Ed's Time Trial #1

A few weeks ago, Ed told me about a run he regularly does to Noon Hill, Winter Hill trig point, Two Lads and the Pike where he records the length of time between each climb and he suggested it might be something I'd like to do as a hilly time trial.  I thought this sounded like a great idea so early this morning I went for my first attempt.

The run starts in the centre of the circle in the middle of top barn car park and then goes along to the Pigeon Tower car park, straight on through the field and then up through the plantation onto George's Lane, coming out just before the woods.  It then crossed over George's Lane to the stile a short way along and up to Noon Hill.  For me, this is the hardest bit because I find going up hill right at the beginning of a run really difficult.

Once at the top of Noon Hill, I had a quick breather whilst I tightened my laces and I then ran back down to George's Lane, albeit further along then where I came up from.  I ran along George's Lane a short way and then came to the wooden bridge and went up the diagonal.  I was still feeling really lethargic here and I did have to walk for the most part of it, even stopping completely at one point to stretch my calf.  I finally got to the top and made my way through the sludge to the trig point and then carried straight on down the mast road and up to Two Lads, by far the easiest 'climb' on this time trial as it's really easy going up to Two Lads from the mast side, it's barely a climb at all.

From there it was down to the kennels then along to the Pike.  After my speedy(ish) descent from Two Lads, my legs were really getting tired and I even found the relatively flat run from the kennels to the bottom of the Pike hard work.  Onwards and upwards though, I ran up the Pike and then it was all downhill from there.

I did go a little bit wrong on the way down through the terraced gardens as I was going down the route that we always go up on a Saturday morning but I've never done it in the opposite direction and I got a bit confused by the pond, costing me valuable seconds.  Seriously, how can I keep going the wrong way in the terraced gardens, I run in them ALL THE TIME!!!!

Ed had challenged me to do the route in under 70 minutes and I'm pleased to say that I arrived back at the circle in the middle of the car park in one hour 8 minutes and forty-seven seconds.

My split times were as follows:

Barn to Noon Hill - 19.36

Noon Hill to Winter Hill trig - 14.58

Winter Hill trig to Two Lads - 11.12

Two Lads to Pike - 13.44

Pike to Barn - 9.17

Total time - 1.08.47

Today I was incredibly heavy legged and it was really tough going, I even struggled up the Pike which doesn't usually pose a problem.  I'm absolutely positive I could do much better another day but this has now given me a base to work from and I'll have to keep trying to beat my times each time I do it.

Total distance - 5.3 miles

https://www.strava.com/activities/253374746

Lunchtime De-stress

After a hectic morning making last minute adjustments to a report for an important meeting this afternoon, I went for a run along the canal with Kathryn (and Andy for part of the run) to de-stress.  We had a nice easy pace today as we’re keeping ourselves fresh for the Amble on Saturday.  We chatted non-stop and I was really surprised when we arrived back onto Canal Street as the time had passed really quickly. 

Most of our chat was about the Amble and also about a SELOC orienteering event that Kathryn fancies doing in a couple of weeks time and wondered whether I fancied having a go too and I must admit, I’m quite tempted. 

Unfortunately, when I got back to work at about 1.20, I was immediately pounced upon to make more changes to the report before the client meeting at 2pm so I didn’t even have time to have a shower.  I had to sit stinking at my desk for over 45 minutes before I finally got to go and get freshened up. 

Total distance – 5.1 miles

https://www.strava.com/activities/253089720

Dalbeattie Forest

I didn’t do any running yesterday but instead we drove along to the Mull of Galloway, Scotland’s most southerly point.  Again, the weather was amazing.  So much so that when we parked the van a certain way out by the cliffs there was no wind at all and it made a little suntrap…

  

After chilling out there for a while and scoffing cake and coffee in the café, we drove along to Wigtown, which is full of bookshops. 

Tonight’s campsite was the best of the lot and we wished we had found it right from the start and spent all three nights there.  It’s not our usual type of campsite though as I imagine in summer it will be heaving and full of kids but we were the only people on site so we had the run of the place.

Sunset... 

 We awoke to thick fog this morning though and our run of great weather had come to an end although it wasn’t raining so not too bad and once you got high enough up there were blue skies.

We drove to Dalbeattie Forest today, which is another one of the 7 Stanes.  Duncan went for a bike ride again and I ran with Ruby through the forest and by the side of a frozen loch.

 

Again, I arrived back at the van first so got the kettle on and made some lunch and Duncan arrived back just as the kettle had boiled. 

