Training Log Archive: Pablova

20' WU ; 30' tempo ; 20' WD

Wanted somewhere as flat as possible, so went to Thirlmere as suggested and met Chris for this tempo down the west side road. It's closed due to works = a personal track! One of the wettest days I can remember, but enjoyed it thoroughly!
Felt decent during the warm-up. Hopped over what we thought would be the only big wire fence until the other end of the lake before starting the tempo, but ended up coming across another one about 8mins into the tempo so had to do a couple of turns in total. Felt pretty good during the tempo, didn't feel like I was breathing fully until about 10-15mins to go, and managed a decent consistent pace throughout I think. Very good flat road, with just some big swimming pools added to the surface, was so fun! Really good to run with Chris too, hopefully can do it more often.

(Not sure re the elevation on this - the WU and WD routes to and from the lake road were undulating but not 284 metres worth I don't feel! My watch is a bit ill I think, the run came up with 1800m on Strava...)

Wasn't really sure what I was doing here! Tried to find a path someone explained to get around the closed bridges, but couldn't, so just messed around the roads etc. Very dreich morning, but did some strides and felt better!

A morning summit of Blencathra via Hall's. Nicely clouded and windy, enjoyed finding some new lines over the ridge, then turned left and descended over Blease Fell. Legs pretty dead on the up, and a bit sore on the descent, but a very satisfying mornings run.

Steady effort out to the hill rep location. Pretty undulating with some steep climbs so it was a good warm-up!

8x1' (jog down)

Up a progressively steeper single trail. Legs felt kinda dead but I was able to push through mostly, that 'nice' pain. Good little session, and finished just as the sun rose above the horizon!

Watching the colours changing in the morning sun.

After work up to Walla Crag on a humid night. Saw no one after leaving the town, and was treated to great moonlight so I only needed the head torch during a wooded section near the end. Pretty good consistent climb to the summit, and a lovely technical descent testing out the carrot depth. Very peaceful section by the lake at the end, and then some strides through the park. Felt pretty good after the strides.

Up to Blencathra, via Hall's Fell and the Ridge, luckily with the person themselves! One of my favourite places already - such a fun scramble, and particularly so in the wet. Passed a walker and "equal idiot", trying not to get blown off. Pretty claggy but made it very atmospheric. Back down the fast ascent via Scales Fell and a deceptively tough road section back to home.

Grisedale Pike loop with Katie. Been wanting to do this since I got here, the hills in this area always look so inviting at sunset after work. I'd done the Grisedale Horseshoe race a few years ago and the bad weather route had been put in place - who'd have thought we'd have to apply it this time around too!
The higher we climbed to the Pike, the more ferocious the wind became, so much so that both of us were nearly pushed off the edge, a rather fun experience! Through the summit where we met a few packs of walkers being similarly swung about, we swung around up to Hopegill Head, before an out and back along a cool ridge to Whiteside. On the return the ominously dark clouds moved in and once down to the saddle, we headed down into the valley before heading back onto the smaller fells to finish with a fun descent from Stile End. Nicely soaked by the end and a good time out in the fells!