Wednesday 31 March 2010

Snowed on on Chinley Churn

Doesn't quite have the same ring as Snowed on on Snowdon but I may have a theme going here if the weather doesn't improve. Just as we thought it was safe to go out (I was running in shorts and t-shirt at the weekend) the bloody snow and freezing temperatures make a reappearance.


I went over Eccles Pike and could see that snow had settled on the hills above 500m when it started snowing. By the time I got up Chinley Churn it was nearly a white out. Nearly froze my fingers off too.

Roll on summer.

Monday 29 March 2010

Route Plotting - MapMyRun

I've been playing around with a few on-line route mapping websites. This seems to have the best mapping capabilities (including a very natty googlemaps flythrough facility) but it has loads of advertising on it unless you take out membership (which is fair enough I suppose). Here's my route from yesterday (Sunday 28/3/10).



This took me exactly two hours on a perfect running day, sunny with a cool breeze.

Wednesday 24 March 2010

Leap Frog

I've just been out for a run in the dark and had a very weird experience. Coming down a country lane into a small valley (Kishfield between Kettleshulme and Whaley Bridge) I noticed what I thought was a leaf until it blinked at me. It was a frog. Then there was another one, and another. The whole road for about a hundred yards was covered in frogs. They just sat there as I tried desperately not to stand on any of them.

I think I managed to get through without committing amphibicide. Weird.

Update: Went back down thelane the folloing night withthe club andthere were even more (plus a few toads).

Snowed on on Snowdon

It wasn't really a run (apart from the bit I ran to escape the blizzard. More on that later) but it was up a mountain so I suppose it qualifies for the blog.

I'd spent the weekend at a Northern Soul Weekender at Prestatyn. This finished at 3:30 a.m. Monday morning (which was earlier than the 8 a.m. finish the previous two days) so I grabbed a few hours kip then took off for Llanberis. I'd not been up Snowdon before so I thought I'd take the opportunity being so close. I did toy with the idea of running it but after a weekend of a lot of dancing, little sleep and not a little beer I thought it maybe wasn't wise. So I walked.

The weather forecast was for rain clearing later and as predictied I set off up the main tourist path (route of the Snowdon Fell race) under an overcast but dry sky at around 1:30.

Rather than take the road I first took the very picturesque path through the trees that come out at the Pen Y Ceunant Isaf tea rooms. Up the road for a few hundred yards then its onto the Llanberis path proper. As you'd expect the path is well trodden and is currently under repair in several places (presumably getting ready for the summer onslaught).



Being a Monday afternoon in March there weren't many people out. I could see a couple in front of me and half way up a self confessed unfit and overweight runner caught me up. I overhauled the couple who I presume turned back later as I didn't see them again. That was it until I reached the top, apart from the runner coming back down through the snow about a quarter mile from the summit.

Three quarters of the way up the weather improved to the point where I wished I brought the sun lotion. However, the clouds that had been shrouding the summit remained I was soon into them. Just prior to that though I passed under the mountain railway and got a brilliant view down into the Llanberis Pass.



A hundred yards further up I found out why the trains didn't run to the top, and as a consequnce the cafe at the top wasn't open.



From here on in the path was mostly covered with snow plus visibility was down to a few yards. If it hadn't have been for a few footprints I might have lost the path. As it was I met the runner on his way down. He said he'd been to the top but I was a bit skeptical has I expected it to be much further. But there it was soon enough, some two hours after I'd set off (the fell race takes the winner just over an hour to get up and down!).

The summit platform and pillar loomed out of the mist. Right on cue as I got to the top the wind picked up and it started to snow. I came down off the summit platform before it blew me off and took a quick look at the very closed and shuttered cafe. A couple were huddled in the doorway having a drink. They'd come up the Pyg track which they said had some 'interesting' sections in it. I left them to their tea and took off back down as the snow had now turned to very painful horizontal hail. I jogged most of the way down to get out of the cloud but it followed me down. It finally stopped as I approached the Ceunant tea rooms. I decided to pop in for a cup of tea. Good decision. It's like a little farmhouse kitchen in there with a roaring log fire, a little table and bits of antique furniture. The proprietor came and joined me with his cup of tea and dog and we had a good old chat for 20 minutes or so. He's also got a small art gallery in there where he exhibits his collection of Kyffin Williams paintings. After I paid the bill and was about to leave he gave me an apple and piece of fruit cake. That's what I call a friendly cafe.

