She Takes Sea Shots On The Sea Shore

I'm back on the bright side after lots of ice, elevation and gentle running; these leggies are back in business! Thanks to all fellow blog chums for the top tips and moral support. I had a bit of a panic over what was probably just very grumbly legs from the 20miler. Anyways, am building back up and have tested things out with a tougher session this week; a 13miler on Wednesday with a few tempo miles chucked in. All was well and even my giant blister (legacy from Bramley) has behaved itself.

Today was a bit of a treat. A trip out to the seaside with Mr RB for some 10k action and a walk on the seafront. M spotted the Stanley Park 10k a couple of weeks ago and decided a jaunt out to Blackpool for some fresh sea air might be just what we need. This pretty fast and frisky route around the undulations of Stanley Park was an opportunity for this Runningbear to debut her movie making skills, act as dutiful clapper, cheerleader and coat-holder whilst M did the business.

 

A quality field turned out this morning, the race won convincingly by Steve Littler of Wesham, with a Horwich talent chasing him down to take 2nd. M came home in a respectable 12th overall and with a PB of 35.24 (the official results robbed him of a second but I have photographic evidence!). So, a small(ish) step for Mr RB but a PB all the same. The day was topped off with fish and chips by the sea, a stroll along the promenade, some brief arcade action and a bag of fresh, warm donuts to warm us from the pier back to the car. I got to play with the new camera too.

Sweet 19

That pesky white stuff is back again. After a few days of hitting the tarmac post lurgy I was starting to get all optimistic that we were over all these major interruptions to training. A hilly 19 miles on ice free roads yesterday was the first long one for a while but a great return to proper training. Seeing the snow again  this morning I'm now starting to get all stressy as the weeks tick by... only 12 weeks left before the taper! We woke up this morning to heavy snow and slushy roads, Ribble 10k is cancelled, the 3rd race in a row planned and postponed.

Ah well. Instead, I've taken to more sofa slobbing; 3 films back to back being the record yesterday afternoon. As Santa missed our house again this year I've been having wicked thoughts of purchasing a new DSLR whilst I'm confined indoors. Some fine deals on Ebay are taunting me; so far I'm resisting the 'buy me now' button but not sure how much longer I can hang on whilst I'm housebound. Oh, to have a super duper camera to play with instead of one that spits out error messages every time I press the shutter button. Have I been good enough this year to deserve I wonder...

Not Running But Walking

Though I've not blogged for over a week there's been plenty of running going on through lurgy and bad weather. M emerged after days of sofa surfing with a sore throat and too much daytime TV. He was feeling a bit better today in time for the fresh dump of snow and family visitors...

Burnsall 10M 2010

We spent a long and wonderful afternoon immersed in village life at the Burnsall Feast Sports. A traditional Yorkshire Fete with a road race, a fell race and a Wicker Man! With a slightly gammy left leg I couldn't race this favourite of mine. So I looked on, confined to the sidelines with camera in hand. I longed to be in the picture instead but happily watched some great runs unfold; M ran strong despite feeling terrible and took nearly a minute and a half off his time from last year. Our local star Runningfox was his inspiring self and seemed to be as fresh as ever during a post race chat. More race news to follow. 

P.s. Spot the dog...

Arncliffe Amble

Just a quickie cuz it's late. We sneaked in a cheeky race today after a mention of the Arncliffe Fete on Old Runningfox's blog. It was more of a training run in fact after a very heavy training week and a bit of speed work last night to finish us off good and proper. An undulating four miler under a sunny sky, enveloped in one of the most beautiful valleys in the Dales. We both ran a bit below par with tired legs. If nothing else it paid off as a tempo session and was followed by a fine afternoon tea in the village and then happy  rambles in the sun and lots of friendly chat. What a gorgeous afternoon it was. One for the diary next year for sure.

New Stuff

I've been a bit of a geek tart one might say; being distracted from my usual blog fiddling by other shiny things on the WWW of late. After having lots of fun creating picture books I've been distracted again by other cool new stuff. Spookily Kate's comment about her daily photo journal came whilst I was checking out Blipfoto.

I joined the site after the pure and simple excitment of discovering a quietly creative and positive place where members load a daily snap; the simple rules being only one pic per day, taken on the day of publishing.

