Calderdale Way Solo

[NeilP]

I have (madly) set myself the goal of running the Calderdale Way at some point in the coming year. I've been running twice a week for months now, but feel the need to throw myself into something more ambitious. I know I need to start doing more and longer runs each week (that's obvious!!) but was looking for some advice on the best way to build up to longer distances without doing myself an injury. If I have a sensible plan that I can stick to then it might actually happen.
If anyone has done this before I'd be grateful for an idea of how you prepared for it and how it went.

[Stolly]

The Calderdale Way is about 50 miles give or take isn't it? If so you need to up your running from twice a week in training to say four or five times a week with maybe two of those runs over 10 miles and, one increasingly getting bigger to around 20 miles. If you can, get your weekly running mileage up to around 40 for a couple of months before setting off. I don't think you need to run any single run of more than say 30 miles in training but make sure most of your runs are largely in comparable hills if you can - having one big 30 miler outing will help improve your confidence, even if you feel trashed at the end of it. Before I first did the High Peak Marathon (about 42 miles) my longest training run was the 3 peaks, which is say 23 miles, and my logic then was that if I can run 23 I can certainly stretch that to 30 and, if I reach 30 miles, what's another 10 . Given the distance remember there's nothing stopping you walking some of the time and a sensible strategy might be to walk all or most of the ups on the actual day (and night?).

Also practise running with a fully loaded rucksack and remember that on a long run you will probably need to apply vaseline both where the rucksack is likely to rub and in 'other' areas of potential friction (nipples, under arms, groin etc).

[Splatcher]

I had a go at this in the autumn while I was going down with flu. I ran myself to the point of collapse (43 miles) then had to get a pub to call me a taxi. I'm therefore probably not the best person to advise on preparation for it. However... You certainly need to be comfortable with 30-mile runs across similar territory before trying 50. If you get to that point you're in a good position to give it a go, so why not set that as your intermediate objective? By the way, the Calderdale Way is pretty hilly (8500ft of climbing), particularly the Todmorden end, & you don't want to leave that bit till last. I started at Cragg Vale & went clockwise. I'm hoping to have another go in the summer.

[jdoddyd]

I just bought the guidebook for the Calderdale way and I'm considering something similar myself. Looks like a cracking day out.

Keep us updated!

[NeilP]

Thank you! I can't avoid hills around Halifax so it's not hard to find something to run up! I'll add a third run in a week aiming for 10 miles at first and then build up from there - I read somewhere that it's a good idea to add about 10% distance at a time to a run so you don't over do it. Does that sound about right?
It feels quite exciting now that I've "said it out loud". No backing down now!

[Splatcher]

Thank you! I can't avoid hills around Halifax so it's not hard to find something to run up! I'll add a third run in a week aiming for 10 miles at first and then build up from there - I read somewhere that it's a good idea to add about 10% distance at a time to a run so you don't over do it. Does that sound about right?

I wouldn't be too cautious: just give yourself the opportunity to back out if you take on something too hard. My first run was a 26 mile event in the Peak District, in my late 40s, with no training & no history of ever having run before. MInd you, I was an experienced long-distance hillwalker so my legs were strong. I suffered afterwards, but not from injuries, just tired muscles. If you've not done much legwork in the past build it up gradually by all means, but you should be comfortably OK for 20 mile runs in a couple of months time if you're reasonably fit now. But...if you feel anything that feels like an injury take it seriously while you're building up the mileage. I'm not running this week, as I upped my mileage & ended up with a sore toe that won't get better unless I rest it. And there are plenty of more serious problems you are more likely to get when you're increasing your mileage than at any other time.

[MOUNTAIN MAN]

A couple of posts above mention having intermediate objectives. One of my reasons for devising a route like the Calder Valley Round (16 miles/4000') was for folk to use it as a stepping stone to bigger things. I use it regularly every year (when I'm not injured like now!) as a training run in preparation for the longer stuff. It concides in places with the CW and will get you used to the hills and terrain round there - its mostly on good paths so its nearly all runnable. If you do it regularly it's a good way to monitor how you are improving! ... or declining in my case!:w00t:

Link here: http://gofar.rwimbush.purplecloud.ne...challenge.html

And if you want to use the Calderdale Way as a stepping stone to other stuff there is plenty to go at www.gofar.org.uk

Not that I'm trying to plug anything of course!!

[NeilP]

That's sorted then. Thanks for the link to the Calder Valley Round. I'll try that in the next month and then keep coming back to it to see how I'm progressing.
I used to think that it was more important to keep changing where I ran and how far, but recently I've stuck to the same routes and distances week in week out and found a real satisfaction from feeling myself getting stronger and finding it easier. Now it's time to move out of this comfort zone and do the same all over again - but up a gear.

[NeilP]

All your good advice is working!!! I am comfortably up to 3 runs a week (over 20 miles in total) and I've had 2 cracks at the Calder Valley Round. The first time I missed the Stoodley Pike section. Today I tried the Stoodley Pike section but got a bit off course (somehow!), didn't have time to climb up to the Pike and still managed to do 16 miles in 3 hours. So definitely heading in the right direction.

[philbrynmaen]

NeilP...your challenge and thought pattern reminds me of my decision about 5 years ago to have a go at the BG but without ever having run for anything like the length of time needed for a successful outcome - it's is a big step into the unknown. Being a decent road runner, the main difficulty I found was to stop thinking about distance and to focus on time. As a road runner I always thought about pace and how fast I had covered 5 miles, 10 miles etc. Or whether I was running at 6.30 pace or 7.00 pace or whatever. Instead I forced myself to run slow and to say "I will run for three hours"...or four hours...or five hours. And then not care about how far I had run when I finished. Also I wanted to feel OK when I finished as opposed to being totally knackered. The hardest part for the first six months was to slow down enough to learn how to enjoy running at a sustainable pace. Choosing to run off-road and on the hill helps the time to fly too. Good luck with the Calderdale!