...in what seems like aeons. 27 miles of riding out of Clowbridge Res near Rawtenstall. I was a bit worried about it as haven't ridden that distance offroad for ages but it was fine. The plan was to do a ride with the same amount of climbing that the days in Switzerland will have - at least 3000 feet which was managed ok. Pretty much dry and deserted trails with some technical interest to demostrate how crap I have become!
I learned that now I just cannot get away with having a saddle a bit too low when climbing, I have always run a high saddle but it seems to be creeping up even more. Probably something do do with running, I thought my bottom bracket was seizing as my legs didn't seem to be able to spin.
I also learned that the climb up from Waterfoot on the MTL is an even steeper and looser beeyatch than I remembered it (definitely better in the other direction). No matter what way I ride the Rooley Moor Road I get a headwind. My On One 456 frame does a great job of muting cobble buzz. My bum has not sat on a hardtail for that distance for quite some time! The edges of my hands were hurting by the end, something else that needs building up (forgotten about that too!).
My new Gore shorts were fab. I took some jam butties (or jammy pieces as I like to call them) and gels out as fuelling as had no energy drink left, the more solid food didn't make me feel sick on the climbs and did a sterling job of keeping me going in the sunshine....until it chucked it down near the end of the ride and I no longer wanted to stop to eat. Was starting to get really hungry when I got back to the car. Will still use energy drink on long rides methinks but will be taking more jammy pieces out in future.
I was also informed that day three of our Swiss Tour is only 14 miles long...with 3000ft of climbing - will hurt a bit that one. I also comprehended the fact that being a tour means that there does not necessarily have to be a descent to go with the up (gulp) though it should balance itself out in the end.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
A Friday Evening Hill Run
After Tuesday's run with Jez I was keen to get back out for some more offroad running. I had originally thought about aiming for 10 miles or so as I had a couple of hours to play with after getting stuck at work on Monday. However I decided to shorten it as I got out of work later than planned on Friday afternoon and I hadn't been intending on riding Thursday.
I wanted to head up onto Great Hill but decided to do it from Tockholes rather than Abbey Village and explore a couple of tracks I had been meaning to for a while. One track headed out through the woods to the Belmont Road and another headed up towards the moor above the sawmill from the Abbeyville Dobermans place.
Through the woods started off ok if a little wet and slippy but soon got quite indistinct and very wet. My shoes and shorts were soaking as there was a lot of long wet grass. The path split and I continued tracking the stream then had a vague memory that the track I wanted didn't (hadn't brought the map). I finally managed to bash my way out to the road, quite a bit further up from where I was supposed to end up. I tried running along the verge for a while but it kept disappearing down a ditch hidden by the grass so for the sake of my ankles I walked as the road was busy until I got to where I was supposed to be.
Up through a smelly farmyard to be confronted by a couple of gates tied together with a weathered knot of Gordian complexity, no chance of undoing it. There was a footpath marker so I was in the rights place...then I heard a noise behind me and an overfriendly collie pup was jumping around. A man came out to call the pup back and told me to climb through the fence inside the barn to the side of the gate. I continued on running for a bit until the field became unrunnable due to big tussocks and cow trodden mud.
The rest of the "track" was pretty vague, a case of spotting styles to head for but very difficult to run due to long uneven grass and littered rocks. I eventually got back onto known stuff and was able to run again. Not worth doing that particular part of the route again.
I wasn't running particularly well, my knees felt heavy due to weights and cycling no doubt. Though I just simply have to lift my feet higher when running offroad and need to build that back up again. It was lovely at the shelter on Great Hill and the descent was pretty dry, even the one step forward two steps back section near the road was mostly runnable.
I picked up the trail that runs parallel to the road at the Slipper Lowe car park, we've taken bikes along at least part of it so I thought it should be pretty runnable. To start with it was, if very, very wet but then it started to get really interesting and boggy. On two occasions I tried to avoid a particularly wet section by heading up on some cambered banking only to slip and fall onto hands and knees in the bog I was trying to avoid, lovely. I'm sure I haven't cycled along this part.
My Wave Harriers were no match for that mud! I have a pair of Inov-8 Mudclaw 330's that I got earlier this year which have seen no action due to mara training, this could be the perfect test track. I eventually realised that I was almost back at Ryal Fold car park, I definitely hadn't cycled this far along. A load of nettles to squeeze past before hitting the main track and over to the car.
6.5 miles at 11mm pace which I think is very generous given the amount of walking, slipping and stumbling at certain points. Have a feeling the Garming stopped recording in some of the woody areas due to my slow progress. Busy day Saturday so will probably not have much chance to do much but I need to stretch my hip flexors, they feel very tight.
