What have you got left? Anything good to save until last or will it be Binsey!?Quote:
Originally Posted by Travs
I thought I'd be near completion soon but then realised I have a very big chunk of the Far Eastern fells to do. :(
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What have you got left? Anything good to save until last or will it be Binsey!?Quote:
Originally Posted by Travs
I thought I'd be near completion soon but then realised I have a very big chunk of the Far Eastern fells to do. :(
Southern, Northern, Western, North-Western books all complete...
West of Kirkstone, I have Raven Crag (Thirlmere), Pavey Ark, Hartsop Above How, and High Hartsop Dodd.
The remaining dozen are all to the east of Kirkstone, and a couple of decent days out (one from Howtown, and perhaps one from Mardale Head) should mop most of them up.
My plan for the final day is to take a long run from the A6 at Shap summit, along one of the ridges over to Grey Crag and Tarn Crag. Possibly not the most scenic tops, but a long and lonely run in, just how I like it...!
Awesome!!
Pavey Ark is one of my favourite places, that scrabble up the cliff face is breath taking!!
I would struggle to know what Wainwrights I have done/not done. For many years in my early days of hill walking I would have just followed the walk leader, with little knowledge of where I was. One day in particular I remember spending hours bagging a load of green lumps north of Skiddaw.
Sounds great.Quote:
Originally Posted by Travs
I've started on the Outlying Fells now as well. Plenty of long lonely days out to be had there too.
Hey Travs,
Just to acknowledge your excellent advice on doing squats, I tried some today and I was being very thoughtful about my posture and really thinking through the muscle groups I was using, really focussing in on each muscle, tendon, bone and all the movement in greater detail. They really do make loads of sense on practically every level. I didn't quite get it before but I definitely do get it now. I am going to do these every day from now on. Thank you!!
but... and this is melting my mind, I can't believe how much flexibility has increased in my funny foot, for the first time in my entire life I can actually do squats correctly without feeling like a weird physical wreck and like I'm about to fall over! Both heels solid on the ground, and a decent level of drop!! Not all the way, but where I do go to feels really strong.
I'm really not sure what has happened here; I thought my foot would never move in that way because of how the bone structure had developed, but I am clearly totally wrong about that, I just did it.
More generally, I think I have come up with a plan for phase two of my training; I have been really missing the coach from the Runkeeper App, so, I am going to do the whole thing again, but in the walking intervals I am going to run at my normal pace, and then use the running intervals to increase my speed and push myself. So, I still have the interval training (as you also suggested Travs) and a programme I am already familiar with. I think it is going to work. This will give me 6 weeks focussing on increasing my speed and I guess I will naturally increase my distance a little bit at the same time. I enjoyed the short & sweet race on Sunday and I would like to do other similar races until I get my speed and techniques a bit better.
The longer term plan, well phase three anyway, is to then focus on increasing distance.
As much as I would love to do it, it's kinda bugging me a little, I think I am making a right and sensible decision about not doing Utterly Butterly this weekend, it's too much too soon, I need to be patient.
Good luck DM, keep us all posted... great to hear things are improving, and I can’t recommend squats enough... especially for someone like myself who doesn’t have regular access to the fells for training.
Had to give tonight’s club session a miss tonight, after the weekend’s efforts.... instead did a steady 6.5 miles and 1100ft on the treadmill, lots of stretching, and of course a few sets of light squats to try and get my legs back in action...
Road Relays on Saturday.... awaiting to hear if I’m in the vets (v35) team or one of the senior teams. Couldn’t be more different from last weekend’s LDMT.... about 5.9km and perhaps 200-300 feet of climb...
Quote:
Originally Posted by PeteS
I recently picked up the outlying fells book from Cov library, and marked them all up on a map with the possible intention of linking them all up in a single mammoth route... unfortunately it is well out of my reach (can’t remember the exact distance but I’m sure there wasn’t much change out of 200 miles).
Perhaps I’ll look at them once I’ve done all the Wainwrights.... although there’s so many fells I want to go back to and put together some long training runs...
