Nocturnal adventures on the Mary Townley Loop

The Mary Townley Loop is a 47 miles circular route that forms part of the Pennine Bridleway National Trail. The loop was opened in 2002 and is named in memory of Mary Townley, strangely enough. You can start and finish the loop anywhere along the route.

The route passes through Whitworth, Waterfoot, Cliviger and just east or Worsthorne before continuing past Hurstwood, Widdop and Gorple reservoirs. Hebden Bridge is next on the route where crosses the A646 and heads up to Edge end moor. Here the route passes close to Studley Pike monument and I usually make a point of visiting the monument when passing.

After Studley pike the route takes you through Mankinholes and Walsden before passing close to the edge of Littleborough and finally over the moor to Whitworth.

I have run this route twice before in summer time and it a cracker, however I always felt the route would be interesting to run in the dark so selected the nearest weekend to the shortest day of the year, the weekend before Christmas.

Chris and Dennis came up from Lincolnshire for the pleasure of my company and to join me for the challenge. We chose to set off at dusk or there about, so it was getting dark as we departed Whitworth and headed off up Rooley Moor, luckily it was quite windy, foggy and raining hard, otherwise route finding would have been just too easy.

It rained for the 12hrs and 20 minutes it took us to run the route but it was incredibly enjoyable. Maybe i like the pain and suffering that comes with being a long distance runner, or maybe it was the company? What ever, after months of suffering i have finally re-discovered my running "mojo".  

Shinedown - Bully

It’s 9 A.M.

This hell I’m in

Seems I’ve crossed the line again

For being nothing more than who I am

So break my bones

And throw your stones

We all know that life ain’t fair

But there is more of us

We’re everywhere

We don’t have to take this

Back against the wall

We don’t have to take this

We can end it all

All you’ll ever be

Is a faded memory of a bully

Make another joke

While they hang another rope

So lonely

Push him to the dirt

‘Til the words don’t hurt

Can you hear me?

No ones gonna cry

On the very day you die

You’re a bully

Hey!

Hey!

Think it through

You can’t undo

Whenever I see black and blue

I feel the past

I share the bruise

With everyone

Who’s come and gone

My head is clear

My voice is strong

Now I’m right here to right the wrong

We don’t have to take this

Back against the wall

We don’t have to take this

We can end it all

All you’ll ever be

Is a faded memory of a bully

Make another joke

While they hang another rope

So lonely

Push him to the dirt

‘Til the words don’t hurt

Can you hear me?

No ones gonna cry

On the very day you die

You’re a bully

Shinedown - Bully

Vera Lynn

Pink Floyd - Vera

Does anybody here remember Vera Lynn?
Remember how she said that
We would meet again
Some sunny day?
Vera! Vera!
What has become of you?
Does anybody else here
Feel the way I do?

Above - Vera Lynn in the 1940's

Below - Dame Vera Lynn 2015

Meet John

John and I first met many years ago.

At the time I was struggling through life and not really making the best of it, many things had gone wrong and I was on a downward spiral.

There were many nights when my family had gone to bed and I was sat on the settee smoking a joint, usually from one of my plants that i kept at the time. I would get the urge for some freedom and take my motorbike out for a ride. I had no personal money as I used to put it all into the household, which is what you do when you are a family man. So it was common for the ride to start with a trip to the petrol station, fill up with fuel and with number plate in my jacket, ride off without paying. Nail it for a few miles and decide where I would play tonight.

Obviously I had a conscience about the fuel situation but what choice did I have? No money and an absolute desire, no an absolute need to ride my bike. I was compelled by my situation, I had to have an escape and this was it.

 Sometimes I would ride routes that were familiar to me and other times, if I felt the need for more risk, I would choose new and unknown routes and see where they lead to. Much like life’s choices I suppose but less likely to take you somewhere you can’t get back from.

Throttle to the stop, laying across the petrol tank down behind the fairing, a long straight road through a tunnel of tree’s, the fast approaching bend is upon you and you are sat up braking hard, looking for the apex before tipping it in and feeding the power on as hard as you dare. Quite country roads at night with fast sweeping bends were always my favourite because I felt they presented the most risk, crashing a bike a night in a secluded location was certainly a recipe for disaster but the greater risk brings greater rewards.

When you are younger with your whole life ahead of you, you feel invincible, like nothing can touch you. Obviously there is a high created by the adrenaline rush but it’s much more than that, it gave meaning to life and when that meaning is gone the reality of life returns.

