"Return to Whinfell Forest"

The last running week of the year has mostly been spent up in the Lakes at Whinfell Forest, which the family last visited at the end of the summer. Once again I got in some great runs but the weather was very different this time round with the continued big freeze making it treacherous under foot and with strong winds taking the temperatures well below freezing. On my longest run I disappeared onto the forest tracks and was rewarded with the opportunity to see a couple of wild deer in their natural habitat. Although they kept their distance it was great to have them running alongside as I wove my way between the trees!

Today on my last run of the year I was back at work in sandbach but took the opportunity to get in a very fast six miler at lunchtime under a bright winter sun. A great way to finish the year.

I was going to do a review of my year but will leave that for a week or two to get it in perspective and at the same time lay out my plans for the season ahead.

Total annual mileage 1252

"Boxing Day Handicap"

As I sit here typing this the rain is absolutely belting down and I haven't got my run in yet and probably won't bother! What a difference from the rest of the week where deep snow and sub zero temperatures were a real challenge both to get to work and to run. Monday's session was a great very fast six miler around the trails of Sandbach with the sun out but the temperature of minus 5c. Due to the heavy snow on Tuesday there was no track session as Sue the coach couldn't get out of her drive! I wasn't sorry as I had taken a tumble in the carpark during the afternoon and suffered bruising to shoulder, knee and elbow. A run over the Hollins and its snow drifts on Christmas Eve in bright sunshine with a clear blue sky retrieved my spirits.

Yesterday saw the last of twenty six races for the year, the much awaited annual Harrier's Club Boxing DayHandicap over a super hilly four mile course in Macclesfield Forest. This is the one race of the year when fell, road and track athletes come together to really test themselves and settle a few scores! Due to there still being lots of ice and snow left on the roads the usual route was in doubt right up to an hour before the race (the alternative being an off road trail race through the forest). Everyone brought a number of shoe types incuding fell just in case!

Having run a great Langley 7 road race in November over much of the course to be used, I was handed a much harder handicap than I really wanted or deserved! The route includes a fast flat start (for us track stars) some wicked climbing and descending for the fell runners and all on road (obviously to help the road runners!). After a great start alongside four other runners I was going well for the first undulating mile but made the fatal mistake of climbing the main hill of the day alongside my club colleague Rachel who was recently the first lady home in a Lake District 100 mile race! I was ok for the first couple of minutes then everything started to swim before my eyes! After recovering off the top I finished really strong to finish fourth on the course with 28.04 but well down when the handicap was applied.

The photo show the last fast flat section of the race past Trentabank Reservoir where the mental toughness (and pain!) starts to kick in. With a few scores were settled we all retired to the local village pub to meet up with family and friends for soup and rolls then home again all by lunchtime. A great race to finish off the year.

Annual mileage 1238

"Boggart Hole Clough"

Well the last two weeks have been a real mixed bag. The first week included some fast flat runs discovering the new roads and trails around Sandbach situated right in the middle of the Cheshire Plain (the name says it all!) where I am now based, but what I missed was my regular track session (now three weeks) and some hill work.

The effects of this really came home to roost last Saturday with the third round of the Manchester XC League at Boggart Hole Clough. On one of the muddiest and toughest courses I have seen for years I suffered my first defeat of the XC season to my closest rival Jack from Salford Met AC. He caught me in the middle of the final two mile lap and took 20 seconds out at the finish, standing with a gasping grin on his face as I crossed the line! It's at times like this that I realise how competitive I am! I'm still ahead in the League's overall standing based on all three races but will have to work really hard at the last two fixures (both of which suit my style of racing better with less but shorter hills and more flat terrain) if I am to recapture the ascendancy.

This week the weather changed and got much colder. Again due to work I missed my track session, but for once yesterday got in a great two and a half hour run in the hills. The weather was cold, at minus 4c, but with no wind chill it was ok and I survived with just a helly base layer on. As it was the last Saturday before Christmas I suspect many people were out shopping and I had the high paths pretty much to myself. The photo shows the top of Kerridge ridge not far from home. Having seen the advanced weather report I decided to run this instead of my club's annual fell handicap championship today which given the heavy snowfall in the last twenty four hours would have made it difficult just to get to the start let alone run fifteen miles over the hills of the Peak District. Wise move I think!.

Just one more race of the year to go, the club's Boxing Day Handicap around Macclesfield Forest. Let's hope the weather eases and we can make the start line!

Annual mileage 1221

"Winter Chills"

After a couple of good weeks of running this was the first for a long time where illness slowed me up. I am putting it down to working in a new office with no natural ventilation! Fortunately there have been no races missed and I have been able to make it a mixture of very easy short runs plus one long slow run in the hills yesterday.

With constant heavy rain making many of the trails almost unrunable it was still great to get out there without any pressure and just enjoy the views from the local hills. The photo is one I found amusing as I passed through one of the upland farms.

Next week it's hopefully back to the Manchester XC League and the hills and mud of Boggart Hole Clough.

Annual mileage 1170

"Cheddleton Christmas Pudding Race"

The last week has been a real mix of quality sessions and a poor race to finish it off!

The week started well with a five mile threshold run around my new work base in Sandbach followed by a real quality track session (5 x 12oom fast 30 secs recovery/ 200m fast and 200 m recovery) which left me on my knees!.

The week end was meant to round this all off with my first running for twelve years of the famous Cheddleton 10k Christmas Pudding Race. Set high up in the beautiful Staffordshire Moorlands this really local race attracts everyone from the fun runners to the sub 31 minute racers. With three two mile laps each with 3 long slow climbs and short fast descents this is not one for a pb or for when you are mentally or physically not at the top of your game. I made the mistake of looking at my previous time before the race and although I was within three seconds of my lap target at two miles (14 minutues) I knew then that I was never going to hold the pace. finishing in 44.26 (107th out of 485). Looking on the bright side the prize to each runner was a christmas pudding which will definitely take pride of place on the big day in a few weeks time! Also it was nice to race against (but lose to) many of my club colleagues who I don't normally see as I rarely frequent the roads. The other big plus is the photos taken off me at least show I was holding my form even on the hills with a good forefoot striking action and driving arms. Good job photos can't show the pain!

The other highlight of the week was my son Matt's band ZapZapZap played their second gig on the "unsigned bands" night at Manchester Academy 3 and even got collared backstage by a London music critc who had travelled north to see the band on after them! Who knows what may happen next, maybe a world tour! Here's the bands final number a cover (the only one they do in the set) of Joy Divisions "Transmission".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od0AMQs0_V0

No races this next week so time to get a few longer runs in and plan the world tour!

Annual mileage 1155