Sunday 17 July 2011

The week that broke me

The Sunday after Wasdale and there was no way I was going out for a run..... I couldn't walk.

If I thought my legs were bad on Sunday, On Monday I thought I needed a wheelchair.

By Wednesday my thigh muscles were still in shock but were ready for a slow recovery run. 
A few texts later and im joining fellow Eden lads, Kim, Sam and Stevie B for what I hoped would be a jog and a walk up Scafell Pike from Seathwaite farm.

We set off at a far old pace though, which seemed easy enough along the valley floor until we started the climb up Ruddy Gill on the way to Esk Hause. For some reason Sam decided to race Kim which left me and Stevie B racing to keep up.
No bother, I thought, they will run out of steam soon......Wrong.
By Esk Hause im now at the back trying to persuade the racing group ahead, which now included Steve B, to slow down and enjoy the views, Its not very often we up here in such good clear conditions. My plea fell on deaf ears.
Two weeks earlier it took us (without daft Sam and Kim) 80 mins to get to the pike. On Wednesday it took us 62. The photo below shows what Steve thought of it.
Kim, Steve and Sam
The idea of this run was to recce the scree run and corridor route for the upcoming Borrowdale fell race and before long we running down the scree run which included very little scree.
Quick way off Scafell Pike
By the time we got to Styhead tarn I made the mistake of jokingly suggesting we should go up gable too...

Scafells from Great Gable
Sam and Kim admire the view. Steve looks to sit down. 
We eventually get back to the car and waiting tins of coke. 10.5 mile and 4400 ft. Im also thinking of picking my running mates differently for recovery runs.

Thursday and Friday I spend recovering...... well not quite true, I couldn't be arsed.

On Saturday  I did the Coledale Horseshoe race route with Steve Angus in the rain.
Very enjoyable apart from the fact that Steve started complaining on the final hill of Barrow that he thought he was doing Grasmoor and Hopegill head too (the walkers horseshoe).... funny tho he didn't mention this on the rain lashed top of Grisedale.

On Sunday I was all set to to do a 13 mile road run, which I have neglected for 3 weeks now, when Stevie A texted me to see if I fancied doing the Blencathra Race route. Its pouring down but sounds better then the lone road run.

Steve is entered into the Lakeland 50 this year and has really put some hard fell miles in lately and like yesterday, he really put me to the sword on the climbs. I think and hope if he keeps his head and not start chatting his way around, he could do really well , fingers crossed for him.

4 comments:

Simon said...

Nutter. A "recovery run" up the highest mountain in England. Oh, and while we're up here, Gable too...Brilliant stuff Stu!

ultra collie said...

nothing like improvisation! i'll might see your mate at the start..and that's all!

Nick said...

I'll see Steve as he races past me somewhere before Howtown, or up Fusedale if my race is going really well.

Mountain Kat said...

Stu sorry I missed you at Wasdale. Sounds like you've got the wasdale bug! But for your above epics I have to say - are you not old enough to know better ;-)