Training Log Archive: PaulT

Various bits of faffing at Saltburn

Trying out the Highcliff 'box' course. Felt completely drained. And the course is way too steep!

Final session of updating HighCliff map. Its now clear why one part has previously been a mystery ....

Loop of Hutton, PC, HC, new track. Hard on the climbs.

And I have to report the end of an era.

Nineteen years ago, when I first began riding in Guisborough woods, I progressed by a series of targets. Ride up that section, or down there, crack that climb etc. One such was the 'Unsuitable for Motors' track from Hutton to the moor edge. It was very unsuitable, and so it was satisfying to finally crack it.
It has now been made SUITABLE. In fact it is SUITABLE in a grand way. It is so SUITABLE, I could push my mum up to the moor edge in her wheelchair on it. Damn them.

I really appreciate many of the changes that have happened in the woods. Wildlife thrives, and one day I will succeed in seeing a nightjar. There is a developing mix of woodland and even if it is poor for orienteering at the moment, it will improve. I'm looking forward to running as an M65. Many of the tracks have opened up. Many that were only dry for one week per year in late August are now ridable all year round. That's great, but why must 'they' dumb everything down by sanitising challenging tracks? Sure they need to be sustainable, but that can be done without removing the challenge.
RIP Unsuitables.

Tour of felling areas listening for nightjar, unsuccessfully.

Forest near Waterloo, just 195 years and 5 days after Welington. Lovely beech woods, like Pillar woods only with features! WU, then 8 times (2m hard, 1min rest), WD all in terrain. Very warm and still. Felt strong and concentrated on long strides, Wingsted-like. That felt fine in easy, soft terrain.

Re-ran a test loop that I used to do a few years ago. Track behind our house to top of unsuitables, to High CLiff gate, then straight back down. Very hot clammy day. Thoughthe GPS was playing up, reckon it was about 33:30, a little down on the 32ish it use to take back in the days.
Anyway, job done and no aches.
Now on to overnight ferry to Belgium, which has very limited training opportunities. Huh.

Rest = 9 hours driving to Oxford and back. Evening walk to HC with camera

Looping around Guis Woods, chekcing map and just enjoying the rain. The forest management is certainly having a positive effect on fauna. And actually it does add some interest for navigation.

Map updte below HiCliff , 2 hours but several short runs involved.

Easy run over to Newton U Roseberry for evening event, and back.

Roseberry 'Box' evening event - taking it easy. No major time loss, perhaps 20s on one bearing. The map was probably surveyed at 1:15 and didn't quite stand up to being printed at 1:5. Good fun format though.

Too much driving and talking.
An hour updating a tiny section of Guis Woods map. Have progressed all the way to consciously incompetent.

Around HC and down to post office very early.

WU, CD
Half of 'long' course in forest behind house
10 x 10s hill sprints
5mins of 20/20
Value for 25 mins

Round the south half of Mulgrave just scouting the area out. Feeling fine. Slithery. Inspiring.

C • jungle 2

Coatham Woods - map memory courses ( 3 *3km) - which went well. NO pace though.
Very understandably, the map is getting to need some work as the plantings mature. There are some clearings within some blocks visible from aerial.

Loopy run through many blocks in Guisborough woods, preparing to update map. Soaking. Found several new bike tracks, even more ongoing felling and brambles. Didn't find some of the features marked on existing map. Left knee still sore during the run.

To Northallerton. Several route choice errors.

75 mins updating Valley Gardens vegetation, some easy running.

WU+CD plus test of two short courses in the woods at bottom of garden. 7:45 and 10:05 for combined 2km. Too much climb really but map is OK.

Brotton, Lingdale, Saltburn, N-M, home

Left knee cap very sore. Travelling, and so plenty of walking around but no running as only surfaces are hard.