Now there's a long distance challenge if ever there was one!Quote:
Originally Posted by Travs
There are a few fells I return to on a regular basis - old friends I just can't pass by. And there are so many others I want to go back to and have too little time and that's probably why I have not managed to complete them all yet. I admire your dedication, sir!
I misread your comment above Travs and thought you were planning the Outlying Fells of Cov
Four mile hilly road runfor me last night. Third run in four days 😲
Thanks and will do Travs - starting to think of this as a little diary with awesome support and encouragement - all win in my book!
Keep on keeping on DT, I have nothing but admiration for you all things considered; conversely I have just rested since Sunday!!
The resting is really good - I've been closely inspecting my legs hehe, there is or I should say was, quite a lot of very early warning signs for various potential injuries and the resting is revealing them all, so I am working them all out. I see these as growing pains rather than actual injuries because they are so small. As I identify each little one I am looking up exercises to do to strengthen that part and avoid them turning into something more serious. It's working! Today I bounced out of bed and didn't have the 'first step' stiffness that has slowly accumulated over the last 8 weeks. I am definitely considering this as part of my training, even though it is just strength building exercises rather than actually running.
The temptation to run is strong, but I am determined to maintain injury free running and this feels like the right thing to do.
I am really looking forward to getting back out running again, just a few more days, then onward and upward!!
I found this video very encouraging and a strong confirmation that I am doing things right, it's exactly where I am at in my mind:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw5cluM9ewg
(it is a little commercially oriented, they're trying to sell an app, but it's still useful)
And save until a nice dry and clear day for those Pete. preferably with frozen turf if you can wait that long!Quote:
Originally Posted by Travs
DP, those green lumps are great. Its worth doing again as part of your definitive Wainwright collection, perhaps build them into an extended Old Crown Round and tick the lot!Quote:
Originally Posted by DrPatrickBarry
I finished off the Northern Fells on a long run last winter in ferocious weather... Mungrisdale, onto Souther Fell, Mungrisdale Common, Bowscale, Bannerdale Crags, across the Caldew and up to Carrock Fell and High Pike... then a long leg round to Bakestall, then over Skiddaw and down to Keswick.
A fantastic day but was glad to get inside, it was getting seriously cold over Bakestall and Skiddaw.
Of the Wainwrights, I think the Northern and North Western are both the most underrated and also the easiest to tick off (if you are of a mind to do so).
Today's training was a good hammering of Walton Hill with a PB on Mungo's field ascent. Didn't have the heart for much more than 30 minutes of that so pottered about the footpaths and bridal ways enjoying the sun. 12km/490m.
At first it was easy to get through the Wainwrights... Go out the door, string a ridge run together, and tick off about 8 in one swoop... Then it gets harder to link them together...
Although had some great days out in last couple of years mopping them up... Lank Rigg to Pillar, via Caw, Haycock, Steeple, Red Pike, was a good one... As was Wasdale to Eskdale via Kirk Fell, Allen Crags, Esk Pike... Earlier this year Wasdale-Lingmell-Seathwaite Fell-Glaramara-Rosset Pike-Whin Rigg-Wasdale was a toughie...
Runs that you probably wouldn't do otherwise.
I took the tent when I did Grey crag and Tarn crag,and linked it to a few otherQuote:
Originally Posted by Travs
Wainwrights over the scorching august bank holiday, started from Kentmere church,then on to:-
Shipman Knotts, Kentmere Pike, Tarn Crag, Grey Crag, Selside Pike, Branstree,
Harter Fell, Mardale ill Bell, High Street, The Knott, Kidsty Pike, High raise,
Wether Hill, Loadpot Hill, Arthurs Pike, Bonscale Pike, Hallin fell and Steel Knotts.
Then on the steamer to Glenridding to flash my Bus pass on the bus to Windermere then on the 555 back to Kendal an enjoyable trip the main problem being access to water whilst trying to maintain height but a bit of judicious map reading and carrying 3 litres got me through, mind you full Camping kit, 3 litres of water plus food made for a pretty heavy sac, excellent training IMO.
Tis by far the best way of doing the Wainwrights;)
JohnK I set out on a similar trip perhaps three years ago...