This was when I first met John, although I have to be honest and say, I think he was around long before then, I was just not aware of his presence. Advice from a friend if often the best kind of advice and when that friend is willing to help you through the hard times, no matter how hard they become, you know they are someone you can trust and rely on.

During my divorce and subsequent time in a psychiatric unit, John was always there by my side and after recovering from my break down we moved to Scotland for a while to keep us clear of the troubles at home. Looking back it was probably just running away from our troubles but at the time it felt like the right thing to do.

It was around this time that John seemed to take command of our lives and guide us through the difficult times. Certainly life in Scotland was a little manic and at the time, almost like living life through a window, or perhaps just a little disconnected from what was going on around me.

John was certainly having the time of his life and drinking way to much alcohol, messing around with women and generally having a good time. Looking back I don’t have any vivid memories of that time but coming home to Lancashire was one of my better ideas. John wanted us to stay in Scotland but soon got back in the party mood after a couple of weeks and started his drinking again.

It was around this time that I met Debbie, my life partner, I know John was happy for me and as often happens in these situations, John and I kind of drifted apart, although he would appear now and again with pearls of wisdom that always seemed to get me in some sort of trouble.

About 4 or 5 months ago I was having issues at work, getting bullied and generally have a tough time of it and who should give me a call? John of course. Always one for assertiveness, he was there at hand to guide me through and help me get back on my feet.

I like John, we have shared some extremely tough times but i find him comforting, he is wise beyond his years and although his methods are often risky I know he will be there for me when I need him. I know from previous experience that it’s going to be a bumpy ride but welcome home John, fancy a drink?

Put the kettle on

Who else loves a good coffee?

Espresso in the morning is just the ticket, Hey old trout - please use up the Espresso i left behind will you. :)

Crackanory in the Rossendale Valley

Lately i have been told that i probably have a story to tell, however i'm in two minds about it. We all know that every action has an equal and opposite reaction and i feel i have yet to have a suitable reaction and to be honest i'm not even sure if a reaction is worth the effort.

Over recent weeks the story has started to take shape in my mind and i have been making some notes, things come to me in waves and this morning i am sat here wonder where to start, there is just so much of it.

Memories both good and bad, i am very surprised at some of the things i remember, things people have told me when times were different, before it was my turn.

I remember quite vividly when the penny dropped and i realised that i was up next. My mind racing, searching for the signs, trying to remember when they first began. What did i do to trigger the series of events and can i change their course before it to late. Ha, no chance.

There have been many good times over recent years, at work and at home, and i will be trawling through my diaries and try to get some kind order before the i start to write. I am pretty sure there will have to be a series of stories as so much has happened.

Life is busy and it may be some time before the first chapter is ready and you can be sure it will be boring rubbish that's not worth the read but i know that the process of writing it will allow me to move on and close that particular door behind me.

I found this picture and it made me smile, who feeds steak to the grass, its just silly.

Its hip to be Square

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LB5YkmjalDg

A tenuous link but a link all the same.

Today i visited the physio i have been seeing for many years, on and off. Runners of a certain age tend to spend a lot of time at the physio and i'm of a certain age.

In recent months i have had a lot of hip pain and thought that i had probably worn my hips out with all the high mileage. However, Ian (the physio) tested for wear, arthritis or any other issues which would put an end to my running and came up with nothing.

So very good news for me and my running life style, i do have soft tissue issues that will need plenty of hard work to deal with but i can still run and more importantly i can run long distance. This good news could not have come at a better time, just when i needed a boost.

A few months back a good friend designed me a get fit schedule and for various reasons i couldn't motivate myself into action, however i'm in a much better place now and feel ready to restart my training.

So this blog will be my training diary for the foreseeable future and i hope to share any challenges that my friends and i undertake along the way.

Kinder Killer

Originally the plan was a trip to the outskirts of London, drive down after work, fulfill a family commitment, drive to Skegness arriving about 3 am, sleep in the car, visit some friends and drive home. However a short visit with friends feels almost ignorant, they are good friends and well worth spending the time for a real visit, so I changed the plan.

The new plan was a drive from home to London, then drive to Edale in the English Peak district, grab a couple of hours sleep in the car and have an early start on the Kinder Killer. The kinder killer is a loop of approx. 33 miles with 9,000 foot of ascent, a comprehensive run following the most attractive routes up, down and around Kinder's complex system of convoluted ridges and valleys, including some interesting but very easy rock scrambles.

