Thanks, and Goodbye to 2012

Andrew and I decided to run every day in December, and although it’s been tough fitting this around work and social arrangements we've managed it. Hurray! Thanks Andrew for sharing the mad challenge with me and making me stick with it when the going got tough. The lowlight has to have been the accidental 10+ miler I half stumbled half sprinted round in blind semi panic when I got lost running in the lanes around Chichester with an inadequate tourist map and a headtorch that I’d forgotten to charge!  I’ve most enjoyed all the runs shared with friends; I’m a little sad that I haven’t written about them here but I’ve had a tough few months and haven’t much felt like blogging.  Onwards and forwards!

Today’s run was one of those much treasured social outings with friends preceded with coffee and stolen and followed with pie peas mash and gravy. It was definitely the wettest muddiest run of 2012 which takes some doing considering what a soggy boggy year it's been! The pies etc were delicious and the company and the hospitality were top notch.  Thanks to Brett and Sue; a lovely way to finish a month of running and say goodbye to 2012.

I mentioned today an ultra event Andrew and I have entered and was asked....'but why would you want to run all that way?'....the first thought that sprang to mind was.....'I have no idea, why not?'  The response I managed was 'it's what we do'. What a pathetic unsatisfactory answer that was, but the real reasons are far too complex to explain.

It's a mystery where the inspiration to run comes from.  It seems to creep up almost unnoticed but has been known to vanish over night without warning.  It definitely cannot be called up on demand.  I’ve been giving some thought to this on and off over the Christmas break.  I’m fairly sure that the most powerful drive to succeed in running is the one that comes from within; an inner determination to conquer your body, overcome all obstacles and push your limits as far as possible.  This is a level of commitment and drive that is bordering on obsession which few people can find or would want to have.  

To complete the Bob Graham Round, The Lakeland 100 and The Ultra Tour de Mont Blanc are all challenges that are up there on my wish list, but to achieve any of these I know I need to be at my absolute fittest and that this is going to take an enormous amount of training and commitment.  To date I’ve been a bit worried about this as my running enthusiasm has not been up to the mark.

I caught up with a good friend’s blog today and whilst reading I realised that my running mojo has snuck up on me this month.  To be able to inspire others is definitely right up there at the top of my list of special achievements because it gives motivation, reward and fulfilment. I’ve been inspired by what I read and I’m itching to get back out in the hills.  

The Hardmoors 30 is my first challenge for 2013 and its tomorrow.  Goodbye 2012; bring on 2013!

The RAB 2012

Last weekend was spent in the Cheviots at the RAB Mountain Marathon, with my mountain marathon partner and friend, Dave.

I haven’t been to the Cheviots before and was looking forward to exploring a new area.  I took Friday off work so that I could get ready and travel without a mad rush, so I started out with that lovely holiday feeling. 

We stayed in the youth hostel in Berwick on Friday evening.  Our pre event dinner was fish and chips (well, sausage in my case!) eaten sat on a bench on the town walls watching the sun set with a view of the sea.  The weather was cool, bright and dry with a light breeze and this lasted for the whole weekend; perfect running conditions. 

On Saturday we got off to a bit of a ropey start in terms of navigation and route choices, but we soon tuned into the map and landscape and the rest of the day went well.  We found ourselves knee deep in heather for most of the day which made the going tough; I bet it looked stunning a few weeks ago when the heather was still in bloom.

The overnight camp was in a beautiful remote valley.  We’d started quite early so had plenty of time to settle in and enjoy the peace of the area.  I was particularly pleased to see a male hen harrier patrolling up and down the valley (well at least I’m pretty sure that is what it was).

It was cold over night but I was warm enough in my new PHD sleeping bag, RAB power stretch tights, OMM top and crux down jacket …with hat, buff, and gloves too!  It took ages to get to sleep as I’d accidentally eaten a gel with caffeine in about an hour before we were due to finish.  I did eventually get to sleep and although I woke up frequently I slept pretty well.  There was ice on the tent in the morning and our socks were frozen.  I warmed mine on the pot before putting them on!

