tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28927499149879717662024-03-05T08:06:22.459+00:00Much Ado About Not MuchLet's get pissed and be serious.......Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08288588662738933509noreply@blogger.comBlogger92125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892749914987971766.post-15634495696168219812014-08-24T23:42:00.000+01:002014-08-24T23:42:20.053+01:00So this is 'Goodbye'?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're one of the 16,389 people who have been to this page in the past, and have come back, then 'thank you'.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've got a new home to go to now. All content from here has been moved over to my premises at <a href="http://www.fellicionado.com/">www.fellicionado.com</a> but don't worry I didn't do all the heavy lifting. Dave Gill at <a href="http://www.vaguedirection.com/">www.vaguedirection.com</a> took care of that cos he's a right good egg. Give him some love cos the boy got skills.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No more posts here then. It's all gonna be on the new site. Cheers again and see you over there you horrible little slags.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08288588662738933509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892749914987971766.post-58552158781416999482014-08-15T08:30:00.003+01:002014-08-15T08:30:40.010+01:00Sierre-Zinal and Les Alpinistes 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And so a couple of weeks ago I set off in my trusty steed 'Jean-Claude' (not my little Belgian bummer boy) and swept across the Gallic lowlands to nestle atop a perch in that sphere of unpredictability known to the outside world as 'Italy'. How the fuck these guys took over half the planet is lost on me!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was there for reasons singular in appearance but with a unifying/two-fold purpose. Namely to acclimatise to Alpine conditions for a race, the 'title' race, and to climb some Alps 4000ers. I like to think that I succeeded in both. Well I guess there's no thinking involved. I DID achieve both. That the mountains we climbed were not necessarily the ones we had in mind when we went out there and that I didn't quite make the time limit I'd set myself for the race is irrelevant in that context.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I went to Italy on a pilgrimage for my man-crush - Kilian Jornet. He's soooo dreamy. Alas that's for a separate, more private, post. By chance (I promise) he was presenting a showing of his new Summits of My Life film just down the valley from where I'd harnessed up Jean-Claude in Cervinia. There was some other dude there but my eyes were only for my 'Kiki'. I didn't stay to watch the film. It was in Italian. I also couldn't understand a bastard thing that Kilian and the other guy (Bruno Brunod - bad ass) were saying in their opening gambit cos that was also in Italian. I'm shit at Italian. Luckily though the entire population of Italy is shit at English, or so they pretended to be, so a healthy equilibrium was restored during conversations. Of which there were plenty. These involved wild gesticulations that an epileptic would be proud of with very little substance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, all that came later. I cut the power to Jean-Claude in a layby under the Matterhorn with the very real and very naive idea to climb it. Esther was due to fly out to Geneva on the Sunday so I figured I'd climb it by myself that week, then again with her the following week before my race on the Sunday after. Thank you God for the shite weather you brought down that put paid to any such notions of climbing. I'd have surely died. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As it was I settled for a couple of lengthy jaunts up and around the area, crossed into Swizzy a couple of times and ran up to just below the Col del Leone for a quick snoop at the approach. The Matterhorn is firmly on my 'one-to-come-back-to' list for when I've grown some larger balls and got some actual knowledge of what Alpine climbing involves..........luckily I now have that latter knowledge and so next year it could maybe, just maybe be only a few mre years from fruition! </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nothing of interest happened apart from those few runs. I got steadily acclimatised up to 3,200m and saw some marmots. So far, so Alps. On the Sunday I picked up Esther from Geneva and we drove on into Swizzy, stopping just below Zermatt for a shot at some uber-basic Alpine climbing on the Breithorn. A fairly tall beast the Breithorn but without a technical shred on it's Southern aspect. Perfecto. Being new to this we started fairly late in the day, arriving as everyone else was heading down. Nevertheless we weren't the last to the gondola in the evening, having 'climbed', in the loosest sense of the word, up to the Central peak and traversed along the fine ridgeline to the main summit at 4,164m. Training route complete and valuable lessons learnt. Namely.........WEAR SUNSCREEN!!! Holy Shit!! I made that mistake in the Indian Himalayas and sure as BMW drivers can't use their indicators I made it again. Cue a week of expressionless chitter-chatter in the van between ourselves. We were literally burns victims. Horrendous and annoying. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next up was the chance to combine a 4000m Alpine ascent with a high-up rock route. For this the Lagginhorn over by Saas-Fee was ideal. There's a great hut, relatively cheap cable-car, straightforward walk-in, good peaks to choose from with difficulties from easy to hard and two fully 5-star rock routes on an adjacent hill. Mega. We spent the Tuesday wandering up to the hut with the intention of a ridge-to-ridge traverse of the mountain. It's fairly tame at a rather deflated 4,010m but has two very appealing ridges forming an enticing and aesthetic horseshoe when combined with the summit ridge. Via some grade-mashing tomfoolery we found a route quite a bit tougher than the Breithorn that came in at about AD III (AD = not mega tricky but a good 'second' route grade; III = approx. VS standard rock climbing). We were 'advised' that our idea of an Alpine start (7.30am) was not the 'accepted' idea of an Alpine start and so it was that we dragged ourselves out of bed at the unholy hour of 4am to join the masses in the plod up to the glacier crossing. The easiest route up the mountain goes left and immediately crosses the glacier and it was across this that 99% of the parties ventured. We went right. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ridge was very straightforward for about 100m then navigation, inexperience and poor command of the German language betrayed us. Nearly 2 hours after we were meant to be, we found ourselves front-pointing up a snow slope towards our intended junction with the dominant summit ridge and the beginning of the technical difficulties of the climb. If I had known how supremely scared I was going to be shortly after I'd have savoured this a lot more. I REALLY liked the 'classic' snow slope plodding that took us up there. Exactly what Alpine climbing was in my mind. Sun on our backs. Nicely tired with a good ache in the calves. I know differently now. Once up on the main ridge the exposure was preeeeetty terrifying! I've not really felt it like that before so it took some getting used to. Luckily we were up there for hours so I had the time to get accustomed! The climbing I think would have been a lot easier going the reverse of where we went so when I say downclimbing what was effectively a Severe felt like the living end of technical skull-duggery then please go easy on me and remember we were 3,800m up on an Alpine ridge in crampons on loose rock and slushy snow (though I admit this is far from "bad-ass"). Conversely the 'crux' of the route in the form of a Grade III airy traverse below a big ass boulder with a 3,500m drop behind you was surprisingly piss. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the summit, and obligatory photo of two 'alpinistes' standing like erect penises with a foot on top of a slain dragon (the mountain), the descent was very easy (perhaps we should have gone UP this way?!) and we were literally running across the glacier at the end. 13 hours after we'd set off. Long day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We also missed the last cable car down so had a long and steeeeeeep canter down to Jean-Claude waiting like the last violinist on the Titanic. An all too quick sleep later and we were returning by said cable car (for twas cheaper to get a return on the cable than sleep in the hut) to climb either of the 4-star classiques on the Jagihorn adjacent to the Lagginhorn. Horn. These routes were, of course, Panorama (5a) or Alpendurst (4c). Big 10-14 pitch monsters topping out at a chokingly thin 3,600m-ish. There was a whopper queue on Alpendurst and we had a cable to catch so we happily settled for a speed ascent of Panorama. It was ace!! Very easy but all the more enjoyable given the confidence battering we'd had the day before and it turned into a very pleasant romp up. Really, really, really good climbing. Well bolted and generally excellent rock quality. The run down to the car was awesome too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We rested the next few days until my race on the Sunday.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're into running I imagine there's a good chance you'll have heard of this race. It's also called "Les Course de Cinq 4000" ("The Course of the Five Four-thousanders"). Not because you run up any of them, it's sadly not that hardcore, but you do get a nice view of some - well five as the name suggests. It's a fair beast of a start with a super steep climb of approximately 1,600m vertical ascent in just shy of 10km; though it doesn't actually stop ascending until around the 25km mark when you reach the highest point on the 31km route at around 2,450m. That's quite a lot of 'up'.