Excessive food consumption but also excessive exercise.
Hopefully the latter will cancel out the former.
Saturday was pretty good through the day and I treated myself to a really good gym session. Over the last few months trips to the gym have been hurried affairs - straight in, straight out but on Saturday, with the family out shopping, I took the opportunity to take my time.
I managed a very good weights session with weights up to a point where I'd got slight DOMS in triceps and glutes by Sunday morning, 10 minutes HIIT on the stepper, 30 minutes steady on the cross trainer, 12 minutes on the treadmill, a very quick swim and sauna and even a Costa coffee while I read the Guardian after.
The treadmill was quite pleasing. Generally speaking I avoid them wherever possible. Partly as I don't see the point when you can run outdoors and partly because I find a flat constant speed in a still warm room to be quite difficult. Saturday wasn't too bad though. I had to guess pace a bit but started at 12km/h and increased to 15 km/h. I suspect that for adding in a really short recovery jog; doing 40 minutes when the roads are icy or even practicing running form could all be doable on there. I might add in an occasional use.
After I got in I cooked a vegetable biryani. Of sorts. Unfortunately I didn't look at what I was doing and added brown pilau rice instead of the white the recipe called for. As a result the rice was still hard after the cooking time and I needed to add alot more water and cook it on the stove. That left the whole thing rather more moist and stodgy than I'd wanted but it was OK. Unfortunately, later in the evening I ate several rounds of toast and had a couple of curly wurlys as well as 2 bowls of Weetabix. With sugar! I doubt I'll have gained from that but it will have used up most of the day's planned deficit.
Yesterday was long run day, and due to the heavy rain of the last few days I modified the 'normal' route in a few places in order to stay mainly on road. That left an 11.7 mile run with a few more drags up and down hills than usual and a last 2 miles that were relentlessly uphill.
I found it hard going from the outset. I suspect that was mainly because the previous 36 hours contained a trail race, a reasonable amount of cardio and some weights. In any event I started and finished slowly and finished with an average pace of bang on 9 minute miles. Just about still inside the LSR target pace range but at the opposite end of the range to normal.
After a quick shower, protein shake, and three bread cakes we booked a campsite for the first week of the kids' summer holidays (when I'm off for 2 weeks too) then set off for Langstrothdale to do a short walk. Before reaching Kettlewell the rain started to come down heavily and remained that way throughout, so it was full waterproofs on before walking up the hill and along from Hubberholme to Yockenthwaite and returning along the river. The river is normally languid, shallow and clear but after the recent rains it was a deep, dangerous, fast moving torrent that was slightly unnerving to walk alongside.
After that it was treat time and we headed to the White Lion at Cray where I had a huge (and lovely) horseshoe gammon, chips, salad, 2 eggs, tomato, mushrooms, onion rings; followed by 4 'balls' of toffee ice cream and the kids leftover puddings (chocolate fudge cake and Dutch apple crumble). Stuffed. No idea how you'd count that lot but the walk and the run should have offset the damage. Still, it really was gorgeous.
Onto a new week, and this weeks objectives are to stick to exercise plan:
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - Club tempo run
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - VO2 max test
Friday - Weights & cardio
Saturday - LSR
Sunday - Weights & cardio
As well as maintaining some consistency in diet, sticking close to allowances each day rather than the more up and down approach I had last week.
Showing posts with label Walking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Walking. Show all posts
Monday, 19 July 2010
Monday, 28 June 2010
Fitness focus
As last week was mainly about weight loss this week mainly isn't!
Though on that subject it went pretty well. I don't know the final scores, as I've spent the last 2 days in Swaledale eating whatever I wanted, but the rest of the week went well and back on focus today. May update later in the week on this.
Now, to the running & fitness:
Monday
Almost a rest day after yesterday's long run. Just did 3.75 miles very, very slowly with Bethan. She definitely struggles in the heat and running after school.
Tuesday
Club run in the evening. Did a hilly 7.5 miles with the intermediate group. Relatively hard work because of hills, less stops than I've got used to with the steady group and above all the heat. Good though.
Wednesday
Went to the gym in the evening to pick up my weights programme. All pretty straightforward and I enjoyed it. Did 4/5 sets of 10 for each exercise so should be able to increase the weight.
Thursday
A long day. Was away by 5.30am to drive to Hampshire and back. Then in the evening did an enjoyable hill training session at Boddington. No DOMS from weights.
Friday
Surprised myself by being up before six in order to get to the gym to do a weights session. Upped all the weights from Wednesday and managed fine. Greatest limiter is the amount of weight I can lift over my head to rest on shoulders for squats. Got back and had a trip to Warwick and back before packing the car and heading to Swaledale camping.
Saturday
Up by six to do a sluggish run to Hurst and back. 6 miles precisely. I think I need a good 45 minutes before my body is loose enough to run properly! Followed that with a 3hr round trip back home to pick up the sleeping matt I'd forgotten! In the afternoon we went for a walk from Reeth along the river beyond Grinton then back beyond Reeth to loop back via the suspension bridge. Pub in the evening for Gammon & chips and apple & blackberry crumble for pudding!
Sunday
Up before six am to go for another early run. Planned a route based on yesterday's walk in part but had to make a couple of detours where the footpath was helpfully blocked by cut down trees and where an absence of signs (or map on my part) made it tricky. Went from Grinton along the river beyond Reeth to the next road bridge then looped back along the road through Reeth. Came in at a slow 6.11 miles. Did a pleasant but hot walk in Arkengarthdale in the afternoon before a visit to an ice cream parlour!
So, some long days but decent output. Had the slightest hint of groin trouble so need to re-start the core work; though I suspect it could be as much a product of sitting driving for many hours a day as any running or weights.
Though on that subject it went pretty well. I don't know the final scores, as I've spent the last 2 days in Swaledale eating whatever I wanted, but the rest of the week went well and back on focus today. May update later in the week on this.
Now, to the running & fitness:
Monday
Almost a rest day after yesterday's long run. Just did 3.75 miles very, very slowly with Bethan. She definitely struggles in the heat and running after school.
Tuesday
Club run in the evening. Did a hilly 7.5 miles with the intermediate group. Relatively hard work because of hills, less stops than I've got used to with the steady group and above all the heat. Good though.
Wednesday
Went to the gym in the evening to pick up my weights programme. All pretty straightforward and I enjoyed it. Did 4/5 sets of 10 for each exercise so should be able to increase the weight.
Thursday
A long day. Was away by 5.30am to drive to Hampshire and back. Then in the evening did an enjoyable hill training session at Boddington. No DOMS from weights.
Friday
Surprised myself by being up before six in order to get to the gym to do a weights session. Upped all the weights from Wednesday and managed fine. Greatest limiter is the amount of weight I can lift over my head to rest on shoulders for squats. Got back and had a trip to Warwick and back before packing the car and heading to Swaledale camping.
Saturday
Up by six to do a sluggish run to Hurst and back. 6 miles precisely. I think I need a good 45 minutes before my body is loose enough to run properly! Followed that with a 3hr round trip back home to pick up the sleeping matt I'd forgotten! In the afternoon we went for a walk from Reeth along the river beyond Grinton then back beyond Reeth to loop back via the suspension bridge. Pub in the evening for Gammon & chips and apple & blackberry crumble for pudding!
Sunday
Up before six am to go for another early run. Planned a route based on yesterday's walk in part but had to make a couple of detours where the footpath was helpfully blocked by cut down trees and where an absence of signs (or map on my part) made it tricky. Went from Grinton along the river beyond Reeth to the next road bridge then looped back along the road through Reeth. Came in at a slow 6.11 miles. Did a pleasant but hot walk in Arkengarthdale in the afternoon before a visit to an ice cream parlour!
