Todays permitted exercise!

Leg 4 relays recce with some wharfedalers last night led by Ted. Easily the most technical of the short legs, starting with a brutal climb out of the holding pen the route takes in some easy running over pasture to the top of the first descent. The next 4m basically have bofra written all over them; rough and fast, but quite short descents with no obvious lines, experienced descenders will be able to put time into runners behind them. The flat section on the way to the Dibb gill is not smooth green pasture, you could easily turn an ankle here and put your team out of it. Teams would be wise to save a reliable runner for this leg and not underestimate it. I told Ted it would make a very good race route.

10.26 miles, 3,099 feet, 3 hours 16 minutes: Rothay Bridge - Clappersgate - Fishgarths Wood - Todd Crag - Lily Tarn - Loughrigg top - race descent to the road at High Close - Deerbolts Woods - Grasmere shore - White Moss - back up to the top via Loughrigg Terrace and the steps overlooking Grasmere - down past the old golf club - Miller Bridge - Rothay Bridge. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 2,500 feet. Very misty with height and distance. Constant drizzle/light rain. Terrain wet/saturated/slippery. The most prominent feature of the weather today was the strong blustery wind from the north east - strong enough to blow people over. Very few walkers about, though there was one large group of lads all in high viz vests. One runner seen.

10.25 miles, 2,671 feet, 3 hours 10 minutes: Wansfell Pike, taking in a lot of the lanes between Ambleside and Troutbeck - Skelghyll, Mirk, Wain, Fell, Robin, and Nanny; then up to the Pike, and down the race route. A mixture of sunshine, blue sky and high fluffy clouds. No rain. That strong wind from the north east persists - and it is colder than it was yesterday. Terrain dry/damp with good grip. Not many walkers about; 1 runner seen.

12.4 miles, 3,471 feet, 3 hours 56 minutes: Rothay Bridge - Roman Ruins - Borrans Park - Stagshaw Gardens - High Skelghyll - Skelghyll Lane - Robin Lane - Troutbeck - Garburn Pass - Sour Howes - Limefitt Park - Mortal Man Pub - Nanny Lane - Wansfell Pike - race descent - Ambleside. Initially it was quite sunny, with some high clouds, but it gradually became very overcast and started to drizzle. No wind. Terrain dry/damp/wet and slippery in places. Lots of walkers on Wansfell. 2 runners seen.

"Only" 2 aggressive dogs today - the first owner was very apologetic and said it was unusual for her dog to behave like this. The second said it was my fault for behaving hysterically - standing still! At least they both put their dog on its lead.

10.43 miles, 2,915 feet, 3 hours 32 minutes: Rothay Bridge - Fishgarths Wood - Todd Crag - Lily Tarn - Loughrigg top - race descent to the road at High Close - Deerbolts Woods - Grasmere shore - Loughrigg Terrace - Loughrigg top - down past the old golf club - across the wooden bridge just above Brow Head, up to the kissing gate, back down to Brow Head - Miller Bridge - Rothay Bridge. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 2,000 feet. No rain. A moderate breeze from the south east. Terrain damp/wet/slippery. Quite a few walkers on the fell; only 1 runner seen.

10.57 miles, 2,986 feet, 3 hours 24 minutes: Rothay Bridge - Miller Bridge - Rydal Park - Low Sweden Bridge - rock step - High Sweden Bridge - Scandale - Red Screes - south ridge - Golden Rule Pub - Ambleside. Overcast, with banks of cloud/mist at multiple levels. More or less continuous drizzle. A moderate breeze from the north. Terrain wet/saturated/slippery. Very few walkers on the fells; no runners seen.

Fortunately the rain was nowhere near as bad as forecast.

11.12 miles, 3,403 feet, 3 hours 18 minutes: Ambleside - Stagshaw Gardens - High Skelghyll - Skelghyll Lane - Troutbeck - Garburn Pass - Sour Howes - Limefitt Park - Mortal Man Pub - Nanny Lane - Wansfell Pike - race route descent - Ambleside. High clouds obscuring some of the tops, some sunshine/blue sky. No rain. A strong blustery cold wind from the north. Terrain damp/wet/saturated/slippery. Very few walkers about; 1 runner seen.

10.41 miles, 3,136 feet, 3 hours 16 minutes: Ambleside - Old Lake Road - Blue Hill Road/Lane - up the race route steps - Wansfell Pike - Wansfell true top - Baystones - Nanny Lane - Troutbeck - Skelghyll Lane - High Skelghyll - Wansfell Pike - race route descent - Ambleside. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 2,000 feet. A few minutes of drizzle. That strong cold wind from the south persists. Terrain dry/damp/wet; grip was good in my new Mudtalons - worn for the first time yesterday. Not many walkers about; 2 runners seen.

