Week 4 - That's Lyth

Monday, 22 January

Strength and conditioning session today followed straight away by a tough altitude spin session . Really did feel those squats!

Tuesday, 23 January

I have no van at the minute as it’s in having a new gearbox (yikes, expensive!) so I’m having to find alternative ways of getting home from the train station.  Today I decided to run home.  I wasn’t looking forward to this as I really dislike road running nowadays.  I ran around the back of the shops on the Middlebrook and up the hill into the new estate where Chortex used to be.  I then got onto Chorley New Road and headed towards Horwich centre.  As I was passing the RMI club, a couple of teenage lads started running alongside me saying the usually phrases such as ‘get those knees up love’ and ‘you’re not very fast are you’.  Is it frowned up to swear at kids?  When I arrived a the traffic lights by Aldi, I decided to turn right so I didn’t have to stop and them and then turned in at the side of Co-op, along the back roads, coming out by the V&A.  As I wanted to get the run up to at least three miles, I headed towards Lever Park Avenue and then onto Fernhead. 

My newfound favourite band, Massive Wagons, helped me through the run.  Great running tunes and helped with the tedium.  I never listen to music whilst running off road but it’s definitely necessary on the roads as they’re just too boring otherwise.

Distance – 3 miles

Thursday, 25 January

Yet another run up ‘the rocky road behind the school’ today but without Ruby for a change.  It seems to be becoming quite a staple run, even though I don’t like the terrain.  Just a short one up onto George’s Lane then back down through Wilderswood and home.  I felt really strong on the climb and have definitely noticed a difference when I’m running uphill since starting my strength and conditioning sessions. 

Distance – 3 miles

I took Ruby out for a walk this afternoon, pretty much going the opposite way to which I had run this morning. 

Distance – 3.2 miles

Weekend – Friday, 27 January to Sunday, 29 January

This weekend I have booked myself a couple of nights in a B&B in Kendal (Lyndhurst Guest House) as I’m doing the That’s Lyth LDWA Challenge Event on Sunday.  I went up on the train and on Friday and Saturday I just lazed around really, did a bit of shopping, went to the cinema (first time I have ever been to the cinema on my own) to kill a couple of hours when it was pouring with rain, ate a lot of cake and generally had a lovely weekend. 

Whilst sitting in my room on the Friday night, I made the executive decision that I didn’t want to do the Red Rose 50 this year.  In all honesty, I’m getting a bit bored of the local routes as I do them too many times, what with the Anglezarke Amble and Two Crosses, plus being on them all the time running/walking on my own. 

On Sunday morning my lovely landlady, Yvonne, got up early to make me breakfast at 7am before I went to the start of the event.  After breakfast I headed over to Abbot Hall Social Club to register.  I was chatting to Lawrence P whilst there and he told me about a new event called ‘A Foot in Two Dales’ which was another 50 miler and was taking place in July.  I decided that I was going to enter that instead of the Red Rose 50 as it is a completely new area to me so it would be nice to have a change of scenery.

I did That’s Lyth a couple of years ago with YJ and really enjoyed it but today I would be walking and not running.  Like the Hebden, it was incredibly muddy underfoot and the aim of the day was to stay upright which, again, I just about managed. 

I have discovered that I’m a much better walker than I am a runner.  In fact, I often finish these events BEFORE runners do and today was no exception.  It took me 6 hours 17 minutes to walk the 24 miles which I’m pretty pleased with as I didn’t feel like I was rushing at all. 

I can’t believe this event only costs £5 for LDWA members.  The amount of food you get for that is unbelievable, including hotdogs (which are actually hot) at the second checkpoint and a hot meal at the finish.  Definitely great value for money!

Distance – 24 miles

Stats:

Week’s total running distance:               6 miles

Week’s total walking distance:               27.2 miles (plus daily standard Ruby walks)

Week’s total cycling  distance:               0

Week’s total swimming distance:                       0

Total number of S&C sessions:               1