After much messing about with traffic diversions I finally landed in Edale at 4.30 am, I parked in the darkest corner of the village hall car park and climbed into my sleeping bag in the back of the car, completely exhaust and ready for some sleep. Unfortunately I didn’t notice the railway tracks only 20 feet away and was woken every hour by passing trains.

When my alarm sounded at 7.20 I awoke feeling surprisingly fresh and was heading up through Edale by 8am. There were no cafes open for an early morning coffee or shops to find food so I got on with the first ascent up Grindsbrook Clough. Obviously I had a GPS route on my phone as I am totally useless at navigation and with 79% battery I was pretty confident there was enough charge to last the whole day. I got View Ranger running and off I went.

Kinder’s valleys are a real treat, in September they are becoming over grown with bracken and thistles and all sort of under growth. Almost always the path becomes over grown part way up and you find yourself walking in the stream as this provides the easiest passage.

As expected the scramble at the top was wet rock but easy none the less and the view from the top was spectacular. One down and feeling good.

The next few hours were about rocky technical descents and lovely flowing tracks running across the edge of Kinder, the kind of running I enjoy and I was making the most of it, running all the gentle ascents and pushing a little on the descents. About 1pm I stopped for some food and ate about half of the carton of custard I had packed. I had very little food and a couple of litres of drink but was happy I had enough for the day. I guessed that I was about half way through the run and although I was beginning to feel tired I also felt pretty good and pressed on to the next descent, a long and gentle run down towards the Snake pass road.

The next ascent was tough and I was getting low on drink so refilled a couple of bottles with water from a stream near the top of the ascent to Blackden Moor, taking the opportunity to stick my head under a small waterfall and cool off a little. The sun was high and the sky cloud free so I was over heating a little, luckily there a numerous streams on the ascents as they are mostly up valleys, hence I took every opportunity I could to poor water over my head and cool down.

Following Blackden Moor around the hill side I strayed from the path and found myself battling through head high bracken, the Hoka Stinson ADR trail shoes I use are great but a little unstable when traversing hill sides and I found myself tripping and falling like a drunk person.

Having managed the struggle through the bracken forest I checked my phone’s GPS and was still right on the track, unfortunately the charge was down to 17%. I pushed on across "The Edge" heading towards Mill Hill, finishing off my custard as I jogged and enjoyed the feeling that I could run for ever. Mill Hill was busy, there was a lot of walkers about, i took a rest and consulted the GPS again. Only 3 ascents left but my phone was beeping to tell me the battery was low. Only 13% charge.

I spent the next 3 hours worried that my phone would fail as the display got dimmer, the battery charge was expiring fast, the ascents were killing me and I felt like quitting, I took a couple of energy gels I had left and pushed on. My navigation is very poor but I got the map out and plotted the route in case the phone died, which on the final ascent it did. However I had almost completed the route with only the final ascent to go.

By 5.40 pm I was back in the car park exhausted by very happy, at my current level of fitness i found the Kinder Killer very tough, however it is a great route and I would recommend it to anyone.

The Six Trigs Challenge from Hebden Bridge

My fitness level appears to be reasonable at this time so I decided a little local training was in order and to prevent “crying off” part way through a route, I decided I would run a local legend called The Six Trigs challenge. This way failing to complete the whole route would lead to the embarrassment of failure.

I was dropped off in Hebden Bridge about lunch time having initially deciding I was going to have a lazy day and not bother with any training, sometimes it’s hard to find the motivation to train when there are so many other life pressures.

The route starts in Hebden Bridge and is about 26 miles long with 4,000 ft of ascent, although the ground in places is hard going there’s little ascent and the views are glorious.

I set off at a gentle jog through the centre of Hebden, as usual I had created a GPS route for my phone and packed a map just in case (The correct map for a change). My navigational skills are very poor, a map a compass are old fashioned, why use a horse and cart when you have a car?

Unfortunately I had forgotten to load the route on my phone so had no alternative but to use the map and compass (horse and cart).

The ascent to Sheep Stones (GR 014278) is pleasant and I soon located the trig. I could see High Brown Knoll (GR 009303) in the distance and chose a straight line across rough ground. Although reasonably hard going I was soon taking a picture and congratulating myself at how easy this map reading malarkey is.

