Edale Skyline Reccie

Link to run data

This is the sort of run that would have destroyed me a year or two since. Essentially I don't think I used do long training runs hard enough. Last year I was concentrating on track sessions and not enough on sustained running. The gap in between much of my training and my races was enormous, I seemed to get away with that for many short or medium races but struggled very badly on longer stuff.
Yesterday I found I was still strong towards the end of this 20 miler.

It was a beautiful day but pretty cold; this led to much stopping and starting as jacket came on as an icy blast caught us then stripping off when sheltered but bathed in sun. The area is lovely but not quite the mountainous beauty of the Lakes and the like. Navigation was pretty straight forward on the large scale but getting the right trod was tricky. I may very well go down to Hayfield and take another look at the western section.

No pictures I'm afraid as we were on a pretty tight schedule: I had a party to go to and Dave had an appointment at the velodrome. I didn't go to the party, Tracy had been working all day and just wanted to put het feet up, I didn't argue!

Lake District Mountain Trials (Medium) 9th Sept 2012

I decided to have a go at the trial some time ago, I suppose in a way doing the medium was a bit of a cop out and I'll certainly have a go at the classic in the future.

I set off with no expectations at all. Doodling along focusing on the nav and ignoring all around me; in a sociable way!

To cut a long story short I realised by around two thirds of the way in that I was actually going pretty well and should maybe push hard. I missed the last checkpoint with a bit of stable door-itis, loosing a few minutes in the process. I came in fourth and second vet.

Absolutely loved it!

Ochil 2000s 25th Aug 12

My original intention had been to try and cleverly weave our 2 weeks in Scotland around some great walking, biking and running, concluding with the Ben race. This didn't work out as we needed to be back before that weekend. So i looked for a race and found the Ochil 2000s. An AL race of 20 miles and 5000". That seemed to fit the bill.

Have had a nightmare at Borrowdale a few weeks earlier I needed a fresh approach. I set off very slowly, probably at the sort of speed I'd start a long training run. Absolutely no push at all on a day of sunshine and nice views. Having never stepped onto these hills before in my life and this being a navigation race I wanted to keep a certain focus, I certainly didn't want to follow anyone else, unless........ unless my earlier planned route needed quickly amending, as they sometimes do.

I won't detail all the hills we crossed but I did pick up places steadily and for the most part got the navigation spot on, on two occasions making up quite a few places with she contouring. In the last 4 or 5 miles, with rain now falling, its fair to see I was going pretty much flat out to make up and defend places.  I came in an hour behind Murray Stain and over half an hour behind Yasmin Paris. I was 27th out of 76, to be fair as a counter in a Scottish GP it had a class field at the top.

Did I enjoy it? Certainly. I was happy with my performance, boosting my badly dented confidence. However, I probably wouldn't make the long journey for a very pennine like race.

Catching Up

After moving house and having no Internet for several weeks I'm catching up on things very slowly. I do want write up both the Ian Hodgson Relay and the FRA relays as soon as I can. In the pipeline is a rec of The Edale Skyline and next month one of the Dark and White Mini Mountain Marathons, this one starting from Coniston.

I seem to have managed to become my own second follower?! No idea how I did it or how to change it!