We pretty much drove home after that via the scenic route along the coast.  Great long weekend in Scotland, can’t wait for the next one.  Wish I had bought the van years ago!  

Total distance – 6.5 miles

https://www.strava.com/activities/252638875

Kirroughtree Forest

Yesterday we drove up to Scotland and stayed in the camper van at a campsite in Dalbeattie.  The weather was beautiful and sunny on the way up and was still lovely the next morning, albeit cold.  The van windows were all iced up but the insulation we had used did the trick as it wasn’t too cold inside considering we have no heaters.

We drove out to Kirroughtree Forest this morning, which is one of the 7 Stanes – a group of seven mountain biking trail centres in the south of Scotland.  They are all on Forestry Commission land and so also have waymarked forest walks so whilst Duncan went out for a ride, Ruby and I went for a run.  At the car park there was no snow to be seen however once we started going up hill, the tracks were caked with ice and I was regretting having left my Orocs in the van.  I was only wearing trail shoes so was slipping around all over the place, as was Ruby, so it was even more slow going than usual.  We really enjoyed ourselves though, well at least until near the end when Ruby completely ran out of steam and just decided she’d rather sniff everything instead. 

I arrived back at the van before Duncan so fried up some bacon butties for our lunch.  I really do love our van!

After our respective exercise sessions, we drove into Castle Douglas and had a wander round before driving out to find tonight’s campsite.  Earlier in the week I had looked up a few campsites as it can be quite difficult to find one which is open at this time of year so I wanted to make sure we had contingency plans in case we didn’t find anything just driving along.  We headed out to a site which was on the road up towards Ayr from Castle Douglas.  We arrived and drove up a track towards a partially built house with a shabby looking static caravan outside.  Duncan said to me ‘where’s the campsite’ to which I replied ‘I think this is it!’.  A chap walked over and said we should park up on the track as it was more level than the grassy area.  We really didn’t want to stay here but the bloke was so nice it was difficult to say thanks but no thanks.  We asked if there were showers as we had both been out running/biking and needed one and he said no so we thought this would be a good excuse to go elsewhere but he then said we could use the shower in his house.  He took Duncan on a ‘tour’ of the site, which was basically over to the static caravan which he had previously told us was not fit for purpose anymore and used to store chicken feed, and this was where the toilet was.  It was just a scruffy static caravan toilet.  I wouldn’t mind but this site is a Camping and Caravanning certified site, last certified in 2014.  Seriously?  Wild camping is far preferable and is free, not a tenner which was the price here.  Duncan got back in the van and we sat wondering what to do because we didn’t want to hurt this bloke’s feelings as he was really nice and seemed proud of his little site.  In the end, I’m sorry to say that we were complete pathetic wimps and just drove off as if we were nipping to the shops and didn’t come back. 

By this time it was dark and we had no idea where we were going to stay for the night.  I had no internet signal on my phone so ended up ringing my mum and asking her to google campsites for me.  After about an hour or so of driving, we eventually came to a campsite near to Newton Stewart.  As we drove up to it, we couldn’t see the site, just a big farm yard full of horses, ponies, chickens and massive turkeys.  After wandering around in the pitch dark muddy farm yard for a while we realised that this was in fact the campsite.  It was just so difficult to tell as it was so dark and there were no other campers/motorhomes/caravans/tents there. 

I wandered into the toilet/shower block for a nosey and it was lit only with candles and so was pretty difficult to see anything.  It was very hippy stylee and this made showering a little difficult!

In the light of day the next morning though, it turns out the campsite was really nice.  It was pretty far from any roads so was really peaceful and had lovely views although these photos don’t do it any justice at all.

Total distance – 5 miles

 https://www.strava.com/activities/252638846

Deer Everywhere!

This morning I took Ruby out for a run whilst Duncan packed up the van ready for our trip to Scotland.

We just did a leisurely five mile route out to the barn, through the terraced gardens, up to the Pike then home via Old Rake.  It was a beautiful morning and the wildlife was out in abundance, particular the deer which Ruby kept trying to chase.  On our way up through the terraced gardens, just after we had gone under the bridge, one ran across the path only a few feet in front of us and jumped over the stone wall.  Ruby tried to follow but was too small to jump over it although this didn’t stop her trying about ten times before eventually giving up.  The deer, along with it’s friend, was long gone by now but Ruby was still all excited wondering if there were more to chase. 