With the second trig in the bag I took a little time to study the map and decided on a route to the 3rd trig, this map reading is easy enough when you take a little time. Er…. Not really.

It really does amaze me how easy it is too make the land fit the map and despite my best efforts I was soon lost. Out with the phone, although I didn’t have the route or even a map on my phone it still gave me a grid reference, so I found where I had gone wrong and with a little help from the GPS I was soon finding my way back to the route.

At this point I felt it better to regularly check my location with the GPS and try to use the map when possible. The combination kept me on track for the rest of the day.

The other trig points are:-

Stanbury Moor (GR 978357)

Boulsworth Hill (GR 930357)

Hoof Stones Height (GR 913291)

Bride Stones (GR 932268)

Although much of the route is across rough ground it is beautiful and I was blessed with great weather and even better views. The views makes such a difference to my day and relax my soul, the calming effect least for days.

After the first few navigational issues the rest of the day went smoothly, which is why I use the GPS, my map reading is poor enough to spoil the day and make it hard work. I know the purist out there won’t agree but I run for pleasure and the Six Trigs is well worth the effort.

If you are local to Calderdale and fancy a great days running I highly recommend it, the route took me about 7 hours but more importantly it gave me confidence that my running is getting back to normal. It has also shown me that I don’t need to travel to the Lake District to find good routes, my local area is packed with them.

My next local challenge will probably be a route devised with maps on my computer and plotted with GPS software, taking in as many trig points as I can comfortably run in an afternoon. I may even include some support points to make the day a little more relaxing.

It’s a runners life for me.

Running again

A couple of weeks ago i tried an easy run in the English lake district, not sure of the distance but time wise, it was about 6 hours. 6 hours may sound like a long time to some people and i suppose it could be, but i was mostly walking with a little jogging thrown in, unfortunately i picked up yet another injury. I'm don't know the specific body part name but the pain is where the calf attaches to the back of the knee.

As usual i asked the phisio to take a look and he performed his magic again, a good phisio is well worth his money so i'm going to give him a mention by name. He is called Ian liversedge and at the time of writing he works as the phisio for Accrington Stanley football club. He can be found at Hopwood hall college in Middleton Manchester on a Wednesday evening.

After a couple of visits i still had a niggle but decided i was just being soft, some friends were planning a weekend run along the Yorkshire Wolds way. The route is about 80 miles but relatively flat and the pace was going to be steady.

There were 4 of us planning to run the whole distance with other friends and family joining in for shorter sections. The run went really well, the organiser had arranged for a couple of support vehicles to meet us every 6-7 miles with copious amounts of hot tea and the occasional piece of cake.

We camped about half way through the route, where we were fed with a very tasty chilli and cans of larger, usually i don't drink but the company was good and i felt at ease, amazingly i had one and a half cans of Carling and started to feel a little drunk? It really is suprising how your ability to drink alcohol diminishes over time.

When camping i find ear plugs an absolute necessity, they block out all the usual noises that keep me awake and i get a much better nights sleep. We had an early start on the Sunday, getting up at six for a 7am departure. We drove to the previous days finish point and by 8am we were starting the second day and the sun was shining again.

The trails were peaceful with few other people on the route and we jogged along chatting about nothing as usual. This was my first visit to the Yorkshire Wolds but it won't be my last, its really is a beautiful part of our country side.

The running felt easy so the miles seemed to fly by and we were soon running along the the side of the estuary, the Humber bridge looming in the distance. (apparently the Humber bridge was once the longest single span suspension bride in the world) we finished by the banks of the Humber estuary, after 2 days of sunshine and beautiful views we were greeting by torrential rain. We all ran to the cover of our respective vehicles and soon drifted off on our way home, another challenge over and another reason to keep on running.

It really is about the journey and not the destination, we complete these long distance runs fairly frequently and its always the same, we reach our goal relieved that its over but this is always followed by a huge feeling of disappointment.

The days following these challenges usually bring up an idea for the next one and this time its going to be a little different. Kayaks and running don't usually go together but Leon has an idea.

Finally, i would like to say thank you to Rory and his trusty 25 year old Transit camper van, Rory provided great support for us as usual and he was helped by family and friends.

Manchester to Blackpool cycle ride

This Sunday i did my first cycle challenge for some years, the Manchester to Blackpool challenge, at 60 miles and on mostly flat roads its perhaps not the sort of challenge i would usually participate in.