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a quick stalk of Kilian I settled in to the middle of the pack at the start line, looking somewhat awestruck at all the money that had gone into peoples attire. You could pick out the Brits quite easily. They, being drawn from the fell running fraternity, were predominantly bedecked in knackered old club vests with a shite hessian sack masquerading as a bumbug draped around their waist. A lovely 'couldn't-give-a-fuck' attitude in contrast to the Euros with their matching 'cap-techvest-armsock-techshort-thighcompression-calfcompression-sock-£200shoe' investment. Sad to say but the old thinking that "it's not what you've got but how you use it" came into play cos I saw a shit load of these lot finishing after me than I did in front. The mighty grip of consumerism is alive and well amongst the "Skyrunners" of the continent.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway that's no reflection on their character or person. The gun went off at EXACTLY 9.30am as is the Swiss style. No one moved. Or at least we waited for close to 30 seconds before the weight of numbers cleared the first bottleneck right at the start of the run in the form of a sharp right hander straight out the gates. Not even the Edinburgh Half-marathon was as congested as this! One I got running it was like swimming in a mass salmon migration. Giving myself some fighting space as we neared the end of the road and entered the woods on the start of the death march through the trees I had to duck, dodge, dip and dive (and dodge) along stony tracks with increasingly whopper drops to get ahead of the masses.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first part was predictably horrible and like all good climbs seemed never-ending. An hour and twenty minutes later I'd reached the top of the really steep bit and not had only 15km of reasonable upwards motion to make, interspersed by the odd flatter, faster section where my legs didn't want to respond. Shuffling along through the Swiss pastures can be pretty undignified in such a prestigious race as this but at least I got the chance to enjoy the views. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Got chatting to the odd British guys as we to'd and fro'd along the course. Not much happened of note, though the Euros don't like to let you past when you're clearly going much faster than them. Ballbags. You kind of have to barge past them, which they don't seem to mind.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The final 6km is downhill and takes a heck of a lot out of your legs, especially the last 2/3km which is mucho steep! I thought my knees were gonna pop off! Suffering the embarrassment of double calf cramp as I came into the village and the applause of several hundred 'fans' I was able to hobble over the line in 184th place after 3hrs 32mins 39secs of general pain. Disappointed to miss out on the sub 3hr 30min mark. Spent too much time chatting to people at the aid stations I guess. On the plus side the bloke that won - Kilian, dreamboat, Latin prince etc etc - was ahead of me by over an hour. Fuck that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lessons learnt:</span><br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If I was doing this again I'd get there earlier and run sections of the course beforehand.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd turn up at the start line earlier and get in front of the masses so I was sprinting away at the beginning to get some distance.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd think about food/drink management.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd train specifically for that start i.e. get knackered on some steep stuff then run flat out to cope with that transition.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Be better. </span></li>
</ul>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08288588662738933509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892749914987971766.post-81406503070239272992014-08-14T16:16:00.000+01:002014-08-14T16:16:01.860+01:00Book review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thought I'd do a quick book review of some fell running genre titles to keep you interested and up to date with the current calibre of literature in this rather niche sport.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First up........</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"It's A Hill Get Over It" by Steve Chilton</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFfsYbQVbxpBCxw2WlSUkqWRI4xDwVEezrd4hCBJqsWjcTfm13ibgPpGskSMJHA81caEft5uf5J-wHCtu2qXxC4PVWHWrPLYw5fD9C_GMK_81Dg8eYkV_pYt6HuobzK4n2ZJhk6G-UfyYf/s1600/Its-a-hill,-get-over-it-FRONT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFfsYbQVbxpBCxw2WlSUkqWRI4xDwVEezrd4hCBJqsWjcTfm13ibgPpGskSMJHA81caEft5uf5J-wHCtu2qXxC4PVWHWrPLYw5fD9C_GMK_81Dg8eYkV_pYt6HuobzK4n2ZJhk6G-UfyYf/s1600/Its-a-hill,-get-over-it-FRONT.jpg" height="320" width="215" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Crap.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Too many spelling, grammar and editorial errors compound a dull and insultingly basic read.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you want to read it check one of the bins in Chamonix. My copy is in there.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08288588662738933509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892749914987971766.post-25898485645293650712014-08-03T10:24:00.001+01:002014-08-03T10:24:53.863+01:00You can tell I'm bored......<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yup, TWO inane posts within 20 minutes of each other. Bore off right?! Wrong. Read this and shut up! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg73PqHLTlm_qZwOiGrqbfnMPjhiNnETRd3l4Kuoq4o5iA00zMXef2kDAj1vAHBpNVQpnB-jzfBPNgbeBcDrT8m2W9MNWel4KdUhv9LnsgN3s2F464A5QYNI3jlUoZ-l9bGxQLWYaG-pskq/s1600/Merckx-Lorry-620x443.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg73PqHLTlm_qZwOiGrqbfnMPjhiNnETRd3l4Kuoq4o5iA00zMXef2kDAj1vAHBpNVQpnB-jzfBPNgbeBcDrT8m2W9MNWel4KdUhv9LnsgN3s2F464A5QYNI3jlUoZ-l9bGxQLWYaG-pskq/s1600/Merckx-Lorry-620x443.png" height="285" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sorry. Please do read this though, or rather go to this. The website I mean. This one. Here.......www.velominati.com </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's reet good.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">P.S. I borrowed the picture from them.....don't kill me!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08288588662738933509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892749914987971766.post-56043140677028314732014-08-03T10:12:00.003+01:002014-08-03T10:13:36.692+01:00Porque?!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What's that all about?!? Why does it have to rain non-stop for 3 days in south-central Europe (Italy no less!) and yet only last week it was some of the best weather, certainly some of the hottest, I'd ever experienced back in ol'Blighty?! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not cool weather. Not cool.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I head back in the wagon that is Jean-Claude a week on Tuesday, no doubt I will arrive back to torrential downpours the like of which would give Noah itchy hands, and the rest of the continent will be basking in sunshine so skin-meltingly hot that it, well, melts your skin. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I expected this......</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKKh_H-Lm9sW7MFwCaxizJ9SbM87OnmKA9Pdc4V0AHSABOrfUVWUukqfdMBs6tRg7vhaDDqzqK9YXgaJecf6bJVsgDLnM35Zw8zJVOjLcRDzqHraRvwlq0PYJdx2W1a3IzGYCq0cgg2dC/s1600/flying-a-kite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKKh_H-Lm9sW7MFwCaxizJ9SbM87OnmKA9Pdc4V0AHSABOrfUVWUukqfdMBs6tRg7vhaDDqzqK9YXgaJecf6bJVsgDLnM35Zw8zJVOjLcRDzqHraRvwlq0PYJdx2W1a3IzGYCq0cgg2dC/s1600/flying-a-kite.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instead it has become more like this, but with more sadness......</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3xcuXRnI4Gj2d4ScxCNTNwExXD49Vp5TFtVA1ClFkVxXZKoQvJvoBf4j-E0lA9aPFyxtr2NvgPxhNG2Z8gPtMosRtQD16FVg5mUzE5OUqUAmzBgtlDNixY144L0c-C05Z6_vkklZMX6S/s1600/sad-jon-snow-2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3xcuXRnI4Gj2d4ScxCNTNwExXD49Vp5TFtVA1ClFkVxXZKoQvJvoBf4j-E0lA9aPFyxtr2NvgPxhNG2Z8gPtMosRtQD16FVg5mUzE5OUqUAmzBgtlDNixY144L0c-C05Z6_vkklZMX6S/s1600/sad-jon-snow-2.gif" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheers Italy!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08288588662738933509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892749914987971766.post-1874226931469710782014-07-31T12:56:00.000+01:002014-07-31T12:57:47.953+01:00July = bleeding nips at Arrochar and other stuff too<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's see what odds and sods Google drags in from their search engines with a blog title like this shall we?! If you're new to this site......welcome. It's probably not what you were expecting!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Luckily it was hot enough at the Arrochar Alps race to be able to run topless otherwise the nips could have been a right old mess! New to hill running? I'd probably shy away from this race till you've got your stuff sussed cos she ain't easy! I'd probably say that this was the toughest race I've done yet! There's a LOT of ups and downs.....