I had a chat with a farmer, whose dogs were being rather threatening. Interesting that dogs that worry sheep are a major concern, but not dogs that worry people.

10.03 miles, 2,509 feet, 3 hours 6 minutes: Loughrigg trails, taking in Fishgarths Wood, Todd Crag, Lily Tarn, the caves, and Loughrigg top. Overcast and drizzly at first, with the cloud base as low as the valley floor in places. It cleared up to an extent later on. That wind from the south is still there, but it has eased considerably. Terrain wet/saturated/streaming - rocks in particular were slippery. Very few walkers about; no runners see; I came across 6 well behaved dogs.

I went up the steep path to the right of the top cave for the first time - I usually go up the other side. Despite its steepness it is an interesting way up.

I've spent the last two sundays taking a look at the descent of Birks fell in preparation for the sadly shortened race. It's going to be very congested and a bit of LK will go a long way.

10.75 miles - (actually 12.55, as my Garmin for some reason did not record the first 1.8 miles - I repeated it later to check the missed distance), 2,684 feet, 3 hours 10 minutes: Rothay Bridge - Roman Ruins - Borrans Park - Stagshaw Gardens - Champion Tree Trail - High Skelghyll - Skelghyll Lane - Holdback Lane - Low Wood - High Skelghyll - Wansfell Pike - race route descent - Waterhead- Stagshaw Gardens - Borrans Park - Roman Ruins - Rothay Bridge. Overcast, with the main cloud base at about 2,000 feet; banks of cloud at various levels below that. Intermittent drizzle/light to moderate rain. A moderate breeze from the north. Terrain wet/saturated/streaming/slippery - I wore an old pair of Mudtalons as they were "dry" - for about 5 minutes. Very few walkers about; 1 runner and 3 grey squirrels seen.

10.49 miles, 3,029 feet, 3 hours 28 minutes: Rothay Bridge - Under Loughrigg Road - Fox Ghyll - Loughrigg top - race descent to High Close - Deerbolts Woods to Grasmere shore - White Moss - Loughrigg Terrace - up the steps overlooking Grasmere to Loughrigg top - down past the old golf club to Brow Head - across the bridge, up to the kissing gate and down again - Miller Bridge - Rothay Bridge. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 1,500 feet, misty in the distance. A few minutes of drizzle. A blustery wind from the north east. Terrain wet/saturated/slippery. Not many walkers on the fells; 3 runners seen.

10.66 miles, 3,013 feet, 3 hours 25 minutes: Rothay Bridge - Miller Bridge - Rydal Park - Low Sweden Bridge - rock step - High Sweden Bridge - Scandale - Red Screes - south ridge - Golden Rule Pub - Ambleside. Lots of lovely blue sky, some high fluffy/streaky clouds. A strong cold wind from the north. No rain. Terrain mainly dry with good grip. Not many walkers about; 1 runner seen - in the valley.

I forgot to mention that some ashes have been spread on the top of Loughrigg - they are persisting despite all the recent rain. Nearby are of course sheep droppings and banana skin. Odd. Spread me well away from pedestrian traffic please, so that at least if I get "mixed up" nobody will see it.

10.1 miles, 3,149 feet, 3 hours 37 minutes: Wansfell Pike from 2 sides, ascending the first time via Kelsick Scar, the second time via Nanny Lane to the true top and Baystones, then along the ridge; I descended back to Ambleside via the race route. A mixture of sunshine, blue sky, and clouds that were mostly above the high tops. A few minutes of drizzle. A moderate breeze from the south west. Terrain dry/damp with mainly good grip - new Mudtalons help of course. Not many walkers on the fell; 1 runner seen.

10.04 miles, 2,719 feet, 3 hours 13 minutes: Loughrigg trails, including the race descent to the road at High Close, down to Grasmere shore, and back up to the top. Initially it was quite sunny, with banks of cloud in various places; it became more and more overcast, and started to rain about half way through the run. A moderate wind from the south west. Terrain initially dry, later wet/saturated/slippery. Lots of walkers on the fell, some in big groups; 3 runners seen.

I could see it was raining heavily on Bowfell - those slippery rocks must have been fun.

I had a breakfast bap at Keswick yha this morning, the one by the river, 8.50 for saus bac egg hbrown all in a bun. It was one of those shitty fake brioche buns and the bacon was still oinking, but apart from that quite good value. It came with a pot of tea for one thrown in too.

