A slight niggle.....

Giving my legs some 'Stick'.....(click to enlarge)

Short rest among the blubells, Appletreewick.....

      For the first time in years - six years to be precise - my Rt calf muscle was playing up a bit last weekend. Back in 2008 I'd a painful bout of Plantar Fascitis in my left foot which only went away after an even more painful cortisone injection. For reasons I can't remember - maybe it was just an experiment - I got it into my head that some off the shelf orthotics might prevent further attacks of the dreaded PF. I've been wearing them ever since in all my training shoes, dress shoes, walking boots, etc. everything except my Teva sandals and seaside flip-flops, and sure enough I've never been bothered with PF again. And there was an added bonus.
      Until that time, six years ago, I'd been plagued with intermittent calf muscle problems that frustratingly set me back weeks of training, inevitably just when I was getting fit for some big event.  Putting ¾ length Orthaheel Regular orthotics into my shoes put paid to all those calf injuries and annoying little niggles too. Until yesterday.

Reflections at Hebden suspension bridge.....

      Half way through a six mile run there was a sudden twinge in my Rt calf that slowed me to a walk. The only reason I could think of for this was that I was wearing different shoes, Inov-8 Roclites instead of my trusty New Balance MT 101 trail shoes.  I've had 5 pairs of the latter of which I'm still using 3 pairs, but they're all getting pretty much worn down now. In their infinite wisdom New Balance stopped producing them even though many trail/fell runners swore they were the most comfortable shoes they'd ever worn.

      The good news is, according to a Facebook message from Anton Krupicka, a New Balance sponsored athlete, common sense has prevailed and the MT 101 will be revamped, reinstated and come back into production in early 2015. I've consequently emailed the New Balance factory shop asking them to inform me as soon as these shoes come back into stock.  In the meantime I've shelved the offending Inov-8's - much as I used to love them - given my legs a whole load of 'Stick', an almost full jar of embrocation and applied a compression sock kindly supplied by the hospital after my recent operation. I'm happy to report I haven't the least semblance of a twinge at this moment in time. Tomorrow, I'll most certainly be reverting back to my MT 101's for my morning run.

....a horse came to say 'Hello'.

      Last week saw the return of swallows to the village and I thought I saw a swift dipping down from under the eaves where they've successfully nested the last few years. On the swollen river Wharfe young ducklings are causing a stir among tourists who think they're being washed away from their mums by strong currents, though they always seem to get rounded up again. After daffodils and sun-loving anemones, a rich carpet of bluebells, interspersed with stitchwort, now adorns the grassy woodland near the campsite at Appletreewick. Farther along the road another entrepreneurial farmer is promoting his field as a campsite for a few days bordering the Tour of France cycle race Grand Dêpart that begins in Yorkshire on 5th July.
      There's little else to report really. Saturday's run through Grassington was one of the quietest ever with hardly a soul around. So I was happy when this friendly horse came to say 'Hello'........