Tuesday Night - 26/07/2011

Mark, Tom and Roger run the final few steps to Yearlet

Another lovely evening in Church Stretton...

Tonight we ran up the hundred steps and the green path onto Yearlet (well walked mostly - it was pretty hot and humid too). We had a good natter at the top, and then set off at varying speeds down into Windy Batch and Ashes Hollow (pretty much the way the Valleys race comes up).

Regrouping and chatting on top of Yearlet

Much nattering on the Yearlet...

We trogged up Ashes fairly slowly with some walking towards the top, and then on to Pole Bank.

The descent was good tonight, via the Skyline ascent route into Lightspout Hollow, then using the traversing path onto the nose of Cow Ridge before plunging down into CMV for the run out through the Rectory Wood to the car park.

We had a good attendance at the pub too, and I managed to give Phil my money and an entry form for the Wistanstow Challenge "Walk" so I guess I'm committed on that one too...

Ragleth Inn Race Recce - 24/07/2011

Recce of Ragleth Inn race route (except I didn't find quite the normal descent line from the two trees on the path. Run gently but in around 40s less than my race time from last year. Some pain from achilles on climbs but not bad.

The Batch / Jonathan's Hollow - 23/07/2011

Very easy paced run at 9am from All Stretton, up to Jinlye via the Batch, then round the top of Jonathan's Hollow and the Batch to the Haddon Shoulder, Bodbury Ring and the golf course to Cwmdale and back to All Stretton. No achilles pain at all!

Tuesday Night Run - 19/07/2011

Stretton - Ragleth (near end) - road to Gaer Stone Farm - Hope Bowdler Hill - Cwms Cottage - Geocache on Old Cardington Lane - Cwms Cottage - Caradoc - Three Fingers - Stretton

Paul's 50th in Ragleth Inn after.

Fan y Big Horseshoe Race - 17/07/2011

Fell Running Leadership Course - 16/07/2011

Stiperstones Race - 13/07/2011

Woah. Terrible.

Best not to race on almost zero sleep, a whole load of trauma, a hangover and an almost totally empty stomach.

I was ill on the first ascent, ill on the second ascent, way behind anyone I recognised at the top. I had a good descending sector on the steep rough bit and passed a few people, but then lost two places on the road run to the finish.

Not an experience I want to repeat in terms of performance, but at least there was a nice view and I suppose I enjoyed it nonetheless. The achilles wasn't too dreadful either.