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Originally Posted by mr brightside

I had a breakfast bap at Keswick yha this morning, the one by the river, 8.50 for saus bac egg hbrown all in a bun. It was one of those shitty fake brioche buns and the bacon was still oinking, but apart from that quite good value. It came with a pot of tea for one thrown in too.

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I had a bacon sandwich at Thruxton last Sunday and it came in a brioche bun. It was not good. The bacon was fine and plenty of it but who thinks a savory filling needs a sweet bun.

These people probably think its trendy but I reckon its shite, like you. No doubt its the combination that Two Tier and his cronies would enjoy.

14.04 miles, 2,596 feet, 3 hours 51 minutes: Rothay Bridge in Ambleside to Lingmoor Fell top and back, via Clappersgate, Bog Lane, Skelwith Fold and Bridge, High Park, Stang End and Dale End. Overcast, with the cloud base above the tops. No rain nor significant wind. Terrain dry/damp with good grip. Not many walkers about; half a dozen runners seen.

I am still trying to clarify the best way between the top of Lingmoor Fell and Dale End - the route I used to take has partly disappeared from lack of use.

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Originally Posted by Llani Boy

I had a bacon sandwich at Thruxton last Sunday and it came in a brioche bun. It was not good. The bacon was fine and plenty of it but who thinks a savory filling needs a sweet bun.

These people probably think its trendy but I reckon its shite, like you. No doubt its the combination that Two Tier and his cronies would enjoy.

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Sugar and salt together, for example salted caramel, seems to be all the rage, though not with me, but then I dislike anything blatantly salty. Often ordinary bread is too salty for me, and we do not add it to anything at home. So bacon sandwiches are a non starter.

14.8 miles, 4,274 feet, 4 hours 56 minutes: Fairfield Horseshoe anti-clockwise, then Loughrigg. Initially there was not a cloud in the sky, later some thin high streaky clouds appeared. No rain. A moderate breeze from the south. The grass was frosty in places, but the ground was not hard. Good grip. Not many walkers about, apart from a large group of school children at Alcock Tarn. 4 runners seen - 2 in the valley, 2 on Loughrigg.

I ascended via Low Sweden Bridge and the rock step, then stayed on the race side of the wall, on the steep grass when it was an option. I went south west of Dove Crag, and on the descent, I went to the right of both Great Rigg and the north top of Heron Pike, then down to Alcock Tarn, and across to Loughrigg via White Moss.

10.29 miles, 3,135 feet, 3 hours 17 minutes: Wansfell Pike from 2 sides, ascending the first time via Skelghyll Wood, and the second time from Nanny Lane via "true" Baystones and the true top, then going down the race route. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 1,200 feet. A few minutes of drizzle; a moderately strong wind from the south east. Terrain damp/wet and slippery in places. Very few walkers about; no runners seen.

10.08 miles, 2,679 feet, 3 hours 24 minutes: Rothay Bridge - Borrans Road - Stagshaw Gardens - Champion Tree Trail - High Skelghyll - Skelghyll Lane - Holbeck Lane - Low Wood - High Skelghyll - Wansfell Pike - Blue Hill Woods - Blue Hill Lane - Ambleside. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 800 feet. Constant drizzle/light rain. A moderate breeze from the south east. Terrain saturated/streaming/slippery. I only saw 3 walkers and no runners whilst I was out. Despite the rain it was not at all cold, though of course I had all over waterproofs on.

10.18 miles, 2,562 feet, 3 hours 10 minutes: Loughrigg trails. Overcast, with clouds/mist at multiple levels, including in the valley floor in places. More or less constant drizzle. Some brief episodes of weak sunshine. A moderate breeze from the south. Terrain saturated/streaming/slippery, though the Mudtalons coped well. Not many walkers about, but more than I expected given the weather. 4 runners seen, 2 in the valley and 2 on Loughrigg top.

Again, it wasn't cold; I had my second best waterproofs on today.

10.09 miles, 3,167 feet, 3 hours 26 minutes: Wansfell Pike from 2 sides, the first ascent was via Kelsick Scar, the second from Nanny Lane, having gone along the ridge to the true top and "true" Baystones. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 2,000 feet; initially there were some banks of fog below that, but they soon went. No rain. That breeze from the south has picked up a bit. Terrain saturated and slippery in places. Very few walkers about; 2 runners seen.

