October

[glaconman]

Too much guys. Gawd bless ya.

I think you've hit on something there Sweder. Alot of people cut their youth short in a way by falling into a pattern of drinking and smoking in their mid-teens. So perhaps when we finally shelve some of these bad habits (ahh emm) there's a feeling of unfinished business.

As far as targets are concerned MLCM my Mrs wants to grasp the nettle and step-up to a half asap. Only problem is that she likes hilly routes. She says it keeps things interesting. Can't say I've got much enthusiasm for a full marathon at the mo. I'm still more interested in the shorter distances for now.

[Seafront Plodder]

Blimey GMan well done!

With a time as good as that, you may get asked politely to leave this site as clearly you're too fast.

[Sweder]

Mrs G-Man is a woman after my own heart. Hilly Halfs (Halves?) are my fave races. The terrain helps maintain focus/ interest in the course. Like I tell my kids (all too often apparently) for heavens' sakes choose to do something you love doing; sounds like you've found your running Nirvana GM.

I confess 26.2 no longer draws me as it once did either.
There's so much fun to be had in them there hills ...

[stillwaddler]

I take my hat off to you Glacon, and to your wife. I was in Bradford myself on Sunday, sadly only to deliver a friend to Bradford who had rushed back from the States as her Dad had just died. There were a few K markers still on the roads and it made me think what a truly difficult marathon it would be next year. I did briefly think about it for myself, but hills just aint my favourite thing. Best of luck in the relay.

BTW I love your club running vests.

[glaconman]

Cheers SW. Sorry your visit was a difficult one.

There used to be a marathon in Bradford I was told. Last run in the 1970's. It finished at the top of a 2.5 mile climb. Such a terrible thing to do but somehow not suprising.

The tops are great I agree. I think the Rugby League team play in the same colours.

Back to the fells tomorrow. Hopefully sunshine but I have a feeling there'll be alot of mud.

[glaconman]

The 18th Withins Skyline Cat: BM - 7m/1000'

If I'm going to do myself justice in any fell race one thing will be necessary. New ankles. Preferably better ones. The climb I enjoyed. The top section was a legendary battle with waterlogged peat. I went upto my knees on half-a-dozen occassions. The decent was the usual farce with ankle ligaments coming off worse. And quite a few people fell on the wet slabs once we hit the Pennine Way. The last half mile was a semi-conscious grind.

Oh well, WTF. This was a hard and technical course; and whatever peice of half-baked wisdom that made me think otherwise, whilst I read the short description on paper, has now been banished from my tiny mind.

Here are some pictures of a wonderful Sunday lunchtime spent learning about fell running whilst attempting to break my own kneck

me at top withins

Mrs G at Top Withins

Me near end

[Sweder]

That does look like a lot of fun! Nice n muddy - mmm!
Reminds me; must sign up for the Terminator again next year

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Hmm - I like hills, but I don't like mud. I don't think I'd make a very good fell runner!

Great photos!

[glaconman]

Two things were bothering me this week. Allowing my sore ankles enough rest; and my weight beginning to creep back up. Luckily something came along and addressed both problems: food poisoning. Having bodily fluids violently expelled from several outlets simultaneously, and within such a short time-frame, is not the most pleasant way of ensuring rest and reducing weight. But it is highly effective.

So, abit of downtime. Probably a good thing.

[El Gordo]

Two things were bothering me this week. Allowing my sore ankles enough rest; and my weight beginning to creep back up. Luckily something came along and addressed both problems: food poisoning. Having bodily fluids violently expelled from several outlets simultaneously, and within such a short time-frame, is not the most pleasant way of ensuring rest and reducing weight. But it is highly effective.

So, abit of downtime. Probably a good thing.

Can you send me whatever it is you ate please? I need a boost.

[stillwaddler]

Hope the food poisoning has passed by now GMan? That was some serious running last weekend. I went to the Adidas factory at lunchtime today and after purchasing some great new running shorts I briefly toyed with the idea of buying some rather fine fell running shoes - only 30 squid - but common sense got the better of me, because if I fall over now something breaks - ouch!

[Bierzo Baggie]

Sounds like you'e been making some spectacular progress Glaconman.

It also sounds like if you improve your downhill technique you'll be really flying with the good 'ns as that seems to be where the best fell/mountain runneres gain most time.

Best advice I was given was to train yourself to scan ahead whilst running. Train your brain to make loads of split second photos of the terrain your feet will be making contact with seconds later and with a bit of luck you'll descend faster and with greater confidence. Easier said than done I know. My problem is with the concentration that this entails. I can descend quickly over dodgy terrain in bursts but anything over 5 minutes does my head in. I've got to the stage now where I can descend faster than the road-runners but I'm still overtaken by all the mountaineers. I suppose a lot of it is innate.

I used to have terrible problems with my ankles too but that seemed to clear up when I packed the football in. Hill walking seemed to strengthen them as well.

Keep it up!

[Sweder]

On the downhill plummet thing I agree with the scanning technique (though obviously this becomes a subconscious thing). During the latter part of yesterdays' night-time slog I found myself having to trust the 'sensors' in my feet. This seems to be equally important for running downhill; you barely have time to look at the ground, so much of the footfall control has to come from your feet. Running downhill offroad in the dark is, apart from plain daft, doubly challenging.

A lot of the terrain I cover is uneven, slippery and at times soggy. My feet seems to have found a way to adjust on impact to reduce the chances of injury in the way that caterpillar tracks convey a tank. Now that I've said that out loud I will of course instantly go out and snap an ankle.

Moyleman tought me to love downhill running by leaning into the slope and actually running as opposed to what I had been doing - trying to brake manically by digging my heels in. I'm far from proficient but find I can match or pass some very good runners on the downhills using this method.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Moyleman tought me to love downhill running by leaning into the slope and actually running as opposed to what I had been doing - trying to brake manically by digging my heels in. I'm far from proficient but find I can match or pass some very good runners on the downhills using this method.

Stop it. You're scaring me.

[El Gordo]

Boys, eh?

[glaconman]

Yes, I'd read that the trick is to scan the ground further in-front of you. Common-sense might suggest that we need information that's bang-up-to-date in order to put our feet in the right place. But practice suggests that we can successfully operate with a longer time-lag between seeing and planting our feet; and this enables us to cover ground more quickly.

The alternative is to stop theorising and just spend longer running on proper fells and develop some instinct.

Hopefully I've got a couple of decades to practice and get half-decent. But it's difficult not trying to be competitive and chase people down the hill who you've beaten up it.