So, some long days but decent output. Had the slightest hint of groin trouble so need to re-start the core work; though I suspect it could be as much a product of sitting driving for many hours a day as any running or weights.
Monday, 21 June 2010
First week back
First week back on track went OK. Biggest challenge was illness. Not sure whether it was viral or stress induced IBS. Maybe a bit of both. Anyway, here's how it panned out:
Monday
A rest day after the previous day's long run and over on my calorie target but logging it all and in the weight loss zone.
Tuesday
Managed to win back the calorie surplus from Monday and still fit in a meal out with work (beef baguette, salad and chips). Felt a little under the weather in the afternoon and very gassy so wondered if the club run would be OK. In the event it was. Set off virtually at 10k pace to test myself and was fine so left the group and ran on my own to increase the miles - 7.6 miles at 8.00m miles.
Wednesday
Broadly on target calorie wise and went for another run at dinner time. Did 4.6 miles but found it incredibly tough. Assumed it was heat and previous night's run but with hindsight may also have been a virus.
Thursday
Still feeling a bit under the weather and gassy again but on target calorie wise and did speed training in the evening. Was on the track at Carnegie and did 8 x 3 minutes at 5k pace with 1.5 minutes rest between. Went OK but I was behind people I might have thought I'd be up with. Weigh in that morning was nearly 5lb down since Monday.
Friday
Here's where it got more challenging. Felt a bit jaded and gassy during the day but went to the gym early evening. Managed 20 minutes on the cross trainer but really struggled to do even that. In the evening had really bad stomach and back cramps.
Saturday
Felt a little better first thing and went to the gym to get a weights programme worked out. Managed only 3 minutes on the cross trainer - no energy in me. Abdominal cramps came back until early evening. Over ate considerably on bread as I'd heard that if its viral or bacterial you need to send a good amount of fibre through to clear it out.
Sunday
Felt 90% better and did 13 miles in the morning, slightly faster than last week, then 4.5 miles walk in the afternoon. No aches or strains from either so very pleased with that.
Overall I have to be pleased with the week. It threw up some challenges in the form of illness but the exercise didn't suffer too badly and calorie wise I was just about OK for the week.
Beth and Sue each lost just over half a pound which is good but they might have hoped for a fraction more. Mind you they're each just trying to eat more healthily rather than logging what they eat.
Overall result - 3.8lb off.
Monday
A rest day after the previous day's long run and over on my calorie target but logging it all and in the weight loss zone.
Tuesday
Managed to win back the calorie surplus from Monday and still fit in a meal out with work (beef baguette, salad and chips). Felt a little under the weather in the afternoon and very gassy so wondered if the club run would be OK. In the event it was. Set off virtually at 10k pace to test myself and was fine so left the group and ran on my own to increase the miles - 7.6 miles at 8.00m miles.
Wednesday
Broadly on target calorie wise and went for another run at dinner time. Did 4.6 miles but found it incredibly tough. Assumed it was heat and previous night's run but with hindsight may also have been a virus.
Thursday
Still feeling a bit under the weather and gassy again but on target calorie wise and did speed training in the evening. Was on the track at Carnegie and did 8 x 3 minutes at 5k pace with 1.5 minutes rest between. Went OK but I was behind people I might have thought I'd be up with. Weigh in that morning was nearly 5lb down since Monday.
Friday
Here's where it got more challenging. Felt a bit jaded and gassy during the day but went to the gym early evening. Managed 20 minutes on the cross trainer but really struggled to do even that. In the evening had really bad stomach and back cramps.
Saturday
Felt a little better first thing and went to the gym to get a weights programme worked out. Managed only 3 minutes on the cross trainer - no energy in me. Abdominal cramps came back until early evening. Over ate considerably on bread as I'd heard that if its viral or bacterial you need to send a good amount of fibre through to clear it out.
Sunday
Felt 90% better and did 13 miles in the morning, slightly faster than last week, then 4.5 miles walk in the afternoon. No aches or strains from either so very pleased with that.
Overall I have to be pleased with the week. It threw up some challenges in the form of illness but the exercise didn't suffer too badly and calorie wise I was just about OK for the week.
Beth and Sue each lost just over half a pound which is good but they might have hoped for a fraction more. Mind you they're each just trying to eat more healthily rather than logging what they eat.
Overall result - 3.8lb off.
Monday, 10 May 2010
I am the walrus
The last couple of weeks have been difficult.
First problem was that I had far, far more DOMS after the walk up Ingleborough & Whernside than I'd realised. Monday started with slight soreness but by the afternoon, calves, quads, glutes and hips were all very sore - almost to post marathon levels. That meant no exercise on the Monday and working away on Tuesday ruled that day out too. Wednesday was still a little sore so I limited myself to a 2 mile jog with Bethan. By this time I'd started to feel frustrated and sorry for myself at the lack of exercise opportunities. Inevitably that led to overeating a little - though still largely cleanly.
Thursday I did an unenthusiastic 4 miles but continued to overeat. Friday became a 'rest' day as work was pretty solid through the day and I didn't want to go to the gym in the evening as I was going to do a rowing half marathon the following morning.
The row itself was pretty good. I'd rushed to the gym having had no breakfast and forgot my gloves but settled into a decent rhythm and finished in 1:28 which I was quite pleased with.
That was decent calories burned but I probably ate all those during a trip to a Thai restaurant in the evening.
Sunday started well enough too with a 7.5 mile tempo run along the canal. With hindsight, it felt marginally tougher than I'd expected but I was still happy with it at the time.
Late morning we set off to do a walk in Swaledale but by the time we were driving through Ilkley I was feeling a bit queasy, tired, shivery and aching. I felt sure I'd feel better with fresh air so we stopped for a few minutes then carried on to the village of Keld in upper Swaledale. As soon as I got out of the car I felt ropey - I couldn't get warm and my teeth were chattering, and as we completed a 5.5 mile circuit I really struggled to keep up even with the kids. Funnily enough, I felt far better after we'd finished and agreed to go to the pub for tea on the way home. I actually ate voraciously when we were there, and not at all cleanly!
I woke bank holiday Monday morning and felt fine but once I'd had a shower I felt exhausted and weak so went straight back to bed, eating little through the day then 'grazing aggressively' through the evening. I woke in the early hours of Tuesday morning desperate for the loo - and spent much of the next 24 hours there, and quite a few visits in the days that followed too. I won't go into detail but I'm sure you get the idea!
You'd think that would help with weight loss but far from it. I called NHS direct on Wednesday morning and was told it sounded like food poisoning. I'd felt ambivalent about eating the previous couple of days but the nurse advised I should eat lots of carbs to help get the bacteria through my system. Not feeling particularly hungry I placed my order for all the things that might conceivably tempt me, mainly unhealthy comfort foods from childhood: pikelets, Danish pastries, bread, white chocolate cookies, crisps, biscuits and even a Pot Noodle (something I hadn't had in well over 20 years). Probably not what the nurse had in mind but it became a bit of a frenzy with new supplies on each of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and unsurprisingly no exercise.
Saturday things improved at first. I felt pretty much back to normal and, conscious that I hadn't been taking Bethan for runs, took her to do a 4.5 mile run round Eccup reservoir. I wanted to get her to do something new and challenging and she didn't walk a step of it - not bad for an 11 year old!
That evening we went to a vegetarian restaurant called the Cheerful Chili. Sue had booked it before I'd been ill, and I felt fine to go. It was very good but not necessarily healthy, especially as having eaten my cheese laden main course I felt obliged to eat some of Beth's leftover curry and Charlotte's leftover pizza. On the way out we ordered desserts to take away, swimming in double cream, and later in the evening the binge mood continued as I ate 2 choc ices!