The site is really fab and a source of constant inpsiration, but also very addictive. As every minute ticks by people all over the world upload their chosen daily snap sometimes accompanied by funny, inspiring and constructive words. If you like taking pics then you're likely to love this. 

Back to blogging and all is going well. My creaky old legs are starting to grumble less  and so to celebrate I put them through their paces with some hill work on Tuesday. Hill hell was less hellish than I remember though the pain may have just dulled along with my memory these last 48 hours. 8x90s reps up a steep and steady climb saw me chasing (and overtaking) some men on bicycles. (She writes smugly). 

Summer

It was a long and frustrating day at work today; a working-very-hard-but-achieving-nothing kind of day. I was longing for the journey home so I could peel off the suit and burst out of the door, trainer clad and running free. Yippee! The early evening was filled with a fresh and brisk 10 mile run along my usual Dales' trails; the Wharfe was my burbling companion except for the occasional startled sheep interrupting the running flow. 

I've been niggly all week and a bit anxious about my dodgy leg. Tonight it was a relief to feel easy and strong. There's nothing to beat these mid-week summer runs, once the office mania has quietened its swirling in my head. I was soon absorbed in the sights and smells of running through warm grass and enjoying the contrast of a cool green canopy as I hit the woodland trails with summery songs playing in my head. I'm a bit of a running puritan and judge harshly those who use modern distraction devices (IPods etc.); being fully aware and in the moment is surely what its' all about?! Anyway, tonight's run inspired a summertime slideshow complete with a tune that I just can't seem shake off...Haikuesque from Bibio.

Every Picture Tells A Story

Today was M's big day, it being a key race in the calendar; the Wharfedale Half Marathon. This is a lovely off road race taking in plenty of climb, skirting Conistone, Kilnsey and taking in the very long, hard slog of a climb up Mastiles Lane. The race ends with a very fast final descent back into Threshfield and is superbly organised by Bingley club mate and supremo runner, Mick Hawkins. 

The day was a hotty and with the race setting out at 11am no runner escaped the bright but harsh rays of the sun today. M has focused on nothing else this last week or two and was eager to run well and find out exactly how good his race preparation has been.

Setting out a tad fast, M led the first mile over the fast boys at the front; the initial road section lulling him into a slightly too fast pace. The race soon settled down with some tough running over glorious dales terrain, a hazy sunny day with slight breezes and breathtaking scenery. The views were the last thing on their minds as they dug in, racing from checkpoint to checkpoint and hydrating where they could.

My snippets of the race were wee snatches of action where the car could take me, though admittedly I nearly missed M whilst absorbed with a lovely scattering of limestone boulders! The area is one of my favourites, Burnsall and its environs being my dream home, if only. 

The final stages of the race forced me to rouse myself from a happy-snapping-stupor just in time to chase M to the finish; a bone rattling descent of 2 miles into Threshfield for the final sprint home. After a near tie with a Leeds City boy mid-way, M came in to swoop 6th place overall. A few mispunches and wrong turnings for the leading two took them out of the final results. It has to be said that all boys looked truly wasted by the finish. Nice one M, first V40 and 6th overall! Well done to all Otley and lkley mates too including Jon S, Andy W and Ewan (he braved the full marathon!). Marc S of Horsforth also ran well, racing well over his usual distance and for the third time this week. A nice prize and a bacon butty followed by cake finished off the afternoon nicely. We'll both be back next year, there's a ladies record to break. Results here.

We English

Today has felt like a proper bank holiday; the sunny-ice-lolly-laying-in-the-cool-green-grass kind of day. A fine and breezy morning run out to Bolton Abbey this morning included much dodging of backpackers, bank holiday picnickers and dogs with big sticks. All were out for a very English day out. M and I often pinch ourselves in case we forget how lucky we are to live with this gorgeous place on the doorstep. We can enjoy this summer playground whenever we want and it really is the perfect destination for a bank holiday day out.

Simon Roberts: Bolton Abbey, Skipton, North Yorkshire, 27th July 2008
 

Today I ran immersed in the holiday feeling; threading my way around pushchairs, walkers teetering under overstuffed packs and sometimes dodging rogue footballs. The path snaked alongside the riverside, winding along the banks of the glistening Wharfe,  its pebbly shores spotted with paddling dogs and toddling children.