Started after lunch and did Ambleside-Red Screes-Middle Dodd-Little Hart Crag-over Fairfield, Cofa Pike, to St Sunday Crag-Birks-Arnison Crag-Patterdale-Angletarn Pikes-Brock Crags-Rest Dodd.... the aim had then been to cover a lot of ground on the Far Eastern Fells...
As evening turned to night, a pretty horrendous storm came in, and my water supply ran out, and couldn’t find any more.... I buried down in my bivvy bag to see out the storm... must have been pretty delirious by this point with the thirst, as I can’t really remember much of the night... vaguely recall desperately trying to make my way in the general direction of Ambleside, heading over the High Street ridge and Thornthwaite Crag...
As dawn came I became desperate for water and somewhere high above Hayeswater I found a horrific looking stagnant pool of water with plenty of flies/bugs hovering around... such was my thirst I couldn’t resist a few handfuls... dropped straight off the Fell down to Hartsop and onto the Kirkstone Road and attempted to hitch back to Ambleside... I must’ve looked a state as nobody would stop for me... I was resigned to a long walk back to Ambleside over Kirkstone, but then came across the hotel/pub at Brothers Water... I went straight into the bar and tried to ask for some water but my mouth was so dry I couldn’t speak.... they got the jist of it... i had to neck three pints of water before I regained the power of speech, and booked a taxi back to Ambleside...
Learned a lot that day/night/morning... I guess I was lucky it was mid-summer...
Hi Travs I always carry one of these :-
http://www.travelsage.co.uk/sawyer-m...system-review/
and for the couple of ounces it weighs I find it well worth while and have used it to get water from some pretty distasteful sources.
Whilst I don't doubt your account of the adventure you had, I have to say I am puzzled as to how you were unable to find water as personally I would have used the horrendous storm you describe to harvest water from
the run off from the Bivy to fill any containers I had to hand.
Also I assume you missed the obvious way down from Thornthwaite Beacon to Hartsop as the path runs from Threshtwaite mouth past Threshtwaite Cove and Raven Crag into Pasture bottom and follows Pasture Beck all the way to Hartsop.
Still the good thing is you made it and learned a lot
My next outing with the tent will be taking in all the 20 Wainwrights on the western side of Patterdale starting with Arnison Crag and finishing with Great Mell Fell, not sure yet when I will be setting off
Understand your comments... I did manage to get a little water from off my bivvy bag, but nowhere near what I needed... and to be honest I was not in a great state, and just getting into the bivvy required most of my effort before passing out for a couple of hours...
And yes I did miss the easy way down to Hartsop.... in the middle of the night, in pitch black, in a not entirely ideal state... was probably at the time not up to a trip of such magnitude. Live and learn...
Malvern Hills on the way home from Cardiff. Hollybush to Cotwall direct and then back taking in a rather circuitous route. 12km/600m
Well, the last few days of not running seemed to last forever and I was sinking deeper and deeper into some kind of malaise - well - now I know!! Thank goodness the rest period is over!!
Started the couch to 5K again, but this time running at a slower pace during the walking periods and running at a much faster pace in the running periods. The first half was tough until my body woke up, then I felt fine!
2.36 miles, 145' climb in 25:15 mins
Wondering if I should compare to my previous times from the original run through this programme? I doubt I will take the same routes, I already did this one differently, but here it is anyway:
1.72 miles, 176' climb in 25:31
So significant difference already, although this is hardly surprising :))
I guess it will be most interesting at week 5 when I know there's a session that is all running, I would hope that my time will increase a bit. Lets see...
===
Delirium, never underestimate the severity of the effects of dehydration, it's no joke!!
Glad you made it out alive there Travs!!
I've had a change of heart!
Today I just 'went for a run' and you know what - it felt absolutely fantastic!
2 miles, 239' climb, 23:33 mins!
Slight awareness of something going on with left knee towards the end, but that's okay, no pain as such.
I still feel great, heart rate up, good sweat on, lots of puddles to splash through, beautiful terrain and views which I actually took time to appreciate instead of just knuckling down and focussing on the running. A very refreshing change.