</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisb52ZYFVprFp2-KUm6q7WTSetLaKqTIww9_Px16UVU2ZlPI2FOgfzGyZNpJ_aptk8wCJaaSZmjLLNIx4zQUMd9vbFK8pyZA4JLl2puobSOoWIhfHLptenweYPQ0fWpOgi2wfwW49TMeui/s1600/ArrocharProfile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisb52ZYFVprFp2-KUm6q7WTSetLaKqTIww9_Px16UVU2ZlPI2FOgfzGyZNpJ_aptk8wCJaaSZmjLLNIx4zQUMd9vbFK8pyZA4JLl2puobSOoWIhfHLptenweYPQ0fWpOgi2wfwW49TMeui/s1600/ArrocharProfile.jpg" height="183" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At a tenner a pop it's not cheap but if you're one who likes to measure cost against number of Munros run up in one circuit then you'd be hard pressed to find better value than this. I came in in just over 4 hours......my longest race yet by quite a way. The long, relatively flat start towards Loch Sloy dam is pretty misleading. The first slog up Ben Vorlich had me gurning with the best of them. The descent back to the dam is STEEP. The run along the dam is pleasant but funk me that drag up Ben Vane is horrendous, then the drop down again, then the long drag back up......you get the picture! Very pleased to finish 7th after chasing a Carnethy lad for most of the race only to leave him coming down off Ben Narnairn and, sexism aside, managed to pip the first female who had me beat from about halfway. She was having a swamp when I passed her. Classy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After that there was another of the Bog and Burn races in Tillicoultry called the 'Maddy Moss Mash'. Quite long with a whopper of a fast descent to the tape. Didn't feel very good on it at all but managed 10th place with a time of 55:46.....Joe Symonds predictably smashed it, winning by nearly 2 mins. I tried out my 'King of the Mountains' hat. I look stupid.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsGWJ3X8re-rR427ZLfKCOAefC9dxu1hr0KJ1O7Cfe9PGSbzp-qDKNdQXpvo3h1HRkM8tQ9TdlgPZQoJLk9RNCDIgnnFEs8aPuXRrGA3JlJnyevZgXUV690zcC-cGmyOWR2ZtwutHhM2mG/s1600/MaddyMossProfile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsGWJ3X8re-rR427ZLfKCOAefC9dxu1hr0KJ1O7Cfe9PGSbzp-qDKNdQXpvo3h1HRkM8tQ9TdlgPZQoJLk9RNCDIgnnFEs8aPuXRrGA3JlJnyevZgXUV690zcC-cGmyOWR2ZtwutHhM2mG/s1600/MaddyMossProfile.jpg" height="171" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Umm then what? Did a 200m sprint in Pamplona. Chased by some bulls. They looked pissed off!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the following Tuesday there was the 'famous' Moffat Festival of Running 10-miler. Not raced this distance before so I had no idea how to pace myself or how it was going to go! I started off like a rocket in order to get my face in the local paper before settling into a steady rhythm. There's meant to be a beast of a hill right in the middle which is a nice reference point but it's not really all that tough unless you're unfortunate enough to have grown up in Holland or Norfolk. From there it's a nice gentle downhill all the way to the finish. Happy with 6th place in 57mins something. I was especially pleased to find that I was very fresh afterwards and am starting to feel the effects of a good diet and ample rest! Great run though with a real 'rockstar' finish through the streets of Moffat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lastly for this month was another English Championship race at the Kentmere Horseshoe. Perhaps my favourite fell race?! Yup why not? Suits me to a tee does this. Fast, runnable trods with a couple of technical, steep descents which seems to slow a lot of people down. Ideal. Beat my time last year of 1:50:something by over 6 minutes to get 1:44:06 for 31st place. Ideal conditions gave way to some pretty substantial rain and my van got stuck in a field. Treat.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVKRW7h5tATDbuuxUpWex27K_wPh8tc2eOeKz404Z9NLAoUDL-nidy-txIWLhegdgulnK-zO-chU2qNm9C6zi2IRmAreN60brpJ1V46sLaq_IprG-xC0AEcL0R6FYVnaaifWGMQJ3YyZfc/s1600/kentmere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVKRW7h5tATDbuuxUpWex27K_wPh8tc2eOeKz404Z9NLAoUDL-nidy-txIWLhegdgulnK-zO-chU2qNm9C6zi2IRmAreN60brpJ1V46sLaq_IprG-xC0AEcL0R6FYVnaaifWGMQJ3YyZfc/s1600/kentmere.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7YpfykURmVDSctVHqVN0u6aLdM-mCUoDlffjB5ycPR7SF31TxIGmyoCtBevrPZYJx8VsMFFZ1tw4aI9KM7sjLXzNm9WHDKnjiC-7D0kGMJB0wTlcumaT6c2uRXFiD9XmYmafBrGdLuA9/s1600/kentmere+first+half.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7YpfykURmVDSctVHqVN0u6aLdM-mCUoDlffjB5ycPR7SF31TxIGmyoCtBevrPZYJx8VsMFFZ1tw4aI9KM7sjLXzNm9WHDKnjiC-7D0kGMJB0wTlcumaT6c2uRXFiD9XmYmafBrGdLuA9/s1600/kentmere+first+half.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The lower picture shows the first half of the race taken from Nan Bield Pass, which marks the end of the technical bits and the start of the proper fast bits! The upper picture shows me in my shite hat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So i'm now in Italia parked up in the van under the Matterhorn. Gonna climb it via the Lion Ridge if the weather holds and then drive round into Swizzy to run the Sierre-Zinal race a week on Sunday. Good heavens!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjITMTNfZdNCfFH4yVkU2rQ-XKHNIGw5QJZERBL9i-jYP0Hx4mh6vhsvf5rEb2EvplUnp-0dph5hcbNhdFF2XqoYsLlawcamGBuImLB7_dSJIdNtX6-ZWRL0iMtcSiL8lqI7nwhMPdlYLdl/s1600/GOPR0460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjITMTNfZdNCfFH4yVkU2rQ-XKHNIGw5QJZERBL9i-jYP0Hx4mh6vhsvf5rEb2EvplUnp-0dph5hcbNhdFF2XqoYsLlawcamGBuImLB7_dSJIdNtX6-ZWRL0iMtcSiL8lqI7nwhMPdlYLdl/s1600/GOPR0460.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08288588662738933509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892749914987971766.post-49825341911761783612014-07-18T15:43:00.001+01:002014-07-18T15:43:54.750+01:00Le Tour<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unless you have your head in a bucket, or better things to do, you'll have noticed that Le Tour is on. Le Tour, for those that have the aforementioned afflictions, is a road cycling event in Europe. Lance Armstrong was in it. Remember him? The drug-addled scumbag? Yeah him. Some ACTUAL greats were also in it (I'm not naive enough to ignore the fact that many of these guys took drugs as well.....it's kinda in the culture - it was simply the manner of his denial and defence that really irks). Pantani. Simpson. Cancellara. Merckx. Indurain. Froome. Wiggins. Schleck. LeMond. I could go on. Tommy Simpson died whilst off his tits on amphetamines (see?) and Marco Pantani (Il Pirata) died of a cocaine overdose. Lad.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzt6TB1-Uxg1MZC8DxmR1kRdPeSzI94k0r-1TC79u4nrl_s6i2uNKh9pHVOiiDFgGk5YMICEo-SzhnJSEDOAN42Itu7I0lfq8N7wQ40ywfEaj0-qF1xCVhLYVkFupXeVbjlQvCcUw6WM0d/s1600/Pantani_briancon_2000_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzt6TB1-Uxg1MZC8DxmR1kRdPeSzI94k0r-1TC79u4nrl_s6i2uNKh9pHVOiiDFgGk5YMICEo-SzhnJSEDOAN42Itu7I0lfq8N7wQ40ywfEaj0-qF1xCVhLYVkFupXeVbjlQvCcUw6WM0d/s1600/Pantani_briancon_2000_2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The stages that fascinate me the most are the Alpine/Pyreneen ones. King of the Mountains - the title you get for winning the most of these stages - sounds fucking cool! I've even brought a hat in the colours of the jersey the 'king' wears. Nerd.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway get to the point yeah? Check out this website (look down) if you're into your cycling and OBEY THE RULES!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/" target="_blank">Velominati</a> </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08288588662738933509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892749914987971766.post-59984827746118936692014-07-01T20:50:00.002+01:002014-07-01T20:50:48.295+01:00News from 'Straya<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These inane ramblings began life in the pursuit of climbing knowledge and so I return to my roots with this awesome article that in no way has anything to do with me........enjoy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.verticallifemag.com.au/2014/06/a-punters-guide-to-australias-well-ard-climbers/">http://www.verticallifemag.com.au/2014/06/a-punters-guide-to-australias-well-ard-climbers/</a></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08288588662738933509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892749914987971766.post-63194274247137929252014-06-29T20:07:00.001+01:002014-06-29T20:07:29.131+01:00June.....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">........is pretty much over. It's been fun! Well I've had fun anyway. Hope you have too?!</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So apart from those runs earlier in the month that I've already chatted on about (Ennerdale, Durisdeer etc etc) I managed to squeeze two more in on this, the last weekend of the month. Hip hip hooray......oh bore off!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I managed to achieve my highest ever hill race finishing position at the White Tops race in (you ready for this prime example of Scottish-ness?) Kirkton of Auchterhouse just near Dundee. Almost missed the race too cos my flight back up from Bristol was delayed! Had to get Esther to drive on ahead and register me so that I could make a mad grab for my race number as I pulled up with 2 mins to spare till the bang. Crrrrrrazy! But yeah....2nd. Cool huh? Should have been 1st but I went the wrong way on the decent and my pretty healthy lead evaporated to nothing.....though the Westerlands lad behind gave a shout to correct me in fairness. I was able to catch and pass him again but that, coupled with an awesome faceplant 300m later, did for my legs and I couldn't hold him on the sprint in to the finish. Doh!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday was the 3rd counter in the British Championships at Dollar....again a fairly local race (for me anyway). I was obviously nowhere near 2nd place but in spite of some tired pins I was happy to get comfortably under the 1hr 30mins mark for what I find a tough course (too much actual running in it for my liking!). I was 69th overall...cheeky!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's some pick-at-yours: (it rained and then it stopped)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08288588662738933509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892749914987971766.post-89362517536990282422014-06-23T21:05:00.002+01:002014-06-23T21:05:49.171+01:00Durisdeer Hill Race 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Great day this. Warm though.......said as if now being warm is a problem! It shouldn't be, but for fell running it can sometimes be too warm. Can't please everyone!