Wrekin Orienteers Choc-O - 30/12/2010

Knackered, after a long run and steep climb to CP5

This was the last run of the year (tomorrow's a rest day), and it was a toughie.

Wrekin Orienteers have set up two semi-permanent (here until the weekend, or maybe next weekend) courses up on the Long Mynd, starting from Womerton. The details are on their website: http://www.wrekinorienteers.co.uk/forms/Choc10.pdf

I will not divulge too many details of the long course route I followed yet (I'll probably add more pics of the controls and details when the courses are taken down), but here are the main lessons learnt.

1. Remember what the controls look like when you're searching for them. I saw the posts for CP2 from around 40m away in the mist, but didn't realise what they were and then hunted around for about 10 minutes trying to find the bloody control.

2. Check routes carefully. I took on too much extra distance on the route from CP2 to CP3, trying to reduce the ascent. If I'd looked at the map carfeully I'd have realised there was a more direct route with little extra ascent.

3. Knowing the ground helps - I ran from CP3 to an obvious CP4 in dense mist without having to do any navigation.

4. Pace distances to navigation waypoints, especially at the start of legs. I went over twice too far on the initial heading from CP4, and ended up on a steep bracken down slope with an extra 0.3 miles of running too, when I should have been running down an easy grassy ridge.

5. Thumb the map - i.e. keep your thumb on your location - saves loads of time when fine navigating.

6. Quick decisions help - I made over 3 minutes on a couple of guys on the short course by moving from CP5 quickly towards a good path in roughly the right direction and then making a route decision on the run.

Hopefully I can put this all into practise on the Kinder Trail if my entry has arrived and there's room...

Today I did 12.1 miles and 1,500' of ascent. For the record I took 2:48:00 from the car park to the final control. It was nice to see many others out walking and running, mainly on the short course. I met Lawrie Jones and Brian Clough at the penultimate checkpoint - nice to meet you both and thanks for taking the photo of me.

The total distance run this month is 120.3 miles (up 15 miles on last month) and this month's climbing was a paltry 15,950' (down 2,160' on last month). The reduction in climbing is down to illness necessitating more runs from home; the increase in distance is probably partly due to doing easier miles. Best innovation this month - the Tuesday night runs from Church Stretton.

PS: Choc-O is so called becuase there are chocolates at the final CP and its O-rienteering.

Stretton Club Run - 28/12/2010

The post-Christmas run was just me and Mark Agnew yesterday night.

We picked our way up through the Rectory Wood (higher route - icy) and on up Townbrook Valley on melting snow with some ice patches. I found the going quite tough higher up and struggled a bit generally. We then went up to Boiling Well and onto the Portway, which was very slushy.

From the Portway we headed onto Haddon Hill, but lost the path in very poor (5 to 10m) visibility. From the point where we lost the path (just south of the north west top of Haddon Hill at SO 435956), we got disorientated surprisingly quickly, crossing the col between the two tops in an easterly rather than southerly direction. At this point we realised the fall of the land was on the wrong side of us and tried to relocate. Neither of us had map or compass, so we had to rely on the (poor) GPS in my phone. We headed south expecting to hit the steepening ground at the top of the slope down to Carding Mill Valley, and when we reached this we turned east and popped out right at the corner of the golf course fence (SO442953). A GPS track of our wondering in this area is at the top of this item.

From here we had a safe navigation handle (the fence) which we knew would lead us across Bodbury Hill and Stanyeld to the path above the golf club house. The descent of Stanyeld was extra slippery and more dodgy than usual.

When we got back to the car park and realised I'd dropped the car keys somewhere, so Mark kindly helped me search back in a few obvious areas, but didn't have much success. A very kind Mrs Agnew took me to Shrewsbury for the train to Telford and a cab home, and I retrieved the car this afternoon with the spare.

So the run was a good learning experience - keys need to be VERY secure (much better than in the clippy thing on my OMM bum bag), and the Mynd is a pretty confusing place in 5m visibility however well you know the route (I've run over the spot we lost the path three times in the last four weeks). ALWAYS take map and compass in poor visibility - we knew it would be murky and should have had one.

Todays stats were 7.1 miles and 1,200' of ascent. The Kanadia TR3 shoes go on impressing - I think the grip is better than the TR2s were when they were new.

Pace Run from Home - 27/12/2010

Just a quickie today. I thought I'd try some speed training, but conditions (rain, slush, ice) waren't too good for intervals, so I went for a pace run, aiming to do a fast 5k.

This was my usual route around the block, the first mile is across and along the edges of fields, then half a mile on partially cleared tarmac, and a mile and a half on icy unsurfaced road, before a warm down along icy tarmac road.

I made it to 5k in around 27:10 (pretty fast for me) and then jogged the last half mile back home.

