On a more serious note - dark nights mean drivers can't see you. Just about everyone was beautifully turned out at our club training night last Tuesday in Hi Viz kit but if you haven't got yours yet we have a large stock at the Gear for Girls store. Bibs are available in Hi Viz Pink and Flou Yellow.
Nathalie and Toria can be seen here modeling their Hi Viz kit on a beautiful sunny morning. Don't they look great....
And so it finally arrived....our first club training night back on the roads. We had tried to avoid it for as long as possible, stumbling around on the hills with head torches these last few weeks but with the clocks changing to was time to submit to the harsh discipline of the road.
We were promised an easy start to our winter training sessions........ha! How we were fooled. Gentle warm up exercises were soon cast aside and we were plunged straight into the harsh reality of four 1km laps of the Weetwood Avenue circuit run as a fartlek session.....eyeball out sprint followed by jogging followed by eyeball out sprint....you get the drift. Oh boy it was competitive and I had to sneak a quick drink break every lap just to keep body and soul together.
And then the Pièce de résistance - a slow jog back all the way down Weetwood Avenue, a slow turn - the tension mounting, a slow jog back to the half way point - jostling for position - no-one wanting to be in front, no-one wanting to hang too far back, no-one taking it seriously (of course)......and then, at the post box half way back down the avenue the action took off. A full out, no holds barred sprint for the last 200m....lungs gasping for air, muscles screaming, limbs flailing....just hanging in to make it to the end of the avenue and collapse in a heap.
Don't you love the competitveness of a club training night ....what better way to spend a wet, dark Tuesday evening.
So there we were - after all the anticipation - Amy and I were lying in a tent last Friday night at Coniston listening to the rain hammering down and thinking thank God we hadn't been stupid enough to enter the 100 mile race. We were there to take part in the Lakeland 50 race in the morning and the poor buggers who had entered the 100 mile version of the event were already out in the hills, in the dark, getting thoroughly soaked.
The next leg was the longest and highest with a big climb over High Kop. It was the one leg where I really wanted to be in sight of someone as we went over the top as the route description sounded tricky. Well what do you think? For the only time in the whole race when we got to the top of the climb there was no-one insight. So I just had to get the trusty compass out. But it was lying! This was supposed to be a route with paths to follow and the compass was pointing over boggy ground with not a track in sight. As we dithered a big group of runners suddenly appeared and headed where my compass was pointing.
So it was over the top and down another vague track to the shores of Haweswater following an endless path along the edge of the reservoir to the second checkpoint at Mardale Head. We had now been going for about 5 hours and had worked up quite an appetite - there was talk of steak and kidney pie and chips! Instead, huddled in a windswept carpark we had to make do with the last bottle of Tesco cola and some very dry unbuttered fruit bread. This check point was a bit of a low for me.
Very happy to get away and the next leg was much nicer. Up and over Gatescarth Pass to Sadgill then over the top to Kentmere. And what a difference at the next checkpoint! The Montane boys had gone to town in the Kentmere village hall. We walked into a party atmosphere and were handed steaming bowls of pasta washed down with lashings of tea and fresh fruit smoothies. What stars - thank you guys.
Much refreshed we had to drag ourselves away for the rocky climb over Garburn Pass. (Amy was now into completely unknown territory going further than she had ever been before.) At Troutbeck the light was beginning to fade and we stumbled around Skelghyll Wood heading into Ambleside. We kept over taking GPS users who I guess were stopping to get a signal. It seemed to be a course where the Luddites and the old faithful 1:25000 series maps won out.
Another great welcome at the Lakes Runner shop in Ambleside - this time they had a DJ at the decks belting out some apt lyrics. It was pretty chaotic so Amy and I made a quick exit.
It was well dark by the time we left Ambleside and I was a bit concerned about finding our way over Loughrigg Fell. In the end it wasn't so bad as there were some other runners around us which helped. These runners shot off at Skelwith Bridge and ran up the road to Chapel Stile following their GPS but we were good guys and found the Cumbrian Way footpath.
Ah the Cumbrian Way footpath - how innocuous it seemed to Chapel Stile - how harsh and cruel it seemed stumbling in the dark to Langdale. We had changed into our night gear at the check point at Chapel Stile. Running tights, warm layers and waterproofs for a persistent drizzle had started which would stay with us until the finish. Just wet enough to make things miserable - just wet enough to make the rocks slippery. This next long section to Tiberthwaite I had recced a few weeks earlier. It seemed a pleasant run on a sunny afternoon. It the dark it was plain awful. We had picked up two guys from Newcastle (hey weren't we lucky). Really nice guys who kept our spirits up in those terrible wee small hours when you should really be in bed. So at least we had someone to talk to as we stumbled along inbetween cries of pain as our feet slipped into yet another hole. And they were glad of my prior reccying.