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Still a great day though. I was in two minds whether to run this race or go for the Traprain Law race a bit closer to home. Very glad I chose this one down in the borders of Dumfries and Galloway. Durisdeer the village is beautiful and has a great community. It's tucked away in a fairly remote feeling corner of Scotland and feels almost forgotten with a little church, resplendent (does this work?) with whopper tombstones, and a small row of houses around a stone war memorial. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The race itself is deceptively hard. I think it's about 10 miles or so but all on very grassy, rounded, 'runnable' hills....think Sedbergh....and if you've never been to Sedbergh think of something else, I don't know what. You find yourself thinking that you should be running faster than you are given the ground. It's not exactly Langdale-esque terrain! I definitely went off too fast, and was actually leading for a bit (let's say 500m) before carrying some people off on slightly the wrong line. Whoops! After the first steep hill I firmly wrapped my tits in and by the time the finish line popped up I was staggering in just under the 2 hour mark in 5th place. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No pictures I'm afraid, unless I can dig out some old ones from races past (here we go...) but yeah, the race is really good, very well organised with great support from the local community (ace cakes and teas at the end) and mountain rescue. If you've not done it before I'd recommend it massively. Nice low key, grassroots, 'this is why we fell run' style affair. Mega! </span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08288588662738933509noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892749914987971766.post-189674963453193452014-06-12T00:30:00.002+01:002014-06-12T00:35:08.639+01:00Ethics in Fell Running: An Essay<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, I've put paid to the idea of monthly 'reports' of a self-gratifying nature. Instead I'm succumbing to ataxia style ramblings whenever thoughts come into my head or events transpire to warrant some text. My boss at work asked me the other day if I was a 'reader' (implying that I don't use big words much), so I'm practising some here, ready to unleash them upon perfection. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(This should also serve as a warning that there are not many pictures in the post (one, maybe two) so if you're bored at this opening gambit then best waste your days on something else cos it's all downhill from here!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why pray tell are you being regaled by yet more tales of climbing/running derring-do in such a short space of time?! Good question, with a simple answer......this weekend just gone was meant to be the 2nd and 3rd British and English Championship race of the 2014 season respectively. I say meant to be cos the weather had a big say in the matter, resulting in a slightly shortened course without any of the peaks or hills on the original Ennerdale Horseshoe being used at all. Shame. What we had instead was a fast trail race over a couple of slight passes to a fair climb up to just below Great Gable followed by a long, tedious drag along wide tracks back down the valley. 21 and a bit miles by my watch. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ethics? Indeed. I've just realised that this is a two-pronged ethics effort. Firstly, and in my mind more serious, the premier league 'point', that I set out to make initially, is one of accidents, injuries and the role of the participant. The second, a close second, the league one of issues, is one of organiser liability; fairly closely linked to the first one as I said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I must of course be referring to an injury that has happened recently, and it must, therefore, come as no surprise that this injury occurred at the race yesterday in Ennerdale. Hence the topical nature of this essay. You with me? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A slab of background to whet your stone. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The weather was looking horrend-balls so the decision was taken early on to divert the course from the original and planned route to one that was more amenable to the vagrancies of the climate. In this case, as said, missing all of the prominent peaks and hills - there was lightning in the air! Correct decision in my eyes and the vast majority of those who had turned up for one of the proper Lakes classics and been met with a very much watered down version of it (excuse the pun). It was still a good run (save for that final 6/7 miles along the valley bottom, which couldn't much be helped). I'll come back to the implications later....alas those that hadn't sacked it for a pint elsewhere toed the line at just gone 11am and pestered off into the gathering gloom. Personally, and why else would I write a blog save for a healthy stroke of an ego every now and then, I was having a pretty good race! My previous posts on here have alluded to the fact that I've been having a few 'off' days but today I was feeling goooooood.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd started a lot more conservatively than usual, partly because I hadn't heard the gun go off and partly because I didn't actually have a clue how far this new version of the course was going to be! (Route profile - <a href="http://www.movescount.com/tools/routeplanner">http://www.movescount.com/tools/routeplanner</a>) By the time we dropped down into Buttermere (it really did go that off course!) I felt I was moving along very nicely. Karl caught up with me as we ran along the side of Crummock Water and Buttermere and we had a little chat until the climb up to the top of Scarth Gap Pass, approximately a third of the way through the course. After a bit of coming and going between us I managed to get a good old rhythm going in these young legs of mine and found myself chasing a lad from Carnethy down to Black Sail Hostel. The long slog up that tongue towards Great Gable was shit. We didn't go right up the top but contoured around and about back down the valley to Black Sail Pass before a super fast descent back to the hut. This is where the ethics come in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was a good 3/4 of the way down feeling uber fresh and came by a runner being propped up by two on either side of him walking him down. As I drew alongside I saw he was in a pretty bad way, blood pissing down his leg and some shoddy looking 'bandage' from an old emergency survival bag wrapped about his knee. Though I doubt even Blue Peter - rest their souls - could have done better to be fair!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It looked similar to that up there. What would you have done? Honestly now. What would you have done? I was feeling great, having a very good run by my standards, would have been pushing into the top 50 in a double Championship race in around 3hrs 20mins and only had 6/7 miles left. Would you have stopped? 'OF COURSE' you say, 'WE STICK TOGETHER US FELL-RUNNERS' you'd add.....'BOLLOCKS' I'd reply. I can count on one hand the amount of people in the 35 minutes it took us to get him down to Black Sail Hostel, a distance of barely 2km, who stopped to offer help - and 35 minutes is a long time in a race (My official time and place was 3:51:35 and 129th).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now before this descends into some vitriolic diatribe let me just say....I don't blame you. I wanted to help, which is why I did, but when the guy I took over from blasted down the hill to the hut to get those inside to phone Mountain Rescue before carrying on with his race, I felt a little part of me flare up. I felt angry and guilty at the same time. I was doing well until then in that race. I could have and, regretfully I felt, should have left them to it and cracked on. There were two guys with him, more help from Carl Bell on his mountain bike and some other walker on their way. They'd easily have coped. I didn't need to be there. In my eyes though once you've stopped for someone you're with them until they're off the hill.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we stopped to re-bandage his leg the damage became a lot more obvious, as did the need to stay with him. There was a nice split right down the centre of his knee cap, with a healthy dose of bone showing through. I've just seen on one of the forums somewhere that he fractured it in 4 places. Ouchie. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meanwhile people kept on with their race.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why am I really writing this post? I think I'm seeking to justify why I had such a strong sense of wishing it upon someone else. I was very selfish. I think, however, that I could make a good old guess that I was experiencing exactly the same emotion as all the hundreds of other people who ran past and carried on with their day. In everyone's defence though I should acknowledge the obvious point of 'why stop if you can already see that someone is being helped?' Fair point. Selfish me didn't see the accident, nor did I hear the scream of the guy as his knee shattered. I could have swept by, lost in obscurity. Selfish me shouldn't have stopped. Someone else would have....wouldn't they? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a race of that many people how were there only two people helping him when I ran past? The 4 or 5 in front of me screamed past, as did the 4 or 5 behind me. How long would it have been before someone else offered to take a shoulder and help? I am not for one minute holding myself up as some sort of 'champion of the fallen sportsman'. I've already said that my immediate emotion and the over-riding one in the aftermath of the race was of regret that I had stopped when I was doing so well - but what a dick I am. Was I going to win the race? Definitely not. Had I amassed enough Championship points in the previous races to be up on the podium? Definitely not. Would it have mattered if I was or had? Definitely not.