Today's Training

[Llani Boy]

This morning before my 2nd Covid Jab in Hathersage I went for a run along the Thornhill Trail from Shatton up to the Ladybower Reservior and back. This was part of Saturdays race and I discovered that I had done a third of a mile more than I needed to. Doh!
Just over 6 miles and 403 feet in 50 minutes.

No queueing at the village hall in Hathersage for my jab and was straight in at my allotted time of 11.20. I then visited the Swimming Pool cafe next door for a brew.

This afternoon a 3 mile walk with the dogs and apart from a slightly sore arm I feel fine. I did take a paracetemol prior to the jab and one every 4 hrs since so perhaps that has helped.

[Travs]

Went out for my first session with Eden Runners last night. We were over on Mossdog's territory of the North Pennines. From Dufton, followed the Pennine Way up the 2000ft climb up to Knock Old Man. Then turned south cross-country across the tussocks until we picked up the track heading back down into Dufton for a long, fast descent, punctuated by a couple of reps up and down a hideous scree bank.

9 miles. Was a nice friendly group, but pace was quite intense. I found myself around 5th or 6th in a group of about a dozen, but there were no slouches at all in our group, everybody seemed pretty competent.

Was rather surprised and pleased to hold my own on the descent... i think my experience of racing in South Wales stood me in good stead on the tussocks!

Doing the flat speedwork session tonight... which will be interesting after the last few days of effort!

[Travs]

Did another club session tonight on the flat. Some football pitch paired reps, and then a bit of relay racing at the end.

Although i think i'll probably need to jump up a group for the flat sessions... whilst it was a perfectly reasonable session (and given my exertions over the past 3 or 4 days it was plenty enough for me), it was neither the intensity nor duration to be challenging enough for a weekly hard session.

Will hopefully try a different one next week, legs permitting. But over the past two nights i've seen enough to decide it's a club i'd like to be a part of, and i'll be filling in my membership form tomorrow!

Even been roped in to marshalling on the Blencathra Champs Race already!

Scouted out a couple of decent road loops round here the past couple of mornings. Got a nice 4 mile easy one, and taking a look at a 6 mile one in the morning. Goes without saying that some element of hills are involved, whichever direction i head...

[Fellbeast]

Travs it’s interesting that you are working out ‘road’ routes. I’m assuming you live nearer the wilds and hills now so why roads?

Obviously do what you want by the way . Loads of really top flight fell runners do loads of road training too - didn’t Kenny Stuart who lived (and still lives I think) right under Blencathra for gods sake do mostly road training?

But, for me personally, I’d never run roads if off-road is available right out the door

[Travs]

Travs it’s interesting that you are working out ‘road’ routes. I’m assuming you live nearer the wilds and hills now so why roads?

Obviously do what you want by the way . Loads of really top flight fell runners do loads of road training too - didn’t Kenny Stuart who lived (and still lives I think) right under Blencathra for gods sake do mostly road training?

But, for me personally, I’d never run roads if off-road is available right out the door

Yes, i'm still a great believer in getting the road miles in, and the majority of weekly work being easy miles.

I am very close to the fells.... can run from the door out to Askham Fell, Heughscar Hill, Loadpot Hill area, and even all the way up to High Street and Kirkstone on a longer run... but i'm conscious that i need to maintain road-work to keep the legs ticking over at a decent rate... i'll still be doing XC/Road Relays/even the odd track race for Coventry, and i don't want to turn up there and find my flat speed (for what its worth) has vanished.

There is also the time aspect... in periods such as now, where i've got plenty of work on, it's easy to do what i did this morning... chuck the road shoes on, a steady 9km road run, and i'm out the door, back and showered in about an hour.

[Travs]

6.5 mile loop from Askham, up to The Cockpit stone circle, then across the flanks of Heughscar Hill, and back into Askham.

800ft. Considered extending up onto Arthur's Pike, but after going at it fairly non-stop since Saturday i took the sensible option and live to run another day.

Highlights being a stunning full-length view of Ullswater under a dramatic sky, and bumping into a quite lovely lady out running who happened to also be fairly new to my village.

[Mike T]

Yes, i'm still a great believer in getting the road miles in, and the majority of weekly work being easy miles.

I am very close to the fells.... can run from the door out to Askham Fell, Heughscar Hill, Loadpot Hill area, and even all the way up to High Street and Kirkstone on a longer run... but i'm conscious that i need to maintain road-work to keep the legs ticking over at a decent rate... i'll still be doing XC/Road Relays/even the odd track race for Coventry, and i don't want to turn up there and find my flat speed (for what its worth) has vanished.

There is also the time aspect... in periods such as now, where i've got plenty of work on, it's easy to do what i did this morning... chuck the road shoes on, a steady 9km road run, and i'm out the door, back and showered in about an hour.

I must say I do find my road speed has diminished considerably now that I no longer coach the AAC juniors. My weekly sessions with them almost always consisted of 30 to 60 second repeats all out with a full recovery - when their breathing had settled, which was always quicker than the adult's breathing settling. As the oldest adult I was always well in arrears, but I am even slower now.
The plan is to do some fartlek and try to get faster. Ideally of course I would not be starting from here.

[Travs]

Only a coupe of miles down the road is a huge flat recreation/sports pitch area, indeed its where they have the Penrith Parkrun. So a great choice of grass or path for reps.

In fact i'm probably heading over there for both my sessions today in order to get some easy flat miles in.

[Mossdog]

6.5 mile loop from Askham, up to The Cockpit stone circle, then across the flanks of Heughscar Hill, and back into Askham.

800ft. Considered extending up onto Arthur's Pike, but after going at it fairly non-stop since Saturday i took the sensible option and live to run another day.

Highlights being a stunning full-length view of Ullswater under a dramatic sky, and bumping into a quite lovely lady out running who happened to also be fairly new to my village.

If you ever extend this to Loadpot Hill Travs, it's worth avoiding the main drag from Arthur's Seat straight up to the trig on Loadpot, but veer off right, along the bridleway proper, which snakes gradually up and joins the 'motorway' towards High Street beyond Loadpot. There's a flat upright boulder on the left edge of the main path up, just before the turn right, which marks the turn along a green trod. Why? Well, not only is it less popular, but the route is on the steeper side of Loadpot and the views are magnificent, compared to the more obscured views from Loadpot itself (which is a convex boggy dome).

[Travs]

Thank you Mossdog. I will certainly take a look.

I am fairly familiar with Loadpot, having ran over it in both directions several times, often in terrible weather including a few times in the excellent Lakes Mountain 42 race (although that race has a checkpoint on the summit so forced to go over the top).

The whole area can be confusing even in clear weather. There are several lines up onto Loadpot from the Askham direction, and i'm sure i've taken a slight variation each time! Picking the optimum route across Moor Divock from Howtown to/from Askham is also a source of confusion at times.

Even yesterday, in perfectly clear weather, I initially ran straight past The Cockpit and overshot it by about 200 metres before realising my error.