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Thursday 1 October 2015

Ingleborough and Simon Fell and the 3 Peaks Cycle-Cross - Sunday 27th September

First off, at the risk of further turning my Yorkshire Dales running blog into a blinking medical journal, it turns out that I was running the 3 Peaks last weekend with high blood pressure - so its no wonder that my wheels started to fall off on reaching Ingleborough! I saw the doc again a couple of days later and my blood pressure was still up even then, which I'm putting down as another side effect of my 'affliction of dooooom'.  And whats more I've now had my blood tested for Lyme Disease and have to wait a week or two for the result - pericarditis can be caused by Lyme Disease apparently and, if it turns out I've got it, that will explain a lot!

Anyway thats enough of my flipping pericarditis. Sunday was the day of the 3 Peaks Cycle-Cross, the toughest cycle-cross race of the year, and, with Hester still out of action (with a nasty affliction of her own), me a the hounds took a slow trot up Ingleborough from home, with a return loop over Simon Fell, timed to coincide with the cycle-crossers getting up there. We arrived on Ingleborough with about 10 minutes to spare and were able to then run back through the field of cyclists as they came into view. A brilliant day for a brilliant event. And not a bad run either.

10.4 miles and 1,708 feet - route on strava

Not a bad day for a run then...


A handily placed doggy drink station/ bath

Harry managed to find a stick somehow with not a tree in sight

Looking out for the cycle-crossers from the top of Ingleborough

These guys were about 5 minutes off the lead

I suspect their cross bikes don't weigh as much as my re-inforced lead lined (c. 1990's) mountain bike

Looking towards Ingleborough now from Simon Fell

Ooops

Pen y Ghent viewed from the highest point of Simon Fell

A nice cloud inversion looking towards Settle


Sunday 20 September 2015

The 3 Peaks - Saturday 19th September

For this run, my ninth run around the 3 Peaks of the year, I was hoping to be able to see some signs of my running 'skill' coming back. The weather was glorious, the tracks were in the main pretty dry and the omens were good - if I could do a sub 5 hours 3 Peaks I'd be happy with that, especially so given my 'summer of discontent'. I wasn't completely sure whether I'd be up to it or not as I'd had some of my pericarditis symptoms in the week, but Saturday dawned and I felt fine. First off of course I had to take the dogs for a two mile walk around the river but, shortly after 10:30 am, I was off and away.

Cutting a long story short I was running nicely for a sub 5 hour time, reaching the top of Pen y Ghent, the first peak, in 38 minutes and the top of Whernside, peak two, in 2:45 hours. Unfortunately though after Chapel-le-Dale my running legs fell off. It was also hottish for the time of year, the weather had been sunny most of the way and I was feeling like the sun or heat was getting to me. I mainly walked up the slabbed track towards the Swine Tail climb on Ingleborough and then really struggled up there, with me feeling really faint and dizzy near the top. Given my 'dicky ticker' problems this summer I didn't want to take any chances and decided to rest up a few minutes. From there on in to the finish in Horton I just took it steady - never-the-less I had another couple of woozy moments. I just felt really hot, much hotter than perhaps the sunny weather deserved. Anyway I managed to finish okay but the time was ultimately a bit rubbish at 5:36 hours.

Pen y Ghent looming


Leaving Pen y Ghent behind now

For today's route I was taking a line past Hull Pot

Ribblehead Viaduct with Whernside beyond

Route One up Whernside

Still feeling good at this stage and heading for Ingleborough

Taken whilst recovering from the climb up the Swine Tail of Ingleborough

Heading for the trig point on Ingleborough

Just a mere matter of about 2.5 miles to the end at this point


My best ever time for the 3 Peaks was 3:54 hours in June 2012, when perhaps I was at the absolute peak of my fell running fitness, and earlier this year in April I thought I was getting my fitness back again with a 4:36 finish. At the time I was half eyeing September as the month where I could look to attack that 2012 time. Well..... not even close. Comparing the split times of my June 2012, April 2015 and then yesterday's effort says it all:

Blue is best....


Mind you I've not been able to run much in the past two or three months and I'm only now getting some decent distances in. Maybe the recent splurge in upping my running, after doing very little in July and August, had an effect too. For sure, from Strava, my weekly distances are starting to look normal again.

My rubbish July and August!


So.... sub 5 hours it is in October!

21.6 miles and 4,650 feet - route on strava

Thursday 17 September 2015

Ingleborough from Austwick - Sunday 13th September

The second fabulous run of the weekend but this time in 'slightly' better weather conditions. Me and the dogs went up via Norber, Gaping Gill and Little Ingleborough and back via Nick Pot, Long Scar and Norber. A cracking route and apart from perhaps the climb up Little Ingleborough really runnable all the way.

9.7 miles and 2,000 feet - route on strava

And we're off

The Norber Erratics - huge boulders dumped during the last ice age

Time for a quick mid-run bath

Looking towards the top of Crummack Dale, Moughton Scars and Pen y Ghent

Just about to commence the climb up Little Ingleborough not far from Gaping Gill

Teasel playing King of the Castle

Nearly at the top of Ingleborough now

Teasel on top

Grikey!

Even grikey-er - the fabulous limestone paving viewed from Long Scar

Wednesday 16 September 2015

Plover Hill, Pen y Ghent and back via Helwith Bridge along the river - Saturday 12th September

And it was, on and off, hammering down with rain. Just about perfect conditions for this run of the Pen y Ghent ridge line top to bottom then! Although my 'affliction' is still with me, albeit to a lesser extent (touch wood), its increasingly not affecting my running and, although I'm still taking things steady, this run almost felt like I was back to normal. Rain, mud and running in the hills - thats what its all about.

11 miles and 1,727 feet - route on strava

Heading into the glooming

Crossing the old 3 Peaks walkers path, barely used nowadays

On the track out towards Foxup

Action adventure dogs in profile

Heading up the side of Plover Hill

Having a pant after nailing most of the climb


Yep, its raining....

Mmmmmm.... the smell of wet dog

Nearly home now, looking towards Pen y Ghent completely hidden in cloud

Tuesday 15 September 2015

The Settle Loop from Stainforth - Sunday 6th September

Feeling even better-er for todays run, especially so in glorious sunny Yorkshire Dales weather. With Hester now on the injury list (a massively swollen knee, we think linked to an infection) it was just me and the hounds unfortunately and we decided, on the spur of the moment, to run around the Settle Loop but starting from and finishing in Stainforth. My pace was still a chug but it looked like running, felt like running and probably was like running!

10.8 miles and 1,854 feet - route on strava

As it mostly the case in these parts, Pen y Ghent is in view

Pen y Ghent and Fountains Fell

Hazzer dilly-dallying with Malham Tarn in view

Teasel taking a breather

Attermire Scar ahoy!

Harry after a bog wallowing sesh

My intrepid sidekicks

The scurvy crew inspecting Victoria Cave

Another breather

"I'll take the high road and you'll take the low road..."