Fine bank holiday scenes emerged around each twist in the path and transported me to the amazing stills of Simon Roberts (above). Fellow photography lovers may know his work well but one collection in particular (We English) leaves me inspired and transported. They're definitely worth a look here.

To top off a fine day I came across my favourite lolly variety this afternoon; the Nobbly Bobbly! Could things really be any more perfect...?

Murk

I'm truly pooped after a very busy day; I've run 12 miles, walked 5 and been unusually sociable (for me) and with half a cake in my tummy I think I've earned an early bedtime. An easy 5 with Mr Complete Runner for company this morning turned into an easy 7 around town, picking our way through the slush and murk before a morning coffee, a slice of home baked cake and some running shoe talk. A hurried lunch and M's return from spinning class was followed by an afternoon's walk out into the murk with visiting friend Julian M. Our ambles along the river included some racy talk and running plans for the spring to cheer us in the freezing fog.

Another coffee and cake refuel was just enough for my steady 5 tonight. A double day and a tiring one was rewarded with hot bath & hopefully a good sleep. M's cheek survived another run tonight so all things crossed. Night, night.

On Top of the World

Having taken a few unexpected days off whilst the office is quiet I've been basking in the luxury of lazy days whilst poor M has had to traipse to work. I'm trying to soften the cruel blow by getting up with the alarm and seeing him off as well as providing special cake treats for when he comes home like any good Stepford Wife should. I'm feeling particularly bad about getting a daylight run in this morning as M has just had to venture out on his lonesome in the cold and soggy night for a slippy slide around town. We're both happily taking things easy this next week or two, a blessing given the continued presence of the glacier outside the front door.

Today's run was a playful and very easy 6 mile bimble in the snow up to Barden reservoir. In my unique style I timed things perfectly to catch the howling winds and sleet showers. I don't half pick 'em. As the odd rambler gazed on from their cosy car seat at my nuttiness, I forged on with pocket camera in one hand, grasping for anything in my wake to stay upright with the other. It was cold and a bit bleak but it wasn't work and I thought of M as I got some fresh air.

The afternoon passed quickly with a bit of eating, bubble bathing and blog fiddling (not all at once). I'm revelling in this easy week and enjoying some princess RB time as the days count down to THE PLAN. Only 5 days to go before VLM training starts proper. OMG, its nearly here. WOo HoOoOOoOoO. I'm officially a bit scared. It'll soon be an end to all this talking and finally a start to the long awaited doing.

Tales of Trails

No work this week means less road and more play for me, on the local trails at least. A lovely, damp and foggy autumn day brought a muddy run for me this morning. This is a favourite amble along the river Wharfe, passing through Bolton Abbey, the Strid and heading out towards Burnsall to snap the last of the trees turning copper before the winter sets in. A very easy and scenic 13m before returning home to a bubble bath & a warming lunch...

Racing Highs

Just a quickie whilst our visitors sleep off our Saturday night (I also got a bit 'pished' at the pub) and I guess blogging whilst our guests look on is not good hostess behaviour. We had a really lovely day at Burnsall yesterday. Big thanks to the organisers for another lovely event this year, see results here. The weather was gorgeous if a little bit too warm for this tough 10m but we were ready for a great race. This was to be my last trip out before a bit of an ease down so I was really up for enjoying the event and then indulging in lots of cake and that amazing ginger ice-cream at Katie's Kiosk, with the spectacle of the fell race and the end of day presentations to look forward to.

Though M & I we were a bit worried by the hot sun (neither of us cope that well racing in the heat) we managed to keep our cool and ran a strong race. I was determined to run a sensible start knowing the climbs to come in the later miles and somehow managed a negative split for the second 5m. This was a bit of a wonder and I'm not quite sure how I managed it, particularly if you know the tough climbs in the second half of this cult classic. There was also plenty of much appreciated support all around the course from Mr T of Complete Runner and fellow club mates, including Stewart M who kept me driving for that sub hour result. We ran in great company with some fine Otley and Bingley boys, including our mate Julian M, (who is clearly getting his old racing form back) and Kevin O who had a strong run and added to the fine sea of Bingley vests. I also had the pleasure of bumping into fellow blogger Old Runningfox who also had a great run, finishing as first local but rather unjustly not having an age group prize to celebrate his incredible achievements & fine vintage.

