Today's Training

[Travs]

Despite the efforts of various Keswick shopkeepers to advise me otherwise, I embarked on a headtorcher this evening in poor conditions.

Set off up the track round Latrigg, through the car park and onto Jenkin Hill. Near the top of Jenkin hill I left the main path and veered over towards Lonscale Fell, ticking off another Wainwright. My plan had then been to stop for a quick drink before carrying on down the Burnt Horse ridge and down to the Skiddaw House track back to Keswick. However the conditions were far from pleasant on Lonscale Fell so I turned south, directly into the weather, and made a rapid descent down the front of the Fell, and back towards the car park.

The forecast biblical winds and rain didn't materialise, but it was windy enough to make running up Jenkin Hill seem easy, and the rain/hail/sleet on Lonscale was quite formidable.

A steady 8 miles 2900ft.

Bigger run out planned for tomorrow, hopefully completing the northern fells.

[anthonykay]

Walshes for Parkrun! Well, I wasn't taking any risks after the recent rain. Still had to take it easy on the hairpin bend onto the canal towpath; if you misjudge that one, it's Parkswim!

22nd position in 22 minutes and 23 seconds. If only I had been one second faster! My slowest time, but my highest position, of my 4 parkruns so far.

I was accompanied by the young and the old. For most of the first half of the course, I was locked in a battle with a little lad wearing a hoodie bearing the logo of the Leicestershire and Rutland Primary Schools Cross-Country League. He finished 11 seconds behind me and is on the results as a JM10 although, contrary to the rules, he wasn't accompanied by a parent or guardian. There's a VM45 with the same surname about a minute and a half behind. Clearly Dad couldn't keep up.

At about 3.5km I was passed by a wizened old bloke who then proceeded to pass several other runners. But he is down on the results as "Unknown", so I retain my record of being unbeaten in the VM60 class at Parkrun.

The first woman was a VW55, just 9 seconds behind me. Then I saw her with her bike, which was parked near mine. But she had cycled 10 miles to the venue, as opposed to my 3 miles.

[Travs]

Good running Anthony...

Big day on the northern fells today. Weather veered between standard winter fayre, and dangerously cold and windy on Souther Fell, High Pike and Skiddaw...

Started from Mungrisdale, straight up Souther Fell into a torrid wind, I decided then against going over Scales Fell and Blencathra, and dropping down onto Mungrisdale Common. Instead stayed in the valley (which in the event was a massive wind-tunnel and probably no warmer), and contoured round to Mungrisdale Common.

From there, fairly standard, if arduous, onto Bannerdale Crags and Bowscale Fell. Then dropped down to cross the river Calder, and direct up onto Carrock Pike. The wind had been ferocious all day, and now I turned into the full force for the homeward leg. Around to High Pike, then a long and tiresome battle around Lingy Hill, Knott and Little Calva, and up onto Bakestall. Returned to Keswick over Skiddaw (which saw the most extreme of the temperatures and wind). Had intended to take the Carl Side descent, but weather conditions and approaching darkness meant it was just a case of get down in one piece, so elected for the tourist path.

25 miles and around 6000ft. That's the Northern Fells completed. hopefully tomorrow will make a serious dent into the north-western fells.

[Travs]

A steady day out over the north-western fells today.... Stair-Causey Pike-Scar Cags-Sail-Eel crags-Wandope-Whiteless Pike-Rannerdale Knotts-Buttermere-Robinson-Hindscarth.

16 miles and about 5600ft.

[anthonykay]

I'm just reading Steve Birkinshaw's There is no map in hell. I'm glad to see that you are training for your attempt at his Wainwrights record. Or are you planning the first continuous Winter traverse of the Wainwrights?

[PeteS]

Great book and very inspirational. Recommend buying the DVD if you've not seen it and his post run blogs are very enlightening.
Read the book a while back during a holiday in the lakes. Had plenty of time on my hands due to injuries enforcing a layoff from running (dog not me for once!)

[PeteS]

A steady day out over the north-western fells today.... Stair-Causey Pike-Scar Cags-Sail-Eel crags-Wandope-Whiteless Pike-Rannerdale Knotts-Buttermere-Robinson-Hindscarth.

16 miles and about 5600ft.

Nice one. One of my favourite routes though the return via Knott Rigg and Ards Crags is just as good (and of course the Buttermere Sailbeck fell race.)

[Travs]

Anthony I was 'doing' The Wainwrights long before I got into Fell Running. Was making good progress, but once my trips up here all started to revolve around races things slowed down. This has been a solid weekend though, and I've now got 39 left to complete.

Probably won't go for the record anytime soon though unfortunately.

PeteS yes it was a lovely route yesterday, helped by the weather. A lot more natural than saturday's convoluted expedition. All was going well yesterday, a steady run out, until I spied another runner following me up Robinson. As I was dithering about on Littledale Edge he descended past me at speed, and said hello.... that was it, Race Mode Engaged. I shot after him up Hindscarth, catching him halfway up the climb, and after a hello and polite enquiry what he was up to, stretched out and left him behind. Sped off over the top and out of sight before slowing down and nearly collapsing from the effort!

[PeteS]

Anthony I was 'doing' The Wainwrights long before I got into Fell Running. Was making good progress, but once my trips up here all started to revolve around races things slowed down. This has been a solid weekend though, and I've now got 39 left to complete.

Hopefully your 39 are nothing like the few I have left to do. Admittedly I have never set out with the intent to tick them all off but I think I have done at least 90% of each of the books. The ones I have left are spread all over the place and not easy to link them all up. For example, although I have driven past it numerous times, I have never got round to doing Binsey. Likewise Great Mell Fell, Fellbarrow - you get the gist.

[Travs]

Yes its similar for me PeteS... they are all over the place.

Ticked another one off this morning. Stone Arthur from near Grasmere. As it was a short outing, I took it as close to race pace as I could, running most of the climb. 2.5 miles 1400ft.

Helped by the weekend's Lakes trip, managed 75 miles and 19000ft last week. Tour De Helvellyn next weekend so one hard club session tomorrow and the rest will be steady as she goes.