On Tuesday I did a gym session mirroring my Friday session; cardio warm-up then lots of core stability and resistance work. On Wednesday I took a trip down to my 'hill' for more reps. This week I picked up 12 stones en-route. I piled them all at the top and moved one across again with each successful climb. Then, like last week, I treated myself to two extra ones just to tire me out more. I coped better this week. Maybe I’ll make it 16 this week. Well, 14, but I'll do 2 extra!
On Thursday I did a 10k trail session. It's was raining and very wet underfoot. I ran down to and around a local reservoir before the climb home. I tried to guess a different way home and guessed badly. I lost the footpath and emerged via barbed wire into some farmer’s field. I terrorised a couple of cows accidentally, who went pretty nuts and starting running in circles. I made a hasty exit over a large gate and found my way back to the road. In taking my accidental diversion I have no idea what I was treading in, but I smelled vile. I don't know if it was liquid silage, or some other nasty farm chemical, but it was awful. I scrubbed and scrubbed in the shower. I think it was 2 days before I smelled right again! That'll teach me to reach a fork in the footpath and choose 'Right' instead of 'Left'.
I did my gym session on Friday as usual.
I had intended to do an easy pace 10 miler, but my son was being difficult and refused to go to my mums for babysitting. As a result I had to miss it. I'm still not quite sure how a 2 year old managed to get the better of me?
So on Sunday I had planned to do a long distance walk, but because I had missed my run on Saturday I decided to run it instead. I planned myself a fairly evil course. I've called it twin peaks, but it's actually just one main peak that I visit twice. That peak is Roach End in the Derbyshire Peak district. Last time I visited it as a walker back in Winter. It was thick fog at the time, I took a video and posted it up in my blog.
Today was lovely, a few clouds, but on the whole a lovely afternoon. The route, elevation and speed profile are below. Sorry the speed profile goes flat at one point, I must have lost Bluetooth contact with my GPS.
I started my route from a slightly different place than intended because the car park indicated on the map was simply not there! I started from a place called Tittesworth reservoir instead, near Leek. Now from this new location there was no actual footpath to get me back to my pre-prepared route, so I had to make my own. Apologies to the farmers whose barbed wire fences I climbed. Revenge was taken on me though when I had to go through a marsh (up to my ankles) 5 minutes into the route. Wet feet 5 minutes in; just what I needed! I located the footpath, the 'Staffordshire Moorlands Way' and headed up to my first peak, Hen Cloud, at exactly the 2 mile mark on the profile. As you can see I did well speed-wise until the last steep bit. Running was just not an option. I was clambering up a steep hilly and rocky slope to reach the peak.
The entire Roaches area is pretty treacherous underfoot. There are large sandstone rocks and boulders on the footpaths, and peat bogs all over the place. So, my pace was somewhat tempered and slowed quite often because of these obstacles. If you don't concentrate on every single footfall you will likely injure yourself.
This is the view from Hen cloud.
The peak on the right side was my next destination.
I ran down from Hen Cloud, quite an easy and quick descent and then ascended up to the Roaches proper. This is where the footing becomes tougher on your joints with rocks everywhere. It's very popular with rock climbers, you can spot a few people and ropes in the backgrounds of my photos. I took this one from the first peak of the Roaches. It's a 'I'm hot and bothered' shot, just to prove I'm putting some effort in with the running and not strolling around!
This shot is the view down from that point, and the second shot shows Hen Cloud, where I have just run from.
This one was about half way along the ridgeline I think.
I reached the trig point above Roach End and paused for 5 minutes to fix my GPS as I realised it had stopped communicating, hence that flat spot in the speed profile. I fixed it and trotted down the welcome downhill. This downhill section is practically paved like your garden patio. It is so easy to run on. You can see I managed to trot down quickly, peaking about 8mph!
At the foot of the descent, Roach End, I headed through a lovely woodland trail to Lud's Church, a narrow chasm. I was intending to take a detour and run around it in a loop, but it looked very wet and muddy so I gave it a miss. I carried on and headed down to Gradbach, almost doubling back on myself just before Gradbach Youth hostel and followed the footpath beside the Black Dane River. The footing was typical for this kind of woodland, treacherous! In case you don't know what I mean, this is what you have to negotiate every couple of metres (sorry it's a bit blurry).
The path to Danebridge was an undulating one, with a few short sharp climbs, but mainly flat or slightly downhill.
Here's the river I had for company for a few miles.
I reached Danebridge which was basically the half way marker. I knew it was all uphill for the next 3 miles, gaining about 300 metres (1000ft). I set myself a goal of a steady run with no walking at all until I reached the trig point again above roach end. I knew that would be quite a challenge. Other than pausing briefly to take this, my amateur attempt at an 'arty' photo, I held my pace well.
There were quite a few peat bogs and marshes that slowed me slightly, but after a quick leap to dry land I was off again. The climb was a long steady one, very tiring, but I was very focussed and just took it at a manageable pace. This is with about 2 miles to go, my destination being the highest point visible, then along that whole ridgeline (The Roaches).
I reached Roach End and began the last and steepest part of the climb. It's steeper at the start and I did prove for few steps that I would have been just a quick by walking (striding). However, I said I'd run it, so I did. I reached the trig point and sat beside it for a 2 minute rest to take in the view and take this video.
After that I ran on. I hoped to pick up some time, as it was pretty much all downhill, but the footing is so difficult that you just can't get any speed up. You can see from the profile I only really starting getting faster once I was about half way down to the finish where the ground was much better. I did intent to take a different way back, but I overshot the diversion. I realised too late, and just ran through the ankle deep marsh again. My dry feet got wet again, 5 minutes from the end. Doh! I arrived back at the car park about 8pm, my car practically the last one there. I drank down a Rego recovery drink straight away, stretched out and drove home.
My knees and ankles are a little sore at the moment. Running on all the rock and very uneven ground has taken its toll. However, it's not too bad I hope, I'll see tomorrow I guess. Hopefully I'll be fit for next weekends 27 mile Harden Hard'un; reputedly a very difficult route.
Today was tough, but enjoyable. I started out with 7kg, and drank 800ml on the way, so it would have been 6.2kg at the end. I did run out of electrolyte miles before the end. I was carrying water as ballast, but didn't want to drink it, so I suffered a bit instead! The route had 875 metres of relief (2870ft) in just 14 miles. My average pace was 4.2mph. It was tough but enjoyable. Bring on the Harden Hard'un!
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