Training update
The diversions of Easter Saturday did not at first seem to have had any adverse impact on picking up the training schedule but after posting good times for a couple of days delayed tiredness kicked in and some mileage was lost.
A recce from the M62 northward on Wednesday proved to be slightly better with an 18 mile run that turned just short of Stoodley Pike. A minor diversion at the Aiggin stone on the outward leg was soon corrected and in spite of lack of signposts at some crucial points a worthwhile recce was accomplished at 13.5 mins per mile
The run was completed in almost unbroken sunshine, marred only by a strong wind that at times was bitterly cold.
The following day the tiredness returned and only a short run was managed. An early outing on Friday saw some improvement but with the 24 mile Barbondale Round LDWA event on the Saturday the run was limited to 8 miles.
Tomorrow's outing will no doubt be an indication of the state of preparation and whether any changes need to be made to the training programme. With only 4 weeks left I don't want any complications in training.
Sunday 24 April 2011
The best laid plans....
For more years than I can remember, so long it is now almost a tradition, brother Ed and myself have enjoyed a run from the Old Dungeon Ghyll hotel in Langdale to Scafell Pike, the highest peak in England, on the morning of Easter Saturday.
It all began so we could dash back to Horwich do the Pike race and then have the satisfaction of having done two Pikes in one day. It was a silly idea in the first place and after several years it has become a harder challenge each time and times have slowed -- but a tradition is a tradition and to break it might make old age a little nearer.
It was an achievement we kept much to ourselves for some time, but eventually word got out and more and more people have come to question our sanity.
Making the round trip to the Lakes and back in time for the 3 o'clock race has become increasingly hectic and our start times have had to come forward to accommodate our schedule.
And so, following an early alarm call, a meeting at the Hob Inn followed by a dash up the motorway, we were on our way to Rossett Ghyll by 8.15.
All was straightforward until just past Angle Tarn where we entered low cloud and visibility of less than 50 yards. A couple of early walkers were encountered who said they were heading for Scafell Pike and after consulting their map said they were on the right path. Alarm bells were soon ringing; the path was not right. By the time we had established our true position an already tight schedule demanding a steady pace was in disarray and at Esk Hause we had to admit that the first Pike of the day was not going to be achieved.
Heading back to the Dungeon Ghyll we passed the usual Easter hordes making their way up into the clouds. Hopefully they had better success than we did.
A quick dash back down the M6 and we were back at Horwich with minutes to spare. And from then on it was off with the gloves and sibling rivalry was back on the menu. Ed was off to a good start and was ahead until just past the school where he lost ground taking a short cut. I could hear his voice not far behind as we climbed to the tower and was waiting for him to come storming past on the descent. This he did as we exited the last field and he stayed ahead until we hit the road.
Once I had my nose in front the result was not in doubt and I stayed ahead to win by eight seconds.
So the day was only a partial success and probably means we have no option but to try again next year (and no doubt the year after).
For more years than I can remember, so long it is now almost a tradition, brother Ed and myself have enjoyed a run from the Old Dungeon Ghyll hotel in Langdale to Scafell Pike, the highest peak in England, on the morning of Easter Saturday.
It all began so we could dash back to Horwich do the Pike race and then have the satisfaction of having done two Pikes in one day. It was a silly idea in the first place and after several years it has become a harder challenge each time and times have slowed -- but a tradition is a tradition and to break it might make old age a little nearer.
It was an achievement we kept much to ourselves for some time, but eventually word got out and more and more people have come to question our sanity.
Making the round trip to the Lakes and back in time for the 3 o'clock race has become increasingly hectic and our start times have had to come forward to accommodate our schedule.
And so, following an early alarm call, a meeting at the Hob Inn followed by a dash up the motorway, we were on our way to Rossett Ghyll by 8.15.
All was straightforward until just past Angle Tarn where we entered low cloud and visibility of less than 50 yards. A couple of early walkers were encountered who said they were heading for Scafell Pike and after consulting their map said they were on the right path. Alarm bells were soon ringing; the path was not right. By the time we had established our true position an already tight schedule demanding a steady pace was in disarray and at Esk Hause we had to admit that the first Pike of the day was not going to be achieved.
