PB vs Billy B

Also available in blue

Walsh PB Elite Trainer vs Black bog dog

A gear test in the same style as Mudclaw vs muddy paw The same in that it is completely unscientific, random and probably of very little use to anyone wanting to know about fell running shoes.

I have never run in Walshes. For some reason or other I have never got round to owning a pair of these iconic, fell running classics so I was looking forward to trying a  pair of Bolton s finest.  First thoughts were that they look old fashioned, if that sounds too harsh, consider them a pair of retro style trainers(still 'on trend' I believe).
Putting them on was a revelation. Slippers with studs is pretty much it. No whistles and bows,  just a simple upper with a very grippy sole. Again bang up to date with  minimalist/barefoot thinking. Nice one Norman.

some rain

A look out the window and it is perfect weather for trying out my new fell shoes. Billy and I head out for a splash round our usual from the door run. 8K and 100metres of ascent, mostly grass and mud.

The result, in spite of Billy slipping over two times to my once (not from lack of grip I put my foot down a hole). Billy easily takes the win he can still run quicker than me and is much faster drying than a pair of Walshes

What a stud

What's brown and sticky

New Choooos

New Chew short score

Quote of the day from Ray M "We wont be wearing shorts and topping up our suntans then".

Half an hour earlier we had been driving northbound enjoying the blue skies and sunshine. We turned off the M1 and before we had even hit the Peak National Park boundary, the blue skies changed into dense low cloud.
Which for some reason we both found  hilarious.

Our hosts and race organisers for the New Chew were the Saddleworth Runners Club who did us proud. It was well organised, welcoming and friendly with a great venue and courses.

We chose the short score class, where we were given three and a half hours to go and visit as many of the controls that had been marked up on a specially printed, pre marked OS map.  A format that Ray and I have done a quite a few times before and both enjoy. 

There were a few differences to other score events we have done; It was a new area to us,  we were using Orienteering style punches and cards( last time we used them we DNFed ), but the biggest difference was the controls. We are used to Mountain Marathon sized orange and white Kites. This time we had to go out into the clag looking for a load of...... 'sticks'. 

 The checkpoints were 2x2  stakes, marked with the control letter, a number and with an orienteering pin-punch atached. As it turned out looking for sticks in the low clouds just added to the fun. 

The bad viz forced us to slow right down and concentrate on our nav, which was good as we often end up running when we should be map reading, ending up over shooting controls and having to relocate. This time we took more care and managed to find all the controls we planned on visiting, cool!

With the clag being down we took a conservative route and didn't manage to do much running but had a great three and a half hours, playing in the northern Peak District. 

Dropping down off the hills we returned to the start venue, where the Saddleworth Runners had put on a fine spread for us.  The icing on the cake, team Ibuprofen had somehow managed to come home in 4th place. Woo hoo!

Highlights and randoms

• Catching up with Simon the Fellmonkey and his team mate Glen. They finished 11th in the main event. Well done for digging deep mate.
• Cheese & potato bake with pickled red cabbage.
• finding the 'Lone Tree'.
• Meeting Ian of Just Us and a Few Friends . I think Ian may have me down as a stalker.
• Quality cakes and a nice cuppa tea.
• Not getting lost.

A big thank you to The Saddleworth Runners Club for putting on a cracking event. See you next year.

Enjoying the view

Is it that way

The usually grippy gritstone had been transformed to slipstone  by green slime  

Northern rock

Thawsday

Then after the thaw comes   ........MUD

A lady from Connecticut U.S.A. once told me that in the New England area of America they have five seasons. Spring, summer, autumn, winter and  the 'mud season'. 

I am not sure if she likes mud but Billy and I enjoy going out to run/play in it. What is not to like? It is an excuse to put fell running shoes on, even for our from the door runs. Mud is softer to run on, it doesn't rattle my knackered joints as much and Billy gets to play the Hippo game.

We used to have a black dog

S.A.D. part 2

What a difference a couple of days make. After near perfect conditions on my first S.A.D. run the weather could not have been more different. The run starts from Minffordd again but this time instead of taking the usual ridge up, I follow the footpath around the edge of Llyn Cau and strait up Crag Cau.

Once up on the ridge it is 'clag central' with some slightly scary gusts of wind. It is good to get out of it and take refuge in the summit shelter. I scoff a cereal bar, take a bearing and head off into the miasma.

 From here things went wrong. Instead of following the bearing I decided to trust my mountain memory and gut feelings...... Fool.

Next time the cloud clears I am heading down a spur towards Lyn y Gadair. The clag closes in again. My first thoughts are "I hope I don't have to call Mountain Rescue. The shame." 

 Map out, belay jacket on and have a think. Unlike the weather all becomes clear.

Up and running again it seems to take an age to reach Mynydd Moel  where I can confirm I am in the right place. Phew! From here it is just a soggy jog back to join Mrs sbrt and Billy for brunch.

Punch Drunk

Kinder Trial 2012

A great first race of the year for Ray and I. The Kinder Trial is a navigation based race, starting from Hayfield and heading up down the Western flanks of Kinder. 

In spite of mis-punching a control and having our first ever DNF we had a fantastic day out. It was a real treat being out in the snow and on returning to the scout hut we were rewarded with soup, bread, tea and cake. It doesn't get much better than that. We will be back again for this race.

Many thanks to Andy Howie and his team. You did us proud.

Other highlights:-

Catching up with  Tim  from globaltherapies and testedtodestruction.

Snow

The cresta run down from Mount Famine

Snow

Meeting  Nick Ham

Snow

More race reports from Lynne and Ba Ba

Snow

New shoooos. Inov8  Mudclaw 333s. Very comfy so far.

Snow

Our playground for the day

The Mermaids pool

Surfer dude Tim must be heading for Sandy Heys 

Photo by RichT.
Thanks Rich

S.A.D. (Seasonal adjustment on Cader Idris)

Monday the16th of January, officially the most depressing day of the year. I guess some of us just didn't notice.

Can you see the 'rock face'

Do I look S.A.D.
Second thoughts, don't answer that.

Bah!

Billy checking out the opposition

Diseworth Boxing Day Fun Run

Last race of the year for me and my first ever road race. Also making his debut, in our first race together, was my training partner Billy Bob dog.

This was not just any old road race, it was the highly prestigious Disesworth boxing day fun run ( what do you mean, never heard of it? ). Two laps around the village and a tricky grass verge to negotiate. Each of those gruelling laps being approximately a mile long with ten feet of ascent. It was always going to be a tough one. 

Billy DNF'd after the 1st lap. He saw Ali, Tony and Mrs sbrt and made a beeline for them. I think he was fed up with me slowing him down.

 Lap two went well but I was mugged on the finish line. I keep telling myself it was only a fun run but it is a bitter blow being beaten by a man dressed in a Hawaiian shirt. 

Many thanks to Ali and Tony for having us over. The Christmas dinner, beer, wine, and mince pies made excellent pre-race fuel. It was so good I somehow managed to finish in 15th place. Unless it was the bespoke 'Bah Humbug' hat, made by Ali that made the difference.
 Its not part of the usual Milly and Pip range. Ali normally hand-makes, personalised gifts out of recycled materials but if it makes me faster I will  have to wear it again. Either that or I should switch from fell running to Fun Running.

Thanks also to the organisers and helpers at the Diseworth Boxing Day Fun Run. For making our run  .....fun and to the residents of Diesworth for not laughing at my sparrow legs.  Last but not least well done to those who were out there running for a charity. Good on ya!

Hat by Milly and Pip 

All the very best for the new year

Steve and Billy