Meander above Middleton

After the long drive back from the visiting/family wedding weekend in Kent/East Sussex I decided to make a quick exit to run off the lethargy of the journey. The plan was to amble around the valley bottom to Addingham and back real slow. However the evening was just to0 stunning to stay down here so...arriving at Nesfield my legs took to route to the moor, up and up, to the road from Beamsley Beacon, a quick wiggle and along to concrete square, beyond to Middleton Village, down Carters lane.

I turned left to add some an extra mile or two, but was subject to some abdo cramps - and fearing an attack of the gingerbreads turned back along the river route back to the old bridge to pick up the car for home.

So a real nice run and real nice evening. Everything, the folk of Ilkley, the birds, the sheep, the trees, the flies, the cars, the grass the sky seemed to be breathing out a satisfied sigh - was glad to join them.

Mostly zone 2, 11.7km, 600ft of upness

glad of a quickie

Sadly the toad work slunk on it's hunkers and got in the way of plans for a good run, so after a rapid bag pack for the weekend away (another wedding) managed to squeeze a short "session" in. So 4x1km efforts with 1min rests a wee warm up,cool down, shower and out to pick up the boy and hit the road.
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3 up on t'moor

Turned up to Harriers on a fine evening and having decided to take the trip with a bigger social group, got chatting to my mate Brian fresh in the way only Brian can be fresh from the 3 Peaks race at the weekend and up for a wee run on the moor - so Brian collared another companion - Ben and off we trotted.

Up through the houses, along towards Addingham Moorside, then up to Black Hill/Wingate Nick and we all got bigged up about how fantastic it is up on the moor and how wonderful it is to live in Ilkley - the usual drill - which was an excuse to stop and look.

Plenty banter now we could breath we contoured round then picked up the pace down the path, with Brian taking us off on "paths" that he wanted to show us which Ben and I couldn't see and reckoned he was just wanting us to beat down for his use later.

So one of those runs with good company, enjoying the beauty of Ilkley Moor, and the joy of summer evening running.

10.6km, 1:05, 900ft ascent and bit of joy thrown in

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/31473926

running up that hill

Another session to log

My vague plan on my 2 proper "sessions" a week til end of May with increaing milage per week at the same time is to do flatish efforts one week and hill efforts then next.

So today is the first formal rather than fartlek style hill session.

Like my first return to efforts in Durham it was a bit pathetic and weak minded but hey - the line is drawn and will be pushed up with each session.

So Heatlely 90 sec x 5 - could have done a few more - that's the weak minded thing - I guess I need a clear goal running on my own - so next time another lampost and 8 efforts or no beer for a month!.

Long Run

Nice to get back to a longer run.

Met up with old uni friend and set off with our garmins and hrm from the old bridge to travel down to the Cavendish via the back road than back via the Dales Way.

So half marathon distance on the nail before a short cool down walk for a few hundred yards to the car.

For me all comfortably in zone 2 and eric 5-6 bpm faster. So we were both happy to push our selves a bit more distance wise and to behave in terms of pace.

Good to catch up before he headed back - will book another one in the diary before too long with him.

So that is 2 sessions done in a week, just a few more km at the weekend to top up to 50km for the week and I'm keeping up the come back.

I have made the decision that the next thing I'm going to do is pay my money for entry to the Keilder Marathon in October, which will be my main 2010 goal - which is really a goal to be in decent shape in the autumn to up the stakes over the winter for 3 Peaks or London Marathon. next April

Time for a "session"

Rather than do the Harriers thing tonight I thought I'd set out a wee bit earlier and put in a proper session - to keep up my intention of 2 "sessions" per week I needed to get one in early in the week.

So a wee amble from the old bridge towards Nesfield to get warmed up and then 8 x500m with timed recovery along the flat(ish) bit by the golf course.

It felt like a proper session, and also much better than a similar not as long and not as many repped thing I did in Durham a couple of weeks or so ago.

So splits were 2:04, 2:02, 2:04, 2:04, 1:58, 2:00, 2:04, 1:57 so total 16:13 total.

I return to that session some time in a few weeks and see if I have improved.

Today I was simply pleased not to fade and now need a shower urgently

Garmin output - http://connect.garmin.com/activity/30688288

Just looked back at my output for the Durham session 2 and 1/2 weeks ago, I was then doing 5x400 efforts, slowed down for last effort and was doing 400m splits 10-20 sec slower than todays 500m splits so yes things are picking up.

Manorlands Photoshoot Run

Dodgers were summoned to a photo shoot and run at Oxenhope. Aware of the close encounter with a black hole in crosshills last time I ran with the dodgers, I was pleased that Gary had been round to recce the run beforehand. Anyway what might have been a straight forward run with a few friends became rather more of a worry as coach Richards expert warm up session dissolved into a mass Ministry of Silly Walks event (I'm afraid video evidence might be on facebook too soon). I just hope non of the patients have to contend with the memory of that sight.

Eventually after more preliminaries than a big city marathon we set off along toward Howarth. A few of us pulled away and I in the benevolent spirit suggested when we got that big hill that you try and not take your car down that we should regroup at the bottom - so ended up running back up.

We scared and amused the punters shopping up the cobbled street before getting out of town and heading towards Pennistone country park. T, R, A and I sacrificed good sense to our egos and legged up to the top before a gentle descent back to Oxenhope and Manorlands. When we were all gathered in Richard then taught us some painful post run excercises which proved once and for all that I am the least flexible Dodger by some way. Well done to the whole pack that was a real step up for some, It is really impressive to me how much people are improving and to see some new faces - an enjoyable GNR is the grasp of all.

So I manged 8.27km in 43:20 - given the hillininess of things in parts - picking up ...and the end of a 50Km week