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. (Seasonally Affected 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 that 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 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

Wait for me!

In answer to Kate and her 'soggy blog jog', post. Yep! running is brilliant.

Many thanks to  Kate for inviting Simon and myself out for a bloggers bimble. Thanks also to both of them for not laughing at my pace. The pair of them are fitter, faster, younger and better looking than me, so it was kind of Kate to handicap herself by having a hangover and Simon to pretend not to notice. 

A couple of hours running around together, getting cold and wet,  then  thawing out over tea and hot food but surprisngly no cake. Kate is right we are very lucky, to be able to do these things.

He's snow angel. We checked for avalanche hazards by placing a pertex clad  Simon, on the snow slope.

Thankfully he did not slide too far

That'l learn ya. Rround one, Hayfield

Dark and White Challenge Events, Mini mountain marathon, Hayfield

This was team Ibuprofens first run out since the Rab. Ray had managed to get out to do  this years Dovedale Dash and the Roaches Fell Race, while I had only managed to get out for a few local training runs with the hound.

We were expecting to head up onto the edges of Kinder Scout, like we had done the last couple of years.  

wrong!  No

Unfortunately the Peak Park Authorities will only allow off piste events  a few weeks every winter. This meant we would be sticking to footpaths and rights of way, rather than being able to wander around on access land.  Never mind. It gave us a chance to check out somewhere new  and although we didn't get  to run where we expected, there were some cracking views of the Gritstone lump that is Kinder Scout.

Following footpaths, gave the runners rather than the Navigators an advantage. Being equally poor at both, we finished in our usual place, about 2/3rds  down the results table.

All went well, only minor confusions and detours. Confusions; The Famous Grouse Fell Race was being run on the same day, in the same area and parts of its course had been flagged. We didn't Know this at the time and were not sure if the flags meant, follow me or keep off the grass.  The detours; were just end of race tiredness and our usual divi-ness.

 Another well organised, yet low key and friendly event from Dark and White.

Who says men can't multi-task?

Many thanks to all who made our Sunday morning so enjoyable.

Blogz

Another look around the blogosphere

More Running Vids on http://www.trailrunning.tv/

End of October, clocks going back, its time for the OMM.

First a run down on the favourites by Nick (Ba Ba).

A bit of controversy over at team inov8

Kate is enjoying her hobby. Loving and hating it.


Ultra runner Nick Ham completed his Run further Grand Slam. Well done Nick

4Winds brings us some more exotic place names from the South West.

Good to see I am not the only one who runs the hills with a bull terrier Albert and Lilly enjoy the fells too. Get well soon Albert.

Talking of hounds, David and Charlie Have not been Marking time

Another stunning slideshow from Carmen Y Alfonso

Good to see John is blogging again. He shows us the contents of his bum bag

 Also good to see, Andy is back racing

Dawn is leading the Open 5 series.

Next up for Ray and me is the Dark & White mini mm. Starting from Hayfield

All the best. Have a good un

Steve & Billy

Parklife

Control 15, edge of vegetation. Dog in background, climbing vegetation. He is a special boy.

This control is part of a permanent orienteering course  on Allestree park. I have been mucking about on this park since I was a kid, it is also part of many of  mine and Billy's regular runs. So armed with local knowledge and nav skills honed on a recent mountain marathon, finding this control should be easy.

Wrong. It took lots of milling about and wandering around the woods until we finally found it.