Similar pattern yesterday. I went for an 8 mile run first thing, again loosely round the reservoir, but starting a mile or so further away and including some wider loops on trails. About a minute a mile slower than the previous week's tempo run but it was almost exclusively off road, and featured several hills and numerous stiles and gates so I was happy with the time, besides which I'd made a point of not looking at the pace or time until I'd finished.
In the afternoon we headed for Malham and did a 5 mile loop round Malham cove. My legs felt a bit achy by the end but we, once again, detoured to a pub for a huge meal on the way home. As a last hurrah for gluttony I had 3 pieces of toasted white bread thickly smothered in butter before heading to bed.
So, 2 weeks of disruption to exercise, carte blanche to eat whatever I wanted, 4 big meals out, clean eating principles out of the window and not a single item logged on WLR. I'd expected a reasonable weight gain and could feel and see it in my body but I wasn't expecting today's weigh in numbers: nearly 11lb on in 17 days!
Now, I don't for a moment think that's 11lb of fat gained and hope for a big fall off this week as a result, but even so!
Back to logging from today and back to the gym after work. Back to clean eating and back to some focus.
As a final aside, when the routine was disrupted the physio exercises were disrupted too - first by aching limbs and then by illness. I've probably done the equivalent of 3 days of exercises in the last 2 weeks, so that has to start with a vengeance once more.
Wish me luck.
First problem was that I had far, far more DOMS after the walk up Ingleborough & Whernside than I'd realised. Monday started with slight soreness but by the afternoon, calves, quads, glutes and hips were all very sore - almost to post marathon levels. That meant no exercise on the Monday and working away on Tuesday ruled that day out too. Wednesday was still a little sore so I limited myself to a 2 mile jog with Bethan. By this time I'd started to feel frustrated and sorry for myself at the lack of exercise opportunities. Inevitably that led to overeating a little - though still largely cleanly.
Thursday I did an unenthusiastic 4 miles but continued to overeat. Friday became a 'rest' day as work was pretty solid through the day and I didn't want to go to the gym in the evening as I was going to do a rowing half marathon the following morning.
The row itself was pretty good. I'd rushed to the gym having had no breakfast and forgot my gloves but settled into a decent rhythm and finished in 1:28 which I was quite pleased with.
That was decent calories burned but I probably ate all those during a trip to a Thai restaurant in the evening.
Sunday started well enough too with a 7.5 mile tempo run along the canal. With hindsight, it felt marginally tougher than I'd expected but I was still happy with it at the time.
Late morning we set off to do a walk in Swaledale but by the time we were driving through Ilkley I was feeling a bit queasy, tired, shivery and aching. I felt sure I'd feel better with fresh air so we stopped for a few minutes then carried on to the village of Keld in upper Swaledale. As soon as I got out of the car I felt ropey - I couldn't get warm and my teeth were chattering, and as we completed a 5.5 mile circuit I really struggled to keep up even with the kids. Funnily enough, I felt far better after we'd finished and agreed to go to the pub for tea on the way home. I actually ate voraciously when we were there, and not at all cleanly!
I woke bank holiday Monday morning and felt fine but once I'd had a shower I felt exhausted and weak so went straight back to bed, eating little through the day then 'grazing aggressively' through the evening. I woke in the early hours of Tuesday morning desperate for the loo - and spent much of the next 24 hours there, and quite a few visits in the days that followed too. I won't go into detail but I'm sure you get the idea!
You'd think that would help with weight loss but far from it. I called NHS direct on Wednesday morning and was told it sounded like food poisoning. I'd felt ambivalent about eating the previous couple of days but the nurse advised I should eat lots of carbs to help get the bacteria through my system. Not feeling particularly hungry I placed my order for all the things that might conceivably tempt me, mainly unhealthy comfort foods from childhood: pikelets, Danish pastries, bread, white chocolate cookies, crisps, biscuits and even a Pot Noodle (something I hadn't had in well over 20 years). Probably not what the nurse had in mind but it became a bit of a frenzy with new supplies on each of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and unsurprisingly no exercise.
Saturday things improved at first. I felt pretty much back to normal and, conscious that I hadn't been taking Bethan for runs, took her to do a 4.5 mile run round Eccup reservoir. I wanted to get her to do something new and challenging and she didn't walk a step of it - not bad for an 11 year old!
That evening we went to a vegetarian restaurant called the Cheerful Chili. Sue had booked it before I'd been ill, and I felt fine to go. It was very good but not necessarily healthy, especially as having eaten my cheese laden main course I felt obliged to eat some of Beth's leftover curry and Charlotte's leftover pizza. On the way out we ordered desserts to take away, swimming in double cream, and later in the evening the binge mood continued as I ate 2 choc ices!
Similar pattern yesterday. I went for an 8 mile run first thing, again loosely round the reservoir, but starting a mile or so further away and including some wider loops on trails. About a minute a mile slower than the previous week's tempo run but it was almost exclusively off road, and featured several hills and numerous stiles and gates so I was happy with the time, besides which I'd made a point of not looking at the pace or time until I'd finished.
In the afternoon we headed for Malham and did a 5 mile loop round Malham cove. My legs felt a bit achy by the end but we, once again, detoured to a pub for a huge meal on the way home. As a last hurrah for gluttony I had 3 pieces of toasted white bread thickly smothered in butter before heading to bed.
So, 2 weeks of disruption to exercise, carte blanche to eat whatever I wanted, 4 big meals out, clean eating principles out of the window and not a single item logged on WLR. I'd expected a reasonable weight gain and could feel and see it in my body but I wasn't expecting today's weigh in numbers: nearly 11lb on in 17 days!
Now, I don't for a moment think that's 11lb of fat gained and hope for a big fall off this week as a result, but even so!
Back to logging from today and back to the gym after work. Back to clean eating and back to some focus.
As a final aside, when the routine was disrupted the physio exercises were disrupted too - first by aching limbs and then by illness. I've probably done the equivalent of 3 days of exercises in the last 2 weeks, so that has to start with a vengeance once more.
Wish me luck.
Monday, 26 April 2010
A walk up Whernside & Ingleborough
I plan to do the three peaks of Yorkshire challenge in the summer. Its a 25.1 mile moorland walk that includes going up Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough (the 3 highest peaks in the county) in under 12 hours.
We did Pen-y-ghent a few weeks ago but I'd never been up Whernside or fully up Ingleborough. With Sue & the kids away at her parents for the weekend yesterday provided an opportunity to do Whernside and ingleborough as a bit of a dry run for the full event.
Here's my account.
By 10pm on Saturday evening I was ready. I'd put out my clothes, my food, my kit and checked the weather forecast: cloudy, with a light shower in the middle of the day.
I woke just before six am on Sunday morning and staggered sleepily downstairs to make a drink. A glance out the window told me it looked alot more grey and misty than I'd expected. A few minutes later I came back up and noticed light rain on the window so re-checked the forecast. It was now 'heavy rain' all day. Oh. At that very moment I started to hear the hammering of heavy rain on the window and decided to postpone the trip.
I've got full waterproof gear but didn't fancy having to be in it all day and more importantly I didn't fancy having to climb up wet rock in the driving rain when near the summit.
I have a thing about heights. I'm fine with looking out a plane window from take-off and will happily admire the view when looking from a tall building but that's because I'm enclosed. If I'm exposed then any sort of height makes me feel nervy, with palms sweating and heart pounding. So climbing up steep sections of mountain isn't enjoyable for me. Climbing up them when wet, in poor visibility on a mountain top really isn't appealing.
