Back to the lolipop

3mins to 7 and eventually settled the shall I shalln't I debate, quick change and down to the tennis club to just catch the lads and lasses setting out for various pack runs on club night. Took the group doing the Burley Lolipop, really a winter run, so faster and flatter. Aim was 8:30 but all a bit frisky tonight so 8min mile pace including the regroups etc, so felt tempo to me, but good catch up with a few, and given that I'm not race fit at the moment good miles. 9.5 of them, nice

Early Sunday am

Now feeling fat after Sunday lunch, but able to blog a long run, a shower, breakfast, dropping eldest off for the train and church before 12 today.
Nice day for an early morning run - out along the back road to Bolton Abbey and back. The heron looked suitably bemused by my presence, I was suitably bemused by a large peton just giving me room to run.
A steady 90mins to Bolton Abbey and back, looking up

Hopefully really back on the road again

Last blog was a bit premature, felt about 100 for a few days after the last run, so not really recovered from that flu like illness, so last 11 days 3 runs, one ear infection with a bit of a dizzy do, A level results and mum to stay...
So One shortish run including a climb from Ilkley to top of moor, one very early morning hill efforts session up the hill to Cow and Calf Pub and today a steady 10 km - felt ok so a long run tomorrow.

Back on the road again

After nearly 2 weeks finally got those running shoes back on. A bout of "flu like illness" slowed me down nearly to a standstill coming back from hol's, I certainly couldn't make it out for a jog, so nice to get out tonight with a group from the Harriers.
It feels like the nights are drawing in a bit, so not so many Tuesday nights out of town/off road left.
Nigel led us a steady pace up Owler Park Road, through Woods, Nesfield down to Addingham over the bridge then round and about and up the very big hill to Addingham Moorside before "contouring" back to Ilkley.
Whilst a steady group tonight it wasn't steady enough for some of us including me - I really struggled the last bit so will put this down as a "recovery run". Hopefully it was post viral and it won't take me yonks to get back to how I was running before the hols.
The watch says - 15.9km, 1hr 35min, 1500ft of up, and 1500 calories - I think I'll have a beer

Running around in France

A great 2 weeks en France on holiday, managed to do some running, mostly flattish, sometimes along sandy beach, sometimes alone and sometimes with Jon S
Did a bit of cycling too
Probaby most important I had a holiday - sometimes it's important not to try too hard

So 60km running
and 110km cycling
and a lot of french cheese, a bit of wine, a little beer.... but no pies

Rupert road loopy

Thursday 7:45pm a small pose meet at the old bridge knowing the gentle jog, ministry of silly runs warm up is just putting off the inevitible of some hard effort around Rupert road, down hill 1km, uphill 1km then repeat.
Excellent hard session faster than last time for me, but still to much of a slow down 3:35, 4:00, 3:48, 4:08, and I didn't feel like wretching at the end - so clearly didn't try hard enough!
Will sleep well tonight though.

World Famous In Ilkley

Another one of Andy Wolf's world famous in Ilkley away runs.
20 + lithe athletes gathered at Barden Bridge for the classic away run, some like lambs to the slaughter had only heard "and we'll go to the pub afterwards", not thinking that we'd driven out somewhere slightly hillier.
Along the dales way towards Appletreewick for a mile or so, with big loopy regroups to find those who had arrived and set off some time after us. Then a sharp detour up hill, which quietened the chatter, most of the way up to the top of Simons Seat. The views from the top were Englands finest, which we all enjoyed once up there (photos courtesy of mr and mrs gooch hopefully posted later).
Chatter returned as we wended our way down the valley of desolation, back to the road then along the east bank of the river, high above the strid returning grateful to our cars at Barden Bridge.
2 hours and nearly 15km with all that regrouping and contrary to Sundays run I felt pretty frisky (in a running sense).

We retired to the Swan in Addingham for butties and chips - courtesy of the club and a drop of Ale. More natter with friends old and new. Though the eating habbits of some left something to be desired - what is wrong with crusts?