods seg by cutting a new corner - it's defo winnable with the right shoes and no inconvenient other people.

The Bollington harriers trail group is ludicrously sedate (even this 'longer option') but good fun anyway and always interesting to chat to different people for a change.
Interview 4-5pm so needed to get out the house again! Felt better for it. And lovely evening again. Felt good on the hills - although at that pace I would've worried if I didn't.

Feeling a bit ropey tbh; had a sore throat for a few days. Seems to be one minor illness after another at the moment.

Had a lemsip.

Wasn't meant to be super fast but it was only Richard and at a fastish pace, and we pushed each other a bit on the climb.
Took the downhill steady though; most of the run apart from the steep bit was at the speed of chat.
Nice route and good weather.

Looking forward to clock change though :)