A morning out of work

Today I managed to plan a day off work when it was nice weather. That's quite an  unusual combination. I'm out of practice on longer runs so committed to run/walk from the outset, my overall goal being around 22km in 3 hours. My planned route would keep me well within the Sheffield city boundary so that I was compliant with Covid-19 regulations.

I got a reasonably early start so the sun was still low even at the top of Porter Clough.

I just had to ascend to Oxstones, but after that key waypoint I set off for home via God's Spring and Devil's Elbow and then into Dore through Blacka Moor plantation. That route includes some short but sharp ascents and descents with a scattering of ice patches and bogs. Progress wasn't fast therefore. It also felt hard on my legs! My right knee is playing up again - I've blamed this on some old boots previously and had intend to throw them out...

I'd hoped to achieve 22km to match the date but I've not managed to keep up with the #496 challenge really so why bother today? It was a great outing nonetheless.

Fill Your Boots (with peat-laden water)

Once again Sheffield is in COVID-19 Tier 3 and we're not supposed to leave the city. Luckily I'd been sent a route to revisit the summer run destinations, 9 of which are within the city boundary. It looked as though a 17km loop would encompass these so long as I started at The Norfolk Arms. The day was picked wisely and I was on Houndkirk Road for sunrise. Within 20 minutes I'd got wet feet and legs from knee-height heather but this would prove to be a relatively dry part of the run. 

I have to confess that after 90 minutes was getting disillusioned with skipping through boggy bits and trying not to trip over stone islands that (falsely) promised dry feet. Progress was slow and I decided to complete the run with 7 destinations passed. It's often said to set trail runs by duration rather than distance so 2 and a half hours seemed enough. For just under 15km this shows how 'steady' I'd been.

It was great to be out mid-week and by accepting I'd had enough, and replanning my route as I ran, Type 2 fun was avoided.

Oxstones habit

With a return to attending work I've found by 'COVID' morning runs to be impossible. However, for the last few Sundays I've managed 90 minutes to Oxstones which is always a lovely journey. Actually it's just under an hour to the stones and 35 minutes back along the road.

Today was very overcast but the image looks quite atmospheric after 'some' enhancement. The last couple of weeks I've been a bit quicker on the ascent and  I now have a goal to do it in under 55 minutes. I've probably done that in the past but somehow every year achieving a pace gets tougher!

Destination #10

Another beautiful day for a run although I set out with tired legs. Today's destination was a little further from home than some of the previous ones and there were many routes to choose. Initially I'd planned to approach via Stanage Edge but decided it would be a bit too far. In the plantation I spotted 2 dear in a firebreak. During Covid runs I've seen deer far more frequently than previously. Maybe their behaviour has changed due to reduced traffic or is it simply that I'm out and about earlier?

I found the target just beyond Cowper Stone.

The rock formations include hidden passages and tunnels, perfect for concealing a geocache. I'm not sure whether these spaces are due to natural clefts or mining.

Whilst pausing before departing for home several curlew flew over and another bird (maybe a plover) spotted me and chirpped at me until I ran away.

Destination #5

Today we ran to a tree just off Rud Hill, facing the Redmires reservoirs. Very much uphill from home for over an hour, with gradually more exposure to a light wind.

I've not used the permissive path before being unsure of its condition or route. For this destination it was clearly the intended way to approach.

On the descent, heading back home, I saw a variety of birds. First a chevron of geese, seemingly low flying but perhaps they were north of the ridge and well above the ground?  Then I spotted a solitary bird notable for transverse black and white rings around its body. Looking at bird finders and pictures online it might have been a plover. There don't seem to be other birds in England with that marking, even though it is considered uncommon. There are reported sightings at Redmires so not impossible. On Fullwood Lane there were goldfinches flitting between the hedge and a garden. Perhaps there was a box of seed attracting them.

As my fourth run this week I've slightly exceeded my target. Yesterday I commented that a consistent running routine had enabled weeks without an injury, as one could guess, today I'm aware of my left knee. I've done some roller work in case it's simply tight muscles pulling on things.

Week One

One week after the UK started to take notice of Corvid-19 it's almost at the point that exercise in public could be banned. So it was essential that I took a run in today's beautiful sunshine. I did go the physio on Monday but we agreed that it was likely the last face to face appointment for a while. Luckily the ongoing niggles seem to be keeping to just niggles. I was told that I could start to increase distance to maybe 35km a week for the next month or so. Maybe that'll be possible, maybe it won't.

Although it's generally agreed that chlorinated pool water denatures the virus the local swimming pools are closed. So I'll have to be doing lots of dryland exercises to keep up mobility.

Thirdly, as we'd all been sent home from work to limit contact I couldn't rationalise going to circuits so made do with a routine at home. I didn't make it hard enough and timing was irritating. After finishing I downloaded Tabata Timer Pro which can be programmed for various reps and sets and even pyramid workouts through its group system. I've set up a simple circuit and a pyramid set but not used either yet.

On today's run I think there were fewer runners and cyclists out and about but first thing Saturday is never especially busy. We may go for a walk tomorrow but I will have to keep my mind on a run too so I can work towards the weekly total.

Incidentally, I have signed up for the University's Big Walk but I half expect it to be cancelled.

All of the paths in Ecclesall Woods

You'll have seen Strava logs where people have run all of the streets in their town but I can't see me ever doing that in Sheffield. A week or so ago I thought that it would be a fun morning to trace all of the paths in the local urban woodland. I run and walk through it at least twice a week but I knew there were certain paths I'd never been on. How hard could it be?

An evening on Viewranger suggested that it would be a 22km route with around 500m of ascent. I've made the route available to download here. The woods aren't on much of a hill but to cover every path needs the small undulations to be addressed numerous times.

As I'm still getting back into the swing of long runs I hoped to take it steady at around 8min/km but in the end the overall pace was slower than 9min/km.

Here it is done, it took over 3 hours and in my current state of unfitness it was quite hard going. I saw some dog walkers quite a few times and felt I needed to apologise to one for popping up so often.

That's my weekend running basically completed now, just a few easy km to achieve the week's target.

Part of the Round Walk

Today's weather forecast was grim so the Round Walk  seemed to be an obvious destination. I chose the eastern two thirds so as to avoid my usual routing. Overtime I do parts of this circuit it amazes me how hard it is. I think it's due to the repeated small ascents. I didn't watch the heart rate monitor closely but followed a perceived effort more closely as some of my recent reading has suggested that might be more reasonable whilst trail running.

Anyway, once home and having recovered the data, my heart rate was pretty much what I'd aim for on a long run.

Having started with an indifferent (or even poor) weather forecast, the morning turned out quite pleasant and there was an excellent view of urban Sheffield from Bishop's House.