SportsShoes Blog

Here’s how my week after a big lakes race looks (I’d like to know what the top lads do in comparison) :-

Sunday was very much a recovery day from the race and the beer!! Early to bed Sunday night ready for the week ahead.

Monday - walk with the dog first thing (she’s only a pup so no running yet but as she’s a border collie she’ll be helping my fittness regime next year). Then a very steady 40 mins trot home from work and an even steadier cycle back with my son to rescue the car.

Tuesday - 50 min run afetr work - not feeling too bad on the flat and downs but no steam on the hills. My iPod phones finally conked out tonight - I guess they just got fed up of being filled with sweat and rain….

Wednesday - rest

Thursday - felt OK so joined the lads at the club for a blast. I hung on with the fast boys for an hour of fast(ish) hills but then my wheels came off and the weekend really started to show its teeth. I had to let them go and trot the last couple of miles back at my pace.

Friday - quick spin out on the MTB with my son - his technical skills are really coming on well now and he’s starting to appreciate that there’s more to MTB riding than just blasting downhill.

Think I’ll do a couple of hours run tomorrow then we’re off to Dalby Forrest on Sunday to let my son have his first taste of a trail centre - he’ll love it!! 

Just returned from the lakes and competing in the Borrowdale Fell Race.

It was a British and English championship counter so it was even busier than usual this year with around 460 starters. Despite each athlete needing prior experience before they could enter the race, it still filled to its limit of 500 within a couple of days of the entries opening in May. There’s a real resurgence in popularity for fell running at the minute which I personally think is great for the sport.

What we need now is to somehow get more junior runners to take to the fells rather than the road or track. 

Anyway, after last week’s light training, I felt pretty good on the start line - I was just hoping the feeling would last. The start is quite quick as it’s flat for the first mile or so but then it kicks up sharply for the climb up Bessy Boot (yes that really is its name). After that it’s a long undulating boggy / rocky run of around 5 miles across to Esk Hause and Scafell. The rocks toward the summit of Scafell were slippy as hell and with the fog down, the highest place in England was once again a pretty grim place to be. The scree decent off Scafell is pretty exiting and then it’s a technical run across the corridor route to Sty Head at the foot of Great Gable. The climb up Gable is a real slog with a very cheeky false summit to raise then dash your hopes. From the summit it’s a very tricky navigation exercise to reach Honister pass and lots of folk get lost (including Rob Jebb who was leading the race until this point and eventually finished 15th after going the wrong way!!!). I managed to stay on track and toughed out the last climb up Dale Head before plunging down to the finish chasing and being chased by some of my Bingley Harriers club mates.

I finished in around 3 hours 41 mins (winning time was well under 3 hours!!) and was reasonably pleased as I’d felt pretty good all the way around.

After a quick wash in the river we partied the night away first around the BBQ, then in the pub, then the beer tent (to steel band music) and finally at a local’s house party. Crawled into the tent at 3.05am.

Think I’ll have a day off today!!

Finally, my mate Steve has started the coast to coast run today which he’s aiming to do in 3 days - I’ll report on progress soon….    

Well it’s Borrowdale Fell race on Saturday - one of the toughest races in the fell running calendar.

I’ve done it before in 05 and can remember quite a bit of it but unforunately, it’s always the bits that you can’t remember that are the worst.

I’ve been feeling pretty rubbish lately and struggling to get that floaty feeling when I’m out training. Went out for an hour on the bike Saturday - very steady with my son - then 30 mins run on Monday evening and a harder 1 hour run tonight. The weather was very warm which doesn’t suit me but I actually felt OK today. I’ll be resting up now to Saturday with probably a short spin on the bike tomorrow and a steady jog on Thursday.

There’s a big shin-dig after the race on Saturday and a few of us are camping so it should be a hoot. At least the thought of cold beer and live music should help to pull me round the 17 mile course and up and down Bessy Boot, Scafell, Great Gable and Dale Head.

Need to get some miles in this weekend to burn off all the brithday cake.

It’s Wasdale Fell race tomorrow - I’m not doing it but my OMM partner Jamie is. It’s one of the toughest races in the UK - at over 20 miles and with around 7500 ft of climb over many of the Lakes’ highest peaks it’s a real beast. I did it last in 2006 but decided to skip it this year as I want to make sure I’m fully recovered after the yacht race.

My next race will be Borrowdale fell race in August - another long (17 miles) lakes race that takes in Scafell, Great Gable and Dale Head. It’s a tough one but there’s a big party in the evening so that should keep us going till the end.

Then it’s the 3 Peaks cyclo cross in September (better try and get a few bike miles in me thinks!!) followed by the OMM in October.

By the way - anyone watch Superstars? - I remember watching that when I was a kid - Brian Jacks (remember him??) what a hero!!