Todays permitted exercise!

9.24 miles, 2,507 feet, 2 hours 57 minutes: Wansfell Pike, including the loop to the true top anti-clockwise, and down the race route to the kissing gate. Yet another heavy overnight frost, followed by another clear blue sky, with no wind nor precipitation. The terrain is frozen hard, with extensive ice, so extensive now that the boundaries of the ice sheets are indistinct in places, making them at times difficult to avoid. Traction good as long as not on ice. Lots of walkers about; no other runners seen.

9.43 miles, 3,509 feet, 3 hours 20 minutes: Wansfell Pike from 3 sides, including the anti-clockwise loop to the true top, and up/down the race route from/to the kissing gate. Almost 100% blue sky - only 1 tiny cloud. A moderate but very cold wind from the north. No precipitation. Another overnight frost - those places that do not see much sun at this time of year have had frost on frost on frost. Extensive and of course slippery ice sheets. Not many walkers about; 1 other runner seen.

9.42 miles, 2,540 feet, 3 hours 8 minutes: Loughrigg trails, including the loop down the race route to High Close and back up again. 99.9% blue sky, no wind, no precipitation. Heavy overnight frost; terrain frozen hard with the ice sheets becoming more extensive where there is drainage or weeping. Grip good as long as the ice is avoided. Very few walkers about; no other runners seen.

Initially Windermere was covered in fog/mist but this soon evaporated.

7.72 miles, 3,041 feet, 2 hours 43 minutes: Wansfell Pike from 3 sides, including up/down the race route from/to the kissing gate, and the loop along the ridge to the true top. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 1,200 feet. A moderate breeze from the south. No precipitation. A heavy snow-like frost overnight. Terrain frozen hard. The ice sheets are now so extensive it is becoming increasingly tricky to detour around them. Even away from the ice it is now slippery where the frost has accumulated. Only about a dozen walkers on the fell; no other runners seen.

7.51 miles, 2,439 feet, 2 hours 39 minutes: Loughrigg trails, including Todd and Ivy Crags, Lily Tarn, and the loop down the race route to High Close and back up again. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 500 feet. No wind nor precipitation. There was a good inch of snow in the town overnight and rather more higher up. I wore microspikes from door to door - they were excellent. Lots of slip marks on the fell, and I could see from their footprints that a couple of people had turned around in different spots to avoid dodgy terrain. About 20 walkers seen, and 3 other runners.

I intend to run alongside the canal tomorrow and with a potenital dusting of snow, and the canal frozen over, i might have to break out the mikrospikes.

A walk over Buck Hill and Beacon Hill; I decided that with my catarrh, I wasn't going to enjoy racing at the Gaddesby Gallop. Unlike Mr B, I am quite phlegmatic about my phlegm, but it was still disappointing to miss a race that I had been looking forward to (and which I had missed due to injuries on the last two occasions it was run, in 2019 and 2021).

8.87 miles, 2,919 feet, 3 hours 2 minutes: Wansfell Pike, including the clockwise loop along the ridge to the true top, and up the race route from the kissing gate. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 3,000 feet - misty in the distance. A moderate wind from the south, making it unpleasant on the ridge. No rain, though there were a few brief very light snow flurries. The recents heavy frosts/snow has partly melted and re-frozen since yesterday, resulting in widespread ice on pavements, minor roads, tracks and paths. The steps up to the Pike were filled in with ice, making them mostly useless and dangerous. Microspikes worn door to door. Not many walkers about; 1 other runner seen.

9 miles, 2,462 feet, 2 hours 50 minutes: Rothay Bridge - Clappersgate - Fishgarths Wood - Todd Crag - Lily Tarn - Ivy Crag - Loughrigg Tarn track - up the steps opposite the tarn - Loughrigg top - down past the old golf club - Miller Bridge - Rothay Park. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 500 feet. Constant drizzle/light rain. A moderate wind from the south. Surprisingly warm. Terrain saturated and streaming - puddles and rivulets everywhere. At this level 99% of the ice has gone; very slippery, despite this. Only 2 walkers and 1 runner seen on the fell.

11.13 miles, 3,945 feet, 3 hours 51 minutes: Wansfell Pike from 3 sides, including up/down the race route from/to the kissing gate, and the clockwise loop along the ridge to the true top. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 2,500 feet. Occasional patches of blue sky. A moderate wind from the south. A few minutes of drizzle/light rain. Terrain saturated and slippery - perhaps half a dozen steps still had ice on them. Not many walkers about; 3 other runners seen.

Not as warm as yesterday, but I was not actually cold, even in the wind.