A lazy week......

Maybe the persistent heat was sapping my energy.. For much of last week I'd all on to walk up the stairs or stroll a few yards up the lane to sit in the garden with a can of refreshing beer.  Whatever, I only managed to get out running twice.

Relaxing and recuperating  (Click to enlarge pictures)

The first run was one I'd rather forget.  But I can't.  As readers of this blog will know, I prefer to run in the early morning before the heat of the day.  Unfortunately, a certain heavily built, tattooed character turns his dogs loose on Castle Hill before he goes to work and they are not very friendly.  

That dog

One of them resembling a black labrador has attacked me three times, once bouncing me off the path and last week snarling and frothing at the mouth until the owner grabbed its collar and held it away.  I took a photograph of it and on closer study came to the conclusion it may not be pure labrador but could have bull terrier blood in it.  Labradors will normally lick you to death.  This one frightens me to death.  I reported it to the local Police, enclosing a photograph, but a standard reply back  seemed to imply I'd sent it to the wrong department.  Hopefully they'll pass it across the desk to the right department?

Running up the long wall in glorious sunshine

I put the shock behind me for an enjoyable run over Grassington Moor on Saturday with my wonderful partner.  After the commute back to Hebden we were a little late setting off.  Temperatures were already well into the 70's so a plentiful layer of sun screen was applied before stepping out the door.

Approaching the cairn at 1,500ft

We took it easy for the first  4 miles which is all uphill to a cairn around the 1,500ft contour.  The top half of the cairn has either fallen down or been vandalised.  We suspect the latter.  My wonderful partner replaced one or two stones on Saturday but sometime we'll get around to completely rebuilding it.

Time for a wee rest to soak up the atmosphere.

It's a wild landscape where we rarely see anyone else.  Just a few sheep, the plaintive calls of golden plovers, a few skylarks and the wind sighing through the rough grass.   We absolutely love the atmosphere up there and spent a little time relaxing by our old marker cairn that guides us down from our runs over Bycliffe Hill.

Winding up for a fast mile

From the cairn it's downhill all the way back to Hebden and I couldn't resist a fast run for the next mile or so.  I wanted to know what Strava or TomTom would make of it but all they'd recorded was a best 400m effort! I didn't really expect getting anywhere near my 4.05 of 28 years ago but thought I'd at least get a mention.

Running down to Cupola Corner

My wonderful partner trundled down at a more leisurely pace, passing the derelict old lead mine buildings to join me at Cupola Corner for a steady jog down the ghyll together.

Back in Hebden Ghyll

We'd run an enjoyable 7½ miles and worked up quite a thirst I was anxious to assuage. After a shower and pork pie lunch I was soon reaching into the fridge for a cool can of lager to take up the garden and while away the afternoon among the flowers, wallowing in sunshine.

Sat still - for a few minutes

My wonderful partner is quite incapable of sitting still for more than a few minutes while out in the garden.  A weed has to be pulled, a plant watered, or take the shears to a few tufts of grass, or pick a few black currants, or raspberries, etc. etc.  "For goodness sake, sit still and relax" I'll say.  And on Sunday she actually did, long enough for me to take a picture of her.
Dunno whether it will ever happen again...

Kilian and me......

Three runs last week were all over-shadowed or upstaged by greater sporting events.   My 4 mile pre-breakfast gallop through Mollicar Wood and back through mown fields to escape the impending heat paled to insignificance by England's routing of Columbia in the football World Cup later in the day.

On Tuesday's pre-breakfast gallop    (Click to enlarge)

I'd been feeling rather proud of myself when Strava told me I'd achieved my second fastest ½ mile, one mile and one km times even though I'd set off feeling a bit groggy through lack of sleep.  Then along come Gareth Southgates boys to win an incredible penalty shoot-out for the first time since 1996.

Bedtime,  except it wasn't

After full time, extra time, then penalties, it was way past my bedtime when the match finally finished.  After further sleepless nights (damn heat) it was Saturday before I ran again.

What's that climbing over the wall?

Then, it was another short one.  "Where do you want to go?" my wonderful partner had asked over a quick cup of coffee after our commute back to Hebden.

Heading for Grassington

"Through the fields to Grassington and a quick run back along the river" I'd replied, not sure whether I could even manage that after a glance at my phone said the temperature was already 75ºF, and climbing.

Reaching the Wharfe 

Ah well, mad dogs and English (people) go out in the mid-day sun, so off we went - wearing shades and smothered in Factor 30.  I'll swear I'm getting dafter in my dotage....