Anyway, M also finished very strongly in a quality field to come 14th overall, 3rd V40 and 3rd counter for the men's team with a 2nd team prize! I finished 7th overall and first lady with a lead in the end of over 5mins. Most of all I was chuffed to just sneak under the hour on this course - I didn't think I'd be anywhere near that time so it was a great feeling to finish this latest training phase with a strong and testing run; confirmation that my fitness is back for the more competitive racing this Autumn. It'll also keep me focused as I've just heard I've got an elite start at the English Champs 10m event in October! Yikes, I can hardly wait.

Panorama

I'm slowly sort of coming back to Earth after three weeks of heaven being off work. I made the best of my last weekday as a free woman with a trip down the road to Burnsall and Hebden, including a visit to Katie's Kiosk for a cuppa with just my trusty camera for company. The views here are just amazing and I couldn't resist a couple of cheesy panorama shots to try to capture the sweeping valley views. I'm so lucky to be living around here. I'll be back in Burnsall in two weeks time racing the 10m; a lovely race but not one for chasing a time. The trip has given me a bit of a taste of the race scenery to come, though I'm not so sure I'll be in the mood to fully appreciate the landscape on my next visit.

Recovery Rocks

What a difference the sun makes. Had a great day today, out and about with my camera again, this time scrambling around the Cow & Calf on Ilkley Moor. A perfect day for pictures with lots of cumulus casting dramatic shadows across the valley floor and a deep blue sky to add some interesting contrast. I could definitely get used to spending my days like this; a nice & early start for a short run with M before breakfast and then chores out of the way in the morning, a bit of fiddling about on the laptop followed by an afternoon walking on the moors snapping the glorious views.
The old legs are a bit weary today after the heavy hill reps last night. M was feeling pretty done in too so we stuck to a much more relaxed pace tonight and treated it as a second recovery run. It'll be no good if we can't muster some energy for the threshold run tomorrow. Threshold workouts are my least favourite training session of all and probably the most important for that very reason. Is it true that the toughest bits are usually your weakest bits? I reckon it must be so. I'm just gonna have to be a brave soldier and give it my best. Maybe some baking should feature tomorrow afternoon to ensure I've a treat or two ready to reward myself after the run.

Chuckin' Buckets

Plans for a day out to make the most of our jollies were again foiled today by the seriously poor weather. I don't mind rain too much, and I'm even happy to run in it. But a trip to the seaside is not much fun. So we have been again stuck indoors much of the day. I did enjoy a couple of guilty hours watching some old Six Feet Under repeats. In my bored googling this afternoon I happened upon this cool site called Panoramio. The pic is courtesy of a local talent who has captured the current weather beautifully.

In my virtual wandering online I became quite drunk on the fantasy of a career as a freelance photographer, travelling around the world earning my living to fill the pages of National Geographic [sigh]. Trips to Patagonia featured heavily. I think a bit more practice might be needed first though. I keep toying with the idea of a weekend course learning the craft but they always seem so ridiculously expensive. I've also the good fortune of beautiful scenes right on my doorstep. Anyway, have cheered up a bit after running a steady but satisfying 7m out to Ilkley and back. We found a window in the torrential rain and managed a whole run without seeing a drop. Legs are also much better today. Next stop, Nelson.

The Legend of the Rombalds Romp

After the last five days of cultivating my impressive pot belly (having now indulged in 5 slap up dinners in a row!) I managed to squeeze through the front door this morning & pop up to Ilkley Moor to watch friends and club mates in a new local race, the Rombalds Romp. The race involved a 7 mile loop climbing up along the moor ridge path, taking in an anti-clockwise loop via deep bogs and bone-rattling descents. I was very impressed by the sights of thigh-high mud which only added to the dramatic backdrop of the gorgeous Wharfedale valley views. I also got to meet running legend Ron Hill MBE. Ron was sporting a new go-faster haircut and looking very sprightly despite this less familiar fell terrain. He was also very friendly and posed for some pics ...

Training this week has remained pretty full-on, in line with my plans to train hard through Summer races and use events as threshold sessions in preparation for the Autumn. I ran a tidy 12m on the road with M on Thursday, followed by a few speedy strides on the hockey pitches on Friday (before dining out #5 with the lovely John & Anita in a local Vietnamese that evening - a real treat). M & I ran an easy 4 today to loosen our legs for the Pudsey Challenge 10k in the morning. The course is a mixture of road and muddy trails with some (well lots) of hills. The terrain makes times pretty meaningless which feels quite liberating. I'm feeling a bit too relaxed though as M noted tonight. I'll have to work on getting nervous in the morning.

