December has been a bit a push for the finish. It hasn't been a great year, bith IRL and in running terms. Reflecting back, I used my life stressors and anxiety about other people to eat in to my training time, and maybe it was the right thing to do, maybe it wasn't. My strava year summary had a solid -7% across distance, time and elevation, and I guess that is why I didn't finish the Lap. That, and the body was keeping score of all the stressors, anxieties and, frankly, traumas. But we are the scars that we carry and you are all here to hear about the running.....so lets roll.
December marked kicking off a new training plan with a new coach. That first long run back reminded me I really struggle with the long run: the planning, the anxiety, the logistics of dog and kit. And then there were speed sessions again, and trying to run well at 5:45am..... I am still not sure how its all going to work out but the fact I am not self programming saves me some brain and that is worth the money for me. So far, so good, and he doesn't mind too much when I say I am racing but let's see how he copes when the summer race season kicks off and I want to race at least once per week.....
The first race in December was the Grizedale Growl Canicross (Lakeland Paws). I hadn't been to Grizedale in a while, so it was really nice to be back. Oscar seemed to want to go for a walk not a run, and was desperate to climb in the streams, and with the grey and wet weather, I really wasn't sure I was game for 6 miles of effort. Mercifully we stuck it out and the route is all good path. We wound up through the West side of the forest, over taking, being over taken. Its always a bit chaotic but that is part of the fun. Oscar actually ran really well but my legs were a bit shot from the long run the day before. We came 18th overall and 8th woman, so not entirely a disaster. I did think I had to race to keep in the top 10 though. There would have been a beautiful view over Windermere at one point but unfortunately the cloud was down, but its the least technical of the courses I have done so far so the speed on it is pretty good. And it did stop raining for a while!
Excuse the dodgy buff- I am not bald
Oscar and I recouperated at Harry's cafe, at Yew Tree Salvage which was divine with its warm fire and indulgent porridge. Then it was home to take meet friends for the Turton Christmas tractor run, which is set to become a slightly weird but wonderful tradition. If you are urban, it won't make sense, but if you are close to a Young Farmers, you'll likely know what I am on about.
There then followed a week of storms, illness and more travel than is wise. Running around London with the Christmas lights is rather magic though.
The following Thursday, I hit the orienteering double. In the morning, I took the dog over to Reddish Vale, somewhere I had never been, and we ran the orienteering course for the club champs. I think Brian had extended the champs to create a bit of interest and see if a few more people would attempt the course. Completing it put me in contention for the Best of 10 female prize at club but I also wanted to get a nice morning run somewhere new in, and orienteering would take me all over the park. Rather than run a set course, Brian had opted for us to visit all 30 odd points, which was around 5 miles depending on how you did it. But it also meant you visited the different sections, and had to think about where to cross the river (there is only really one bridge). Oscar and I had a nearly perfect round. The park is not mega hilly, but it was pretty muddy so it was not super fast. We also had the odd squirrel distraction, and one mis nav. There was a mixture of track, path and trod, as well as view points, the stunning viaduct and some good ponds and puddles for Oscar.
Sadly I was a bit busy navving and took very few good photos.
That evening I dragged Martin to another night street league orienteering, this time in the town of Poynton. Martin was actually not feeling great so we did a shorter time (60 minutes) and didn't get paritcularly far. But we did see some bits of Poynton I hadn't been to, admired some Christmas lights, and bumped in to a guy dressed in Santa being pulled in a float made up like a sleigh on a darkened lane....a bit surreal. It was mostly urban with the odd footpath cut through which was fun. We weren't amazingly efficient, but now we have the scoring down, we did a bit better! The only problem was Poynton has a lot of traffic! Every road crossing was quite stressful and took longer than you would want in a race. Also, the event started and finijshed at a Wetherspoons with a slightly unfriendly atmosphere (and no dogs). We hit the Farmer's Arms for tea and had a lovely supper before home.
That Saturday I did another long run over at Lyme Park, including the parkrun. We were blessed with rather pleasant weather and stunning views over Manchester and the Peaks. I struggled again but got it done. I bang on about Lyme Park but it really is a fab place to run if it isn't too busy, with nice paths, hills, woodland sections and a host of options. It is the Peaks in miniature and, if it all goes wrong, there is the cafe.
Lyme in the December sunlight
The following day was the Blacksheep Christmas do. I usually help organise this but this year it had fallen rather heavy on Catherine as I was on call that day. They had picked the Beehive at Combs and a run over towards Taxal which had proved both popular and successful. I amanged to make it for a drink with everyone between phonecalls and ward round. We also presented the prizes, with me narrowly beating Hannah C to the Best of 10 women's prize. I think it was possibly our most successful event of the year....
On the Wednesday we rounded off the Blacksheep Christmas offering with the last head torch run of the year. It was really wet! People got wet just walking from car to the pub, and the roads to the event were a mare with flash floods. But a magic evening unfolded, with my group sensibly agreeing to not go up Shuttlingsloe and instead head along the paths of the forest to Forest Chapel. Rain put most off fancy dress but the odd soggy Santa hat did make it out. Back at the pub, I recouperated with a mulled wine, chat and reminder that these are my people....I am very immensely fond of them despite the weirdness and precarity of our connections.
Soggy sheeple at Forest Chapel
Christmas accelerated at this point. I was drowning in work as I got on the train to Edinburgh for an early family Christmas (too many healthcare workers). Whilst up there my sister and managed to run Arthur's Seat, the meadows and Holyrood though parkrun at 9am didn't quite fit. Edinburgh is a stunner for Christmas if you do ever need a getaway by the way, but it is busier than I remember from Lucy's uni days.