Funnily enough though, it was that fear that made me decide, an hour later, to go anyway.
I kept wondering if the decision not to go was more down to excuse making to avoid that which I feared than the lack of attractiveness of walking in driving rain or any fear over safety. Not wanting to give in to it, off I went. Besides which, there had been a number of forecasts in recent weeks for 'sunny spells' that turned into 'cloudy with showers' while we were out so maybe it wouldn't be so bad anyway.
I got to a parking spot near Ribblehead at about 9.20am and set off a few minutes later. My rucksack was far heavier than normal with food, a large sports injury first aid kit, waterproofs, camera, a litre bottle of water, flask of red bush tea, head torch, an additional mid layer top, hat, gloves, map, directions etc. Likewise, I was kitted out for the worst in a Helly Hansen base layer, softshell jacket and Berghaus Goretex jacket over the top; and expecting there to be boggy sections a pair of Goretex gaiters. In the event I needed hardly any of it at all.
It was extremely grey and murky with low cloud and relatively limited visibility but it was dry and there had been nothing more than very light rain on the drive up. After a mile of walking I'd passed alongside the famous Ribblehead viaduct and began a gentle climb alongside the Settle to Carlisle railway tracks but I had to stop at a small stile. I was sweltering. There was a light breeze but it felt extremely close and humid and I was way overdressed, so decided to swap the softshell jacket for a thin midlayer with a half zip. This set the agenda for the rest of the day - always fearing it was about to get cold or wet and almost always way too hot as a result.
Onwards, crossing the railway via an aqueduct built to carry a beck over the railway (where I passed the first walkers I'd seen) and uphill past Force Gill waterfall. I was climbing steadily and by about 2.5 miles had to stop at another stile to remove the midlayer. It was already damp and the baselayer was sodden.
I continued upwards across boggy, misty moorland but generally on a rough pavement in wetter areas and a rock and mud track in others. Just beyond a tarn I passed another couple of walkers (having been passed once myself - for the only time on the walk - when I'd stopped to change and a purposeful looking lad with two walking poles went surging past) and began to head up into the clouds.
I quite liked that section. The path was broad, not excessively steep and though I knew there was a drop to my left the poor visibility meant I couldn't see how far down it went. After a few minutes I saw a large group of stationary walkers ahead, and realised I'd already reached the summit of Yorkshire's highest peak. A quick stop to take a picture of the trig point, grab a drink, cool off and have a mouthful of Trek bar and I set off again.
By this point I'd averaged a few seconds over 20 minutes a mile. I was pleased with that as apart from the first 200m and the odd short section early on it had all been uphill and had included 3 stops and several brief stops to take photographs or check directions. At that sort of rate I'd do the whole 3 peaks in not much over 8 hours - way inside the 12 hour target.
At the summit I'd packed the camera away again. As it was so misty there would be little to photograph and having it dangling round my neck interfered with walking as to prevent it bouncing I walked with one hand holding it steady.
However, as I set off along the broad and gentle path away from the summit a sudden gust of wind blew away the cloud to reveal the valley far beneath - the now tiny looking Ribblehead viaduct, the farms, patches of woodland and the lower slopes of Ingleborough on the other side.
Oh, well.
The descent wasn't too bad. There were a few steeper, rockier bits but I had no choice but to take these slowly as I had caught up the large group of walkers I'd seen at the summit and there were few opportunities to get past - essentially everyone had to go at the speed of the slowest walker.
I made up for it after that bit by running for half a mile, passing the purposeful chap in the process, before halting at some boulders near the first farm in order to change clothes once again. By now the Helly Hansen was so wet I was able to wring water from it so that came off and into a carrier bag and on went the half zip top. The jacket stayed off and also went into the rucksack.
The next bit was the easiest part: very gentle descent along a traffic free tarmac farm track. The lowest farm certainly cashed in though with a caravan in a barn serving sandwiches, hot drinks, bacon, sausage etc. I didn't partake but the three peaks has certainly helped them.
A few hundred metres on and I was back at the road near the Old Hill Inn. About 100m along the road was the path up Ingleborough so the Whernside section was officially over.
The early stages of the Ingleborough path were simple - clear path across grassy fields only rising gently. They were also very busy, with Ingleborough proving the far more popular climb. After a minute or two I passed a Lancastrian couple who, seeing the camera round my neck, asked if I was here for 'the race'. They were referring to the three peaks fell race - a famous 23 mile event - that they had travelled over to watch. Unfortunately for them, it had taken place the previous day!
A few minutes later and it started to rain and I assumed this was the beginning of the bad weather. Away went the camera, on came the rain cover on the rucksack and I changed tops once more, this time switching to the fleece lined softshell that, I thought, would be shower proof without being too warm.
I pressed on passing several groups of walkers that had bunched together - a family of four, a group of 4 women, two couples from the north east and three posh young pot holers who, dressed in rubberised suits, helmets, ropes and Davy lamps looked like extras from a 1970s Doctor Who.
Before too long the path became far steeper, like on Whernside thick slab steps were used to cross steep sections of boggy moorland and I could hear my breathing and feel my heart bumping as I kept going uphill at a decent pace. I was also roasting once again. The ominous looking rain had stopped before I'd even finished changing and I'd switched the buff to my head (to mop up the sweat) and had the jacket unzipped, giving it the whole bare chested pirate look.
Just ahead I could see the section I was dreading - where the path invisibly went up what looked like a sheer cliff. After taking the climb to there quite hard I should really of stopped to rest for a minute or two but I wanted to get the climbing done so carried on immediately.
The hidden path actually zig zagged steeply along man made steps. These aren't steps in the usual sense of the word, instead they are rocks and slabs of varying sizes put together to provide a generally stable surface to go up. However, they form a series of very steep narrow ledges, and yesterday were wet, often mud covered, occasionally loose and often hidden. It was hard work physically and mentally for me and I spent most of the time using hands as well as feet, partly because it was more reassuring. (Even typing this now my palms are wet with the recollection!).
Towards the top it became more of a climb straight up with the zig-zagging 'steps' replaced with straightforward rock but here at least I got some rest and company as some walkers came down from the summit, allowing me to stop and let them pass for a couple of minutes. With hindsight, tackling the climb alone probably made it feel worse as I'd pulled far enough away from the bunched group that they hadn't started by the time I'd finished. Had I been with others I'm sure it would have been re-assuring.
Having got up that section I still wasn't at the summit, so needed to climb to the right for a few hundred metres, to reach the stony plateau of the peak. On all sides the view was fantastic but aside from changing yet again (the softshell was soaking so on came the thin half zip for the remainder of the walk) I didn't hang around.
The Garmin had beeped just as I reached the summit to tell me the last mile had taken 35 minutes. That wasn't that surprising with the steep sections, the climbing and the stop near the top. The climb itself must have taken 15 minutes for virtually no forward movement - only upward.
If the route up had been unpleasant at times the route down was easy as after an initial steep section I followed a wide grass/rock/mud path steadily back in the direction of Horton in Ribblesdale. Again, I pulled away from a group of walkers early on but aside from meeting a handful of walkers in the first mile down didn't see another soul.
It was during this period my feet began to hurt, which was a surprise. If I run 10/15 miles I get no foot pain or blisters yet here I was having done little more than 11 and my heels felt bruised and my toes blistered. I suppose it shouldn't have been surprising - when running the distance is covered much quicker, with fewer steps and much of the time is spent airborne.