We had a great run on Sunday.  There were no navigational difficulties and the route we chose worked really well.   For the first few controls we saw only a few solo runners, and really enjoyed navigating without the distraction of other runners nearby.

The post race food was delicious, a Scottish recipe; Stovies made with chicken.  I’ve not had it before and will definitely have a go at making it at home.

Thanks Dave for joining me for the weekend, for being a gent, and for rescuing my water bottle from a particularly revolting muddy bog, carrying it up the hill and cleaning it for me.  I suspect the outcome might have been slightly different if it had been me that fell in the mud instead of just the bottle!!!

All in all a great weekend in the hills…roll on the next one!

Exploring around Appletreewick

This weekend I'd planned a camping trip to Borrowdale but work got in the way; I was late home from a meeting and the weather wasn't good, very windy and grey.  Andrew had had enough of mad rush Friday packing, pulled rank and called it off.

On Saturday we reached a compromise; to camp for one night at Appletreewick and run from there.  Our friends Martyn and Helen invited us to join them for their long run on Sunday so we only needed to organise a route for Saturday and arrange our accommodation.  After a quick search on google we discovered that the main camp site was full, but we found Howgill Lodge which is about half an hours stroll along the river from the village and had space for us.  By this time it was early afternoon and we were running out of day, so packing was another rushed affair.  Andrew looked at the map whilst I assembled the camping gear; it didn't take us long to pack, and we were soon at the campsite with the tent pitched in a lovely quiet corner.

Andrews route was on trails and footpaths along Howgill Lane to Skyreholme, past Rabbit Hill then crossing the B6265 road just below Stump Cross Caverns and up to Grimwith Reservoir.  the return route was along Skyreholme Beck and past Parceval Hall.  We worked out we had no more than two and a half hours spare for this.  It was mostly uphill on the way out and was rather slow going as we frequently needed to check the map.  By the time we reached the road crossing we were getting concerned about the time and decided to cut out the reservoir loop and follow the road to join our return route.  The road was not the nicest of places to be running as it was a fast stretch for drivers.  I was much relieved when a chicken that strayed out from a farm scuttled back into the yard and not under the wheels of an approaching car (I hid behind Andrew as I was convinced it was going to be flattened!)

It's odd how you can bump into fellow fell runners in the remotest of places.  As we ran down a lane off the main road, a car pulled up in front of us.  Mark and Emma (new friends met on a Bob Graham Round we were supporting) got out to say hello.  Mark had been running on part of the route we'd be taking the next day.

The rest of the run was uneventful except for the discovery of a promising looking teashop located in the entrance to Parcival Hall.  We didn't have time to drop in but we'll definitely try it out some time soon.  We arrived back earlier than expected and realised we would've had time to visit the reservoir after all.  Ho hum!


There are two pubs in Appletreewick, both are excellent.  We ate in the Craven Arms.  Despite arriving early it was busy but we were lucky to find a table straight away and had no trouble getting served at the bar.  The food was tasty and the atmosphere was cheerful.




We saw two Tawny Owls on our way back from the pub in the evening, one of these was quite close and seemed still to be learning to call. Back at our tent we were treated to owl calls that seemed to come from all directions. We slept well in our tent, and in the morning woke up to a chorus of birdsong.  We loved the campsite and hope to return in the spring when the new lambs are in the fields. 

Sunday's run was a 14 mile route from Thruscross Reservoir taking in the Bolton Abbey Estate grouse moors and Simons Seat.  It was cool and blustery and being really good runnable route I should have felt good.  Despite carrying only a light pack, I had to work hard to keep up with the pace, alternating between feeling quite strong and struggling to keep going at all.  I felt stiff and achy and am hoping this was just the after effects of a long day travelling on Friday.

