Training - Run Home! 30/09/2010

Me car's broke, so I ran home tonight from Stafford Park in Telford to Lilleshall. Sadly this was all on tarmac, although at least some of it is separated from the road a bit. I felt generally quite good and concentrated fairly well on my form again, particularly on picking up feet from my thighs, and engaging my core muscles.

The run was 6.84 miles with 190' of ascent(!) - my overall time was 1:02:19. This included a 10k in 56:26, my fastest on the road even though this was only a fairly controlled pace run, so I'm pleased with the overall speed. My kilometre splits were all in the mid to high 5 minutes except for one uphill (6:05), one steeply downhill (Redhill Way - 04:56) and a bit of an effort on the 10th kilometre (5:09). In terms of pace per mile, the average was 9:07 - again quite pleasing - last time I checked I could just about sustain 10 minute miles.

Breidden Hills - 28/09/2010

I knocked off work early tonight and went for a recce of the Breidden Hills route with some route notes kindly provided by The Great Wanderer from the FRA Forum. Started off ok with the run round to Bulthy and ascent of Middletown Hill.

Moel y Golfa from Middletown Hill

Rodney's Pillar and the route just run (through the field on the right) from Middletown Hill

From there I got down to the road at the col with Moel y Golfa, but didn't go high enough in the first field and ended up double backing and losing some time up MyG.

Top of the ascent from the field onto the ridge of Moel y Golfa

There are nice views of virtually the whole route from the summit.

Summit of Moel y Golfa and Rodney's Pillar

I missed the right turn on the descent but double backed (again) and picked up a right (but don't know if it's the right one!). Down on the road, I gave the farm track leading towards "New Pieces" a miss as I wasn't sure it's a right of way (covered the map with red pen where I thought the route is and couldn't see!). Instead I carried on up the road back to the Middletown - y Golfa col, and then headed across the valley to New Pieces, picking up tracks uphill into the forest. Somewhere along here I dropped the map and route notes. It was very boggy on the ascent of New Pieces.

I reached the main landrover track up from Criggion as it started to rain, and darkness was starting to come too, so I stuck to ground I knew and ran up to the Pillar via the Rodney's Pillar race route, and then back by descending straight down for 200m and then a sloping traverse down and right to get back on the main track. From here it was a speedy descent, concentrating on my running form, mostly on relaxing shoulders and picking up my feet.

9.25 miles and 2050' today in a little under 2 hours running time.

Update - 27/09/2010

Two runs last week - both "Wreckies" for the Wrekin Wrecker fell race.

First (20/09/2010) was out along the bottom path on the north side to the gate about 1.4 miles in (well beyond where the Wrecker turns up towards "Heroes", then back along the higher path, up Heroes, down the BMX path, up the Beeches to Halfway and down the spur right of the scree descent (had my road shoes on and didn't want to go for a Burton. Lots of photo and navigation stops and a very measured pace: 3.8 miles; 720' (both probably a bit low because of the tree cover effect on my GPS); just on an hour.

Next (22/09/2010) was a start along the right track and deviation to check the correct start up to the middle level once I'd missed the right turn at the end of the firing range. I then carried on round through the gap between Little Hill and the Wrekin and up the Goaty path (or rather mostly to the left of where I think the path actually is). Mustn't go left through the crags - better to stay right. Descent from the summit was via the BMX path which was much easier in my MudClaws. 3.9 miles, 700', 55:04.

Not much running this weekend due to a weekend away with my hillwalking mates. Friday 24/09/2010 saw a wander in the rain down the new (and improved) path along Aberglaslyn Falls from Beddgelert and return via the pass between Mynydd Sygyn and Moel y Dyniewyd and Sygun Mine. 5.6 miles, 1000'.

Saturday was a bigger day out on the Carneddau. Starting at Helyg, up Pen Llithrig y Wrach, then on to Pen yr Helgi Du, down the steep ridge and up onto Carnedd Llewellyn. Diversion (jogging) for me but not the mates over Yr Elen, then Carnedd Dafydd, Pen yr Ole Wen and the east ridge descent back to the car near Gwern Gof. 13.1 miles, 4350'.

We needed a relatively early departure on the Sunday, so went up Cnicht from Croesor, then on to the abandoned slate mines under Moelwyn Mawr and back to Croesor for a cup of tea and some cake. Cnicht is proper mountain terrain and very steep near the top - must try the fell race sometime. 9 miles, 2260'.

Total for the week: 35.4 miles, 9030'

Previous week was: 29.6 miles, 4420'

Skyline Part 2 - 19/09/2010

Nearing the summit of the Lawley

Idyllic South Shropshire view from the bottom of the Lawley back to Caer Caradoc

I know - a recce after the race probably doesn't help as much as one before the event!