In the middle of passing through some sections of impressive limestone pavement I decided to take a lunch break, partly motivated by a desire to take a look at my feet as it felt like the nail of a toe on my left foot was pushing into the neighbouring toe. I sat there in the sunshine and enjoyed my last remaining sandwiches, took off the largely unnecessary gaiters (which had made my lower legs hot), and had a look at my foot. There were some small blisters on the toes but little I could do about that so I looped a small plaster around the toe I thought was being punctured by it's neighbour and left it at that.
After eating an excessive amount of bread the night before, my stomach had been a bit gripey all morning but it got far worse after this break. I'd made a flask of red bush tea that morning and had saved it for this point. Unfortunately when I tasted it I could taste little but Fairy Liquid as it obviously hadn't been rinsed after it was last cleaned! Trouble is I was virtually out of water and had about another 6 miles to go so I drank 2 small cup fulls and tipped the rest away.
A minute or two after this break I left the three peaks route by a path to the left in order to head back to the car. This was very easy going, short grass and pretty much flat heading across to the hamlet of Selside on the road about 1.75 miles away. Originally I was going to take the road back from Selside but looking at the map I'd seen another path off to the left that meandered above the road coming out only a couple of hundred metres short of the car. That looked a nicer way to walk than 3 miles along the road so I headed off crossing the gently rolling hills with only sheep and their lambs for company.
The Garmin had been bleeping at me to warn of low battery since my lunch break. I'd expected it to last close to 8 hours, the advertised battery life, and hoped it would hang on until the car. In the event, as I passed the six hour mark the screen went blank probably 100m short of the car, with the full walk measuring a shade under 17 miles.
All in all it was a good walk and I enjoyed it.
Today, my toes still feel a little sore as do my glutes but other than that, right as rain!
We did Pen-y-ghent a few weeks ago but I'd never been up Whernside or fully up Ingleborough. With Sue & the kids away at her parents for the weekend yesterday provided an opportunity to do Whernside and ingleborough as a bit of a dry run for the full event.
Here's my account.
By 10pm on Saturday evening I was ready. I'd put out my clothes, my food, my kit and checked the weather forecast: cloudy, with a light shower in the middle of the day.
I woke just before six am on Sunday morning and staggered sleepily downstairs to make a drink. A glance out the window told me it looked alot more grey and misty than I'd expected. A few minutes later I came back up and noticed light rain on the window so re-checked the forecast. It was now 'heavy rain' all day. Oh. At that very moment I started to hear the hammering of heavy rain on the window and decided to postpone the trip.
I've got full waterproof gear but didn't fancy having to be in it all day and more importantly I didn't fancy having to climb up wet rock in the driving rain when near the summit.
I have a thing about heights. I'm fine with looking out a plane window from take-off and will happily admire the view when looking from a tall building but that's because I'm enclosed. If I'm exposed then any sort of height makes me feel nervy, with palms sweating and heart pounding. So climbing up steep sections of mountain isn't enjoyable for me. Climbing up them when wet, in poor visibility on a mountain top really isn't appealing.
Funnily enough though, it was that fear that made me decide, an hour later, to go anyway.
I kept wondering if the decision not to go was more down to excuse making to avoid that which I feared than the lack of attractiveness of walking in driving rain or any fear over safety. Not wanting to give in to it, off I went. Besides which, there had been a number of forecasts in recent weeks for 'sunny spells' that turned into 'cloudy with showers' while we were out so maybe it wouldn't be so bad anyway.
I got to a parking spot near Ribblehead at about 9.20am and set off a few minutes later. My rucksack was far heavier than normal with food, a large sports injury first aid kit, waterproofs, camera, a litre bottle of water, flask of red bush tea, head torch, an additional mid layer top, hat, gloves, map, directions etc. Likewise, I was kitted out for the worst in a Helly Hansen base layer, softshell jacket and Berghaus Goretex jacket over the top; and expecting there to be boggy sections a pair of Goretex gaiters. In the event I needed hardly any of it at all.
It was extremely grey and murky with low cloud and relatively limited visibility but it was dry and there had been nothing more than very light rain on the drive up. After a mile of walking I'd passed alongside the famous Ribblehead viaduct and began a gentle climb alongside the Settle to Carlisle railway tracks but I had to stop at a small stile. I was sweltering. There was a light breeze but it felt extremely close and humid and I was way overdressed, so decided to swap the softshell jacket for a thin midlayer with a half zip. This set the agenda for the rest of the day - always fearing it was about to get cold or wet and almost always way too hot as a result.
Onwards, crossing the railway via an aqueduct built to carry a beck over the railway (where I passed the first walkers I'd seen) and uphill past Force Gill waterfall. I was climbing steadily and by about 2.5 miles had to stop at another stile to remove the midlayer. It was already damp and the baselayer was sodden.
I continued upwards across boggy, misty moorland but generally on a rough pavement in wetter areas and a rock and mud track in others. Just beyond a tarn I passed another couple of walkers (having been passed once myself - for the only time on the walk - when I'd stopped to change and a purposeful looking lad with two walking poles went surging past) and began to head up into the clouds.
I quite liked that section. The path was broad, not excessively steep and though I knew there was a drop to my left the poor visibility meant I couldn't see how far down it went. After a few minutes I saw a large group of stationary walkers ahead, and realised I'd already reached the summit of Yorkshire's highest peak. A quick stop to take a picture of the trig point, grab a drink, cool off and have a mouthful of Trek bar and I set off again.
By this point I'd averaged a few seconds over 20 minutes a mile. I was pleased with that as apart from the first 200m and the odd short section early on it had all been uphill and had included 3 stops and several brief stops to take photographs or check directions. At that sort of rate I'd do the whole 3 peaks in not much over 8 hours - way inside the 12 hour target.
At the summit I'd packed the camera away again. As it was so misty there would be little to photograph and having it dangling round my neck interfered with walking as to prevent it bouncing I walked with one hand holding it steady.
However, as I set off along the broad and gentle path away from the summit a sudden gust of wind blew away the cloud to reveal the valley far beneath - the now tiny looking Ribblehead viaduct, the farms, patches of woodland and the lower slopes of Ingleborough on the other side.
Oh, well.
The descent wasn't too bad. There were a few steeper, rockier bits but I had no choice but to take these slowly as I had caught up the large group of walkers I'd seen at the summit and there were few opportunities to get past - essentially everyone had to go at the speed of the slowest walker.
I made up for it after that bit by running for half a mile, passing the purposeful chap in the process, before halting at some boulders near the first farm in order to change clothes once again. By now the Helly Hansen was so wet I was able to wring water from it so that came off and into a carrier bag and on went the half zip top. The jacket stayed off and also went into the rucksack.
The next bit was the easiest part: very gentle descent along a traffic free tarmac farm track. The lowest farm certainly cashed in though with a caravan in a barn serving sandwiches, hot drinks, bacon, sausage etc. I didn't partake but the three peaks has certainly helped them.
A few hundred metres on and I was back at the road near the Old Hill Inn. About 100m along the road was the path up Ingleborough so the Whernside section was officially over.
The early stages of the Ingleborough path were simple - clear path across grassy fields only rising gently. They were also very busy, with Ingleborough proving the far more popular climb. After a minute or two I passed a Lancastrian couple who, seeing the camera round my neck, asked if I was here for 'the race'. They were referring to the three peaks fell race - a famous 23 mile event - that they had travelled over to watch. Unfortunately for them, it had taken place the previous day!
A few minutes later and it started to rain and I assumed this was the beginning of the bad weather. Away went the camera, on came the rain cover on the rucksack and I changed tops once more, this time switching to the fleece lined softshell that, I thought, would be shower proof without being too warm.