I wanted to head up onto Great Hill but decided to do it from Tockholes rather than Abbey Village and explore a couple of tracks I had been meaning to for a while. One track headed out through the woods to the Belmont Road and another headed up towards the moor above the sawmill from the Abbeyville Dobermans place.
Through the woods started off ok if a little wet and slippy but soon got quite indistinct and very wet. My shoes and shorts were soaking as there was a lot of long wet grass. The path split and I continued tracking the stream then had a vague memory that the track I wanted didn't (hadn't brought the map). I finally managed to bash my way out to the road, quite a bit further up from where I was supposed to end up. I tried running along the verge for a while but it kept disappearing down a ditch hidden by the grass so for the sake of my ankles I walked as the road was busy until I got to where I was supposed to be.
Up through a smelly farmyard to be confronted by a couple of gates tied together with a weathered knot of Gordian complexity, no chance of undoing it. There was a footpath marker so I was in the rights place...then I heard a noise behind me and an overfriendly collie pup was jumping around. A man came out to call the pup back and told me to climb through the fence inside the barn to the side of the gate. I continued on running for a bit until the field became unrunnable due to big tussocks and cow trodden mud.
The rest of the "track" was pretty vague, a case of spotting styles to head for but very difficult to run due to long uneven grass and littered rocks. I eventually got back onto known stuff and was able to run again. Not worth doing that particular part of the route again.
I wasn't running particularly well, my knees felt heavy due to weights and cycling no doubt. Though I just simply have to lift my feet higher when running offroad and need to build that back up again. It was lovely at the shelter on Great Hill and the descent was pretty dry, even the one step forward two steps back section near the road was mostly runnable.
I picked up the trail that runs parallel to the road at the Slipper Lowe car park, we've taken bikes along at least part of it so I thought it should be pretty runnable. To start with it was, if very, very wet but then it started to get really interesting and boggy. On two occasions I tried to avoid a particularly wet section by heading up on some cambered banking only to slip and fall onto hands and knees in the bog I was trying to avoid, lovely. I'm sure I haven't cycled along this part.
My Wave Harriers were no match for that mud! I have a pair of Inov-8 Mudclaw 330's that I got earlier this year which have seen no action due to mara training, this could be the perfect test track. I eventually realised that I was almost back at Ryal Fold car park, I definitely hadn't cycled this far along. A load of nettles to squeeze past before hitting the main track and over to the car.
6.5 miles at 11mm pace which I think is very generous given the amount of walking, slipping and stumbling at certain points. Have a feeling the Garming stopped recording in some of the woody areas due to my slow progress. Busy day Saturday so will probably not have much chance to do much but I need to stretch my hip flexors, they feel very tight.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Gym Session and an impromptu ride
I got back into the gym on Thursday to do some more weights, I need to keep up the momentum with this as it will be too easy not to do it. I had a 10 minute warmup on the rower as that was as long as I could take staring at the lilac wall and had a good session on the weights. My left knee was feeling a lot more under control in the split squats this week too.
I had planned to do a gym session only but it was so hot on Thursday that the house was stifling when I got home, it was too hot to stay in. I headed out on my road bike and created my own breeze for a while. I ended up doing a nice ride out through Bretherton, Croston, Bispham, and Ecclestone before heading home. Lots of new roads I've not ridden (or driven for that matter) but basically flat, too hot to suffer hills.
Next time I will try to avoid riding through Croston as it was busy with motor traffic and horse drawn carriages. Not sure what was going on, a few poshed up people in carriages that slowed things right down. I did 27 miles in the end and legs felt ok.
I had planned to do a gym session only but it was so hot on Thursday that the house was stifling when I got home, it was too hot to stay in. I headed out on my road bike and created my own breeze for a while. I ended up doing a nice ride out through Bretherton, Croston, Bispham, and Ecclestone before heading home. Lots of new roads I've not ridden (or driven for that matter) but basically flat, too hot to suffer hills.
Next time I will try to avoid riding through Croston as it was busy with motor traffic and horse drawn carriages. Not sure what was going on, a few poshed up people in carriages that slowed things right down. I did 27 miles in the end and legs felt ok.
Lee Quarry Again
On Wednesday we headed up to Lee Quarry again for a bit of a play. It was very warm and still and the initial climb up from the car park was torture, especially since I had put the flat pedals on the On One, it was like pedalling with only one leg such is the drop in power.
A quick blast round the red route, the first descent had me forgetting I wasn't clipped in and my feet rearranged themselves on the pedals as I bounced over something. This was a) a little scary and b) inconvenient as I couldn't pedal up the next little rise as my feet were so skew wiff. I concentrated on straightening my legs and dropping my heels and moved through the steep berms ok.