It doesn’t matter how often I see wild deer, they always make me stop to admire them.  They’re just so majestic and we’re so lucky to be able to see them regularly on our doorsteps.  Beautiful creatures!

Total Distance – 5.4 miles

https://www.strava.com/activities/252638853

Mile Time Trial - Failed Attempt

Last weekend I set myself a few goals in the form of four time trials to attempt every couple of months to see if there has been improvement.  The trials are:

1.  Pike race route
2.  Flat 5k route
3.  One mile time trial
4.  'Ed's Time Trial' (this involves Noon Hill, Winter Hill trig point, Two Lads and the Pike but more on this at a later date)

I am going to do one road one and one fell one in one month and the other two in the next month and then each one every two months after if that makes sense.

Today I had originally intended to do the 5k time trial but I haven't decided on a route yet so instead opted for the one mile time trial instead.

I warmed up by running from home to the bowling club (two miles away) and felt really fresh and full of beans.

After a brief stop and a stretch, off I went.  The mile was going to be straight along Horrobin Lane, down the Street and out onto Knowsley Lane, which I thought would be a pretty similar elevation at each end (it turned out to be a mere 65 feet of climb).

It didn't go according to plan though as just after I had crossed the dam on The Street, my stomach began to cramp up to such an extent that I had to stop.  I was gutted as I had been going reasonably well beforehand.  Perhaps I set off too fast (I was averaging 6.5 minute miling for the first quarter mile, which is quick for me)?

The mile ended slightly before I expected it to and I hadn't yet come out onto Knowsley Lane so I jogged along a little and went to the middle of the dam on Knowsley Lane before having a second attempt back along The Street.

Unfortunately, the second attempt also didn't go to plan.  The first part was really easy as it was all downhill but as soon as I got onto the flat of the dam my stomach cramped up again.  I tried to run through it but I just couldn't and stopped again.

I'm really disappointed in myself because obviously I can't count either mile as a benchmark to work on because I stopped both times rendering the results useless.

It was such a beautiful morning I'm gutted that I wasted it legging it along a road when I could have been enjoying myself up on the fells instead.

Ah well, better luck next time!


Total distance - 6.6 miles

Warm up - https://www.strava.com/activities/250215383
Mile #1 - https://www.strava.com/activities/250215386
Plod in between - https://www.strava.com/activities/250215388
Mile #2 - https://www.strava.com/activities/250215393
Cool down - https://www.strava.com/activities/250215404

Exploring Darwen Moor

This morning Duncan, Barry, Ruby and I drove over to Tockholes, where the boys were going mountain biking and the girls were going for something of a navigation training run.

Ruby and I went down into Roddlesworth Woods, coming out at Slipper Lowe car park on Tockholes Road.  We crossed over the road and took the wide path through the farm up the hill.  All of this bit I already know  but I wanted to start exploring some of the other paths leading to Darwen Tower.

I'm really good at reading a road map and have never got us lost (unlike sat nav which once took us along a road which ended in the middle of a field full of cows!) however these skills don't appear to be transferring very well to reading OS maps.

Saying that, at the couple of points where I went wrong, I knew very early on that I had made a mistake so isn't that all part of the learning process?

After initially getting it wrong, I soon found my feet and managed to navigate my way quite successfully down to Duckshaw Farm before picking up the Witton Weavers Way and climbing towards Darwen Tower.

After going up Darwen Tower I decided to start heading back down as I wasn't sure how long the lads were going to be out and didn't want them waiting for ages.  We went down Aggie's Staircase, crossed the stream and then when the path forks, we took the left hand path (the right one would have taken us straight back to the car park but I wanted to go a way I hadn't been before) then turned right at the farm house and ran down onto Tockholes Road.

We ran along the road back to the car park but the blokes weren't back yet so I decided to do a little loop around the woods to pass the time.  When we finished our loop they were back so we all went into the cafe to warm up and get some grub.  Whilst there I bought a copy of the Tockholes Orienteering map so I could have another go at learning navigational skills with actual points to aim for.

The main problem with trying to navigate today is that it was too cold for me to want to hang around for long reading a map so it might be a better exercise for warmer days.  I really enjoyed it though and felt very proud of myself for finding my way so well.  I used to think that navigating round the West Pennine Moors would be easier than a lot of places because there are so many paths but actually the amount of paths can be quite a hindrance because it's sometimes difficult to tell which one you want to be on when they're all so close together.


Total distance - 7.25 miles 

https://www.strava.com/activities/248964669