I wonder if I have been worrying too much about injury and forgetting to just enjoy it a little bit?
Travs, missed you yesterday and so far today, all okay mate?
I’m good... had a very steady week after the road Relays last weekend which were quite a way out of my comfort-zone!
Eyeing up Fan Fawr, 2 miles up and down, weekend after next... would be comfortably the shortest, fastest and most furious Fell Race I’ve ever done....
My usual Friday AS tomorrow had to be dropped as I'm off out on the beer after work. So, tonight was supposed to be that run but fancied a change so set off on a flat tour of North Worcestershire footpaths. 12.5km but turned out not to be that flat with just shy of 400m ascent. Must rethink these flatter runs.... 🙄
Excellent - glad all is well :)
Fan Fawr looks ace, wish you all the best Travs!
Funnily enough, 2 miles is my 'distance of the week' and I seem to have brought my average pace down below 11 minutes per mile, these shorter runs are giving me the space to improve my speed I think, I am starting to feel like I am running rather than plodding or something:
2.06 miles, 244 climb, 22:29 mins today...
Fantastic day for running too
splish! splash! splosh!
:D
Another trip to Cardiff this weekend and had planned to do a run over the Brecon Beacons on the way back. However the portent of doom that was the MWIS weather forecast put pay to that so made do with another run over the Malvern Hills. Thankfully the rain stopped and other than some very challenging wind at times on the tops, it turned out to be a rather enjoyable (and surprisingly warm) run.
16.5km/700m
Did my usual 2 mile route in reverse:
2.01 miles, 210 climb, 21:31 :D
If you haven't been keeping track, that's a huge improvement for me - a full 2 mins faster than last Wednesday!
I felt a bit sick right at the end, I think I might have pushed a little too much?
Is this normal?
Feeling sick if you’ve pushed it a bit isn’t unusual
There was an infamous (Kenyan? Ethiopian?) work-out iirc that basically finished when you threw up. I’ve not tried it although might have done similar in the past on Tim Taylor’s 😲
Thanks DT :)
I realised after I posted that I hadn't eaten and was possibly not fully hydrated, that and pushing it probably combined to make me feel that way - another lesson learned!!
Haha, I like Tim Taylor's too, actually most beer, but it's been a good while since I was so drunk I threw up!
I am finally feeling strong enough the day after a run to go for another run, should I do it?
Oh yes!! I did it, feel just the same as doing it 3 times a week, if not better!!
Broke my PR again, same route:
2 miles, 212 climb in 20:51 mins!
That's another 40 seconds hacked off my 2 mile time - I can't quite believe it - I am only 50 seconds off breaking the 20 minute barrier and I feel great!!
Will have to wait to see how I feel tomorrow, and the rest of the week, but all being well I will be out again and I will be running every day, same milage per week as in phase one, but that's good! Once this phase of getting my speed up is over I will then start increasing distance, which I believe will make my pace drop again, but overall I should be doing better than before. Lets see hey :)
Family bereavement put paid to Peris last weekend, and all thoughts of training this week.
Talking of feeling sick, in my kickboxing days we did occasionally a horrific session called the “puke run”
Basically we had to close our eyes, fingers in ears, and spin round as fast as possible for 30secs, leaving us unable to stand properly... this was to simulate the effects of receiving a knockout punch... we were then immediately set upon by an opponent and basically had to survive the onslaught... horrendous stuff...
Another bad one was the “shark tank” where you were put in the ring for 10 or 15mins, with a fresh opponent every minute, so you never got a rest... this was not fun either, as most of the people my weight were lunatic Poles/Russians/Palestinians...
Great times (perhaps)....
Sorry to hear about the bereavement, Travs. Hope the family are pulling together.
Your kickboxing training sounds absolutely nuts. I might take it up…
Took 5 minutes off my half-mara PB in a training run today, whilst dodging commuters and carring my work laptop and clothes in a rucksack — buzzing about that if I’m honest.
It helped me turn from a typical Sunday league football player, and into someone with some pride in my sport and conduct, so I’m glad I did it... fellrunning only from now on though...!