Thruscross reservoir.
The construction of the reservoir in 1966 flooded the village of West End, which was mostly derelict following the decline of the flax industry. The remains of a flax mill are still standing in the edge of the reservoir.  Much of the village ruins still remain below the water.

Introducing the new tarp

Following a superb dry weekend bivvying in the Lake District we decided to purchase a tarp for those occasions when we want to keep it basic but may get wet.  I didn't like the thought of stuffing my sleeping bag into the stuff sack in a downpour; it wouldn't be possible to do this and keep the bag dry.  The result was the Alpkit Rig 7.  

 

Last weekend had been earmarked for a tarp adventure; destination to be determined by the MWIS forecast! As the outlook for the Lake District was low cloud, we elected instead to keep it local and agreed on a grand tour of Wharfedale.

 

We set off on Friday evening after work and left the car in Starbotton with a 5 litre bottle of water in the back. The plan was to make big loops, filling our water bottles from springs, in cafes and pubs, and from the bottle in the car as a fall back. This arrangement worked well; we were never far from a source of water. 

 

A cat nap after an early mug of tea and cornflakes

Our first camp was made high up on the hillside overlooking the valley.  Contrary to the forecast, we were soon enveloped in low cloud so the view was hidden from us.  It took a couple of attempts to get the tarp pitched just right as we'd not had a practise run.  The rocky backdrop was perfect for leaning against and we had a foil blanket for insulation from the ground.  The air was full of moisture and there were a few drops of rain in the night, but we remained dry under our shelter.  I was surprised to find that I felt vulnerable under the tarp, a feeling I hadn't had when sleeping completely in the open on our last adventure. 

We spent Saturday romping around the head of Wharfedale.  Our route took us over the top and down into Arncliffe in Littondale, then back over into Kettlewell where we stopped in the tea shop.  Those who've been following my blog since the early days may remember that we dropped into this tea shop for emergency tea and soup on a particularly foul day when we were preparing for the BGR last year.  We were soaked through and I was cold despite being well wrapped up.  After the warm welcome we recieved on that day, I'll always have a soft spot for the Kettlewell Tea Rooms.  On this occasion we were dry and presentable and enjoyed a second breakfast of sausage butties and tea.  The cakes looked delicious so we purchased a couple of pieces of fruit cake to take away for later.

 

From Kettlewell we climbed Great Wherneside via a stunningly beautiful clough following Dowber Gill Beck. The path ended near Providence Pot from where we took a cross country route up to the cairn at the fence bend on the ridge between Great Whernside and Sweet Hill, then headed for the main summit.  Dowber Gill Beck flows over a bed of rock with beautiful formations, natural pools and a series of cascades.  As we followed it's course, the sun came out.  It was cool but a perfect day for exploring and I felt all the stress of work slip away from me.

 

From Great Wherneside we traversed via Park Rash to Starbotton on the Starbotton Road (not a road at all but a bridleway!) for a water refill. Then up to Buckden Pike along Walden Road (another bridleway). I know Buckden Pike as a remote, peat boggy, windy and bleak location but on this occasion it was realtively dry underfoot and had all the benefits of a grassy wilderness. We dropped down into Cray along Buckden rake, stopped for a wash in the gill, before calling into The White Lion:

 

It was a lovely surprise to find the fire was lit, and as seems to be the norm in the dale, we recieved a warm welcome.  Dinner for me was a huge plate of chilli con carne with half and half chips and rice and a generous portion of dressed salad coleslaw and potato salad,  washed down with two bottles of Kopparberg.  Andrew had steak and mushroom casserole with herby dumplings chips and salad, with Timthy Taylors Golden Best.  We'll definitely be going back!

The walk up to our camping spot was much easier than we'd imagined although it did end up being twice the distance owing to the chosen site being occupied by cattle.  Neither of us were keen to share, so we ended up being much higher up than planned, pitching in the twilight, in a somewhat exposed position. 

