Fell | Obsessive Ramblings

Obsessive Ramblings » Entries tagged with "Fell"

Bogs, bracken and the night of a thousand steps

July 25th, 2010 | 7 Comments

I had lost count of the number of times I wanted to abandon this race. In fact, I could hardly believe, after suffering exhaustion in the early hours of Saturday morning, such that I was falling asleep as I was running (not advisable) and also after later in the afternoon lying down on my own in the middle of an exposed fellside for forty winks as it was starting to rain (definitely not advisable!), that I … Read entire article »

Filed under: Events, Running

Fear and loathing

June 18th, 2010 | 3 Comments

One week to go. My last couple of weeks have been easy by comparison to the peak of my training schedule, but there is nothing better than having reached and passed that point without having sustained an injury. Nevertheless I have to keep telling myself it’s alright to have a rest, as I feel a bit lazy, a bit of a ‘slacker’ having only completed a minimal 50 miles last week and with only a paltry 30 miles planned this week I will need all the rest I can get as the races I am attempting are only four weeks apart, so with a recovery week after each (to let feet and legs, body and mind recuperate) and a taper week before each race, that does not leave … Read entire article »

Filed under: Psychology, Running

A Good Year

December 31st, 2009 | Comments Off

2009 ended up being another good year. Many new experiences with the Marathon des Sables still long in the future, but in the end the new experiences were so much more than just ‘make-weights’ on the journey back to Morocco. February – 3 peaks John always goes to walk the 3 peaks in Yorkshire on the last weekend in February with friends. A long standing tradition of his and this year I joined him on his tour of Whernside, Pen-y-Ghent and Ingleborough. No running involved at this stage, but a good practice out in the elements, 24 miles with a good 2000m ascent on the circuit. March – Reading Half PB As part of my training for London, I normally add a half marathon or two to test myself, but it had been some years … Read entire article »

Filed under: Running

The Welsh 3000s, take 2

July 5th, 2009 | Comments Off

Like a madman in an obsessive panic with the impending hills of Mont Blanc looming large in my mind’s eye, I had decided to attempt the Welsh 3000s again this weekend I had been watching the weather all week and although the long range forecast had been promising, it steadily deteriorated to the point where it was marginal, but I decided to press on anyway. So yet again, on Friday evening with a distinct sense of deja vu, I set off with my pack, thermos and 200 packs of chocolate coated coffee beans ready to attempt the 30 miles or so – but this time on my own. The adventure did not get off to a good start, courtesy of the M25. I had left at 7pm, some 2 hours earlier than we had … Read entire article »

Filed under: Equipment, Running, Training

Welsh 3000s – damp. Very damp.

June 20th, 2009 | Comments Off

The plan was to do the Welsh 3000 twice, out and back. So, perhaps a little optimistically, we set out from Guildford towards North Wales at about 9pm on Friday night, a 4 hour journey ahead of us. We made the journey in relatively good time, with only one stop and were in relatively good spirits all the way, although already tired from a day of work. We had seen the forecast before we set out and it was not great, but we were all nevertheless filled with horror as the clear twilight skies we had left behind in England, turned first overcast, then pitch-black as the rain started to fall. We hoped beyond hope that it would stop before we reached our destination. 1:50am - As we arrived at the Pen-y-Pass car … Read entire article »

Filed under: Running

40 mile week again (the bell curve of recovery)

May 31st, 2009 | 1 Comment

So, a 40 mile week again. When you look at it like this (as in the mileage chart on the right) it really does not do it justice. With hindsight, I only had 5 weeks where my mileage was minimal, i.e. less than 15 miles (as shown by the yellow bars on the chart – the red line indicates scheduled mileage, which decreased merely because after the FLM I had not worked out my training schedule). However, in the context of the fact that this was the month which included my planned London Marathon, and it is only now 3 months to Mont Blanc, so a month on the bench is 25% of my valuable training time, I could have done without this. Eaxch day without a run has been torture; merely driving round … Read entire article »

Filed under: Running

Max out on Distance and Hills

March 8th, 2009 | Comments Off

So which bright spark mentioned hill training this week? Tim I think. And who’s schedule said 22 miles instead of 20? John I think. So after having recovered (just) from the previous week‘s 24 miles around Yorkshire, we were all fired up with the idea of doing some more hills as strength training for the marathon in what is now only 7 weeks time. Thinking about something and doing it are obviously two different things though, and after starting out and reaching the base of the first hill, we were all having second thoughts. We had decided to do a relatively new route today, from Tim’s down toward Shalford and then up Pilgrim’s way through the Chantry’s (first Hill, 4km), then along a touch up to St. Martha’s church (second hill, 6km), then further … Read entire article »

Filed under: Running

A new Slant on training

March 1st, 2009 | Comments Off

John , Tim and Greg had for some weeks planned to go up to visit the Yorkshire Dales to do the 3 peaks hike, but it was only at the last minute that I decided to take the time out to do this. And so it was Friday that we set off and after a 6 hour journey, with David, John’s Brother, and a stop off in Nottingham to pick up Rob, John’s nephew, that we arrived in Horton-in-Ribblesdale at the southern-most populated edge of the Yorkshire Dales. We met up with Mike, Martin and another David, John’s friends of old who have done this trek on an annual basis with him for some years, and after debating whether to get up late for a full cooked breakfast or set off early … Read entire article »

Filed under: Running