Training in Thailand was a superb experience, 10km every morning up and down the same inner city street, then 5km every afternoon round the streets and temple... the remainder of the day training on concrete floor under a tin roof in the heat and humidity... when not taking an absolute beating I was either lying on bed, eating or having a massage... too tired for anything else at all... except for one memorable night in the cells!
It’s not necessarily the physical side that was too much (although broken ribs and black eyes aren’t fun)... but it was the mental stress of trying to hold down a “career” whilst training 3 hours a night, at the same time not being able to eat enough to fuel myself, due to cutting weight... one day I just decided to knock it on the head and start fellrunning, which I’d been interested in for years, but never taken the plunge.
So now I like to think that I train as hard as before, but able to relax a bit more with regards to food intake etc.
Good stuff on the pb.... I really must start to focus on training for the Snowdonia Marathon...
That does indeed sound nuts!!
I do love our Eastern European brothers and sisters though, I was made an honorary Pole the first time I visited there however many decades ago; imagine the biggest hardest bad ass Pole you can, actually lovely guy, but to look at you just see a physical beast. After several bottles of vodka, each, everyone was amazed I was still standing and so they challenged me to arm wrestle this dude, basically we deadlocked, everyone was revelling in delighted disbelief "he beats everyone" "How are you doing this?" they cried. Eventually I said to this guy, "I can't beat you, but you will never beat me either" - he looked at me, agreed, clasped both arms on my shoulders and said "You are Polish".
Unforgettable. Wonderful people.
In my last fight (around 4 years ago) my gym had a Palestine guy who was an utter beast... we’d been warned about no political symbols or songs on our ring entries.... he didn’t give a damn and came in wrapped in a Palestine flag to a deafening song and tirade about freeing the Palestine, and slagging everyone else off (can’t remember exactly who... I expect Israel and the USA). He then proceeded to knock his opponent out with a flying spinning kick which was absolutely stunning.
My fight was last of the night... I was the “away fighter” and the home crowd were baying for blood, and as I walked to the ring, shouting things like “smash him up” “kill him” and worse... it was the first and only time I had a proper rage and I was fuming at the start of the fight... how could the crowd have so much disrespect when I’d been training every day for years, much like their guy... you don't really get that kind of abuse in Muay Thai (unlike MMA/UFC where it’s more commonplace) so I was pretty taken aback...
To make matters worse I lost on a split points decision which I still maintain was an absolute robbery!
But yes the Poles were tough fighters and training partners... I had an amateur fight against one and felt like he’d broke my ribs in the 2nd round... I then proceeded to make it to the end of the 5th round where he sucker-punched me after the bell and something definitely cracked/snapped... I needed helping out of the ring after that one... ranks among the more unpleasant afternoons in my sporting life...
Oh my!!
Remind me never to take up kick-boxing :D
I am afraid my fights have all been street fights and always in self defence and as a last resort - fortunately I am a 'natural' (genetics - I am a pure mongrel heh) and every time floored the idiots with one punch, breaking multiple bones in their stupid faces, blood everywhere - out cold! I am not proud of these moments, but they were 100% justified. I am a pacifist at heart, but corner me, leave me with no option and well... all bets are off. I will defend myself to the death. Sometimes I wish I'd finished these scumbags off and pounded their flesh and bone to a pulp, it would have been easy, the world really would have been a better place without them going around bullying people. But as a right thinking person I realised this would not be the morally right thing to do, the aggressors were down, there was no need to go any further. I also probably wouldn't have got away with it and would have ended up in jail. Thankfully since then I have developed and honed my life skills and I think partly due to being older and generally perceived as less of a threat, these things simply don't happen any more - thank goodness!
Israel and Palestine are amazing places to visit, a truly profound education if ever there was one, definitely worth a trip if you ever feel so inclined; there's a company called Green Olive tours, run by a Christian, a Jew and a Muslim if I remember correctly, they offer dark tourism as a beacon of hope - their about page describes their stand in a much better way than I could here, have a read, it's awesome:
https://www.toursinenglish.com/2007/...ive-tours.html