10.09 miles, 2,659 feet, 3 hours 19 minutes: Loughrigg trails, including down the race route from the top to the road at High Close, down through Deerbolts Woods to Grasmere shore, and back up to the top via Loughrigg Terrace and the steps overlooking Grasmere. Sunshine, blue sky, and high clouds, as well as, initially, an inversion cloud over Windermere from the valley floor to 600 feet. No rain, no significant wind. Terrain wet/saturated/streaming/slippery. Lots of walkers on the fell; 10 runners seen.

Lots of people in shorts and T shirts, and it was certainly warm enough for that.

The relays were the best I've ever attended yesterday, but then again I might say that being a wharfedaler. I got a job at the top of the holding pen before the start, someone came out of the bog literally as the gun went. After that entertainment I had a run round leg 4, which was a cracking route with some good technical descents that were slippy. The commentary team located in an old knackered Bedford ice cream van included Tindersticks, who clearly knew who everyone was. Harry Bolton was wearing an experimental pair of shoes which he said would be on sale in a years time. After that I got a job shouting at people up at the barns, it was a bit chaotic with numerous legs converging on the same space. I caught a glimpse of the leg 3 map and it immediately became clear why some were struggling, it was very tricky, especially from cp5 onwards. Some pairs were in a total flap, expecting it to be a fully flagged route! All if this chaos earned me a free food voucher, though. BetTed had carnethy as favourites, so those who backed dpfr were quids in.

10.82 miles, 2,522 feet, 3 hours 16 minutes: Rothay Bridge - Clappersgate - Bog Lane - Fishgarthe Wood - Todd Crag - Lily Tarn - Loughrigg Tarn - High Close - Deerbolts Woods - Grasmere shore - Loughrigg Terrace - Loughrigg top - down past the old golf club - Miller Bridge - Rothay Bridge. The main feature of the day was the very strong blustery wind from the south west. Initially there was light to moderate rain, but this gradually faded away. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 2,000 feet. Some sunshine/blue sky later. Given the forecast and the rain I was surprised at how many walkers were about. 5 runners seen.

Standing up at the top of Loughrigg was rather interesting. At least it was not challenging, dangerous, or impossible, all of which I have seen.

Winds on top of Firth Fell yesterday were a bit stiff. On the tarn loop return you had to lean sideways into it to stop yourself getting blown over to Buckden Pike; then as it gusted you suddenly went sideways 3 feet, and as it backed off you went back the other way 3 feet. I was reduced to a walk when into a headwind. It was blowing about 60 gusting up to 70, if you've ever stuck your head out the window on the motorway that's what it was like.

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Originally Posted by mr brightside

The relays were the best I've ever attended yesterday, but then again I might say that being a wharfedaler. I got a job at the top of the holding pen before the start, someone came out of the bog literally as the gun went. After that entertainment I had a run round leg 4, which was a cracking route with some good technical descents that were slippy. The commentary team located in an old knackered Bedford ice cream van included Tindersticks, who clearly knew who everyone was. Harry Bolton was wearing an experimental pair of shoes which he said would be on sale in a years time. After that I got a job shouting at people up at the barns, it was a bit chaotic with numerous legs converging on the same space. I caught a glimpse of the leg 3 map and it immediately became clear why some were struggling, it was very tricky, especially from cp5 onwards. Some pairs were in a total flap, expecting it to be a fully flagged route! All if this chaos earned me a free food voucher, though. BetTed had carnethy as favourites, so those who backed dpfr were quids in.

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No Lakes teams in the medals (male open).

Whilst they still dominate the English Champs, there are plenty of other clubs who can give them a run on their day.

11.13 miles, 3,027 feet, 3 hours 36 minutes: Wansfell Pike from High Skelghyll, including the Skelghyll Lane/Holbeck Lane/Low Wood/High Skelghyll loop. Sunshine and clouds, the latter mainly above the high tops. Intermittent brief showers. Terrain wet/saturated/streaming/slippery. That strong wind from the south west persists - it brought down several trees overnight, and there are small to medium sized branches everywhere. Very few walkers about; no runners seen.

12.96 miles, 3,407 feet, 4 hours 11 minutes: Fairfield Horseshoe clockwise from/to Ambleside, going to the left/west of Great Rigg, south west of Dove Crag, down the non race/west side of the wall, and down the rock step. Again, sunshine and clouds, with the cloud base above the high tops. A few minutes of drizzle. That wind from the south west is still there, though it is less strong. Terrain wet/saturated/slippery. Not many walkers on the fells; 6 runners seen, 3 in the valley, 3 on the fells.