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Me at the end of race looking <a href="https://flic.kr/p/nBmDyu">miserable</a>!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The hardest thing I learnt from the other day was that I'm in a sport that I don't feel protected in. Yes we go into the hills of our own free will and yes we should know how to look after ourselves and accept the consequences of our actions. I don't know that if I was to have an accident like that or worse whether someone would stop for me? That's the hardest lesson.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's a quote from that legend Billy Bland in the book 'Feet in the Clouds' (you might have heard of it?!), when describing a duel with John Wild during the Borrowdale race, that goes...."he were sitting on me all way round, and coming up Gable he were still with us. I was beginning to get concerned. I thought, 'If I can't get rid of him off Gable, it's a bit kinder ground after that, he'll beat me.' Anyway, for last quarter of Gable I think he was suffering a bit, but he stuck to us - he was hard as nails, was John; I was soft next to him. Then we left Gable, and I put on a spurt, and he fell on a stone, a few hundred yards off Gable, heading for Windy Gap. I just shouted, 'Are you alright, John?' 'Aye.' Anyway, it were misty as well, so I thought: 'This is my kind of weather - down into Windy Gap and away.' John ended up down in Gatescarth, because he lost his guide. It was a big kick to beat him, because he was a lot better runner than me. But some days you get your reward. But if he'd have said 'No', I'd have turned round."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now then....the route change. Lets not for one minute add these two issues, "cause and effect", together to get some spurious '5'.....that would be cheap and dumb. I don't really even need to labour the point as it is. The route was changed and folk got an experience that they hadn't signed up for/paid for. Big deal. I didn't hear any rumblings of discontent. People got on with it. Correct attitude in response to the correct decision. So the weather wasn't quite as biblical as predicted but if it had been then whoopsie daisies! It could have been a busier day for Mountain Rescue. Nuff sed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Told you there weren't that many pictures. Sorrrrr-weeee.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08288588662738933509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892749914987971766.post-42588724341207584242014-06-05T18:58:00.001+01:002014-06-05T22:39:48.702+01:00Bog and Burn<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I ran my second race in the rather aptly titled 'Bog and Burn' series. These, for those that don't know but still care, are a series of midweek races within the central belt of Scotland for those runners who came into the sport through their background in swimming. That's what it felt like last night anyway as I was literally wading through dead sheep floating mid-bog.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cort-ma Law, near Glasgow, was the venue. A race of approximately 10kms, which on paper/the internet looked rather nice. A long drag up a hill, down a bit, up a bit, down quite a bit, up quite a bit and then a long fast run back in. The lad at the start put the shitters up me when he KEPT mentioning a 'bog' during his race info, to knowing looks from the other 65 characters huddling like penguins seeking shelter from the driving rain lashing our anaemic bodies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The start was steeper than I'd expected. The 'down a bit' was further down than I'd thought meaning the 'up a bit' after was that bit further up. Then came the bog. It was more akin to a square kilometre of liquid shit. I know what you're thinking...."being a commando you'd be used to that!" I'm not. Nor do I like it. I was picking bogweed out of my gooch for a good 2 hours on the drive back. Not pretty. If it hadn't been for that race you'd never have had to read that. Blame Westerlands CCC, not me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think I was 6th but to be honest I don't really care. My legs had no strength in them and I ran like crap. This is DEFINITELY becoming a theme. Anyone else get that? Any clues as to what it could be?? Over training? Under training? Diet? Nutrition? Weakness? A factor of them all no doubt. Maybe I need a break from racing? It takes a fair bit out of your body and your mind.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Met some of the lads from HBT. Seem a likely bunch. Right attitude to running for sure. Anyway there's no pictures in this and to be honest I wouldn't still be reading this if it was someone else's and there were no phots. So you may as well stick it up yer arse you horrible buggers! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Love.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PS a first, i think, for this blog........motion pictures!! this is some music I've been listening to for a bit now....you like?</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08288588662738933509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892749914987971766.post-5358155931750027592014-06-02T10:10:00.001+01:002014-06-02T10:10:23.138+01:00May.....and everything in between<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">May has been an interesting and busy month. The end. Thanks for reading....................</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">HAHAHAHA but seriously. I need to get my diary out to remember what's happened! Kicked off proceedings with a trip down to the Lakes for the second English Champs counter up Coniston. Felt preeeeetty comfortable all the way round and pottered in about 50th place. Maybe could have gone faster but I was seeing stars at the end through lack of H2O. Silly billy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apres that was...umm....the Kinnoull Hill Race just outside of Perth. Felt very lethargic in that one and came a disappointing 5th after some misdirection! Swines! Decent little run though not exactly a 'fell' race in the strictest sense of the word. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally on the running side of things was a trip along in the Edinburgh 1/2 marathon. Again fairly disappointing (there's a trend here) as I kept missing the mile markers and, having never run a road 1/2 before, had no idea how to pace myself. I felt comfortably on for my target of sub-1:20:00 but came in at 1:23:34 in 95th place. Top 1% though so can't complain too much! Bodes well for how the training is going cos this month (June) is gonna be ridonkulous for running!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Things to look forward to......Ennerdale Horseshoe (British and English counter); Scafell Trail Marathon; Red Moss Hill Race; The Law Breaker; Dollar Hill Race (British and Scottish counter). Treat yourself! </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08288588662738933509noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892749914987971766.post-80820682827717958792014-04-28T10:08:00.000+01:002014-04-28T10:08:22.023+01:00April.....again<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hooooooold on just a sec! April isn't quite done yet so there's still a tad more to bore you with.......</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's only gonna be a short one though cos there's no more races in the diary for this month and only two since the last post.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beinn Dubh hill race in Luss next to Loch Lomond was a mid-week run as part of the Bog and Burn Series (a weekly series of short runs throughout the summer months). Thankfully the midges had made a welcome return to the fold. It's great getting your legs bitten to shi'ite! A good turn out of 90-odd folk took to the hill in pretty much ideal conditions; cool, breezy with a touch of dampness in the air. I came 7th after a pretty poor (overly eager) start up the hill that seemed to go on a lot longer than I had given it credit for! Joe Symonds of the 'Symonds Dynasty' was 1st by a fair way.. Got chatting to an old fella with a cast on his arm wrapped in a black bin bag. Ok?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Sunday just gone was the Balfron 10k at........Balfron. A carnival atmosphere saw some dude from Central AC smash the undulating course in 32-odd minutes. I found it pretty frustrating as a run because I didn't actually feel like I was in a race and so didn't push myself as much as I'd wanted. Came home in 10th at around the 36 min mark but was hoping to hit 34 mins. Instead of giving it a decent go I was essentially cruising along. On a positive though I guess it's nice to be feeling cruisy this early in the season on a far from flat course.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Results <a href="http://www.balfron10k.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/2014_Balfron_10K_Results.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">May this week! Got the second of the English Championship races on Saturday down at Coniston so should be fairly busy I'd think.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08288588662738933509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892749914987971766.post-57596335824049220312014-04-24T23:12:00.001+01:002014-04-24T23:12:22.427+01:00What's in a club?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who knows? And frankly who gives a f@*k? Turns out I do at the moment.</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I'm a bit of a romantic at heart (bit gay but go with it) and like the idea of staying with one club throughout my 'career', after all when did a bit of loyalty ever hurt anyone....apart from ze Nazis?! I also like the idea of joining my local club and supporting them as much as possible.