I pressed on passing several groups of walkers that had bunched together - a family of four, a group of 4 women, two couples from the north east and three posh young pot holers who, dressed in rubberised suits, helmets, ropes and Davy lamps looked like extras from a 1970s Doctor Who.
Before too long the path became far steeper, like on Whernside thick slab steps were used to cross steep sections of boggy moorland and I could hear my breathing and feel my heart bumping as I kept going uphill at a decent pace. I was also roasting once again. The ominous looking rain had stopped before I'd even finished changing and I'd switched the buff to my head (to mop up the sweat) and had the jacket unzipped, giving it the whole bare chested pirate look.
Just ahead I could see the section I was dreading - where the path invisibly went up what looked like a sheer cliff. After taking the climb to there quite hard I should really of stopped to rest for a minute or two but I wanted to get the climbing done so carried on immediately.
The hidden path actually zig zagged steeply along man made steps. These aren't steps in the usual sense of the word, instead they are rocks and slabs of varying sizes put together to provide a generally stable surface to go up. However, they form a series of very steep narrow ledges, and yesterday were wet, often mud covered, occasionally loose and often hidden. It was hard work physically and mentally for me and I spent most of the time using hands as well as feet, partly because it was more reassuring. (Even typing this now my palms are wet with the recollection!).
Towards the top it became more of a climb straight up with the zig-zagging 'steps' replaced with straightforward rock but here at least I got some rest and company as some walkers came down from the summit, allowing me to stop and let them pass for a couple of minutes. With hindsight, tackling the climb alone probably made it feel worse as I'd pulled far enough away from the bunched group that they hadn't started by the time I'd finished. Had I been with others I'm sure it would have been re-assuring.
Having got up that section I still wasn't at the summit, so needed to climb to the right for a few hundred metres, to reach the stony plateau of the peak. On all sides the view was fantastic but aside from changing yet again (the softshell was soaking so on came the thin half zip for the remainder of the walk) I didn't hang around.
The Garmin had beeped just as I reached the summit to tell me the last mile had taken 35 minutes. That wasn't that surprising with the steep sections, the climbing and the stop near the top. The climb itself must have taken 15 minutes for virtually no forward movement - only upward.
If the route up had been unpleasant at times the route down was easy as after an initial steep section I followed a wide grass/rock/mud path steadily back in the direction of Horton in Ribblesdale. Again, I pulled away from a group of walkers early on but aside from meeting a handful of walkers in the first mile down didn't see another soul.
It was during this period my feet began to hurt, which was a surprise. If I run 10/15 miles I get no foot pain or blisters yet here I was having done little more than 11 and my heels felt bruised and my toes blistered. I suppose it shouldn't have been surprising - when running the distance is covered much quicker, with fewer steps and much of the time is spent airborne.
In the middle of passing through some sections of impressive limestone pavement I decided to take a lunch break, partly motivated by a desire to take a look at my feet as it felt like the nail of a toe on my left foot was pushing into the neighbouring toe. I sat there in the sunshine and enjoyed my last remaining sandwiches, took off the largely unnecessary gaiters (which had made my lower legs hot), and had a look at my foot. There were some small blisters on the toes but little I could do about that so I looped a small plaster around the toe I thought was being punctured by it's neighbour and left it at that.
After eating an excessive amount of bread the night before, my stomach had been a bit gripey all morning but it got far worse after this break. I'd made a flask of red bush tea that morning and had saved it for this point. Unfortunately when I tasted it I could taste little but Fairy Liquid as it obviously hadn't been rinsed after it was last cleaned! Trouble is I was virtually out of water and had about another 6 miles to go so I drank 2 small cup fulls and tipped the rest away.
A minute or two after this break I left the three peaks route by a path to the left in order to head back to the car. This was very easy going, short grass and pretty much flat heading across to the hamlet of Selside on the road about 1.75 miles away. Originally I was going to take the road back from Selside but looking at the map I'd seen another path off to the left that meandered above the road coming out only a couple of hundred metres short of the car. That looked a nicer way to walk than 3 miles along the road so I headed off crossing the gently rolling hills with only sheep and their lambs for company.
The Garmin had been bleeping at me to warn of low battery since my lunch break. I'd expected it to last close to 8 hours, the advertised battery life, and hoped it would hang on until the car. In the event, as I passed the six hour mark the screen went blank probably 100m short of the car, with the full walk measuring a shade under 17 miles.
All in all it was a good walk and I enjoyed it.
Today, my toes still feel a little sore as do my glutes but other than that, right as rain!
Sunday, 18 April 2010
Exercise over the last few days
Had a pretty good last few days.
Wednesday's exercise was 45 minutes on the cross trainer at the gym at a reasonable intensity. When I started at the gym a couple of months back I used to start on level 12/20 and might increase to 13/20. Now I tend to start at 13/20 and work my way up to 16/20, with a longer duration and higher RPM. I'm sure its helping with the running.
Thursday was a trip to the physio (which gave rise to the half full post below) and then a run in the afternoon. I did a little over 6 miles but it was one of those runs where you just don't feel up for it. Everything feels harder than it should do. Not sure if I was tired, a little dehydrated or what. Main thing was that I got the run completed.
Friday was 10 minutes on the cross trainer by way of a warm up and then a 10k row. Phew, that was a toughey! Partly because that sort of distance is new to me in rowing terms and partly because the only free C2 was next to and beneath various windows in full sun. I was sweating cobs within a couple of minutes but when you're against the clock you can't stop to mop your brow let alone switch to a newly vacant machine. It was alright though as i knocked a decent chunk of the time I'd done 2 weeks before.
Saturday was a run in the morning (more on that in the next post too) and then a steady paced 45 minutes on the cross trainer in the afternoon while I watched the second half of Leeds's victory over Hull in the Challenge Cup.
Today was a very brief trip to the gym for 10 minutes on the cross trainer to warm up then 10 x 250m on the C2 with 40 secs rest between. Each 250m was close to being all out and I certainly found it tough. Doing HIIT on the cross trainer I found 30s rest was fine after 1 minute intense but with hindsight 1 minute might be better on the rower as my rowing fitness isn't as high. Still, it'll all help.
After that we headed for our weekly walk on the dales. This time it was an easy 6.5 miles in deserted Waldendale, with little climbing but pleasant all the same. Afterwards it was off for the weekly treat, this time going back to the White Lion at Cray on the way home. Now I'm stuffed once again!
Wednesday's exercise was 45 minutes on the cross trainer at the gym at a reasonable intensity. When I started at the gym a couple of months back I used to start on level 12/20 and might increase to 13/20. Now I tend to start at 13/20 and work my way up to 16/20, with a longer duration and higher RPM. I'm sure its helping with the running.
Thursday was a trip to the physio (which gave rise to the half full post below) and then a run in the afternoon. I did a little over 6 miles but it was one of those runs where you just don't feel up for it. Everything feels harder than it should do. Not sure if I was tired, a little dehydrated or what. Main thing was that I got the run completed.
Friday was 10 minutes on the cross trainer by way of a warm up and then a 10k row. Phew, that was a toughey! Partly because that sort of distance is new to me in rowing terms and partly because the only free C2 was next to and beneath various windows in full sun. I was sweating cobs within a couple of minutes but when you're against the clock you can't stop to mop your brow let alone switch to a newly vacant machine. It was alright though as i knocked a decent chunk of the time I'd done 2 weeks before.
Saturday was a run in the morning (more on that in the next post too) and then a steady paced 45 minutes on the cross trainer in the afternoon while I watched the second half of Leeds's victory over Hull in the Challenge Cup.