Heading back to the Dungeon Ghyll we passed the usual Easter hordes making their way up into the clouds. Hopefully they had better success than we did.
A quick dash back down the M6 and we were back at Horwich with minutes to spare. And from then on it was off with the gloves and sibling rivalry was back on the menu. Ed was off to a good start and was ahead until just past the school where he lost ground taking a short cut. I could hear his voice not far behind as we climbed to the tower and was waiting for him to come storming past on the descent. This he did as we exited the last field and he stayed ahead until we hit the road.
Once I had my nose in front the result was not in doubt and I stayed ahead to win by eight seconds.
So the day was only a partial success and probably means we have no option but to try again next year (and no doubt the year after).
Wednesday 20 April 2011
Training update
Preparations are going well for the PW challenge in aid of Help for Heroes. At last, time and fitness have provided the opportunity to go over 100 miles in seven days for the first time in years.
Passing this milestone was aided by another recce of the Pennine Way on Tuesday along the route from Widdop in the company of Julie who will be one of the supporters on this section.
Knowing that Julie was conscious of the approaching Three Peaks race and the need to start winding down for this classic event the day started for me with a solo 20 minute warm up along the road to Walshaw Dean reservoir and then back to the meeting point.
The weather couldn't have been better, not a cloud in the sky and virtually no wind as we traversed the slopes of Heptonstall Moor, heading for Colden and then on to Calderdale. We crossed the main road and canal and headed up into Callis Wood, picking up the route of the Howarth Hobble to drop back down into Hebden Bridge. Declining the full challenge of the climb up to Heptonstall we skirted the tree clad side of the valley to emerge at the car park by New Bridge Hall. From there it was a pleasant trek up the valley, past the NT mill and Hardcastle Crags, keeping to the valley trails to return to the cars.
At this point the Garmin showed 14.5 miles, enough for Julie but less than my target for the day. So it was back up the road to Walshaw Dean, a chance to recce the official PW route - not the tarmac option used by most on the Hobble. Still short of miles, a run round the higher of the Walshaw reservoirs was an attractive choice which took me full circuit to the tarmac road and back down towards Widdop.
Halfway along the tarmac road is a track to the left where two walkers were encountered who did not conceal their delight in heading for the Pack Horse Inn across the fields. The track seemed a good choice to add more miles and this took me eventually up the road to the pub where the two walkers were forlornly stood outside. The pub did not open lunchtimes till Easter - a bad business decision as three cars pulled up in as many minutes.
The poor walkers were faced with the long walk back to Howarth with no food and no drink in the midday heat. At this point I surrendered my remaining Lucozade Sport to them as I was nearly back at the car.
The morning had been a great outing in superb conditions over a varied and attractive route. The pace had been leisurely, five hours for 20.5 miles, but valuable as a recce.
Preparations are going well for the PW challenge in aid of Help for Heroes. At last, time and fitness have provided the opportunity to go over 100 miles in seven days for the first time in years.
Passing this milestone was aided by another recce of the Pennine Way on Tuesday along the route from Widdop in the company of Julie who will be one of the supporters on this section.
Knowing that Julie was conscious of the approaching Three Peaks race and the need to start winding down for this classic event the day started for me with a solo 20 minute warm up along the road to Walshaw Dean reservoir and then back to the meeting point.
The weather couldn't have been better, not a cloud in the sky and virtually no wind as we traversed the slopes of Heptonstall Moor, heading for Colden and then on to Calderdale. We crossed the main road and canal and headed up into Callis Wood, picking up the route of the Howarth Hobble to drop back down into Hebden Bridge. Declining the full challenge of the climb up to Heptonstall we skirted the tree clad side of the valley to emerge at the car park by New Bridge Hall. From there it was a pleasant trek up the valley, past the NT mill and Hardcastle Crags, keeping to the valley trails to return to the cars.
At this point the Garmin showed 14.5 miles, enough for Julie but less than my target for the day. So it was back up the road to Walshaw Dean, a chance to recce the official PW route - not the tarmac option used by most on the Hobble. Still short of miles, a run round the higher of the Walshaw reservoirs was an attractive choice which took me full circuit to the tarmac road and back down towards Widdop.