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My first club was my local club, quids in right? Wrong sucker! I've moved. To another freakin country no less! Nowt local about them now right?! Co-rrectum!! Cue quandry! Oh woahest me!! It's a tough old life eh? Before you judge me though just remember....you're still reading this!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm in a rut. I want to get better at running. I like the idea of a club. Meeting people. Getting involved in the local 'scene'. Camaraderie. Being a sheep and wearing matching clothes. It's that tribal mentality thing I 'spose. I know what you're thinking....."please, tell me more!"....OK.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm living in Arbroath. There's not a great many decent running clubs round here....before you cry "Yes there are!!" let me just tell you.....no, no there aren't. Fife AC are the closest but they're pretty fragmented and I've not seen a member of theirs under the age of 50. Prove me wrong? Here's a list of the potential options (including the obvious i.e. stop boring people with this and stick with the one you're with)........</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fife AC - strong showing in cross-country and road events, active across a vast swathe of eastern Scotland like a mini fiefdom = good; combined membership age of 6,878,323,932,873,108 and not really a FELL club = bad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Carnethy HRC - never really heard of them before this years first British C'ship then BOOM they're up there absolutely killing it = good; trying so hard not to be seen to be trying hard = uber chad website spiel = bad (but still ripping it up on the fells).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hunters Bog Trotters - a 'classic' fell club i.e. don't seem to give a shit and run really hard, crap looking (literally! it's pooh brown) vest, fell beasts, shite website = good; that name?! WTF?! = bad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Westerlands CCC - lots of fell-wads, strong in the cross-country and road things = good; from Glasgow, like rabbits (there's hundreds of the bastards!!), one of them shouted "Westies!" at the start of a race I was in = lame = bad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ochil Hill Runners - rapido! used to be my local hill club when I was at uni, sentimental value, out and out fell runners by the looks of their name = good; SUPER SERIOUS what-you-looking-at persona = bad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mercia FR - my REAL local club, got some proper nails runners and everyone rods them off cos they think there can't be any good fells in the Midlands (bad move, there are), understated = good; never met one so don't know if they actually exist, nowhere near where I actually live = bad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ambleside AC - my first and current club, kings and queens of the South Lakes fells, mountain legends in the ranks, emotional attachment, awesome training value on the doorstep = good; no longer on my doorstep = bad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Borrowdale - split from Keswick AC (previous all-conquerors from North Lakes) cos they weren't "Fell" enough and went on to form their own proper club before going on to smash everything going and set up a bit of a dynasty (seems like everyone who runs for them is an ex-English or British Champion) = good; combined age more than Fife AC, probably not good enough to join = bad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nope. Still no closer to picking one. Was fun though eh? You'll never get those 10 mins back either. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You're welcome.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08288588662738933509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892749914987971766.post-86299301734692439132014-04-20T12:29:00.001+01:002014-05-01T08:04:29.869+01:00March...and most of April<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Soooooooo I've got a pretty full racing calender this coming year. I've been made to live in Arbroath for a few years with the job. It's actually really good. The east coast is a nice place and there's plenty on the proverbial 'doorstep' so I'm gonna be able to get out and about a fair bit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This year I'm gonna focus on the British and English Championships in the hope that I can use the races as a training focus before unleashing the new fell running beast in time for next year and the Scottish Championships, which in my mind I'll have a better chance at doing well at cos English fell runners don't much like travelling too far north of the border! At least that's my theory......which does not credit at all to the droves of awesome Scottish runners out there (and there are droves!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway I didn't get much chance to run at the start of the year cos I was in the Arctic Circle getting screamed at for 2 months. With that in mind I was playing a bit of catch up in the first proper race of the year for me in Northern Ireland. It was the first of the British Championship counters this year so there was a preeeeeeettty high calibre of folk knockin' about. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The race takes you from sea level (it starts about 200m from the beach) to the top of the highest hill in Northern Ireland - Slieve Donard (853m) over about 10km there and back. Fairly good amount of ascent packed into a short distance. Yikes! Long story short tons of people got lost in the mist, including some of the top dogs, so placings were a little bit skewed in the whole 'talent/luck' ratio. Those of us that were lucky got gloating rights over that were talented. I came in in just over an hour in 31st place. Shite I know but half way up I genuinely couldn't care less that I was in a race and just started walking, making sure I didn't become one of the many voices I could hear in the mist trying to find their way. Learn to read a map I guess?!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next up was the Army and Inter-service Duathlon Championship down <a href="http://newcastle.tab.co.uk/2013/10/25/its-official-southerners-dominate-universities/" target="_blank">South</a> somewhere. It was made up of a 5k run, 20k bike and 2.5k run. It sucked and was boring. I ran my fastest ever 5k and my second fastest ever 2.5k and still came 124th! Getting beaten by fat bastards all because they own posh bikes is crap. Not into biking enough to wanna buy a bike that can compete with the carbon-fibre-seat-post-and-plastic-wheel-cover-blah-blah-blah that they own. I'll try training a bit more on the bike and see where that takes me but I'm happy with how the running side is going.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Raced in the Dunbar 10k the weekend after and did alright. Got 6th place in 36:02 on a reasonably bumpy course so there's hope there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, ran the Coledale Horseshoe near Braithwaite in the Lakes. Guess who else was there?! No not Jonny G, close, but no......it was Scott Jurek!! Who?!!? You know Scott Jurek surely?? Him off that book "Born to Run" about them Injun' fellas from Mexico that run right fast and only eat beans. In the ultra-running world he's a pretty big deal. He won the Western States 100-mile race 6 times in a row or summat like that. He's a legend. And yes, I beat him. Big. Deal. It's not like I wrote a <a href="http://outdooruk.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/i-beat-scott-jurek.html" target="_blank">blogpost</a> about it!! In less than ideal conditions - 80mph gusts and lots of fog - I did alright, came 21st and beat my arch-nemesis 'Long-haired-wolf-looking-man'. One of the best races out there though, whopper slog up Grisedale Pike right at the start which accounts for pretty much half the run distance-wise then very runnable with some fast descents right to the end. Good shiz! (Racing Snakes do some cool pictures - unfortunately he doesn't do fashion advice....I could use some)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Been training in between times for some of the summer races that are coming up. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08288588662738933509noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892749914987971766.post-37694102826875022322014-04-20T12:14:00.001+01:002014-04-20T12:41:03.732+01:00I BEAT SCOTT JUREK!!!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WA-HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1P6bizszlr7YGoceqXFa_5SMkt_iR52Bi7_Gkt4wNbIEnC8vQQO_hIev9xIExGH_wALAdQQiu82eYxFNJx0pY8NFk3oc_kkI7y6xi5aVxMk31t_ZiM6g9vXTRKVkswCgjSzdpdeTwq0YO/s1600/story11_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1P6bizszlr7YGoceqXFa_5SMkt_iR52Bi7_Gkt4wNbIEnC8vQQO_hIev9xIExGH_wALAdQQiu82eYxFNJx0pY8NFk3oc_kkI7y6xi5aVxMk31t_ZiM6g9vXTRKVkswCgjSzdpdeTwq0YO/s1600/story11_1.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Not this time son!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NB: He does seem like a super sound guy and to be fair he was probably only just getting started by the time the race finished AND he ran a BGR a day or two after...but still!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08288588662738933509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892749914987971766.post-14039701833317821812014-04-10T09:35:00.000+01:002014-04-10T09:35:51.890+01:00Oh dear............<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hmmm not all that good at Foster Towers I'm afraid. I'm in the very disturbing position of having an "outdoors/indoors" ratio misnomer.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08288588662738933509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892749914987971766.post-90740660069219211512014-04-10T09:34:00.000+01:002014-04-10T09:44:59.164+01:00Resurrection<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I last posted anything on here back in the heady days of 2012!! OMG WTF!