Stepping stones and Linton Church

We hadn't gone more than 250 metres before our first distraction and photo stop.  "What the heck's that?" I asked when a large, strange shaped balloon wafted around in the breeze by Longthorne's garage. It transpired some enterprising young lady in the village has begun selling Ice cream at that very spot.
She wasn't there.

C'mon, let's head for home

Water in the river was low and stepping stones were high out of the water making it an easy passage to Linton Church.  There was a wedding there and one of our neighbours was on his way to play the organ.  He was so smartly dressed I didn't recognize him!

Siesta time for sheep

Sheep were moving into the shadow of trees to escape the heat.  Two runners passed without a word, either too hot or too full of their own importance. I hate that.

Pleasant running alongside the river.

Chestnuts by the river offered a small amount of shade for us, but many of them have been stricken by some strange disease that is killing them off.  Their skeletons lie all along the river bank.

Tree insect!

We met very few people and surmised most were staying at home well stocked up with beer and barbecue fodder ready for the 3 pm kick-off between England and Sweden in the World Cup.

Not far now to a shower and a few cool drinks

Leaving the river we stepped briefly onto the road before turning up the ghyll path for the steep climb back into Hebden, and home.  On hot days like these I sometimes wish I wasn't so much of a gentleman and could barge into the shower first!
With no television set to watch I deserted the garden at 5 o'clock to Google the World Cup score, 2 - 0 to England. 
They'll do for me.

Not much sunshine up the ghyll on Sunday

My wonderful partner was out of the house at 9.15 Sunday morning on National Park Ranger duty.  I was off on my own shortly afterwards on a 10 mile run I haven't attempted for many months.  Mossdale.  If my friend Antonio should think I'm training for the Burnsall 10, then rest assured, I'm not.

Happy, but a bit sweaty in Mossdale

  This was indeed an ideal training run for Burnsall in years gone by with its 1,000ft of ascent to strengthen the legs and mainly downhill finish to develop a bit of speed. I last ran Burnsall when I was 80 and (again) took the prize for 1st local runner!

Agitated lapwing

On Sunday I was lucky.  The forecast got it a little wrong.  It was mainly cloudy when I set off up the ghyll and as I rose higher there was a gentle breeze to cool the sweat on my forehead.  Both lapwings and curlews got very agitated as I ran past their breeding grounds in the jaws of Mossdale, so obviously still had fledglings.

Stile in new rabbit-proof fence 

Everywhere was tinder dry making for very pleasant running, down the length of new fencing (erected overnight) into Yarnbury, then back down the ghyll to a village heaving with weekend walkers.  I'd no appetite for food but probably drank 2 litres of fluid to replace all I'd lost.

Bare House, track to Mossdale and that new fence

Unusually, I'd been carrying my phone and heard several strange bleeps as I ran along.  I'd ignored them but on a later check it was my old running friend Doug Tilley informing me of Kilian Jornet's attempt to break Billy Bland's 36 year old record of 13 hours 53 minutes for the Bob Graham round in the English Lake District.

Kilian Jornet  (Picture from internet)

 Kilian is the amazing Catalan runner who has run up the highest mountains of each continent including two ascents of Everest last year without oxygen.  I wasn't surprised to learn he smashed Billy Bland's record by just over an hour to finish in 12 hours 52 minutes.  His run of 66 miles over 42 Lakeland summits with roughly 28,500ft of ascent somewhat snuffed out my little 10 mile jaunt round Mossdale!
Ah well, maybe next week...

Just do it......

I've said it before, I never, ever looked at my watch during a race, preferring instead to run entirely by 'feel', always believing my body could judge optimum pace far better than any watch.  It amused me to see runners checking their watches at every mile marker, presumably to assess whether ahead or behind schedule.

One of those enjoyable dawn runs  (Click to enlarge)

My body set my pace according to fitness level and acquired training effect so there was never any computing to do on my part.  Time rarely crossed my mind.  I just ran the best my body would allow me to run on the day.  The inquest and analysing began only when I got home when occasionally I'd get a wonderful surprise - a nice PB, an age related course record or occasionally a British Championship.

Tuesday's 5 mile route

Old habits die hard.  Even though I haven't raced for years I never peer at my TomTom watch while actually running.  I merely click it at the start and finish of a run then plug it into the computer to download and charge while I have my shower.  Which is what I did last Tuesday after an enjoyable 5 mile run round local fields, woods and hills.

Love those sort of surprises

Still sweating I sat, draped in a bath towel, in front of my computer to learn the worst!  But I couldn't believe my eyes when TomTom said I'd just run my fastest 5 miles (with 597 ft of ascent) and improved my Fitness Age to 66.  So there you go, running does actually make people younger - by a whacking 20 years in my case!