Total distance 3.6 miles, 60' of ascent, 31:20.

Lilleshall, Boxing Day - 26/12/2010

Very cold looking Lilleshall Hill. It wasn't that dark really.

I was going to do the Davil's Chair Dash, but woke up with a pretty thick head and bad guts (the former due to a cold, the latter being the inevitable result of sprouts and stuffing). So I chilled in the morning, tidied up yesterday's debris, and headed out around the village just after two.

I varied the usual route a bit, going through Cheswell Grange to the Red House, then up through the clay pits to the incline and on to Lilleshall Hall. From here I headed along the golf course drive and down Abbey Lane, turning back into the village. I cut through the Churchyard and up Lilleshall Hill, where I took another pic, similar to one of Friday's.

Finally I headed home via the clay pits, Red House and Cheswell Drive.

I kept it really steady all the way today, hoping that I'd not slow down the recovery from my latest cold. That said, I felt pretty good and averaged not much over 10 minutes per mile. The total today was 11.6 miles and 640' of ascent.

This week's been busy, I've been under the weather, and I only got out three times, so I'm satisfied with 25.5 miles and 2,140' of ascent. I should be able to up the mileage and climbing this week, especially if I can finally start to beat the cold. I'm planning to get out for the club run on Tuesday night (probably around 7 miles), then run again on Thursday morning (hopefully the Wrekin Orienteers Christmas Choc-O course on the Long Mynd - around 9 miles) and then it's the Morning After race on Saturday (5 miles). I'll have to get out on Sunday for a longer one (ideally at least 9 miles).

The four week rolling total is 102.1 miles (up 1.5 miles) and 13,280' of ascent (down 1,450'). I really need to start building some more climbing into the routine before the longer steeper races start in March.

Lilleshall, Christmas Eve - 24/12/2010

Tiny bit chilly on top of Lilleshall Hill

I'm still struggling with colds and what-not, but wanted to get out after I'd finished work and got the last few bits of Christmas supplies in.

This was a good steady run round the village, with a few efforts on the short uphill sections. I took a couple of pictures on Lilleshall Hill, twenty minutes or so after sunset.

7.7 miles, 340' ascent in 01:20. The new Kanadia TR3s were very comfortable, and it's nice to have some trail shoes with decent grip again.

Stretton Club Run - 21/12/2010

I almost didn't go over to Church Stretton tonight when I saw the forecast for heavy snow starting at 6pm over there, but I'm glad I ignored it - we had a great run about tonight on fresh powder snow.

We went up through the Rectory Field and then up onto Ashlet. The traverse over to Yearlet was good, but the path on up to Boiling Well I found it hard to get into a rhythm because of the snow. The run over to Haddon Hill was fine, and I managed not to fall over in the col between the two tops tonight!

The descent from Haddon Hill to the golf course fence was sublime on fresh powder, slip sliding and galloping down. We came down the wider of the two ridges from here, which was slippery with some ice under the powder, but the view of Cardingmill Valley was amazing: we stopped twice to turn torches off and just gawp. This is why I run on the fells - you just get to amazing places at times and in conditions you would never experience otherwise...

A quick dash across the Burway and down through the Rectory Wood finished the run off nicely.

Happy Christmas everyone!!

6.2 miles and 1,160' in about 1:27.

PS: This was probably the last serious run for my over-worn Kanadia TR2s - the TR3s arrived today and I'll use them once I've had chance to check out the fit around the house.

Lilleshall Frosty Run - 19/12/2010

Very frosted tree quarter of a mile from home

Today it was time for a long gentle run, and I woke up to a winter wonderland after yesterday's snow, with the temperature around minus eight.

I ran from the house today to save driving, so set off for a tour of the village.

Another tree with hoarfrost on the farm lane

Telegraph poles, mist and sun at Cheswell Grange

In the woods near New House Farm

Looking north towards Pitchcroft

Finger post at Willmoor Lane

Looking back down the Incline (former canal)

Up by Abbey Lane

The Hill, from Wellington Road

After 8.8 miles, scenic as it was, I was not managing to stay warm and we needed to try to get out and about in the afternoon, so rather than put a fleece on, I called it a morning. There was only 400' of ascent today, but it's been a big climbing week before today. I had a great time out there though.

Just a few thoughts for the guys who were out overnight on Friday night trying to do winter BGs in pretty tough conditions. I cannot even start to comprehend how you could set off with sufficient drive and self confidence that you could get more than one leg donw, let alone push through as far as Bowfell. Awesome. Better luck with the weather next time guys...

My weekly total is 29.3 miles and 5,150' of ascent. The four week rolling total is 100.6 miles and 15,280'. I could do with upping the distance and the climbing a bit if I'm seriously going to have a chance at a BG in 2012, but the racing prep seems to be coming on well.