Into The Wild

Have enjoyed a lovely day off today, starting with getting all the house chores done by 9.30am and settling down to watch a DVD this morning with a pair of cuddly cats for company. Grizzly Man was loaned to me after a Monday morning chat with a work colleague discussing Into the Wild. I'm not sure what to say about this film; I'm left with mixed feelings and am still working out what I think of it. The grizzly death of its star Tim Treadwell was a very sobering start to the day so getting out into the hills was very welcome.

I opted for a bit of an adventure and the looming rainclouds didn't put me off. I drove out past Barden to just above Appletreewick at lunchtime for a change of running scene and enjoyed spectacular views across to Hebden, Burnsall and Simon's Seat. The weather was pretty wild and changeable but the waterside path at Grimwith Reservoir was pretty sheltered from the strong winds with barely a soul in sight except a windsurfer on the water obviously having the best time ever. The pace was relaxed and very easy to clear these legs of cobwebs after last night's heavy session. The views were spectacular on the track down to Raikes farm; the hills looked like the rugged shoulders of ancient beasts slumbering in the dappled sunlight. What a wonderful escape today was, life should be like this everyday. I've now collected yet another location for a future home to add to the collection. Back in our cosy house now & ready for some good food and a night in front of the telly with M. Life is good today.

Magical Misty Run

I somehow dragged myself out of bed this morning after another very late night and have yet again struggled to keep my eyes open through generally dull meetings in overheated rooms. I'm starting to get pretty desperate for a break from work and am counting down the weeks to my planned fortnight off in July. I've booked Friday off this week just to try and get some rest from the work slog and am already planning a lovely double running outing somewhere pretty.

Training seems to do a good job of perking me up in an evening at least and tonight was no exception in magical and misty conditions. I forged a new route out of two oldies tonight and clocked 9 miles in HR zone 3 over a moderately hilly trail route covering a climb to Draughton windmills on to Bolton Abbey with a loop to Cavendish before returning via the riverside path to home. The misty rain eventually cleared and the evening brightened up enough to dry out my drenched running gear on the return leg home. After mulling over my racing commitments I've reverted back to the original plan and aim to complete a lactate threshold session tomorrow. A visit to the track again this Saturday should round off another excellent training week. The looming 10k in the next couple of weeks is a stark reminder of the absence of any training to maintain threshold pace so I'd better get to it. Hills will have to wait.

"Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again".

Today marks the start of week #3 of this enforced ease down. Have finally persuaded M that I'm not imagining or exaggerating my condition after a run out together tonight gave him a great opportunity to compare our heart rates at each mile of the run. The contrast was pretty stark. We ran a nice loop from home via Nesfield to Ilkley and back clocking a moderate pace over 7 miles. I was in a higher zone than M for a large part of the run which is a major difference to a month ago. Will keep monitoring my heart rate as a guide; pace is little help as a gauge and only adds to feeling frustrated. So some easy 4s and 5s at most planned over the next few days and perhaps a review of progress at the weekend. RHR was 38 again today but during runs it quickly rises disproportionate to the running effort. A bit of a way to go yet.

Will need to find something to distract myself over the coming days and inflicting more blogging on the world would be just cruel. To keep myself out of mischief for another recovery week I've been thinking of rewriting my training plan for the year, particularly now racing schedules will have to be reviewed. Last week's AW (pages 48-49) details guidance on quality vs quantity and how to balance the two to improve speed and strength in tandem. Would recommend this as a read to anyone wanting to develop a structured training schedule. Will now spend this week rewriting my training and racing plans for the summer. My hopes of a qualifying time for the English Champs 10k in September are now looking unlikely but if I can target some quality training in June and July there might still be a chance - sub 34.30 seems much further away that it did in January. Next year maybe. Anyway, feeling more accepting of my fate and will see what the week brings. All body parts crossed that I can get back into the training swing soon. In the meantime will be coordinating training and team support for M and his performances pending at Rothwell and John Carr #3. I'm still pretty good at coat holding, clapping and bag carrying.