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!

Todwick 12

I'm trying to develop a good running routine again after a break due to disrupted guts. The medics claim the radiotherapy didn't affect it but I've not been trouble-free since. Could be a coincidence of getting older? It's a disappointment that I've had to step back and rebuild as early in the summer I was managing a reasonable distance each week in a reliable way.

Anyway, I took the risk today of another 50% increase in length to 12km. I've only run this circuit once before although included sections in 2 other longer runs. I felt that I pushed quite hard today and was rewarded by 7 Strava segment stars.

Of course, gaining '3' means that it was my second slowest attempt! The weather was blustery and that's my excuse for an especially slow kilometre near the end when I was into a headwind and uphill.

Closer analysis might suggest that I set off too fast and lost pace? The main thing is that I was out for over an hour and seem fine afterwards.

July into August

The end of July and early August have had summery weather which has made it good to get out and about. Perhaps a little too pleasant as it appears that some popular spots have been so busy a to risk COVID-19 transmission and attractive swimming and camping locations have been 'discovered' and left a mess. There has been such a noticeable rise in 'wild camping' that the Home Office are considering making it a criminal offence.

I've had to go into work a few days per week recently which has meant that I've missed my Tuesday morning run. Most weeks I've fitted in an extra run to compensate. This morning, for instance, I've done a slow 17km which should fit nicely with something on Sunday to make a back-to-back slow run.

Today was very warm and I kept a slow pace so as not to be too worn this afternoon. The heather is coming into flower so the moors are becoming colourful.

Great Longstone Peak Raid

With a day off work and a fabulous forecast I ran the first of the Explore Events MapRun programmes this morning. I had down loaded the MapRunF app but I couldn't work out how to start the event at the village centre so simply uploaded a GPX from my watch.

I'd been for a run yesterday and intend to go out on Sunday too,  so didn't want to 'race' this. Not that there was much race in my legs. The Great Longstone area is heavily quarried and the event was based around Longstone Edge and Moor so always more ascent and descent to do. I completed with 5 minutes to spare having decided against 2 checkpoints just off my route so I could have misjudged it either way. I missed another point by picking the wrong path at one point. So there was potential of a slightly higher score.

The main thing was that I spent 2 hours running somewhere I've not been for many months.

Ups and downs

June 2020 has been a difficult running month after the consistency and progress made during Spring. This was helped by working from home which gives me more time for morning or evening runs. In June I decided to do a rest week and then missed few runs through the impact of building work and bad weather.

Anyway today I returned to Endcliffe Park to start my run and found the ascent through Porter Clough especially tough. I've not ru up here in many month and it showed! Heading to Oxstones the weather turned wet and windy for a few minutes but settled as I continued to Devil's Elbow via God's Spring. After that it was easy to return home via well-worn routes. Although I usually run in the other direction.

The run was hard going, long runs should be done at an easy pace but that would have needed me to work the whole way.

Consolidation and consistency

I started May with a potential knee problem and leave it with some recurrence of my left foot pain. However I've managed some consistency in my running which shows a solid foundation over the spring.

I must try harder on stretching and roller work to reap the benefits long-term.

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.