10.55 miles, 2,926 feet, 3 hours 44 minutes: Rothay Bridge - Miller Bridge - Rydal Park - Low Sweden Bridge - rock step - High Sweden Bridge - Scandale - Red Screes - south ridge - Golden Rule Pub - Ambleside. Overcast - I was in cloud from 800 feet on the way up until 1,600 feet on the way down. A few minutes of drizzle. There was a moderately strong wind from the south, only really noticeable above 1,000 feet. Terrain saturated/streaming/slippery. Not many walkers about; no runners seen.

The rock step was very slippery - I went around to the right rather than staying within contact of the wall.

10.35 miles, 2,750 feet, 3 hours 18 minutes: Wansfell Pike from High Skelghyll, preceded by the Skelghyll Lane - Holdback Lane - Low Wood - High Skelghyll loop. Initially overcast, with the cloud base at about 2,000 feet. It became sunnier later, and the cloud base rose to above most of the high tops. No rain. A moderately strong wind from the south, only really making itself felt above 1,200 feet. Terrain anything from dry to wet/saturated/ slippery. Not many walkers about, though there were quite a few at the top of the Pike. No runners seen.

11.24 miles, 2,985 feet, 4 hours 1 minute: Rothay Bridge in Ambleside to Silver How and back, going over Loughrigg top both ways. Sunshine, blue sky, and banks of cloud at various levels; it gradually became significantly more overcast as the day went on. No rain, no significant wind. Terrain wet/saturated/slippery. Not many walkers about; no runners seen.

Thankfully the bracken between the road at High Close and the top of Silver How is no longer a problem.

14.05 miles, 2,585 feet, 3 hours 59 minutes: Rothay Bridge in Ambleside to Lingmoor Fell top and back, via Clappersgate, Bog Lane, Skelwith Fold, Skelwith Bridge, Low Park, High Park, Stang End and Dale End. A mixture of sunshine, blue sky, and fluffy clouds mainly above the high tops. No rain; no significant wind. Terrain dry/damp/wet with mainly good grip. Lots of walkers about, some in big groups. 5 runners seen on Bog Lane as I was heading out.

10.32 miles, 2,332 feet, 3 hours 23 minutes: Rothay Bridge - Under Loughrigg Road - Pelter Bridge - Rydal Water - caves - path going south to the fell gate above the old golf club - Loughrigg top - race descent to High Close - Deerbolts Woods - Grasmere shore - Loughrigg Terrace - up the steps overlooking Grasmere - Loughrigg top - down past the old golf club - Miller Bridge - Rothay Bridge. Initially very overcast, with the cloud base at about 2,000 feet, and some banks of mist below that. It cleared up significantly as the day progressed. A few minutes of drizzle. No significant wind. Terrain saturated/streaming/slippery. Lots of walkers on the fell; 7 runners seen.

12.04 miles, 3,041 feet, 3 hours 33 minutes: Wansfell Pike from High Skelghyll, descending via the race route; prior to ascending the Pike I took in the Roman Ruins, Borrans Park, Stagshaw Gardens, the Champion Tree Trail, Skelghyll Lane, Holbeck Lane, Wain Lane, Mirk Lane, and the lovely grassy descent from Low Skelghyll to Low Wood and back up again. Overcast, with banks of cloud at various levels; some patches of blue sky. No rain. A moderate breeze from the north. Terrain damp/wet/saturated and slippery in places. Lots of walkers about; 1 runner seen.

200 consecutive good form squats followed straight up with 1x30 inclined leg press with 140kg on it.

10.53 miles, 2,872 feet, 3 hours 14 minutes: Rothay Bridge - Miller Bridge - Rydal Park - Low Sweden Bridge - rock step - High Sweden Bridge - Scandale - Red Screes - south ridge - Golden Rule Pub - Ambleside. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 1,300 feet, so I was in cloud/mist a lot of the time. No rain, no significant wind. Terrain damp/wet/saturated/slippery. Not many walkers about; 1 runner seen; unusually for a runner he was listening to music that I could hear.

10.37 miles, 2,789 feet, 3 hours 27 minutes: Loughrigg trails, including down the race route from the top to the road at High Close, down through Deerbolts Woods to Grasmere shore, then back up to the top via Loughrigg Terrace and the steps overlooking Grasmere. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 1,200 feet. Occasional patches of blue sky. I did not see the sun, but some of the distant fells were spotlit by it. No rain; a moderate breeze from the south west. Lots of walkers about; 2 runners seen.

Some of the routes that I have not taken for months are now viable, though not all.