Today was a very brief trip to the gym for 10 minutes on the cross trainer to warm up then 10 x 250m on the C2 with 40 secs rest between. Each 250m was close to being all out and I certainly found it tough. Doing HIIT on the cross trainer I found 30s rest was fine after 1 minute intense but with hindsight 1 minute might be better on the rower as my rowing fitness isn't as high. Still, it'll all help.
After that we headed for our weekly walk on the dales. This time it was an easy 6.5 miles in deserted Waldendale, with little climbing but pleasant all the same. Afterwards it was off for the weekly treat, this time going back to the White Lion at Cray on the way home. Now I'm stuffed once again!
Sunday, 11 April 2010
I shouldn't be here you know...
...I should be about 14.5 miles through the Paris marathon. Ah well.
Instead I'm still in bed in Leeds but on the plus side not only am I having a very rare lie in, I've just had 10 days off work.
Having the time off has thrown everything out of routine, which in many ways is a good thing as I feel quite refreshed, but it has had some negative effects which I'll blog separately, as this is really just an account of the time off, recorded for posterity as it were.
We've got quite a lot done. A real contrast to the week off I had in late October where we didn't go anywhere or do anything and I didn't feel remotely 'recharged'.
The weather has generally been kind, especially the last couple of days so here are our 'adventures':
Good Friday
Forecast was for rain (that didn't materialise much) so after a quick trip to the gym we headed over to Hull to http://www.thedeep.co.uk/ which wasn't quite as grand as I'd expected and was absolutely heaving. An interesting, if pricey, diversion nevertheless.
Easter Saturday
Sue and the kids had booked to see an all male version of Swan Lake in the afternoon (I'd declined the offer), so in the morning I went for a relatively brisk feeling run along the canal followed by an early afternoon trip to the gym. In the early evening we met up at the Aagrah in Shipley for an excellent meal then went home to watch the first episode of the 'new era' of Doctor Who.
Easter Sunday
I think the weather in Leeds was good all day but we headed for Kettlewell in upper Wharfedale where it was a more mixed 'sunshine 'n' showers'. We did a nicely varied walk from Kettlewell over the hill into Littondale and then a looping route back over the top to Kettlewell. The kids loved the tricky bits where we needed to climb up or down sections of cliff, but there were also riverside sections, good views, open moorland and woodland. First thing I'd done a 10k row at the gym.
Easter Monday
Another trip to the gym and then off to http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/ to get a new softshell jacket for me and some more camping stuff (a bag for Charlotte, some chairs, couple of pillows etc).
Tuesday
Went to the gym in the morning and then off for a run with Abbey Runners in the evening. A decent 6.7 miles where I was able to push the pace a bit in the latter miles. Enjoyed it.
Earlier in the day Beth went for her first unaccompanied trip into Leeds with a friend, going in on the train and not charging her mobile, but luckilly still being met by her mother for a lift home!
Wednesday
Gym again first thing then we headed off late morning to take the tent to my parents house as our garden whilst being pretty big (long especially) doesn't have a single area of grass quite big enough. It was the first experience of camping for any of us so setting up in a garden also made for a nice easy introduction. Tent was excellent - really bright and spacious and not that difficult to put up - but my word was it cold that night even after a curry at a Nepalese restaurant.
Thursday
After waking at 5am I went for a 4.5 mile run and then we headed over to Sue's parents as her dad had been taken into hospital. After visiting him and spending some time with her mother we went back to pack up the tent and head home.
Friday
We were slow in getting going (the early start the day before was catching us up) but we headed into Wensleydale and did a walk from Middleham in the afternoon. It wasn't a long one and didn't have any significant uphills but everyone enjoyed it. Beth seems to particularly like anything where threes a challenge (in this case some stepping stones across the river Cover and a section where we needed to carefully pick our way along a ledge between hawthorn hedging and a muddy seasonal beck.
For 4pm we headed to http://www.theforbiddencorner.co.uk/ as a surprise for the kids. We'd been meaning to go for a year or more. It was really interesting and they loved climbing round the steps and tunnels and being squirted (and sometimes soaked) by the booby trapped 'exhibits'. Money very well spent.
Then as a second surprise treat we stopped off at http://www.foxandhounds-starbotton.com/ for a pub tea. Surf 'n' turf for me, cannelloni for Beth, gammon for Sue and chicken nuggets for Charlotte. Really good.
Saturday
Back to Wensleydale to do a 7 mile walk from West Witton along the Ure then back along the higher slopes. Really warm and sunny and a really pleasant walk: found some fossils along the river bank, Redmire force, Knights Templar chapel, feeding our apples to some friendly horses, and a final detour through a little campsite past a lovely waterfall and down into the village again.
After yesterday's trip to the pub (something we have rarely if ever done since I gave up drinking in 2008) we decided to do it again. This time we went to http://www.whitelioncray.com/. Excellent again, probably better. Steak casserole for me, lamb shank for Sue, chili for Beth and chicken gujons for Charlotte. Followed by enormous puddings for all of us (yes even clean eating me - more on that later).
We left just after 8pm and whilst its only 45 minutes or so home from there I really struggled to stay awake while driving home!
As for today, when I eventually get up I'll probably go to the gym...
Instead I'm still in bed in Leeds but on the plus side not only am I having a very rare lie in, I've just had 10 days off work.
Having the time off has thrown everything out of routine, which in many ways is a good thing as I feel quite refreshed, but it has had some negative effects which I'll blog separately, as this is really just an account of the time off, recorded for posterity as it were.
We've got quite a lot done. A real contrast to the week off I had in late October where we didn't go anywhere or do anything and I didn't feel remotely 'recharged'.
The weather has generally been kind, especially the last couple of days so here are our 'adventures':
Good Friday
Forecast was for rain (that didn't materialise much) so after a quick trip to the gym we headed over to Hull to http://www.thedeep.co.uk/ which wasn't quite as grand as I'd expected and was absolutely heaving. An interesting, if pricey, diversion nevertheless.
Easter Saturday
Sue and the kids had booked to see an all male version of Swan Lake in the afternoon (I'd declined the offer), so in the morning I went for a relatively brisk feeling run along the canal followed by an early afternoon trip to the gym. In the early evening we met up at the Aagrah in Shipley for an excellent meal then went home to watch the first episode of the 'new era' of Doctor Who.
Easter Sunday
I think the weather in Leeds was good all day but we headed for Kettlewell in upper Wharfedale where it was a more mixed 'sunshine 'n' showers'. We did a nicely varied walk from Kettlewell over the hill into Littondale and then a looping route back over the top to Kettlewell. The kids loved the tricky bits where we needed to climb up or down sections of cliff, but there were also riverside sections, good views, open moorland and woodland. First thing I'd done a 10k row at the gym.
Easter Monday
Another trip to the gym and then off to http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/ to get a new softshell jacket for me and some more camping stuff (a bag for Charlotte, some chairs, couple of pillows etc).
Tuesday
Went to the gym in the morning and then off for a run with Abbey Runners in the evening. A decent 6.7 miles where I was able to push the pace a bit in the latter miles. Enjoyed it.
Earlier in the day Beth went for her first unaccompanied trip into Leeds with a friend, going in on the train and not charging her mobile, but luckilly still being met by her mother for a lift home!
Wednesday
Gym again first thing then we headed off late morning to take the tent to my parents house as our garden whilst being pretty big (long especially) doesn't have a single area of grass quite big enough. It was the first experience of camping for any of us so setting up in a garden also made for a nice easy introduction. Tent was excellent - really bright and spacious and not that difficult to put up - but my word was it cold that night even after a curry at a Nepalese restaurant.
