I finally came clean, unlike my shoes and formerly announced my intention to attempt the Bob Graham Round: anyone looking at my training on Strava knew I was up to something with all the hill repeats and as a result of my training going well, I thought it was time to commit and to start assembling a crew.
I was slow out of the blocks this month, with a few consecutive rest days before I finally laced up the fell shoes and ran Paddy's Pole Fell Race, a short, punchy week day race on home turf, namely Parlick. The race is superbly organised by Olga (and wonderful volunteers from Preston Harriers), who took over as race director last year.
Well, that was a busy month!
I continued with hill repeats on Parlick throughout May but I only managed four sessions... granted, one session was ten repeats, which gave me just over 7,000ft of elevation gain: these sessions are hard, sometimes it's blowing an absolute gale, other times the sun is blazing but all-in-all, they're helping, I am climbing better and I feel stronger!
Okay. Things are finally looking up. Phew.
April got off to a good start as I attended my Fell, Hill, Off Road and Trail Module - Leader training in Sedbergh... I have been working towards an England Athletics coaching qualification and this bolt on module was the next step on the ladder to becoming fully qualified. Due to COVID, I missed out on the two day outdoor first aid course organised by my running club in February last year, so I will have to do one soon as having a valid outdoor first aid certificate is a requirement for achieving this part of the qualification.
March kicked off with the Stan Bradshaw Pendle Round, a super fell race starting and ending in the village of Barley... I felt just about ready for the race after a very disappointing February but post race, that blasted illness returned with a vengeance. In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have raced (and perhaps that's what prolonged the illness into March) but frustration had gotten the better of me... and not for the last time in March.
I'll continue with the gut training throughout February and with any luck I'll get a
Time flies when you’re having fun… or so they say... and January has flown by despite it not all being fun!
I’ve managed two good weeks of training but took a five day break due to a mild chesty thing and a second five day break due to life and work busyness.