Sunday at 5.30am my alarm woke me from a pitiful nights sleep and i briefly entertained the idea of turning the alarm off, rolling over and going back to sleep. After all its only a bike ride, a little training as i am currently unable to run.

I dragged my self out of bed and stood under a hot shower until i felt awake enough to get dressed, unfortunately i looked out of the bedroom window before getting dressed and it was poring with rain, horrible wet rain.

To my credit i still got dressed, ate breakfast and climbed on my bike for the short (6 mile) ride to Chris's house and my lift into Manchester. After the usual messing around waiting for Chris we were all loaded up and on our way. We were setting off from Old Trafford football ground, apparently we were able to start at any time between 6.30 and 10am, so we paid our £20, registered and were on our way by 7.30am.

The rain had almost stopped and despite the poor weather there were way to many cyclists about, bloody cyclist all over the show, getting in the way of progress and spoiling the usually quiet roads for the early commuters.

I had chosen to use my Hybrid commuter bike, solely because that's all i have that's anything like suitable for riding 60 miles on tarmac. Chris was on his retro Chris Paulson road bike, understate bling apparently, Paul was on a standard looking road bike, being an "ox" of a man he made it look tiny and definitely not capable of carrying a man of his size.

So we set off in a large group and i managed to moan my way through the first 20 miles or so, bloody cyclists getting in my way, all over the bloody road etc etc. As usual Chris was very understanding and smiled politely at my comments. I don't know how he does it to be honest (or why).

At the 30 mile pit stop Chris managed to piss off some loud mouthed idiot by getting in his way, very amusing indeed and it cheered me up plenty. We took a short break and got on our way, the number of bikes was thinning out and there was a little sport in racing some of the "pro" riders, well they had all the gear on and looked like pro's (professionals not prostitutes).

After 45 miles Chris decided it was time to up the pace and we rode hard for the last 16 miles, the constant good pace and passing of many other cyclists was quite exhilarating at times but the miles flew by and we were soon in Blackpool riding through the cheering crowds and looking forward to some food and drink.

Chris is a competent cyclist and led for much of the way but Paul rode very well indeed, he rode like a man half his size and complained very little along the way, apart from the usual comments about sweaty junk (man parts) and tender rear ends of course.

The ride was a new experience for me and it was good training, if i did it again i would like something to push me a little towards my cycling limits. Whilst still full of the buzz from the crowds we decided the next cycling challenge would be the Manchester 100.

I had better train for that one i think.

Lakeland 100

Last night i had, what has become, my usual Wednesday visit to the phisio's with this shin splint issue i have had for a while. I haven't run a single step in three weeks as the pain is just too much, not only is the pain in the shin bad, but my whole calf muscle cramps and my big toe is swollen and extremely painful. There are days when even walking is uncomfortable.

So this Wednesday i told the phisio i had a run planned for the weekend, maybe 5-6 hours in the Lake District hills, a nice run with some friends which was to serve as a Joss Naylor reccie as well. He said that in his opinion i simply could not manage it with out a lot of pain killers and said i would be doing more damage.

Ummmm, now at this point i wondered if i should tell him i planned to run 105 miles in the lake District on the 24th July. In my head i had 3 weeks recovery and anything is possible, so i casually dropped it into the conversation. Only 3 weeks until the Lakeland 100 Ian, i should be ok for that then? What do you think? Take it easy?

To be honest he looked at me like i was stupid and said that if i really wanted to do it i should just go ahead but given that walking was painful did i really think it would be ok? Reality check, the look told me all i needed to know but he went on to explain what was wrong with my lower leg and how not giving it time to heal would only allow the injury to become chronic.

He went on to say that i should start from the beginning, plenty of strength work and leg exercises to help the injury heal and strengthen my lower legs. When i can walk pain free i can start to build up my running again, gradually. Start with 1/2 mile on soft grass and build up by 10% a week until i am happy all is well and stay well clear of road running

So there it was, no running in the coming months, perhaps i can be fit enough for my Spanish trail running holiday in November if i stick to my recovery regime. (and stop eating 2 packs of biscuits a day)

Usually this would be a nightmare, no running, a recipe for disaster, however i am looking forward to the rest and will spend more time cycling, plenty of road cycling on my hybrid and maybe even some off road cycling on my classic rigid mountain bike.

