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...