Thursday
After waking at 5am I went for a 4.5 mile run and then we headed over to Sue's parents as her dad had been taken into hospital. After visiting him and spending some time with her mother we went back to pack up the tent and head home.
Friday
We were slow in getting going (the early start the day before was catching us up) but we headed into Wensleydale and did a walk from Middleham in the afternoon. It wasn't a long one and didn't have any significant uphills but everyone enjoyed it. Beth seems to particularly like anything where threes a challenge (in this case some stepping stones across the river Cover and a section where we needed to carefully pick our way along a ledge between hawthorn hedging and a muddy seasonal beck.
For 4pm we headed to http://www.theforbiddencorner.co.uk/ as a surprise for the kids. We'd been meaning to go for a year or more. It was really interesting and they loved climbing round the steps and tunnels and being squirted (and sometimes soaked) by the booby trapped 'exhibits'. Money very well spent.
Then as a second surprise treat we stopped off at http://www.foxandhounds-starbotton.com/ for a pub tea. Surf 'n' turf for me, cannelloni for Beth, gammon for Sue and chicken nuggets for Charlotte. Really good.
Saturday
Back to Wensleydale to do a 7 mile walk from West Witton along the Ure then back along the higher slopes. Really warm and sunny and a really pleasant walk: found some fossils along the river bank, Redmire force, Knights Templar chapel, feeding our apples to some friendly horses, and a final detour through a little campsite past a lovely waterfall and down into the village again.
After yesterday's trip to the pub (something we have rarely if ever done since I gave up drinking in 2008) we decided to do it again. This time we went to http://www.whitelioncray.com/. Excellent again, probably better. Steak casserole for me, lamb shank for Sue, chili for Beth and chicken gujons for Charlotte. Followed by enormous puddings for all of us (yes even clean eating me - more on that later).
We left just after 8pm and whilst its only 45 minutes or so home from there I really struggled to stay awake while driving home!
As for today, when I eventually get up I'll probably go to the gym...
Wednesday, 24 March 2010
I smell bacon
Yesterday I had a binge and this morning the tempting smell of other people's bacon cooking is wafting up from the kitchen.
Sounds terrible huh?
Its not so bad.
After 4 weeks of pretty much universally clean eating the bacon doesn't have too much effect on me and whilst last night I went overboard (a bowl of all bran, 2 wholewheat granary bagels and 2 bowls of granola, nuts, yoghurt and dried fruit) it wasn't anything like the chocolate and toast centred mini binges of the past. This morning's weigh in may be a bit on the high side due to 'food in transit' but by tomorrow it'll all be gone.
Weight loss wise things have slowed a little. Week one gave the huge loss of over half a stone, week two over 2lb, week three a fraction under 2lb and week four just over 1lb. I'm happy with that. I certainly look noticeably slimmer and clothes are looser. To some extent that's what its all about but I do want to lose 'weight' too - purely for the running times. I'm relaxed enough to feel I'm very much on the right track and it'll all happen in time though.
Running wise I've been sticking to the physio's limit of 5.5 miles, and no muddy trails but if anything I've been a little less frequent than her limits. I ran the day of the appointment on the 11th and 4 more times since. I'll also go out later today. The runs themselves have felt pretty good - no great advance in pace but I'm increasingly feeling comfortable with faster pace (if that makes sense?).
They don't seem to have caused any major pain either. I tend to be a bit sore afterwards but that has pretty much gone by the following day.
I've also been to the gym fairly regularly and have started to row again as a supplement to the cross trainer. I used to use the rowing machine a fair bit and actually owned a Concept 2 for a couple of years until 2005 but haven't done anything since. Again, it feels like progress - I'm doing something 'new' and pain free and its noticeably easier now than it was 10 days ago.
The physio's exercises have been mixed. There's one that I can't do - it requires a step I just don't have and there are a couple of others where I'm not certain that I'm doing them right as they feel strangely easy. I've missed 2 days where I should have done exercises but work/life got in the way - or more accurately I've allowed work or life to get in the way - but overall they have got easier and I've tried to add in elements of them to runs or walking (such as clenching glutes and core as I go) and doing some supplementary exercises I've found or have been told about on a few days. I feel like I'm a little stronger.
Its back to the physio tomorrow and I'll have a number of questions - what's the long term plan and prognosis, am I doing the exercises right, should I be feeling any pain during or post run, exactly when should I feel the correct muscles fire and does clenching them while active actually help? She's going to love treating me!
Lastly, we've also been walking in the Dales the last 3 Sundays. Nothing too arduous but enough to add a bit of variety to the exercise regime.
Last Sunday was climbing up Pen-y-ghent, which was surprisingly easy to climb (as in my legs felt no great challenge) but a bit hairy in the last bit when you literally climb on hands and feet up the last hundred metres of steep, wet, and occasionally loose stone with a significant drop behind you, all the time buffeted by quite a strong wind.
Sounds terrible huh?
Its not so bad.
After 4 weeks of pretty much universally clean eating the bacon doesn't have too much effect on me and whilst last night I went overboard (a bowl of all bran, 2 wholewheat granary bagels and 2 bowls of granola, nuts, yoghurt and dried fruit) it wasn't anything like the chocolate and toast centred mini binges of the past. This morning's weigh in may be a bit on the high side due to 'food in transit' but by tomorrow it'll all be gone.
Weight loss wise things have slowed a little. Week one gave the huge loss of over half a stone, week two over 2lb, week three a fraction under 2lb and week four just over 1lb. I'm happy with that. I certainly look noticeably slimmer and clothes are looser. To some extent that's what its all about but I do want to lose 'weight' too - purely for the running times. I'm relaxed enough to feel I'm very much on the right track and it'll all happen in time though.
Running wise I've been sticking to the physio's limit of 5.5 miles, and no muddy trails but if anything I've been a little less frequent than her limits. I ran the day of the appointment on the 11th and 4 more times since. I'll also go out later today. The runs themselves have felt pretty good - no great advance in pace but I'm increasingly feeling comfortable with faster pace (if that makes sense?).
They don't seem to have caused any major pain either. I tend to be a bit sore afterwards but that has pretty much gone by the following day.
I've also been to the gym fairly regularly and have started to row again as a supplement to the cross trainer. I used to use the rowing machine a fair bit and actually owned a Concept 2 for a couple of years until 2005 but haven't done anything since. Again, it feels like progress - I'm doing something 'new' and pain free and its noticeably easier now than it was 10 days ago.
The physio's exercises have been mixed. There's one that I can't do - it requires a step I just don't have and there are a couple of others where I'm not certain that I'm doing them right as they feel strangely easy. I've missed 2 days where I should have done exercises but work/life got in the way - or more accurately I've allowed work or life to get in the way - but overall they have got easier and I've tried to add in elements of them to runs or walking (such as clenching glutes and core as I go) and doing some supplementary exercises I've found or have been told about on a few days. I feel like I'm a little stronger.
Its back to the physio tomorrow and I'll have a number of questions - what's the long term plan and prognosis, am I doing the exercises right, should I be feeling any pain during or post run, exactly when should I feel the correct muscles fire and does clenching them while active actually help? She's going to love treating me!
Lastly, we've also been walking in the Dales the last 3 Sundays. Nothing too arduous but enough to add a bit of variety to the exercise regime.
Last Sunday was climbing up Pen-y-ghent, which was surprisingly easy to climb (as in my legs felt no great challenge) but a bit hairy in the last bit when you literally climb on hands and feet up the last hundred metres of steep, wet, and occasionally loose stone with a significant drop behind you, all the time buffeted by quite a strong wind.
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