Halfway along the tarmac road is a track to the left where two walkers were encountered who did not conceal their delight in heading for the Pack Horse Inn across the fields. The track seemed a good choice to add more miles and this took me eventually up the road to the pub where the two walkers were forlornly stood outside. The pub did not open lunchtimes till Easter - a bad business decision as three cars pulled up in as many minutes.
The poor walkers were faced with the long walk back to Howarth with no food and no drink in the midday heat. At this point I surrendered my remaining Lucozade Sport to them as I was nearly back at the car.
The morning had been a great outing in superb conditions over a varied and attractive route. The pace had been leisurely, five hours for 20.5 miles, but valuable as a recce.
Friday 15 April 2011
Meet the team - Ed swift
Hi, I'm Ed, one of John’s three brothers. There are six of us in the family, four brothers and two sisters, all now well over 50 years of age. Most of us have done a bit a bit of running, but only John has taken it beyond the point where reason fades and obsession threatens to bloom. Guess I must rate second in the “overdoing it“ stakes, as I’m currently in Spain for the Madrid marathon which will be my 56th full marathon.
John and I are fiercely competitive in individual races, where he, despite his extra 7 years, invariably has the upper hand on the road, whereas I tend to have the edge in fell races.
However, over the years we have worked well together on the long challenge events such as the Bob Graham Round (72 miles and 42 Lakeland peaks) and the shorter (a mere 42 miles) Joss Naylor challenge, where we supported each other, on our individual completions.
One particular event that gave us both a lot of satisfaction was the Old County Tops, a fell race run in pairs that started at the New Dungeon Ghyll in Great Langdale and visited the highest points in the old Lakeland counties of Westmorland, Cumberland and Lancashire (Helvellyn, Scafell Pike and Coniston Old Man). In the early/mid 1990’s John and I twice won the award for the fastest pair with a combined age of over 100.
John’s upcoming challenge offers him the opportunity for further excesses on his beloved fells, and I’m sure that the team will have a fine long day out. In addition, with your help, we can raise some funds for those that have suffered more that a few blisters and aching joints for their country.
The picture above was taken at the end of my Joss Naylor Traverse, when I had run from Pooley Bridge in the north east Lakes to Greendale Bridge in the south west, over 30 Lakeland tops in just under 18 hours. I’m the one in the silly Tshirt in the middle, John’s the one on the left, and most of the others will be out in support on the 28th of May.
My role on the day will be to provide road support, carry John's kit for parts of the run, ensure he's eating and drinking sensibly, keep an eye on the pace (not so fast as to blow up, but not so slow as to get too much behind schedule) and generally jolly things along. I'm not allowed to be involved in the navigating as I get confused over which end of the compass points east, or is that west?
Profiles of other team members will follow.
Tuesday 12 April 2011
Coniston 14 Plus
Part of the strategy of preparation for the PW challenge has been the inclusion of occasional road races as a attempt at speed training. Saturday's outing was the Coniston 14 Plus - that is the original 14 mile course with extra distance to avoid a bridge damaged by floods in the winter before last.
The day dawned bright and by the late morning start the heat was becoming a worrying issue. I had travelled up with younger brother Bob who like me was making return to the Coniston 14 after some years break. The race always has a slow start on account of the big entry and the narrow roads over the first mile and this prevents using up too much energy too early.
I was fully expecting last year's over 70 winner to turn out and take the prize and having missed him at the start assumed he was way ahead. With the prospect of him beating me yet again being a constant incentive to keep the pace up I put in maximum effort on the many hills and still saw neither hide nor hair of him. One of the many rewards that this race offers is the magnificent scenery and views of the surrounding fells and in the brilliant spring sunshine the surrounding landscape was at its best.
This is a race that has a reputation for toughness on account of the severe hills especially in the last few miles. The one good thing about the finish is the flat last mile as runners cross the top of the lake.
Back at the John Ruskin School, start and finish for the race, there was still no sign of last year's winner and when the results were posted yours truly had won the over 70 category by about 19 minutes in a time of 2hrs 22mins 50secs finishing 271st in a field of over well over 1000.