I also like the idea of Bikram Yoga or as i call it, sweaty Yoga. I need to keep myself busy and exercise plenty if i'm going to keep balanced, after all i am used to running frequently and setting goals to keep myself motivated.

Perhaps a cycling challenge could be the way forward?

Strange fruit

Strange fruit reminds me of Billie Holidays song about the lynching of African Americans in the early 1900's, thinking about the slaughter of so many innocent people makes me feel sick.

Today i have been making smoothies with my youngest daughter, mango and strawberry, which i though was a strange combination, hence the strange fruit thoughts. It often suprises me how I let such negative thoughts finding their way into my mind.

I don't always recognise the patterns but some days its easy, i may be cycling to work and a driver passes a little close, my thoughts turn to the sort of things that i would like to do to them as punishment. Obviously the punishment out weighs the crime significantly as my mind exaggerates the supposed "crime" this person has committed. I'm pretty sure 50 lashes is quite severe for being in a rush and causing me to flinch.

As my mood gets driven down by each negative though i usually start to cotton on to what's happening and try to change the thought patterns to a more positive direction, often having sympathy for the poor souls stuck in their tin boxes in queues of traffic, going no where fast and having to stop at all the red lights, although many seem to ignore red light and road signs alike.

I get great pleasure from cycling to work each day and much prefer this to driving, it can be difficult when the weather is poor but using the correct clothing is a cure for all bad weather. I was once told that there is no such thing as the wrong weather, it has more to do with the wrong clothes.

I recently got caught in a sudden down pour whilst cycling to work, while getting changed into my work clothes I realised that I had forgotten to pack any spare underwear, which left me with a dilemma! Do I keep the wet boxers on and sit at my desk with steam rising from my groin in the vain hope that no one notices or should I “go commando” and suffer chaffing all day?

Its Monday already (1am Sunday night / Monday morning) where did the weekend go? The start of a new week and I am allowing myself to be optimistic about the week ahead, i plan to remain positive throughout and make it to the weekend without any further “situations”. Fingers crossed :)

I shall be kind to myself, doing all I can to avoid situations which are likely to cause me stress, instead I will get my head down and take one day at a time. We often forget to be kind to our selves, why do we put our selves in situations which could have a significant negative effect on our well being? Its not smart.

Over the years I have learned many ways to be kind to myself and often neglect to use them. This is not smart.

This week I also hope to be smarter.

Cycling, the new running

When i woke this morning i new i wouldn't be doing any running in the mountains, not only did my head say no but my left shin said "no way Dave". So Debbie and i drove home.

As we approached home Debbie said i should probably go out on the bike for a while as cycling is a good way to exercise without any impact on my joints/shins. As usual, good advice from Debbie so after a little nap (us old people like a nap in the day time) i went out on my road bike.

I cycled 37 miles with nearly 3000 foot of ascent at an average of 15.5 mph, my top speed (down a big hill) was 40 mph. On a bicycle 40 mph feels like 100 mph in a car, dangerous. The route included the longest continuous ascent in England, Cragg Vale, this ascent was part of the TDF in 2014 and the road is still covered in graffiti from over zealous fans.

I ride a reasonable new hybrid bike that is my day to day commuter, my usual ride is 4.5 miles each way to work and back. 37 miles is a long way for me but it was fun so i hope to use this as my way to keep a reasonable level of fitness, i should be able to run a little so the Lakeland 100 race should still be viable (fingers crossed). Perhaps i may even swim a little.

My Hybrid - Scott Sub 20

My legs hurt but i feel good, if a little distant from reality but i'm going to call it a good day, at least so far.

In recent days i had decided to share more of my life than is usual for me in the hope that writing about how i feel will help me with some of the things i am struggling with. My running partner called to see me, a short social visit but we have both suffered with injury recently and not had chance to catch up, it makes such a difference. I have also had some messages and emails from friends reminding me that they care, you know who you are guys. Thank you, it means a lot to me.

I will continue to share in the hope that it keep on making a difference to my life, some of it may even be worth reading. (no promises) 

Joss Naylor reccie

This is my first Joss Naylor Challenge reccie.

Debbie and I set off to the Lake district at 8 this morning  and I was walking out of Pooley Bridge by 10.30, fortunately the beginning of the route passes through a massive campsite close with good facilities for ..er.. comfort breaks..