That just nicely capped off a great day in the hills. Having done that I now fancy a crack at the Snowdon Fell Race. The path is very runnable. Unfortunately, this year's race sold out in 12 days so I'll have to wait until next year.

As I was driving away from Llanberis I looked through my wing mirror and there was Snowdon and surrounding peaks with their crowns of snow in a completely clear blue sky!

Grindle(ford) Fruit Cake

A week after rediscovering Kendal Mint Cake (KMC) due to having no gels left for the Berkhamsted Half Marathon, I discovered Grindle Fruit Cake (GFC). The £12 entry fee for the Grindleford Gallop (21 miles, 3,000 ft ascent or 34km, 925m ascent in new money) was easily recouped in the drinks, cakes and soup available both on the course and at the end.


This was my first attempt at this event. I was hoping to get somewhere between 3 hours and 3:30. It was also my first run in Goyt Valley Strider's club colours (including my club coloured shorts which have caused much mirth in the club due to their shortness). There were 28 club members in the event so we had a good turn out. There were over 300 runners as well as a similar number of walkers who'd set off 90 minutes earlier.

It was one of those strange days weatherwise where it was difficult to tell how it would turn out. I'd intended to run in just a t-shirt, club vest and shorts. While killing time before the start the weather changed several times from sunny to cold. (We were also entertained by an usually large number of blokes applying vaseline to places that I didn't realise had friction issues.) I then swapped the t-shirt for a long sleeved Helly-Hansen themal top. This proved to be a wise decision although I did get too warm in sheltered sections. I even had club coloured gloves (which I'd found on a KIMM a few years ago). On the shoe front I wore my Salomon Speedcross 2s hoping that they'd be OK over this distance as I'd not run more than 5 miles in them previously. I had hoped to use my new Salomon XT-Wings but they were late in being delivered. (They arrived over the weekend.) As it turned out the Speedcross were brilliant. To top it all off I carried a large bumbag containing waterproof jacket, 500ml drink, phone, energy bar and KMC.

To start we all gathered in a field with no start line to speak off. The starter made the usual inaudible instructions before a hooter had us off over the field. A stile and narrow track after the first hundred yards explained the mad dash from those in the know. I don't mind being held up a little bit at the beginning on a long run as it stops me dashing off too fast.


My strategy for the race after last week's reasonable half marathon was to treat it like a half with a bit (a mere 8 miles) tagged on the end, rather than a marathon with a little bit (5 miles) chopped off. So once I got the chance I started moving ahead overtaking a few runners. Then it was up the hill from Froggat to Eyam. This was quite steep but I managed to run a large chunk of it. I'm beginning to think that I've made a small breakthrough in hill running. I don't seem to be overtaken quite as much as I used to and seem to be able to run more hills. Still a lot of room for improvement but nice and early in the year.



As usual I managed to pass a few on the downhill section into Eyam and onto the first checkpoint. Then it was out the back of Eyam and into a green lane which was soon spoiled by a gang of X-cross motorbike riders making a right racket and smell. I can't be doing with motorised off road vehicles ripping up the countryside.

This section was quite poignant for me as it was where my dad died nearly exactly 32 years ago (7 March 1978). He was out walking on his own and had a massive heart attack aged 47 and here I was aged 51 running through the same area. I suppose a little part of me runs to get away from a heart attack.

After crossing the A632 Stoney Middleton to Peak Forest road it was up over a series of fields, past control 2 and onto control 3 overlooking Monsal Dale. I started to nibble the KMC at this point. This section was now downhill via a farm track and road to Great Longstone where I spotted a trio of grey haired ladies(cauliflower heads as my mother calls them, and she's one too) that I'd also seen in Eyam. They'd reappear every few miles during the race. I was almost on first name terms with them by the end of the race. Again I claimed a few scalps on the down hill section and a few more on the flat section along the Monsal Trail disused railway line to control 4. This was the first cake stop. A large table was creaking under the weight of a variety of cakes wrapped in clingfilm. So I grabbed a large chunk of fruit cake and a drink. I used the remainder of the trail to ease off a little and eat the cake.

Just above Bakewell we left the trail and up the steep hill to Ballcross Farm (control 5). On the way up we crossed a golf course and had to ring a bell to warn the golfers. I bet they were sick of the bell ringing so much that day. I managed to walk and run my way up the hill. At the top we set off over the smooth grassy Calton Pastures as the sun came out properly. It had turned into a cracking day.