We only had one pole with us, so elected for a simple tent like configuration this time.  The wind picked up in the night so a bit of extra strapping down was needed but again the shelter worked well and when the sun rose in the morning it shon straight into the entrance.  The wind had dropped and we found ourselves in a beautiful remote spot with stunning views on the edge of Yockenthwaite Moor.  It was warm enough to set off in shorts and we decided to head back to Buckden for breakfast in another of our favourite cafes.

 

Our route to Buckden took us uphill first on a cross country course through grass, bogs and tussocks.  Great training with a heavy pack!  We traversed over to Gilbert Lane then back along Buckden Rake to Buckden.  The West Winds Teashop was closed for the day, but the village store restaurant and tea room was open and we sat outside in the sun for tea and bacon butties.  We were soon joined by several groups of walkers and cyclists and enjoyed the lively ambience.  This time we had Chorley cakes to take away.

 

The rest of the day was spent exploring the west side of the dale.  We climbed over Old Moor Cote Top and down into Litton, then along the River Skirfare (which was almost dried up) to Arncliffe.  From Arncliffe we crossed back over to Starbotton.  On arrival in Litton our path took us straight past the front entrance to the Queens Arms so we stopped for a drink in the pub garden on the way through; well, it would've been rude not to!

 

 

 

 

Monday Monday

What is it about Mondays?  Oh well, soon it'll be Tuesday!

The BOFRA Gargrave cross country on Wednesday was a struggle for me as I'd run hard at Widdop the night before and the going was soft.  My legs were on strike and so was my mind after a narrow escape from a full head on charge by an enormous cow (well she looked enormous and murderous at the time anyway!).  This happened not far from the start and I ran the majority of the race knowing I'd have to pass back through the field on the return.  Yikes!  Needless to say, I was glad to reach the finish in one piece.  Andrew won a prize for being 1st MV45 :) , and there were tiny ducklings on the dew pond so all was good in the end!

We spent the weekend in the Lake District and stayed at Millbeck Farm B&B in Langdale.  It's a beautiful ancient farmhouse (still a working farm) and it turned out to be a really friendly and welcoming retreat.  We're definitely going back; you can climb the fell straight out of the door and the pub is a short amble across a stream and through a paddock.

On Saturday we had a lovely day exploring the Langdale Skyline.  Our route took in Silver How, Blea Rigg, Sergeant Man, High Raise, Thunacar Knott, Pavey Ark, Harrison Stickle, Loft Crag (I fondly know as lofty!)  Pike O' Stickle, Rossett Pike, Bow Fell, Crinkle Crags, Pike of Bliscoe; 13 Wainwrights.  We finished the round in the Hikers Bar at the Old Dungeon Ghyll where we shared our table with a group of walkers and enjoyed their company.  My chilli and half n half rice and chips went down well with a couple of bottles of Kopparberg fruit cider and I slept like a log.

On Sunday we chose a route that would take us off the beaten track a little.  We climbed from the back of the cottage up to Pavey Arc and traversed via Thurnacar Knott to High Raise then made our way across the wild fell to Sergeants Crag and Eagle Crag.  It was moody and windy and we were treated to some really beautiful and unusual cloud formations as we were buffeted along our way and the scenery was stunning.  Andrew had the wild idea that Wainwright gave a route off Sergeants Crag west down to Langstrath along the line of the fell wall (what was that about a good memory?!).  I peered over the edge and was very dubious but agreed to give it a go.  We got about half way down before my best beloved started to make 'we're not going down there it's dangerous' type of noises.  Unfortunately I'd got the determined-not-to-be-beaten hat on by then and couldn't be persuaded to re-ascend....who's the most stubborn one then?!!!  We picked our way down between rocks and heather and made it safely down but it was slow going.  From Langstrath we climbed up to Stakes Pass and back down into Langdale finishing.......yes you got it......back in the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hikers Bar!  The cauliflower and cheese soup was the best soup I've ever had and their currant slices are like ambrosia (that would be the food of the gods not the white stodgy stuff)!

More training and races!