But... I enjoyed the Skyline route and wanted to see if I could do a better job of the second half with fresh legs. Given that I also wanted to fit in a decent long slow run this weekend I reckoned this was as good as anything...

Apart from a brief gear faff I managed to run all the way to the kissing gate onto the open fellside of Caer Caradoc, and kept up a decent hiking pace throughout the steep section, breaking back into a run before the summit. I don't think I improved on my descending from the race much, but will use the north slope for practise in future! On the descent I contoured left on a sheep trod just beyond Little Caradoc, and then down to the road at 484 963. This is steep and slippery in places and not as quick as the route I used in the race which trends right after Little Caradoc and descends through a field of bracken and nettles to 485 964 and saves a bit of road too.

I climbed the Lawley much better than in the race, running the last 400m or so to the top and coming down fairly easy. Crossing the fields to Dudgeley Farm was better too, the path clear from the passage of 100 odd runners the previous week.

I had a brief walk at Dudgeley to sort out some gels and swap bottles on the bum bag. I kept running up Gogbatch where I tried staying on the right of the river, but here getting on the road quickly proably saves a minute or so. I walked 300 or so metres up the steep section of the road to the cottage on the right, but then got running again for a very slow grind all the way up to High Park (mostly at only just above walking pace).

From High Park I took the left hand option which seemed long and perhaps not as quick as the straight on option which comes out by Robin Hood's Butts. This needs checking again though - it may all have been perception.

A gentle recovery speed descent from the top of Mott's Road got me back to the finishing field in 2:29:42 for what my GPS app reckons was 11.09 miles and 2,518' of ascent.

An analysis of the splits is quite pleasing in that I ran a fairly steady pace, the miles with steep ascents at 18 or 19 minutes, 15 minutes for the grind up from Gogbatch, 11 to 12 minutes for the flat sections and a gentle 9:30 ish for the descent of Mott's Road. I think this reflects the fact I was fairly comfortable for much of this run and managed to keep my form together most of the time.

South Downs Way (Falmer to Hassocks) - 16/09/2010

The sign at Housedean Farm where I left off last time

The aim today (after a couple of meetings in Lewes) was to complete another section of the South Downs Way. I've already done Southease to Eastbourne (from Telscombe Youth Hostel) and Housedean Farm (where the Way crosses the A27) to Southease. I parked up by the Jack and Jill windmills between Pyecombe and Hassocks and ran down the well marked footpath to Hassocks station. I took the train to Brighton and then on to Falmer, and ran past the university along the A27 to Housedean Farm, where I filled my bottle from the handy drinking water tap.

From here, the Way climbs steeply up over Long Hill and drops down through Bunkershill Plantation to a dry valley.

Freshly ploughed field in dry valley by Bunkershill Plantation

The path climbs steadily from the dry valley shown above for a couple of miles, to reach the north escarpment of the Downs at some tumuli. I managed to run all of this (gently - it was supposed to be a recovery / long slow run). Turning left, I followed along the Way with great views to the north over the Weald.

View across the Weald

Following the escarpment for three gently undulating miles brought me to the Ditchling Road and then on to the summit of Ditchling Beacon.

Summit of Ditchling Beacon looking north across the Weald

Another two miles along the escarpment lead to a gradual descent to Jack and Jill, two windmill which dominate the down above Ditchling and Hassocks.

Windmill above Hassocks (this is Jill, I think?)

The whole outing's running was around 10.5 miles and 1,200' of ascent (including the jog down from Jack and Jill to Hassocks at the start) and took about 2 hours 5 minutes at a nice gentle pace with a few stops for pics and gear faffs.

Intervals (Chilterns) - 15/09/2010

Just a very quick flat trail interval session on my way to stay at (the excellent) Jordans Youth Hostel near Beaconsfield. This was done on the Ridgeway path between Chinnor and the A40.

10 minute warm up at pace; 4 x 1:30 hard efforts with 2 to 3 minute recoveries in between; about 13:30 warm down (gentle). Total distance 3.7 miles, total time 38 minutes.

Winter Hill Recovery Run 13/09/2010

The road up Winter Hill

The day after the Stretton Skyline I was working in Warrington, so when I finished I went over to Horwich for a little recovery run up Winter Hill.

This was a very gentle 4.3 mile jog in 0:58:30 including some pretty boggy bits around the main radio mast - access shut off because of overhead work. Stopped to take a few pics on the phone so actual jogging time more likely around 0:53:00 or 12:20 miles - a nice slow recovery pace! Even so I was stiff after the drive back down the M6 and A519.

Slightly blurred photo of the summit in the gloom

View (!) north from the summit

Another blurry pic of the trig and some telecomms masts

Rivington Pike from the road - a fell race with a history is Rivington!