High street (i think)

I suffer with shin splints in my left leg and it has been giving me some real problems recently, focusing on mountain running helps as the pace is much steadier and of course the ground is softer so the chance to get out in the mountains is a real treat and I do love the lake district.

The first leg of the reccie was much tougher than I expected but I'm pretty sure that has more to do with my mental state than physical fitness. 6 hours to Dunmail raise is way off schedule but it was my first reccie and I did get the second half of the reccie just about bang on schedule.

Found this at the top of the descent to the Kirkstone pass inn, possibly a marker for the Joss Naylor challenge?

So after a poor start to the day it did pick up and i had a good run. We are staying in the lake district tonight so no traveling in the morning. A good sleep and  hopefully Sunday will go as well.

Riding the roller coaster, part 1 - Darkness

When I go to sleep at night I don’t worry about where I may wake up, although I often hope it’s a better place than before I went to sleep. When I wake I usually know where I am today.

Usually I wake to the sound of my alarm and sit up in bed with a groan, scratch my balls and stagger off to the bathroom for a hot shower. The shower drags me kicking and screaming into reality and this is when I know for sure.

If I wake with the darkness I know it going to be a long day, I feel the distress and try to convince myself it’s going to be ok, I can make it through the day and get back to the safety of my bed.

But some days it just not like that, some days I wish I could hide away, the day can be so long, I feel lethargic, drowsy and disinterested, its take all my strength to push up the shop front and try to appear normal. Convince people I’m just like them, an ordinary every day bloke doing his best for the greater good, when what I really want is to cry and scream, let the anguish drag me down and consume me.

It’s easy to drive people away with anger, with negativity. Some days I get to work early so I don’t have to speak to anyone, i put my headphone in and hide, from everyone, from everything, the whole world. Just leave me alone so I can make it to one more sleep.

Recently there have been more bad days than good but i'm a fighter so I keep going, its only when the wheels fall off you realise that you haven't been “right” for a while, it sneaks up on you and bang, you are on your arse again. The problem with this is the damage it can do to the people around you, relationships and jobs suffer because thats where you have the most invested, unfortunately you don't know until the damage is done and often its too late.

Imagine hanging from a cliff, the strain in your arms makes every muscle scream, your fingers are raw and slipping closer to the edge, you are being sucked into the darkness below. It hurts so bad feel like you just can't hold on any longer and want to let go, let go of the pain, the constant suffering and slip gently into sleep, the nice kind of sleep without dreams and without waking.

I'm sure its not supposed to feel good but the truth is, some days it does.

Getting your head down

There’s nothing I like better than getting my head down and a going for it, I don’t mean sprinting or running as fast as I can, although that can be fun too, no I mean grinding out the miles on a long run, mile after mile and day after day.

Generally speaking I prefer to run trail or fell but these days I find myself happy to run on any surface at any time, day or night, winter spring or summer. Sometimes there is nothing better than running along the canal tow path fully focused on running a comfortable pace for as long as necessary.

Chris and Den on a road somewhere in Lincolnshire

On a recent long distance, multi-day run, i awoke on day five and despite some very tender blisters, i found myself looking forward to long undulating roads with gentle climbs, just so I could be with my inner most thoughts and feel the miles drift by. At times like these the pace is usually a little quick for the usual chatter and it becomes all about the running, the challenge of keeping going, it is truly amazing how many miles you can cover when the only thing that matters is running.

I consider myself an average runner, happy if i make the top 20% of an ultra marathon, however when i have the chance to get my head down I feel like I’m living the dream.

Jog free 

Hoka Hoka

These are my second pair of Hoka running shoes, Hoka Mafate 3 trail, will I never learn?

The first pair were Hoka one one Stinson trail shoes which I bought for running the Pennine way in 2014.The Pennine Way is a National Trail in England, with a small section in Scotland. The trail runs 267 miles from Edale, in the northern Derbyshire Peak District, north through the Yorkshire Dales and the Northumberland National Park and ends at Kirk Yetholm in Scotland.

The Hoka one one Stinson trail shoes felt great from the moment I first slipped into them, until I stood up and became aware just how thick the sole is. Add this to the rolling motion and the combination has a strange effect on your balance, at first I found it difficult to stand up straight and found myself constantly correcting my balance.

However, as soon as you start running it all begins to make sense, the first thing you notice is the immense amount of cushioning, running becomes floating, the shoes soaking up the impact of each step. The hard trail under your feet becomes a lush grassy lawn which caresses your feet and pushes you effortlessly onward.

