2011 was a year of two halves for me, starting with some great achievements following some casual and predominantly hill focused training, but suffering from the end of August onwards after tearing my ankle ligaments badly.
2011’s recipe for success: Train regularly but not religiously and when I do train – train for, or in, the hills.
With this approach in mind I deliberately didn’t complete a running log for 2011, so stats are few and far between, however even as soon as mid January it was evident my 2011 approach seemed to be working:
At a fast paced and very enjoyable race at the Kielder off road duathlon my feet were the first to break tread into the 2” of fresh snow in the finishing field below Kielder Castle, however I narrowly missed out on my first ever career victory to come 2nd by 2 seconds.
When dropping down to the C class at the Highlander MM due to Adam’s knee injury we were jokingly warned not to win by the organizers and were, in some part, relieved to come 2nd having taken it easy both days. The speed boat back to the mainland capped off an awesome weekend.
Taking out a few Munro’s after the HMM, including Uncle Dave’s last, put some strength in my legs and a PB at the Yorkshire 3 Peaks of 3h33m showed that my approach to training was working. I continued to focus on longer off road runs and getting into the hills at weekends to recce the Bob Graham.
Despite being nothing short of boring, my 9 mile pavement pounding commutes to and from work proved the ideal distance to keep the legs ticking over
in between longer weekend runs in the hills.
2011 running highlight:
My previous long term goal of a top 10 Elite MM finish would suggest that coming 7th in the LAMM Elite ought to be the winner; but the 61 mile Fellsman was definitely my running highlight of the year. It was a brilliant race covering new and unfamiliar territory for me – The route took in many first time hills, typically full of Yorkshire Dales's rugged beauty. I also found a new level of determination and strength; not just to continue moving for long days in the hills as I always have, but to continue pushing 100% and running strongly and quickly. I surpassed all my expectations finishing 7th in 12hrs 18minutes.
The summer after the BG attempt was my most enjoyable ever, and
I didn’t run once! After an awesome stag do I married Rosie on the happiest and most perfect day of my life. We spent an equally enjoyable 10days in the Italian lakes on honeymoon, both deciding that we could happily live there…
2011 running lows:
I was confident that all the great preparation and new found ability to ‘MTFU’ would lead to a successful BG attempt in July, despite the ‘unhelpful’ weather conditions. It wasn’t to be – I am still gutted to this day but will be back in 2012, lessons learnt.
On my second run back after the honeymoon I badly tore the ligaments in my ankle, giving me no choice but to rest completely until the end of September. I hobbled off the hill back to Rosie, fueled by pain and the anticipation of the inevitable injury induced frustration, which I knew would plague me for the rest of the year.
With the strength and fitness drained from my legs a couple of tentative fell races in September suggested my ankle would hold out on the OMM Elite at the end of October. It didn’t. My fitness and ankle survived the first 3 hours before both failing me seemingly in the same stride. The rest of the weekend was tough for me, but my determination and Adam’s support, patience and accurate navigation got us through in 16th, my 100% mountain marathon success rate intact.
Despite this, attempting the OMM was a mistake; as of January my ankle is only just fully recovered, but my 2012 training can now begin.
The intention had been to run Leg 2 of the BG, but wanting to spend some time with Rosie and Riley (and having left my pre packed running bag full of food and kit in Newcastle!) I decided to walk up to Grisedale Tarn with Rosie and the Riley from Dunmail. The views were INCREDIBLE with a fresh dumping of snow from 500m upwards which Riley thoroughly enjoyed playing in.
The views from around Grisedale Tarn were stunning and the hills were busy with walkers fully equiped with axes and crampons. At the path junction above the tarn Rosie walked back down to the car and I popped for a swift run up Fairfield (a tough 18min climb running through a mix of well trod and 1ft deep drifts of snow) then down and up Seat Sandal (12mins - a fast but tentative downhill on the sections of well compacted snow, but attacking the climb well) before a recce of the route down to Dunmail (21mins - fast and long open strides through the virgin snow, avoiding the boulder fields as I dropped to picking up the correct trod down the WNW shoulder back the car.) Rosie just beat me back to the car. It had been a worthwhile run to get the descent into Dunmail nailed but without doubt the panoramic views of the BG routh over the Dodds to Helvellyn, across Dunmail, over Raise, the Langdale Pikes and a distant Bow Fell made it for me.
It also made me reflect that the definition of a winter BG, one attempted during the period starting on 1 December and finishing on 1 March, by no means defines the increase in the challenge that one would face. Typically a winter BG demands significantly more respect that a summer BG: the combined effects of more adverse weather, wet/snowy/icy terrain and significantly reduced daylight hours only add to the challenge. Despite the need to be good friends with the dark, I would have taken this weekends weather hands down compared to the weather we had on our attempt on the 15th July last year..!