Brother Bob's story was somewhat different. He had warned me there would be a long wait for him, especially as he had trained for a 14 mile race, not knowing the effect of the changes to the course. Being much taller and nearly half as much heavier than myself his build is always going to make running more difficult for him. He finished in 3hrs 28mins 41 sec in 1041st place, and later expressed disappointment and an intention to return next year.
Part of the strategy of preparation for the PW challenge has been the inclusion of occasional road races as a attempt at speed training. Saturday's outing was the Coniston 14 Plus - that is the original 14 mile course with extra distance to avoid a bridge damaged by floods in the winter before last.
The day dawned bright and by the late morning start the heat was becoming a worrying issue. I had travelled up with younger brother Bob who like me was making return to the Coniston 14 after some years break. The race always has a slow start on account of the big entry and the narrow roads over the first mile and this prevents using up too much energy too early.
I was fully expecting last year's over 70 winner to turn out and take the prize and having missed him at the start assumed he was way ahead. With the prospect of him beating me yet again being a constant incentive to keep the pace up I put in maximum effort on the many hills and still saw neither hide nor hair of him. One of the many rewards that this race offers is the magnificent scenery and views of the surrounding fells and in the brilliant spring sunshine the surrounding landscape was at its best.
This is a race that has a reputation for toughness on account of the severe hills especially in the last few miles. The one good thing about the finish is the flat last mile as runners cross the top of the lake.
Back at the John Ruskin School, start and finish for the race, there was still no sign of last year's winner and when the results were posted yours truly had won the over 70 category by about 19 minutes in a time of 2hrs 22mins 50secs finishing 271st in a field of over well over 1000.
Brother Bob's story was somewhat different. He had warned me there would be a long wait for him, especially as he had trained for a 14 mile race, not knowing the effect of the changes to the course. Being much taller and nearly half as much heavier than myself his build is always going to make running more difficult for him. He finished in 3hrs 28mins 41 sec in 1041st place, and later expressed disappointment and an intention to return next year.
Monday 11 April 2011
Meet the team - Julie LaverockMy first introduction to the long Saturday run was by John’s brother Ed. This was a mere 14 miles. Having been trained up to a sufficient Saturday morning standard I was then introduced to his older brother John. What an inspiration to my long distance training he’s been. Here was someone nearly twice my age regularly running that distance as a training run during the week as well as at the weekend, posting times in races I could only ever dream of.
With John’s guidance and support I recently completed my first ultra-distance event, running as his partner at the Haworth Hobble in March 2011. No bad for someone who not so long ago thought that 33 miles was the distance you ran in a week not in a day.
It is indeed a privilege to be asked by John to provide running support for his 70@70 challenge. What better way to spend a day than in the company of friends, doing something you enjoy whilst at the same time helping to raise money for such a worthy charity.
Monday 4 April 2011
Saturday run
The usual Saturday morning off road/moorland run was dropped in favour of a long road run as brother Ed had but two weeks to go to his Madrid Marathon. He has been learning some essential Spanish phrases, well he needs to keep hydrated the night before, but has not yet learned the most important race request "How far to the next Portaloo".
Julie joined us for the road outing which started early for me with a 5-mile warm up around the Anglezarke area before meeting up with the others. The basis for our squad road training centres on the former Bolton 40 course. This is a race that is sadly no longer organised and one that Ed and myself did several times. It started outside the Parish Church in Horwich and circuited Winter Hill by road in an anti clockwise direction to Rivington and than via the Millstone back to the starting line. Three laps made up the 40-mile race distance.
Being a hilly route it has always been an ideal training course for such races as the Snowdonia Marathon and the Langdale Marathon. Are there any big hills in Madrid?
And so the three of us set out at a steady pace until we reached Belmont where the route took us past the Blue Lagoon and up to the top at Horden Stoop. This 1.3 miles climb has become (mostly at my insistence) a time trial and Saturday was no exception, with the much improving Julie leading the way with 12mins 34secs, yours truly next in 12mins 55 secs and Ed in third place.
We dropped down to Rivington Green where Julie left us to return to the lower barn and the remaining two added another lap of Anglezarke reservoir where the climbs were beginning to take their toll.
My total time for 23.48 miles was 4hrs 22mins 18 secs, a pace of 11mins 10 secs per mile, not particularly fast but a worthwhile training run considering the total climb of 2,900ft.
