Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Becoming A Bit Of A Chore...
Track Towards ThringstoneI must admit, the training is becoming a bit of a chore now... as I said before these are the few final weeks (can you believe), the culmination of the last two years and the last push before the taper... and I'm still knackered!!
I am also sick of walking in winter... sick of everywhere being so wet, muddy, slippery, slushy and boggy... of fighting my way through slippery fields, of feeling the wind slice through me, of having to get up early due to the short daylight hours, of constantly washing muddy kit, of trying to clean running shoes which resemble blocks of mud... but it will all be worth it when I cross that finish line and get that medal round my neck!!
I did get in my hill run last week- there was snow, but it had not yet turned to slush higher up so I got to run up the hills. I ended up running up the longest, steepest hill three times (slowly!!) so was quite pleased. Friday was a rest day (yay!!) and pizza night.
Thought I'd better do two back to backs over the weekend, and as I was seeing a friend in Loughborough Saturday night, chose a 13 mile route round neighbouring Shepshed. I parked a little way from the start, and ended up walking back to the car when I realised I had only got one glove (It wasn't in the car, and I later discovered my friend who's house I'm sharing had found it on the path- luckily I didn't need it!)
I misread the start- wandering around the cemetary before discovering it starts at the side of it. The route was quite nice, but consisted of muddy railway track, muddy fields, very muddy woodland tracks involving lengthy detours through brambles (my legs look decidedly s & m like...) extremely muddy ploughed fields with the kind of mud that just stuck to my shoes and felt like I had lead boots on, and not so bad grass and road. The footpath had been closed at one point, and I got a bit lost and went out my way, so had a road detour- must have done about 14- 15 miles in all before I presented myself at my friends covered in mud...
Sunday's choice was a 20 mile circular route from Cresswell Crags, a lot of it following routes me and Perks had done New Years Day but in reverse. I packed up the rucksack to around the same weight I've been using lately and decided to weigh it- to my surprise, it actually came in at 10.2 Kg!! So I have been training with 9- 10 Kg on my back without even realising it!!
Cresswell Crags car park is a bit of a building site as they are constructing a huge new visitors centre (once I found it, which involved an unplanned detour round Worksop) Parts of this walk were nearly as muddy as yesterday, especially the first few miles through forest.
Sand Stone Gorge- And Muddy Track!Going through Clumber Park it wasn't too bad, had to back track slightly to find Hardwick Village. There were quite a lot of prople around.
Dam From Ford Near HardwickI stopped for sandwiches and a coffee at a ruined picnic table before a long 3 mile stretch through forest to Hazel Gap- quite a good track but rather boring! I headed up to another forest afterwards- Gleadthorpe Breck Plantations- before following muddy tracks to Church Warsop.
The final part was through slippery field back to Cresswell Crags, which I reached just as it was getting dark- there were quite a few people around here which I didn't expect. Both walks took me longer than I thought cos of the mud! I ran a little both days but not too much cos I am not very confident in mud!
Cresswell CragsAll in all, quite a good weekend! I had intended going to the gym last night, but rebelled cos I felt so tired! I ended up walking two miles instead- to Morrisons. Which was shut!
I am trying to become really enthusiastic about tonight's hill run...
Labels: Cresswell Crags, Cross training, Shepshed, Sherwood Forest