By this stage I'd gotten into a pattern of being caught by the same few runners on the uphills then dropping them on the flats and downs. So it was down through Edensor, past Chatsworth and onto Baslow and the second cake stop where I stopped to refuel (another cake and topping up my bottle). My chasers caught me up here and disappeared off up the Bar Road hill while I was refueling. I thought I'd lost them here as they disappeared up the hill. On the tops they were a good half mile in front of me.


I wasn't making any ground on them until we finally started to descend off Froggat Edge. I slowly but surely pulled them all back in until I was back in the lead. After crossing the A625 the path split and there were no signs so I had to wait for them to tell me which way to go. So off I went again and managed to drop them on the fast downhill section to the finish.

I'd hired a cottage in Hathersage so that my family could come up for the weekend as I wasn't going home due to the race. Unfortunately my youngest daughter couldn't make it but everyone else was there. So, I had a fan club waiting for me at the finish. My wife spotted a Goyt Valley runner approaching the finish. "Look, there's one of your Dad's clubmates" she said to Vicky and Lucy. "It is Dad!" they replied. I must have looked bad for my wife not to recognise me!


I dabbed my dibber at the finish and was handed my printout according to which I'd finished 40th (out of 40, so far) in 3:08. Not bad for my first attempt. I was third in our club (and first M50) after the amazing Andy Pead had won in a new course record of 2:24 and Julian (ultra runner extrodinairre) in 3:04. Looking at the result splits I'd arrived just one minute behind Julian at Baslow. I certainly didn't expect to be that close but if I'd known I might have made an extra effort to try and finish with him. The results when published had me at 46th. I'm not sure how that happened.


Overall, I really enjoyed the run. The course is nice and varied and suits me with its long downhills and flat sections. The weather helped of course. The organisation was good (apart from that missing direction towards the end) and the cakes were especially welcome.

I'll probably do that one again. After all that 3 hour barrier needs to be broken. (I wish!)

Sunday 7 March 2010

Berko Half Marathon

After many years of intending to enter this local race, the Berkhamsted Half Marathon, I finally suceeded yesterday and got myself one of the 100 places reserved for 'locals' (i.e. anyone who got to Berkhamsted and applied in person). I know the roads around there very well and have even done the course as a training run when preparing for my first Jungfrau Marathon. I also ran most of the course in reverse last week when I ran the 17 mile Gade Valley Harriers London Marathon Training Run. Thankfully the weather had made a major improvement on last week when we had freezing rain and snow (and some git in a BMW (isn't it always) who decided that splashing runners with freezing puddles was far better than driving round them.)

Today was absolutely perfect running weather. Cool and sunny. I'm not sure whether I actually broke out into a sweat or not it was such perfect temperature. I was dressed all in black in my Gore lycra shorts, Champion technical tee shirt, Gore running hat and black gloves. I wore my good old Asic Gel Kayano (14?) running shoes. Really must tie the laces tighter as I had to retie each one on the run.

As often happens when you're near to something, you think there's loads of time and end up being late. I parked up and ran the mile or so to the start and was still queuing to store my bag when the starting gun went off. I'd forgotten my watch in the rush but fortunately we had timing chips so I'll eventually get a chip time. So I started at the back amongst the virgins and ipod people. I spent the rest of the race passing runners. As I found last week the miles just ticked off. Since I've been doing longer distance weekend sessions (17 -20 miles) I'm finding a half marathon quite short. Having rushed to get to the start I'd not had time to do my ablutions and spent miles 5 - 8 looking for suitable place to hide. Local knowledge came in handy as I knew exactly where there were some decent bushes to hide behind. I had to watch about a hundred runners pass me as I was occupied. I finally reeled them all back in by the finish line.

I hadn't any gels left for today's run so I resorted to good old Kendal Mint Cake which I nibbled most of the way round. I'm not sure if it was the KMC or just that I'm getting fitter but I felt full of energy all the way round. As I said I was passing people all the way round (even on hills which is unusual for me).



Just as we ran past the marvellous Ashridge House (above) I saw a guy drop his hat so I scooped it up off the ground and gave it back to him as I ran past. I'll be resorting to the KMC a bit more often I think.

As usual, runners weren't using the downhills properly so I grabbed a few extra places on the last mile which is all downhill. Not having a watch I had no idea what time I was doing. I'd hoped to get under 1:40 on this hilly course and was delighted to nip under the clock just as it ticked onto 1:37. So I reckon my chip time should be 1:35 or less. Not bad considering the circumstances.

(Update 8/3/10: Clock time 1:37:07, Chip time: 1:34:48, Clock Position: 174 / 1200, Chip position about 130th).

Overall, a very enjoyable run made special by the weather. Might do that one again.