The usual Saturday morning off road/moorland run was dropped in favour of a long road run as brother Ed had but two weeks to go to his Madrid Marathon. He has been learning some essential Spanish phrases, well he needs to keep hydrated the night before, but has not yet learned the most important race request "How far to the next Portaloo".
Julie joined us for the road outing which started early for me with a 5-mile warm up around the Anglezarke area before meeting up with the others. The basis for our squad road training centres on the former Bolton 40 course. This is a race that is sadly no longer organised and one that Ed and myself did several times. It started outside the Parish Church in Horwich and circuited Winter Hill by road in an anti clockwise direction to Rivington and than via the Millstone back to the starting line. Three laps made up the 40-mile race distance.
Being a hilly route it has always been an ideal training course for such races as the Snowdonia Marathon and the Langdale Marathon. Are there any big hills in Madrid?
And so the three of us set out at a steady pace until we reached Belmont where the route took us past the Blue Lagoon and up to the top at Horden Stoop. This 1.3 miles climb has become (mostly at my insistence) a time trial and Saturday was no exception, with the much improving Julie leading the way with 12mins 34secs, yours truly next in 12mins 55 secs and Ed in third place.
We dropped down to Rivington Green where Julie left us to return to the lower barn and the remaining two added another lap of Anglezarke reservoir where the climbs were beginning to take their toll.
My total time for 23.48 miles was 4hrs 22mins 18 secs, a pace of 11mins 10 secs per mile, not particularly fast but a worthwhile training run considering the total climb of 2,900ft.
Training log
Preparation for the Pennine Way run is going well with some encouraging training times. Mileage is the driving force in the training programme and last week's total of 69 miles was probably not quite enough even though the individual runs showed an improving pattern.
Mon AM: 6 miles; 54mins 40secs; better than average pace.
PM: 6 plus miles; an intended 10 mile run aborted due to lack of energy (very tired)
Tue AM: Swim 600 metres
PM: Run 4 miles with son Eden; 35mins 24ses.
Thu AM: Swim 600 metres
PM: Run 10 miles; 1hr 37mins 54secs.
Fri PM: Run 6; 53mins 40secs.
Sat AM: 23.48 miles road run; 4hr 22min 18ses; (see separate posting)
Sun PM: Run 6 miles; 52mins 23secs (best for 11 months)
The plan now is to drop the twice weekly swim sessions for the next month and replace them with extra runs and this should make the mileage targets easier to achieve. With eight weeks left to the big challenge the next six weeks will be critical and the aim is to gradually push the weekly mileages to as close to 100 as possible before a two-week taper. There needs to be at least one run per week of over 20 miles and at least one run of 30 plus within the next month.
It is planned to include some recce runs and some Lakeland runs in the build up.
Preparation for the Pennine Way run is going well with some encouraging training times. Mileage is the driving force in the training programme and last week's total of 69 miles was probably not quite enough even though the individual runs showed an improving pattern.
Mon AM: 6 miles; 54mins 40secs; better than average pace.
PM: 6 plus miles; an intended 10 mile run aborted due to lack of energy (very tired)
Tue AM: Swim 600 metres
PM: Run 4 miles with son Eden; 35mins 24ses.
Wed AM: Run 4 miles; 36mins 24secs: morning runs are always slower.
PM: Run 4 miles with Eden; 32mins 38secs; best for about 3 years.Thu AM: Swim 600 metres
PM: Run 10 miles; 1hr 37mins 54secs.
Fri PM: Run 6; 53mins 40secs.
Sat AM: 23.48 miles road run; 4hr 22min 18ses; (see separate posting)
Sun PM: Run 6 miles; 52mins 23secs (best for 11 months)
The plan now is to drop the twice weekly swim sessions for the next month and replace them with extra runs and this should make the mileage targets easier to achieve. With eight weeks left to the big challenge the next six weeks will be critical and the aim is to gradually push the weekly mileages to as close to 100 as possible before a two-week taper. There needs to be at least one run per week of over 20 miles and at least one run of 30 plus within the next month.
It is planned to include some recce runs and some Lakeland runs in the build up.
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