Outside Holyrood
Having had a night in my own bed, the next day we had a family outing up the M6 to the Lakes for the day. Whilst this was gross in terms of carbon foot, it was important family time and in aid of the Climbers Against Cancer charity. We parked up ridiculously early in Glenridding car park after a slightly iffy trip over the high ground near Shap. There had been snow overnight and it was beautiful. However, it was also really windy and so it had been decided by the organisers to do an alternative walk to the dams rather than the top of Helvylln (wise). Carmine De Grandis and Nicky (sorry I forgot your surname!) were warm hosts and wonderful organisers and soon people were chatting and making new friends. We climbed through the village then up on to the snowy fell. It was stunning. It took us about 90 mins tothe dam as it was a steady pace, and there we sang Christmas carols to Carmine on the accordian. A few of us headed further up the valley for more carols at the next damn (a bit more of a open ground walk). It was cold but the company was immensely warm. My dog did steal a mince pie (causing me stress and embarrassment), but managed to puke most of it up so all was well except my dignity. Then it was back down to the pub for lunch, mince pies and more carols. It was one of the most festive things we did this year and I loved it.
Carmine and his accordion
And suddenly it was Christmas week. Alas I was to be on call three times this week, including Christmas night. I felt I landed on Christmas week with a pile of work, no energy and very ready to eat Christmas cake.
Christmas Day parkrun was an absolute record breaker in the North West, with almost 150% of the runners of last year, and Worsley Woods where Oscar and I headed hit over 600 people. It was so festive. But part of the magic was running there, with the gentle build up of the crowd and santa hats and excitement. The run itself was congested but I was just there to enjoy so it was no worries. Then on the run back it took an age of the crowd to thin out as Oscar and I ran home, gradual fizzling out until it was just my dog and I on the track, like nothing had happened.
Santa hat and Christmas jumper for Christmas day parkrun
I was called out overnight on Christmas day but mercifully not for very long. So I was vaguely bright eyed and bushy tailed for the Whinberry Naze Fell race, which my friend Emma kindly drove me to. This short but cracking race is over in Rawtenstall, where the hills are PUNCHY. We registered on the late side but managed to make the start line just as everyone was bunching together for the brief. In true fellrunning style, it was a 'its a bit foggy, we've had to move the finish line up a bit. are you ready? go!' and a few hundred festive clad souls headed in to the mist. There was such an amazing effort with costumes. At only 3.5 miles, it packs around 700 ft of climb so the first section was very slow and I enjoyed looking at everyone's costumes as we chopped and changed positions on the track up. Eventually Emma surged ahead of me, as did her brother who had joined us. There were quite a few supporters at the start, including some very excitable children as the track turned to path which were fab. But I was clearly tired as I made hard work of the section of runnable moor and lost places, time and at one point a shoe in a bog. A line of horses charged out of the fog at one point. With no knowledge of the area, and no visibility, I had no idea how the landscape would pan out beyond the next hundred meters and, perhaps a bit tired from the night before, walked more than I should. However, at one point I was persued by a man who looked to be dressed as death but was in fact dressed as Ozzy Osbourne, but still, I kept in front of him....
The climb to Cowpe Lowe was punchy in true Rawtenstall style. Many people were on hands and knees but I actually made reasonable progress up here, making back a few places. Two people appeared walking down out the fog. One man gave us a disgusted look, the other was full of admiration. I also bumped in to a very well behaved little dog running the race with his master- Oscar take note, this is how it is supposed to be done!
And then we popped out (ish) of the cloud to a stunning inversion and evidence of a clear day to the north (ish). I got a brocken spectre and took a second to enjoy the magic, because whats the point if you aren't going to enjoy it.
Brocken Spectre from Cowpe Low
And then it was across the top, wirth all the places changing again, to Santa handing out tubes of smarties at the trig! There was actually a bit of a crowd gathered here and it was lovely to know it was mostly down.
Mercifully the down wasn't as steep as the up, but there were some very slippery bits. at one point I nearly face planted the bog. I really miss being able to descend and want to work on this again. However, on the day I just settled for getting down safely and not losing too many places. The couple I had been chasing disappeared in to the mist about half way down. And then I heard the loud group of kids, and was a bit stuck going over the wall before the charge down the concrete (and slippy!) access track to the bottom. The race had been advertised as 4 miles so I was abit surprised how quick this came around but hey, I was pleased to pop out the finish line of a fell race again.
Had I not been working, I could have raced Wansfell on the Friday, and if I wasn't on a training plan I am sure I would have love Bilberry Fields on Sunday. It was a reminder of the fact I had originally promised to not do a big one so I could fell race more. But at least I snuck one in, and got th elong run done today. Sadly I am also working for the New Years Eve races, but hopefully next year I can work less. Martin put his foot down on driving miles to the Kirkby Stephen 9 standards race on New Years Day but has condescended to Lyme parkrun with me, and then I can knock a few Peaks miles on the end on the way to lunch.
I think I am going to find January hard this year, with a training plan to stick to, work to get done, and also the darkness when the lights come down. But I do have some bits to look forward to, even if it won't be as many fell races as I hoped. But there will be trails, there is ski touring to look forward to and the Manchester to Sheffield Peak Divide to train for so its brave face in to 2025! Happy New Year!
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