I hardly noticed the drop when riding the "cliffside" track this time which was nice and I had general cruising and descending sussed on the flats by then but approaching rises was still a bit hit and miss as I kept trying to pull up on the pedals so I stayed at the back in case I came to an abrupt unplanned stop.
I rode the see-saw in the skills area, I should be chuffed but it was so bloody easy I don't know why I was so worried or why I rode off the side of it the first time I tried it (actually I do know, I'm a a wuss!).
A grand total of 5 whole miles of riding before we got fed up providing dinner for the midgies and we headed back down too hot to bother doing any more, the bottom section of the trail to the car park is lovely and swoopy.
A quick blast round the red route, the first descent had me forgetting I wasn't clipped in and my feet rearranged themselves on the pedals as I bounced over something. This was a) a little scary and b) inconvenient as I couldn't pedal up the next little rise as my feet were so skew wiff. I concentrated on straightening my legs and dropping my heels and moved through the steep berms ok.
I hardly noticed the drop when riding the "cliffside" track this time which was nice and I had general cruising and descending sussed on the flats by then but approaching rises was still a bit hit and miss as I kept trying to pull up on the pedals so I stayed at the back in case I came to an abrupt unplanned stop.
I rode the see-saw in the skills area, I should be chuffed but it was so bloody easy I don't know why I was so worried or why I rode off the side of it the first time I tried it (actually I do know, I'm a a wuss!).
A grand total of 5 whole miles of riding before we got fed up providing dinner for the midgies and we headed back down too hot to bother doing any more, the bottom section of the trail to the car park is lovely and swoopy.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Evening Run..Dry Dusty Trails
Headed out last night after work with Jez to do a bit of a run. Due to it being a very humid I didn't fancy heading into the woods, thought it would be stifling and airless. I suggested we do a slightly shorter version of the route I did a couple of weeks ago. It would be hillier than the woods run but would get us up onto the moor where its usually a lot fresher.
It rained a bit on the way over and the temperature dropped to 20C as we were setting off from the visitor centre at Ryal Fold. Straight uphill, my legs felt dead but I've not done much of anything this month so not too worried. Garmin died half a mile in! I realised I haven't left it plugged in long enough to charge it lately, oops.
After first climb we skirted round the hill a bit, Jez was enjoying running on a springy smooth grassy surface for a bit, a short sharp climb, a bit of running then another short climb and we were more or less up there. We headed more or less straight over the top of the moor then headed for the tower. He did very well on climbs and smoother tracks but was a little ginger on some of the rougher descents. Not surprising as he is worried about his ankles and wearing road shoes, I always find road shoes a bit teetery off road even if grip isn't an issue like last night.
A bit of a breather at the Tower, shame it was so hazy then it was off downhill back to the car. I picked a fairly runnable descent though as I have done a lot more offroad running and its one of my regulars I found it a lot easier than he did, however my descending wasn't much to write home about either. No surprise given lack of offroad runs.
Just under 4 miles with 190 metres up/down so he did really well for a second run. I think he enjoyed this run much more than the last one, its a lot easier to be happy with time on feet on that type of terrain/view to look at rather than worrying about running everything or needing a bit of recovery. Just need to sort out some trail shoes for him and some hill fitness for me, my legs were just livening up on the last descent back to the car.
It rained a bit on the way over and the temperature dropped to 20C as we were setting off from the visitor centre at Ryal Fold. Straight uphill, my legs felt dead but I've not done much of anything this month so not too worried. Garmin died half a mile in! I realised I haven't left it plugged in long enough to charge it lately, oops.
After first climb we skirted round the hill a bit, Jez was enjoying running on a springy smooth grassy surface for a bit, a short sharp climb, a bit of running then another short climb and we were more or less up there. We headed more or less straight over the top of the moor then headed for the tower. He did very well on climbs and smoother tracks but was a little ginger on some of the rougher descents. Not surprising as he is worried about his ankles and wearing road shoes, I always find road shoes a bit teetery off road even if grip isn't an issue like last night.
A bit of a breather at the Tower, shame it was so hazy then it was off downhill back to the car. I picked a fairly runnable descent though as I have done a lot more offroad running and its one of my regulars I found it a lot easier than he did, however my descending wasn't much to write home about either. No surprise given lack of offroad runs.
Just under 4 miles with 190 metres up/down so he did really well for a second run. I think he enjoyed this run much more than the last one, its a lot easier to be happy with time on feet on that type of terrain/view to look at rather than worrying about running everything or needing a bit of recovery. Just need to sort out some trail shoes for him and some hill fitness for me, my legs were just livening up on the last descent back to the car.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
