Sunday 1 December 2013

Now Then......Where Was I.......

Oh yes - falling on my arse in a stream of freezing water at the Outerside fell race in March!!

Its December now so thought I would update my blog - after all the initial idea for it in the first place was for me to have some written memory's to look back upon when I'm an old fella who cant climb the stairs anymore, let alone the fells.

April and May continued with a few slow runs and I carried on getting the bike miles in. The bike was going that well that I even purchased a new one.
2013 was definitely the year that I that I actually rode the bike because I enjoyed it rather the ride it just to keep fit.

Nothing of note to say about my running until early June when my big mate (Steve Angus) was attempting the Bob Graham Round. I was still struggling with my injury and wasn't sure if I could help support him . It was decided that I would turn up on leg 2 and do nowt on the leg but try and capture the moment on camera. To be honest I didn't really expect to be with them when the morning light appeared  but I surprised myself and did the whole leg and also got some photos of him.
Something I was really proud to do because he helped me on my own round in 2010 and was a solid support on leg 3 for me....... he also got some cracking photos of me on the round..... ( he didn't really) and was good enough to show up again at Moot Hall at the finish......(he didn't really).
It is something that I will continue to rib him about for a long time to come.
Steve flew around the round in a sub 20 hour time I was chuffed to bits for him. I knew how much time and effort he had put into it.

below are a small selection of photos that I took for him........ for which I'm still awaiting payment!



















some hours later I went to the Moot Hall....



Well done ulgy.

The rest of June and July was spent on the bike with the odd run thrown in. We also moved house.

August I upped my running to about 20 odd miles a week and found out that as long as I didnt run long distances I stayed relatively pain free . At the end of the month I ran Dufton fell race.
A small field of 50 or so runners and I was was fairly pleased to get in the top ten and get prize for my age category but more importantly.....Pain free!!

Finishing Dufton

Buoyed by little return to fell running I upped my millage on the fell but soon found out I was still in pain when descending and putting effort in.I fell back to the flatter surface and also did the Ride for Micheal sportive - less said about that the better.

In October I got roped in to run in the Ian Hodgson relays. Little Eden did well where as I climbed well suffered a bit on the long downhill run in. It was good to be in it though having missed the team last year.

November was a busy month. Two ten mile road races, a XC and park run.

Derwentwater 10 was the first and I only really decided to enter it a few days before.
A Kath Batty Photo

My road running was going well and running at a lunchtime at work was giving me a bit of speed back.
I think I ran it in 62-15 - way above my expectations and I was again in the prize money for 2nd V45.
The following weekend I biked to Carlisle and ran in the XC. I suffered badly in this, mainly due to the poor choice of footwear but still really enjoyed it.

Next up was the Brampton to Carlisle ten miler where my sub 60 three years ago ranks as high as my 21-07 BGR.
It was not to be this year. 16 seconds over.
I have absolutely loved running these ten milers and hopefully will do for years to come.

B2C before the wheels fell off
Last weekend we spent in Leeds so I popped along to the local park run at Temple Newsham.

Today I tried to up my long run to 15 miles. I managed it but not without pain. I will continue to run up to ten miles for now .

So that's that. I'm happy to be running again and hopefully things will continue to improve.

Future events?
Well I would love to run in the Tour de Helvellyn, especially after last years fiasco of taking photos and I also would like to tick the Lakeland 50 off............. the only certainty is that it wont be in the next 12 months.

onwards and upwards



1 comment:

Derby Tup said...

Good to see you back running (and blogging!) Stu