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well that has now changed, I'm gonna start doing some cool things again and therefore I need an outlet for them! This is it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not gonna do a detailed post about everything I've been doing since 2012, that would be, frankly, ludicrous and would stop the 12 people that read this from ever misspelling some cool website and ending up here in the first place. I'm a fan of writing lists so I'll pop the key moments of the past 18-24 months in chronological order and if anyone wants to hear more about them then I'll bow to popular demand and write a separate post on that particular thing in the future, but for now......</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Went to northern Spain for 6 weeks! Awesome as expected. Climbed well enough, it's hard not to after 6 weeks, but still left feeling frustrated that I'd not climbed anything of particular merit. Got very close on a lot of things. It was a trip of two halves. The second half being very much the better one!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Joined the Army - that's the big reason I've not had anything cool to write about. The Army is not cool (the training side of it anyway). I joined in May 2012, did the whole Sandhurst training for a year, did my Phase 2 training down south then did the All Arms Commando Course with the marines down at Lympstone all of which involved..</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lots of this..</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not much of this..</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With the result that I'm now like this..</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">After that we went to Norway, learnt to ski and did this..</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. In amongst that I managed a bit of climbing! Hooray! Had some mates that now live in Sweden so went over there for a bit. If you like granite and cracks then you'll love it. It is AWESOME for that. I'm not a big fan of crack climbing but I kinda am now. What does that tell you huh?! Probably not much to be fair but take my word it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Went to Switzerland last summer for some more climbing and a touch of running (I've got quite into that now). Magic Wood is frickin' ACE! Go. Go now. Close your laptop and GO. Actually WAIT, book your flights first, then do the former! Remember your shoes and chalk, take LOADS of pads and GO. I'm going over there again this summer in the van (oh yeah I bought one of those too). See you there?! I'm serious GO, then message me and we'll meet up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Those three trips are the only bit of sustained climbing I've done in over 2 years!! Wowza! (Jonny G still lives strong in my heart) It sucks, especially when your girlfriend is a total crusher. I had to find something I was better than her at to help rebalance the universe. She doesn't do any sort of fell running, yet, so that's what I chose! I've been doing lots of that. LOTS. It's mega. Here's a picture to show how mega...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I do it mainly for the views.......</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Friends, we're now up-to-date. Welcome. From here I'm gonna chat the usual crap about running rather than climbing. Training, techniques and races. It'll be the same format as the previous climbing ones i.e. I'm not ever gonna set the world on fire with my running but I figure I do enough of it and am psyched enough for it that there'll be some wheat amongst the chaff. If you don't wanna read it do something about it like....go to Magic Wood!? (For those still here.....doing this post has awakened some cool memories so if you want more information on anything i.e. a longer, more detailed post on some of the things that have happened over the past few years then gimme a 'let-know' and I'll put out)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08288588662738933509noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892749914987971766.post-6033152066410137532012-10-28T10:42:00.003+00:002012-10-28T10:42:56.774+00:00The reason for no posting in a while.......<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've joined the <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/Drill_instructor_at_the_Officer_Candidate_School.jpg/512px-Drill_instructor_at_the_Officer_Candidate_School.jpg">Army</a>. Initial thoughts to anyone who is may be inspired by this and harbours ambitions to join up themselves? Don't.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's the end of my 22nd week at Sandhurst......where the posh kids come to learn to be officers supposedly. Only another 22 weeks to go! I thought it was all <a href="http://www.fleetu3a.org.uk/arc2006/gallery/sandhurst-01.jpg">this</a> but it's generally more like a heck of a lot of <a href="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/photo/att/site1/20060421/xin_0904032100070662093975.jpg">this</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A lot has happened and I don't really wanna talk about okay?! I am alive....just....and I have been out every now and then over the past few months getting some actual cool stuff done. Sweden, climbing with my girlfriend. Fell racing in the Lakes. All that sort of thing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hope you're all doing really well! Don't judge me!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08288588662738933509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892749914987971766.post-244481277782848572012-01-01T11:58:00.002+00:002012-01-01T11:58:13.367+00:00Auld Lang Syne<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I found myself singing "Oh Jonny, Jonny GGGGGGGGGG........" to the tune of 'Auld Lang Syne' last night. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Happy New Year everyone!! </span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08288588662738933509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892749914987971766.post-15837339887952894622011-12-23T13:48:00.002+00:002011-12-24T11:52:54.982+00:00Training reflections.........and some more Grit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Not injured anymore (touch wood). Plane to Spain to escape the rain, no more pain from the bad weather restrain, time to train etc etc. What's it called when words rhyme like that? Alliteration? Onomatopoeia? Who knows. Anyway. Time to train. Yes..... </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I've given training a bash before with limited success. I've found that it's very, very easy to <i>talk</i> the talk with training but it's another thing altogether to invest the time and effort into persevering with it. That was until I moved to the Lakes, met a few very good, very dedicated people and saw the benefits first hand. That's the first step, for me anyway. Seeing the product (a horrible way to think of people....let's try <b>acorn</b> instead)......seeing the acorn developing into a tall oak (a pretty poncey way to think of it.....let's try <b>book</b>, this after all being a blog of words).....seeing the book turn from a collection of blank pages to a few chapters, to a novel, to a series etc etc etc is pretty inspiring (what was my original point?!?)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The addressing of weaknesses within oneself amongst the peer-performance orientation of climbing takes a very strong and determined personality. To look at yourself and decide that the next few weeks, months or years are going to see a systematic breakdown of your climbing performance, in front of friends and strangers, in the final pursuit of an often invisible target (by which I mean the massive placing of trust in your methods towards a goal that at times is not obvious at all) demands courage and faith. Climbing is such that gains are often hard to come by. The only balancing factor is the trust that it will be worth it, that you are willing and prepared for the inevitable drop in performance to become a better, stronger climber.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I haven't been able to show that level of commitment (an interesting parallel to other important concepts/things that I'm mulling over outside of climbing....hmmm) towards climbing and, as I say, I perhaps would never have addressed them had I not had such a massive change of scenery, perspective and circumstance by moving to the Lakes. Even then I spent a lot of the summer just plodding away getting out in the good weather......I had a lot of fun don't get me wrong, but I was still getting burned off by the folks I was climbing with (nothing like a little bit of competition to stoke the fire!) and decided enough was enough. The board was ace (Rich Simpson seems to think so anyway!)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then I got injured. Balls. Everything happens for a reason and everything has a lesson to be learned. The injury took me totally away from climbing. I reignited my other interest.....fell-running. I'd been doing bits and bobs over the months but nothing serious. It was through fell-running that I discovered just how hard you can push your body and some pseudo-masochistic switch was flicked. I thought I'd had hard training sessions on the board before that but in running training you literally push yourself to point of being sick, day-in, day-out. With climbing your train to test yourself on rock, something that you can do whenever the sun shines. In fell-running there is perhaps a race once every 2 weeks in your local area, sometimes longer. Training then takes on a deeply personal feel, you need massive amounts of motivation to get up in the pissing rain to do hill reps on some obscure Lakeland fell or go for a long run over the back when the clag's down.