I'm writing this whilst sipping a post race mug of milky hot chocolate...mmm!

Last Wednesday Andrew ran round the Stirton Fell Race (Keighley & Craven) with me because he had a tight calf and didn't want to race.  I was expecting heavy legs and a slow effort but was rewarded with a great run feeling stronger and faster than in any other race this year, and having Andrew with me meant I didn't have to worry about getting lost; he knew the route!  The race was about 5.5 miles, 1200 feet climb.

We had a weekend in Devon with family but managed a session of hill reps on Saturday.  We did 6 climbs of about 400 feet taking just over 9 minutes each.  These climbs are a killer starting with a fairly shallow ascent but ramping up with a long set of rough steps near the top and a final grassy climb.

Monday evening involved a tempo run from home through the golf course, over to Bolton Bridge and along the back road below the Beacon. 

Last night it was pouring with rain and I'd had a rubbish day at work.  Instead of training we watched Sleepless in Seattle and had crisps, dips, soup and a couple of drinks.  It was a lovely relaxing evening.

This evening we drove over to Widdop for the Widdop Fell Race, organised by Calder Valley Fell Runners.  It was a bit far from home for an evening race and we only just made the start.  We encountered tussocks, bogs and mud galore and had a great run.  My legs seemed to be on strike for the first half an hour but they woke up eventually and I was able to push on a bit.  The mud was thoroughly stuck on; I couldn't get all of it off in the river even by scrubbing my legs with grasses!

Well it's time for sleep now.  I'm looking forward to the BOFRA cross country race at Gargrave tomorrow :)

The Saunders Lakeland Mountain Marathon

And I realised that my youngest son Sam is a true grown up and a gentleman! It hasn't really sunk in yet but..... The weather was kind beyond belief. We arrived on Friday night expecting thunder storms, torrential rain and gales but were greeted with an overcast calm evening. When Sam and I woke up on Saturday morning to a clear view of the Wasdale horseshoe bathed in sunshine I was hugely relieved. I hadn't been at all sure about introducing Sam to the fells at their worst with no visibility and gales! I don't think anyone's under any illusions about my current state of fitness; that I'm a bit out of shape and somewhat off form at the moment. So it may come as a surprise that Sam and I managed a very respectable result of 11th out of about 120 teams. So how did we do it? Well, we ran everything we could run, chose good routes and lines, and managed to navigate and make route choice decisions quickly. Maybe next year with more fitness and maybe a bit less weight on our backs we'll be able to creep up the list a little further. We're certainly going to give it a try!

Cragg Vale Fell Race

What a cracking little race. I got stuck in traffic on the way and thought I was going to miss it. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. A mix of tarmac, trails, trods and tussocky bogs and a great downhill finish.....and it didn't rain! I managed to get a dip in the river after and the the tea and cakes hit the spot nicely. What a shame I forgot to apply my midge cream; I have an array of red splotches that are going to drive me crazy over the next few days!!! Thanks to Jackie and co for organising it. It was good to see friends old and new.

I'm back!

Four races in a week; I'm back at last! A quick update..... Since my last post I've had a hysterectomy as treatment for persistant CIN3 pre cancerous cervical cells. I've recovered now but there were a few minor complications along the way. In December I moved to West Yorkshire joining Andrew at last and transferred to the Leeds branch of the company I work for. Now to the important stuff....running! I've joined Keighley and Craven running club and have started training again. Andrew and I recently spent two weeks in the Lake District which has given me a kick start to training and getting back out there in the hills. I'm hooked again! We even fulfilled a life dream...skinny dipping in a pool in a river, whoot whoot! I've lost half a stone this month and the weight is still coming off (I'd gained a fair amount in the last year). This week I've done 4 fell races. Cononley Fell Race, Sutton Pinacles, St Ives trail race and the Beamsley Beacon fell race. The going is tough and I'm finding it a struggle but I'm getting stronger and faster and I've made some new friends. I haven't felt so positive in a very long time.