The rolling motion which supposedly helps you burn up the trails does just that, it’s quite unique and does genuinely feel like you are being  propelled along the trails.

Ok, so that’s the good bits, unfortunately there are also some obvious failings with these shoes that more than make up for the great performance.  

I ran most of the 267 mile route with these shoes and the most noticeable fault is the lack of grip on anything other than dry trails. Wet trails are a nightmare, slipping and sliding become normal and great caution is required to avoid falling and getting injured. We coined the term “Hoka Hoka” to describe the amusement of my dancing around on muddy trails.

The second and perhaps most disappointing failing is the durability, after a sometimes entertaining and mostly enjoyable 7 days of trail running I discovered a split in the upper where it joins the sole on the inner edge of the shoe and on closer inspection I could see that the whole right shoe was lower on the inner edge like the sole had been compressed, I also had to replace the speed laces as they had started to fray.

After less than 300 miles and only one trail, the shoes were starting to fall apart. I paid £110.00 from Pete Bland sports http://www.peteblandsports.co.uk/  which is a lot of money to me. I had seen several friends wearing these shoes and good reports from them had influenced my decision to buy some myself, however it soon became aware that poor durability was a common failing as my friends began to report similar issues.

Anybody with an ounce of sense would learn to avoid such overpriced poor quality shoes, so why did I buy another pair of Hoka’s? This time I spent a little time reading reviews and decided the Hoka Mafate 3 trail shoes would be right for me, plenty of cushioning, a good amount of grip on the soles and much improved durability.

Again, I paid £110.00 from Pete Bland sports http://www.peteblandsports.co.uk/  which is still a lot of money, however I had decide to join some friends to run the “Wash”. The Wash is the square-mouthed bay and estuary on the northwest margin of East Anglia on the east coast of England, where Norfolk meets Lincolnshire. It is among the largest estuaries in the United Kingdom and is fed by the Rivers Witham, Welland, Nene and Great Ouse.

The sea bank runs from Hunstanton to Skegness and because you have to follow the various rivers inland to find a bridge on which to cross them, it is approximately 90 miles long and almost completely flat. Perfect to a long distance shoe like the Hoka’.

This trail has nothing particularly challenging about it other than the distance, so the 3 of us had decided to forgo the usual road support and run this self-supporting, buying food from the two towns we had to pass through along the way. We also decided to run this on the shortest day of the year to ensure we spent the longest night of the year on the flattest trails in the UK. Self-flagallation for a long distance trail runner who usually has the English Lake district for his running pleasure. This challenge is part of the “Totally pointless” series which has only recently been developed by a friend of mine.

(Self-flagellation is the act of hitting oneself with a whip as part of a religious ritual)

Back to the Hoka Mafate 3 trail running shoes.

The first thing I noticed was the apparent improved durability, the shoes felt much stronger and looked like they had been made better while still remaining ultra-light and rather good looking.

Getting the shoes on was the first challenge, despite buying them ½ a size bigger than normal, I struggled to get my feet inside the bloody shoes. The speed laces restrict the opening but with the use of a shoe horn i did eventually get them on and they felt comfortable, although a little firm.

After an initial short run I was happy enough and ran in them several more time to break them in ready for the “Wash” run.

King’s Lynn was the first stop after approximately 30 miles and I bought 2 large packets of strip plaster for the back of my feet where the shoes had started to create quite painful hot spots. A couple of layers of the plasters and problem solved, we were on our way again. Boston (Lincolnshire) was at 60 miles and one of our team of 3 dropped out here. Skegness was the finish and after 23 hours and 45 minutes of running my feet were killing me.

I have quite complex orthotics and suffer with Sesamoiditis which can be quite painful, after this 90 mile run my feet were blistered and I decided, that perhaps I had not given the Hoka’s enough chance to settle in before doing such a long distance in them.

Over the next two or 3 months the blistered settled and the spring multi day challenge soon arrived and what better shoe for running 280 miles over 7 days than a freshly broken in pair of Hoka Mafate 3’s. Day one and only 35 miles into the run I had 2 big painful blisters and no will to live. Blisters this bad with 245 miles still to run was definitely not good so I decided to switch to New balance road shoes.

Despite 6 & ½ days of pain the run was completed but I have learned a valuable lesson, unfortunately I’m still trying to work out just what that is.