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Something I read the other day by a famous (though you will probably never have heard of him - go figure) mountain runner called Billy Burns (fell-runnings' Malc Smith??) brought it home very clearly, he said "In running I found something where I could test myself against myself. It was always painful, always hard work, but was often meditative. The pain gave me perspective. Pain is an unavoidable reality. It is up to the runner whether he can take any more." He went on to say "Everything in life is a challenge. You can accept the challenge to improve. Or you can bask and distract yourself with success. It's up to you. After all, sport is about personal growth......." </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now I'm not suggesting going out and climbing till your fingertips start screaming at you, but just ask yourself 'how much effort do I really put in and have I ever found my limit?' I <b>know</b> I haven't and that's perhaps the biggest motivator of all. Knowing that really there is no limit. There are infinite ways to improve. I'm pretty psyched on getting super strong so I can tear the rock apart piece by piece thereby creating new holds and thus new problems for the next generations to come along and try. I want my footwork to become so good that I can push <b>down</b> on toehooks. I want such good technique that the Queen requests that I change my name to Flaggy McDropknee. It's all attainable but it requires dedication, effort and faith.....like everything in this world of ours. Remember. PERSISTENCE = WINNERS.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">NB: for more 'Billy-isms' have a butchers at <a href="http://www.run247.com/articles/article-18-against-the-grain.html">this</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On another note, went down to the grit the other day. Was good. Esther FINALLY got The Green Traverse ticked. Dave tickled the top of Deliverance. I pottered around. Checked out Raven Tor on a wet day. Cool place like! Minced about on The Weedkiller Traverse as the routes were damp. Dave took some pics below.......</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I'd done some minor 10k races on the roads and trails and thought I was hot shit. Fell racing is a touch different and I got my pants pulled down when I went in for the <a href="http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=3077">Langdale Horseshoe</a>, a 14 mile beast taking a circular route (as is a 'horseshoes' wont) to and from my frontdoor (the weather wasn't <i>quite</i> as good as the article suggests from last years' race). I managed a bit of respectability with my placing but it can get a bit humbling when the results sheet shows that you've been spanked by a LOT of Vet40s and 50s! Guys and girls twice your age and more!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">With some thought and a bit of cunning I decided that my endurance heyday was still to come and that if I want to delay the embarrassment of further beatings by the granny and grandads of the Lakes it would be more prudent for me to focus on shorter, steeper races. The next race I managed was a straight up and down affair in neighbouring Wasdale, a quick hop over Scafell from where I'm living in Langdale. Starting and finishing at The Screes Inn (a pub is where all good runs should aim for) you pretty much put your blinkers on and freestyle it for the top of Whin Rigg (a hill) and back. Due to the lowly nature of the race, and it conveniently clashing with other more important races elsewhere in the country, I was able to sneak in a cheeky 5th place despite getting a bit lost on finding the correct way down!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Getting the bug a bit I carried on the fluke by getting a pretty decent 16th at the Dunnerdale, a super fast horseshoe on the southern edge of the Lakes, and a surprising, and actually disappointing, 8th at the Kirkby Moor - a stupid nav error losing me the advantage and pushing me down from a very feasible 5th. Ah well.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">In between times I have, honestly, been climbing. Had a couple of good trips down to the Peak bouldering and routing - with Esther (STILL crushing) cruising her first E6, got reaquainted with the Bowderstone and discovered the awesomeness of Chapel Head for bouldery sport climbing! All can be good again......just in time for the winter rains!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Off to the grit again over the next few days. Maybe do something of note. Maybe won't. There's some photos of things up there.......not taken by me you understand. </span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08288588662738933509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892749914987971766.post-7760903430969712222011-08-24T17:40:00.001+01:002011-08-24T17:41:30.988+01:00Injury arghhhhhhhh<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">And August had started so well too! I passed the last hurdle in my Army selection, the four-day Army Officer Selection Board, at the end of July. To celebrate i fell off my bike and separated my shoulder. Prognosis - a grade 2/3 separation, 3 months out. Cock.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfbqp1wBdpUhoU5SYXhkqWKPPkniH_bBcO4ab17c1DDxDtD5sA97aJCKY4MBhdgZrOYOhG3idYs3xJZs9RyhyphenhypheneesAVfyMmBFB2wuS_WkoXsDi6IImJYQTFKa_6xUY9KPRkYQOXuxfnWv4H/s1600/hwkb17_036_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfbqp1wBdpUhoU5SYXhkqWKPPkniH_bBcO4ab17c1DDxDtD5sA97aJCKY4MBhdgZrOYOhG3idYs3xJZs9RyhyphenhypheneesAVfyMmBFB2wuS_WkoXsDi6IImJYQTFKa_6xUY9KPRkYQOXuxfnWv4H/s320/hwkb17_036_04.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I now have a nice lump on my shoulder that will stay as a reminder that scrumpy is bad for you in any quantity. I also can't do ANYTHING with it. It's really frustrating cos all the guys and girl i climb with are out crushing and having a ball and all i can do is swim. I AM NOT A GOLDFISH! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">All of you who have ever been injured....NOW i know your pain. It sucks. It could have been worse yes, but it could also have been avoided. That's the frustration. Not much more to say really. Hope all is good where you are and make the most of the good days, you'll appreciate having them during the bad ones!</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08288588662738933509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2892749914987971766.post-74221354655228313472011-07-20T10:36:00.002+01:002014-04-20T21:09:43.396+01:00An Inspiring Title.....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Been having a fair bit of fun up in the Lakes for the past few months and over the next week and a bit I'll be able to find out how soon all that will be coming to an end - if at all. In many ways I hope it doesn't, and vice versa!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Alas the weather has been a big thing in sorting my ratio between running and climbing. I'm happy to say it's been about 40:60 respectively. Not bad eh? Been climbing a lot on the board so hopefully I'll soon be noticing the benefits of it on the big project down at Kilnsey. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The good thing about the Lakes, one of them at least, is that there's always some psyched people knocking about. Even better is that I'm by far the weakest of them all and yet they still seem cool about dragging me along! Bonus. Had a great day out the other week with Esther up on Dow. That girl's a crusher! It was AWESOME weather and yet I could count the amount of other climbers on one hand..........get outside you fucks!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">So anyway we managed to get ourselves up the crag classics of Isengard (HVS), Samba Pa Ti (E2), Holocaust (E4) and Tumble (tricky E4). Felt pretty beat up afterwards for sure. Especially after following Esther up Tumble.......shit me that's a sustained bit of climbing but the girl didn't even look pushed and brushed it aside with a modesty I envy. Watch this space for some hard E-numbers from her in the future! It's good to get back on the proper onsight train though.....definitely makes the climbing a lot more interesting. On the reverse though, I now have a list a long as I imagine my *whoopsie* to be of routes that I want to do. It's now a race against the weather as to whether we'll be able to get them done!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">When it is raining I try to get out running. Had a shit 10k race the other week in Hawkshead, which has signalled the end of my road-racing career....definitely prefer the off-road stuff. With that in mind me and Bob ran the classic <a href="http://oct.fellrace.org.uk/" target="_blank">Old Counties Tops</a> fell run taking around 11 hours - a pretty poor effort but we're gonna give it another bash to get a more respectable time I promise! (The pics below are: view from halfway down Scafell Pike [the second of the 3 'Tops'] towards Great Moss - a whopper bog - and a long way behind that hill, the Old Man of Coniston the last of the 'Tops' - arse; us at Helvellyn - still looking fresh; me and Bob on Scafell Pike - I'd just hit what I now understand as 'the wall' - arse, again; the easiest E3 in the world??)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The big running proj..... is the Langdale Horseshoe fell race which comes up sometime in October. It's the local - as local as it gets given that it starts 300m from my door - one so there's no excuse not to give it a right old effort. There's some proper mountain goats out there though!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Anyway got my mid-year resolution......buy a new bastard camera! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">NB: got some photos up for you now Micah. Just. For. You. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08288588662738933509noreply@blogger.com1