At last we made it to Tiberthwaite car park and a souless checkpoint in the dark and cold. But with less than 4 miles remaining we pressed on for the steep climb up to Coniston Moor where we pushed to the front as others faltered in the emptiness of the night and followed a bearing to find the path to Hole Rake. With fingers crossed we found the stream crossing by the lone tree and headed for the gap in the skyline. With big drops and disused quarries all around there's some very brave organisers of this race! No wonder you have to sign a disclaimer. A long line of runners followed us to safety and we stumbled down the zig zags to the Miners Bridge and the final road into the finish at Coniston.
Well we didn't make it into our beds by 2am - it was 4am by the time we finished - a whole 16 hours on our feet. But hey what's a couple of hours. Amy was amazing - it was her second EVER race. (Her first was the local Chevy race 4 weeks earlier). And as for me - I was just pleased there were no serious aches and pains. So the gauntlet has been laid down to other members of the Wooler Running Club......and if you fancy a hard day out in the fells they will soon be taking entries for next year.......
Based at Nethy Bridge I rode all week until I dropped - exploring trails I never got round to trying when I lived in the area. (Note to self to have the same approach to finding new places at home).
The best trip for me was a solo ride late one afternoon from Nethy Bridge out over the Sluggan Pass to Loch Morlich and back over the Ryvoan Pass. A fantastic trek - 40 km of natural trails with fantastic views over the Cairngorms and apart from the usual crowds hanging around Loch Morlich I didn't meet a sole. Amazing!
Live in the Wooler area and want to give running a try? Don't want to launch into joining the Wooler Running Club straight off but want to gain some confidence and fitness first? Well we're organizing some runs for beginners on Wednesday nights starting at the end of the month. Come and sign up at the shop and join some likeminded women who want to try and get a bit fitter.
The much awaited noticeboard is now up in the new shop. Claire and Amy have promised to keep it up-to-date with all active events in the local area and there's room for all your pics of the girls in action. I'm sure we will be adding pics of the birthday girl - possible even the doctored Running magazine cover. Always knew you were a cover girl Nathalie!
At the moment the board is looking very empty but with triathlons, open water swims, the Chevy, mountain biking events.......all taking place in the area........... I am sure we can fill it very quickly.
I will try to make sure the best bits make their way onto this blog.
Last week we had an official opening do for the new shop and persuaded the amazing Lizzie Hawker to come and talk to us. Lizzie is so inspiring, an incredible athlete and ......so modest. She regaled us with the tale of how she won her first Ultra Trail Tour de Mont Blanc - just started running to see how far she could get before being timed out at the check points and somehow managed to win the event! Her recount of breaking the record for the run from Everest Base Camp to Kathmandu together with Steven Pyke brought back a lot of memories for me as a former record holder. Lizzie and Spyke decided to give up at one stage but after a kip in a barn at Jiri decided to carry on as they had failed to contact anyone to say they were packing it in. Must be a soft record as they still managed to take a few hours off! Everyone left planning their own challenges from entering the Chevy Chase for the first time to heading off to Nepal.
The North Face bought lots of drinks afterwards in our local and after a few glasses of wine Dolly was trying to persuad Lizzie to join the Wooler Running Club and take part in the Chevy Chase. Very keen on the idea of an overall female winner. That would sort the guys out! Unfortunately I think Lizzie has quite a hectic race season lined up but the offer still stands. I am sure she will manage lots more adventures this year and hopefully come back and talk to us again.
We thought we would try out a new format for the blog - more sociable with the opportunity to comment on posts. Hope you like it.
Just want to say a big than you to everyone for their support for the big shop move - to Donald who has laboured away all day doing everything from moving boxes to putting up slatboards, to Amy's Mum for putting on a fabulous meal for the team, to Sophia for some brilliant table making, to Pauline for surprising us all this afternoon with fresh coffee, to Kenny for coming to the rescue with his trailer, to Nathalie for looking after Conrad this morning, to Amy and Fiona for some great work with the hacksaw, to John for getting the painting done on time, to Jill and Julian (who aren't in the running club yet but should really be persuaded to join) for quietly sorting everything out and to everyone who has been kind enough to stop by and wish us well.
Many thanks and it's great to be part of such a supportive club.
PS Both Claire and Amy have offered to look after the Noticeboard in the Gear for Girls shop - so they will need lots of pictures of the girls (and maybe a few of the guys) in action. We are going to use the board as a 'What's on for Outdoor Sports' in the area so please give them your information.
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Recent Comments
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NIXDOWN said:
M.G. - I must agree .... .... but no amount of hi-viz would make me look that good!!! read more
on Keep safe - Be seen -
Sarah Simpson said:
Well done Cindy. My husband ran his first great north run also this year and I went to meet him... read more
on One happy runner -
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karl said:
"Was inspired to challenge herself after listening to Lizzie Hawker" NO NO NO NO! it should read " was inspired... read more
on One happy runner
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