Stepping stones and Suspension Bridge at Hebden

Things didn't go quite so flowingly at the weekend.  On Saturday we visited a 93 year old friend who's recently been transferred from hospital to a rather opulent, up market Nursing Home.  "Gosh" I said to the receptionist, "have you got room for me in here?"  I quickly changed my mind on learning that weekly rates amount to a staggering £831

Paddlers in the river at Loup Scar

By the time we'd driven to Hebden the sun had reached its zenith which meant we were in for a sweaty, uncomfortable run.  I envied people splashing around in the river at Loup Scar as I ran past.  I say 'I' because we ran separately, me having trouble with my nether regions again - don't ask - which somewhat delayed my start.

A flotilla of goosanders 

There were crowds of weekend walkers to dodge around, and their dogs, but all were polite and chatty, giving words of encouragement and shutting gates behind me. In the intense heat they gave me little chance for rest.

Burnsall beach and corner of Daggett's field

Jeremy Daggett's field in Burnsall was brimming with picnickers, sunbathers and folk paddling in the river.  A pungent smell of barbecue smoke and charred meat stung my nostrils as I ran through.  I wasn't tempted!

Early purple orchids - I think!

I'd never before noticed the delightful little patch of wild flowers near the bottom of Postman's Steps.  Maybe it's only appeared this year.  And nestling among the carpet of blue were some beautiful early purple orchids that, of course, provided another excuse for a few moments rest.
Running back over the Suspension Bridge I noticed algae is already forming on the river, as it does when water gets low in hot weather.

Algae forming a scum on the River Wharfe

"Remind me never to run in this sort of heat again" I said to a non- running neighbour as I turned in home lathered with sweat.  It was ages after my shower that I cooled down sufficiently to fancy any lunch.  It was fluid I needed most. A bucket full of it.

Setting off into the boundless blue on Sunday's run

More sensibly, Sunday's run was a bit earlier in the day but nevertheless the sun was rising into a cloudless sky as we set off up the ghyll trailing our black shadows. A grey wagtail in the beck gave us our first excuse for a rest as it flitted from stone to stone in search of food for its fledglings.

Yellow wagtail

Sheep had already sensed the increasing heat and were seeking shade in the lee of a dry stone wall.  What they didn't know was that the sun would soon be directly overhead and their cool shade would be gone.

Sheep in disappearing shade -
or have they picked the wrong side of the wall?

We'd set off to do a seven mile route but were already feeling a little uncomfortable in the rising temperature.  "Maybe we'll just go round Yarnbury and make it a mile shorter" I suggested.  My wonderful partner quickly agreed. "The mountain pansies should be flowering on the Yarnbury track" she said.

No mountain pansies but a few splashes of thyme

"Oh, I wasn't meaning that particular track, that way will cut it down to only five miles" I said.  Subconsciously I believe we both thought that would be far enough!  So that was the way we went.

At a stile approaching the tiny hamlet of Yarnbury....

Unusually, we hadn't seen a solitary soul.  There are usually cars parked around Yarnbury and walkers wandering along the tracks, but there was no-one.

....and standing on the slightly raised curve of the overgrown henge

We crossed a field containing a henge that dates back to the Neolithic/Bronze age.  Sadly over the years its 22 metre circumference has become so overgrown as to become barely recognizable among the thistles and tussocks in which it lies. But we found it.

Legging it down Moor Lane

We climbed over another stile to run down Moor Lane where a lone lapwing was flying around.  We surmised the majority of them had already returned to the coast where feeding will be much easier on the wet seashore than the baked ground of the Yorkshire Dales.

Keeping going up Edge Lane

Turning onto Edge Lane we encountered our first, and only, hikers of the morning who gave us a cheery "Well done" as we shuffled by, determined to keep going up the steepish hill ahead of them.

Knapweed

I'm afraid to say we succumbed to yet another tempting short cut at the end of Edge Lane, down a narrow path leading steeply downhill to the welcome shade of a wooded area where knapweed was growing in profusion.

Almost home and still the sky is blue

From thereon it was a gentle run past Garnshaw House, through a couple of fields and down a stony lane back into the village of Hebden - to a cooling shower, drinks, lunch, then if I dare say it, a short siesta out of the sun.   I sometimes wonder if I'm getting old?

Sunset - and time for bed

  Not according to TomTom.  At my present rate of progress I could soon become a teenager again.
  In my dreams....